Module organisation

1
Introduction

• Module organisation
• Introduction to 2D drawing with Macromedia
  Fireworks

2
Blackboard site

• make sure you have access
• posted weekly
• lecture slides
• tutorial sheets
• self-test
• also general module information
• teaching team, recommended books, assessment
  breakdown
• repeated in module handbook (word document)
• extra materials and links
• announcements
• work in progress
• look out for updates

3
Objectives

• This module will introduce you to the basic
  concepts used in software and hardware for

4
Computer graphics
5
Image Processing
6
Visualisation
7
Computer games
8
Module introduction

• After a survey of the applications and history
  of these areas, you will learn about
• 2D and 3D graphics
• games
• image processing
• You will learn about different graphical 
• input
• output devices
• file formats
• You will also get hands-on experience in
  developing and manipulating 3D computer models
  using a suitable software package.

9
Teaching team

• Stafford site
• Lectures
• Cathy French (module leader)
• Peter King
• Tutorials
• Cathy French, Peter King, Janet Lawton
• Lichfield site
• Umar Raza

10
Timetable

• You must attend 2 lectures and 1 practical
  session per week as follows (Stafford site)
• Lectures
• Monday 1-2 Green
• Tuesday 11-12  Green
• Practicals ONE of
• Monday 11-12 K027 PJK
• Tuesday 1-2 K027 JEL 
• Thursday 10-11  K027 CLF
• Thursday  11-12  K027 CLF
• Thursday  1-2  K027 JEL

11
Practical work

• hands-on exercises to support the theory
  presented in lectures
• 2D drawing using Fireworks
• 3D modelling using Maya
• modifying a skeleton Java program for graphics,
  animation and games

12
Self-test

• a self-test will be posted each week in the
  "Assignments" section
• you should
• attend the lectures and make additional notes
• read through the posted slides
• do some additional reading
• links in slides
• recommended books
• then attempt the self-test to see how much you've
  learnt
• I will look at the results to monitor your
  progress
• don't worry you can attempt them as many times
  as you like
• the marks from these tests do NOT count toward
  your final mark for this module
• however they will help you learn
• and the final test questions will be similar!

13
Assignment

• 70 of module mark
• improve on a skeleton program
• more and better sprites (2D and/or 3D)
• more imaginative movie
• incorporating more 3D concepts
• additional game elements
• game states
• response to user interaction
• game play
• scoring

14
Assignment (cont)

• describe your implementation in report
• what you did
• how you did it
• underlying theory
• learning outcomes assessed
• 2) APPLY CONCEPTS OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS, IMAGING,
  VISUALISATION, AND COMPUTER GAMES PROGRAMMING IN
  THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERACTIVE ANIMATED
  APPLICATION.
• 3) PRODUCE AND MANIPULATE 2D IMAGES AND SIMPLE 3D
  MODELS USING A COMPUTER GRAPHICS SOFTWARE PACKAGE.

15
Test

• 30 of module mark
• last week of term
• learning outcome assessed
• 1) DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BASIC
  CONCEPTS, PRINCIPLES AND THEORIES IN THE AREAS OF
  COMPUTER GRAPHICS, IMAGING, VISUALISATION, AND
  COMPUTER GAMES SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE.
• based on weekly questions in Blackboard

16
Recommended text

• The Art of 3D Computer Animation and  Effects
    Isaac Victor Kerlow   John Wiley Sons Inc
  2003   ISBN 0471430366
• book website http//www.artof3d.com/index.html
• history (timelines) of computer animation and
  visual effects
• review quizzes
• links and reading lists

17
Background reading

• Computer  Graphics  with  OpenGL,  Third
   Edition.   Donald  Hearn  and  M.  Pauline
   Baker    Prentice  Hall  2003    ISBN
   0131202383
• Ultimate  Game  Design  -  Building  Game  Worlds
    Tom  Meigs   McGraw-Hill 2003   ISBN
   0-07-222899-7  
• Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game
  DesignNew Riders Publishing 2003

18
Introduction to Macromedia Fireworks

• a 2D drawing tool
• uses both Vector and Bitmapped graphics
• Vector
• work with shapes, which have
• position
• size
• colour
• bitmapped
• image represented as 2D grid of coloured spots
  (pixels)
• only variable for each pixel is its colour

19
Fireworks interface
20
Fireworks Toolbar

• Select tools
• Bitmap tools
• select area of picture
• with different shapes
• select pixels of similar colour
• brush to paint, paint pot to fill
• pencil to draw
• eraser
• eyedropper to select a pixel colour
• blur, copy, smudge and sharpen tools

21
Fireworks Toolbar

• Vector tools
• draw
• straight line
• curved line
• polyline
• text
• shape
• edit and cut paths (lines)
• Web tools
• create hotspots and slices
• Colour tools
• stroke (outline) colour
• fill colour
• View tools
• screen mode
• move
• enlarge

22
Tool properties

• brush tool
• colour
• tip size
• stroke and edge options
• texture (pattern)
• transparency

23
Current selection properties

• stroke and fill colours
• fill pattern
• position
• size
• edge properties
• transparency

24
Further work

• get familiar with Blackboard site
• this week's tutorial
• Introduction to 2D drawing using Fireworks
• next lecture
• historical overview of games and graphical
  systems