Introduction

What Is Computer Graphics About?

Model(l)ing

Geometry

Polyhedra
Smooth surfaces (splines, subdivision surfaces, ...)
...

Surfaces

Reflection models
Textures
Measured surface properties
...

Animation

Physics
Keyframing
Deformation
Kinematics
Motion capturing and editing
Autonomous actors (cf. NPC = non-player characters): Game-AI
...

Rendering

Photorealism

Shadows
Indirect diffuse lighting
Caustics
...

Optimizations
Non-photorealistic rendering (NPR)
...

Everything else

User interfaces
Image manipulation
Fonts, 2D, printing
Compositing, matting
Color management
Input and output devices
...

Much research focuses on these areas:

Rendering speed (offline/interactive/real time) vs. rendering quality (photorealistic and general / near-photorealistic with hacks and tricks)
Minimize user effort in animation
Minimize user effort in modeling

Topics to Be Covered in this Course

Programming graphical user interfaces
Basic algorithms of image manipulation
Cubic curves
Real-time 3D programming

Perspective
Z-buffer
Lighting
3D modeling
Texturing
Keyframing
Foundations of global illumination

And all the time: good programming style

defensive programming
debugging techniques
names and comments
OO architecture

Language and API Wars

A local misunderstanding in Bremen: Notice that: API = Application Programming Interface = the actual set of functions/classes/..., not its documentation.

The two major APIs for real-time 3D graphics are OpenGL and DirectX. There also are APIs for 2D (Java2D, GDI+, ...) and for non-real time 3D graphics (RenderMan Interface, ...).

OpenGL 1.5 (2.0) DirectX 9.0c (also includes 2D, sound, etc.)

designed by committee ("ARB") proprietary: Microsoft

available on every major platform Windows-only

common binding: C; many other bindings available (Java, C++ classes, ...) C++ and (through the OO wrapper Managed DirectX) all .NET-based languages ("managed code")

some partial software emulation in some drivers SDK contains full-featured reference implemention with emulation in software

strong backward compatibility (i.e., old-fashioned?) often redesigned with little backward compatibility (i.e., modern?) [coming next: Windows Graphics Foundation WGF in Longhorn]

some helpers, but not many contained in the standard lots of helpers: object simplification, shader effects, soft shadows, ...

vendor-specific extensions, lead to (many?) incompatibilties capability flags, lead to (less?) incompatibilties; introduction of new features requires new version of DirectX

Schedule etc.

Lab groups
Postponed classes

OpenGL 1.5 (2.0)	DirectX 9.0c (also includes 2D, sound, etc.)
designed by committee ("ARB")	proprietary: Microsoft
available on every major platform	Windows-only
common binding: C; many other bindings available (Java, C++ classes, ...)	C++ and (through the OO wrapper Managed DirectX) all .NET-based languages ("managed code")
some partial software emulation in some drivers	SDK contains full-featured reference implemention with emulation in software
strong backward compatibility (i.e., old-fashioned?)	often redesigned with little backward compatibility (i.e., modern?) [coming next: Windows Graphics Foundation WGF in Longhorn]
some helpers, but not many contained in the standard	lots of helpers: object simplification, shader effects, soft shadows, ...
vendor-specific extensions, lead to (many?) incompatibilties	capability flags, lead to (less?) incompatibilties; introduction of new features requires new version of DirectX