Advanced Computer Graphics: Introduction

1
Advanced Computer GraphicsIntroduction

• James Gain
• Department of Computer ScienceUniversity of Cape
  Town
• jgain_at_cs.uct.ac.za

2
Objectives

• To introduce advanced graphics
• To provide an overview and context for the course
• To outline the course requirements and evaluation

3
Exercise Realism

• Question Consider some recent computer animated
  films (Shrek, Finding Nemo, Final Fantasy). Which
  aspects do you feel where particularly realistic
  and which unrealistic? Try to name particular
  scenes.
• Answer

-
Subsurface lighting (skin, milk, etc) Hair
Facial animation and lip synching Complex shapes
Perfection (no dust, dirt and dents) Physical effects (wind, water, fire, cloth)
4
The Graphics Creation Pipeline
Texture
Animate
Render
Model
Low Level - Polygon Mesh - - - Polygon Scan Conversion
High Level - Curves - Surfaces - CSG - Texture, bump, environment mapping - Kinematic chains - Animation functions - Quaternions - Ray Tracing
Advanced - B-splines - Volumetric - Blobby - Deformation - Dynamics Kinematics Motion capture - Radiosity - Illumination Models
5
Course Structure

• Credits 3
• Pre-requisite interactive computer graphics
  (CS3)
• Structure
• Blocks of 3 lectures
• 5 weekly double period reading group sessions (10
  min introduction, 40 min presentation by 2
  participants, 40 min group discussion)
• Purpose
• Enhance critical reading, writing, presentation
  and discussion skills
• Cover more advanced aspects of computer graphics

6
Evaluation

• Mark
• Exam 40, Structure Portfolio 20, Project 40
• DP
• Attend and submit review forms for 7 out of 10
  reading groups
• Present a paper overview for one reading group
  session
• Exam
• Open Book (may take in papers, structured
  portfolio and textbooks)
• 2 Hours
• Attendance
• To attend a reading group you must have read the
  paper and completed a review form

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Lecture Contents
Title Lectures
Modelling Constructive and Procedural Texture Curves and Surfaces 6
Rendering Ray Tracing Radiosity 3
Animation Interpolation and Rotation Anti-aliasing 3
Visualization Colour Scalar field and volume rendering 3
8
Papers

• Freeform Modelling
• Teddy a Sketching Interface for 3D FreeForm
  Design
• Procedural Modelling
• Procedural Modeling of Cities
• Photogrammetric Modelling
• Modeling and Rendering Architecture from
  Photographs
• Animation
• Flocks, Herds and Schools a Behavioral
  Approach
• Rendering
• Surface Splatting
• available on \\Wolverine\Public\advgfx

9
Paper Review Form

• Briefly describe the paper and its contribution
  to computer graphics and interactive techniques.
• Is the exposition clear? How could it be
  improved?
• Could the work be reproduced by a skilled
  graduate student?
• How would you rate this paper on a continuous
  scale from 1 to 5, where
• 1 should never have been published, 2
  substantial flaws, 3 acceptable, 4 good,
  solid research, 5 the greatest thing since
  pre-sliced bread
• Explain your rating by discussing the strengths
  and weaknesses of the paper.
• How would you extend this work beyond what is
  suggested in the future work section?

10
Project

• Create a computer generated world
• Using procedural (fractal and L-system)
  techniques
• The project will involve modelling, texturing and
  rendering using C and output to VRML files
• Working in groups of 2 on clearly defined aspects
  of the problem
• Terrain
• Trees
• Sky
• Buildings
• Roads