CSc48206820 Computer Graphics Algorithms Lecture 28

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CSc4820/6820 Computer Graphics
AlgorithmsLecture 28

• Graphics Systems
• Careers in Graphics
• Final Exam Review

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What you have learned in this class

• 3D graphics pipeline
• OpenGL programming
• Real-time graphics algorithms
• Non-realtime rendering ray tracing radiosity
• An introduction to 3D modeling animation

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3D Graphics Pipeline

• Graphics pipeline stages
• Scene database
• Culling (optional)
• Transformation and lighting
• Clipping and viewport mapping
• Rasterization
• Video out
• OpenGL/Direct3D is designed around this model.
• Most graphics hardware systems also follow the
  pipeline model.

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Pipeline Model

• SGI pioneered the pipelined design model
• Other hardware vendors (nVidia, ATI, Matrox,
  3dfx, etc.) follow suit
• Break down graphics computations into stages

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SGIs RealityEngine (1993)
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GeForce 8800 (2006)
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Whats next

• GPU
• Multi-core CPU and GPU (e.g. Intels Larabee)
• Real-time ray tracing
• Real-time physics processing

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Whats next

• New input devices
• For example Nintendos Wii remote control

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Whats next

• Large 3D displays
• For example, Philips 3D TV
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vHF-PMN3aK8gfeature
  related

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Large 3D display

• Philips 42 3D 42-3D6W01 WOW display system
• http//www.business-sites.philips.com/3dsolutions/
  news/article-15169.html
• Allow multiple users to view 3D content at the
  same time within a large comfort zone, without
  the need for special viewing glasses

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Virtual Reality

• CAVE
• http//cave.ncsa.uiuc.edu/about.html

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What is virtual reality?

• A hypothetical three-dimensional visual world
  created by a computer user wears special goggles
  and fiber optic gloves etc., and can enter and
  move about in this world and interact with
  objects as if inside it
• Source WordNet (http//wordnet.princeton.edu/)

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What is virtual reality?

• A human-computer interface in which the computer
  creates a sensory-immersing environment that
  interactively responds to and is controlled by
  the behavior of the user.
• Source http//www.hitl.washington.edu/scivw/EVE/I
  V.Definitions.html

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Examples of VR

• Blue-c
• http//blue-c.ethz.ch/
• http//www.virtuallybetter.com
• http//www.defense-update.com/products/v/VR-PTSD.h
  tm

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Augmented reality

• The use of transparent HMDs to overlay computer
  generated images onto the physical environment.
  Precisely calibrated, rapid head tracking is
  required to sustain the illusion.
• Source http//www.hitl.washington.edu/scivw/EVE/I
  V.Definitions.html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality

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Augmented reality

• Mix real and virtual objects
• Examples
• http//www.hitlabnz.org
• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid6523761027
  552517909
• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid-192274707
  3003090226

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Careers in Computer Graphics

• What level of education is needed? What should I
  concentrate?
• What kind of jobs are there?
• Should I be a specialist or a generalist?
• What level of experience do they look for?
• What kind of jobs can a CS major get in this
  industry?

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Sources of Information

• SIGGRAPH 2006 panel
• Is a career in computer graphics possible?
• Videos online at http//portal.acm.org/toc.cfm?id
  SERIES382typeseriescollportaldlACM
• SIGGRAPH 2004 panel
• Careers in Computer Graphics
• On DVD

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Education Background

• What level of education is needed? What should I
  concentrate?
• A broad education is essential
• Should be a good problem solver
• Your major is not that important, your passion,
  your skill, and your demo reel are

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Education Background

• What level of education is needed? What should I
  concentrate?
• The tools that you use are not that important.
  Tools are constantly changing. Lots of in-house
  tools. The company will train you.
• Should know how the computer graphics works the
  theory behind the tools, not just this button
  does what.

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The Job

• Two types of industries
• Film production, special effects, and TV
  commercial
• Game industry (more programming jobs)
• A broad range of jobs
• Modeler, 2D/3D animator, lighting specialist,
  rigging specialist, compositor, level designer, R
  D developer, shader programmers, etc.
• Stay current
• Harder to stay current in technical jobs because
  technologies constantly change

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Specialist or Generalist

• Should I be a specialist or a generalist?
• Solid fundamental skills are important
• Specialization will get you hired, but general
  skill will help you keep the job
• There is no true generalist
• Small companies tend to prefer generalists, while
  large companies tend to prefer specialists
• Specialists come from generalists
• Better love what you are doing

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Experience and Skill

• What level of experience do they look for?
• For junior level jobs, 3 to 5 years of experience
  preferred
• Get an internship
• Important to have an artistic eye
• Combination of artistic and technical background
  is helpful
• A lot of mentoring and training in the industry
• Right now, animators are in high demand

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CS Majors

• What kind of jobs can a CS major get in this
  industry?
• Game programmers, game AI, physics engine
• R D developers (e.g. tool developers)
• Often need advanced degrees
• IT professionals
• Data management
• Character rigging
• Special effects (e.g. fire, crowd, weather)
• Lighting tools
• Take some artistic classes will help

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Final Words

• Be adaptive, keep current, the industry is
  constantly changing
• Have a passion, have a goal
• Get into the industry is hard, prepare to start
  from the bottom
• Be a team player
• Make sure you love what you are doing

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Final Exam Review

• December 4, 2008
• 1pm to 230pm
• Open book, open notes
• No computer
• No mobile devices

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Whats NOT in the exam

• No Blender questions
• Clipping

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Final Exam Review

• The 3D graphics pipeline
• What are the major stages?
• Why is it efficient?
• Transformations
• Translation
• Scale
• Rotate -- important

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Final Exam Review

• View
• Camera setup
• Projection
• Orthographical projection
• Perspective projection

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Final Exam Review

• Lighting
• The lighting equation
• Can figure out the lighting equation from OpenGL
  program
• Shading
• Smooth shading
• Phong shading

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Final Exam Review

• Texture mapping
• The process of texture mapping
• Texture filtering
• Mip-mapping

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Final Exam Review

• Per-fragment processing
• Fog
• Transparency
• Z-buffer test
• Stencil test
• What can accumulation buffer do?

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Final Exam Review

• GPU
• What is GPU?
• Why GPU?
• Shaders
• What is a shader?
• High level shading languages

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Final Exam Review

• Ray tracing
• The basic ray tracing algorithm
• Benefits and drawbacks
• Radiosity
• The radiosity algorithm
• Comparison with ray tracing

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Final Exam Review

• 3D modeling
• Polygon mesh models
• Surface subdivision
• 3D animation
• Key frame based animation

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The next step

• Read the 3D pipeline tutorial again
• http//www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,9722,00
  .asp
• Real-time Rendering 2nd Ed. by T.
  Akenine-Moller and E. Haines, A K Peters
• A very good survey of real-time graphics
  algorithms
• Learn shader programming DirectX 10, OpenGL 3.0
• Graphics tools
• Blender, Maya, 3DS Max, Softimage, Lightwave,
  etc.

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Spring 2008 courses

• CSC8820 Advanced Graphics Algorithms
• CSC4840 Computer Graphics Imaging
• 3D modeling and animation

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• Thank you!