Introduction to Computer Graphics

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Introduction to Computer GraphicsGenius is 1
inspiration, and 99 perspiration.
Thomas Alva Edison

• CSE 373, Spring 2008
• Belaid Moa
• Email Belaid.Moa_at_qu.edu.qa
• Phone [phone]
• Office CSE 115

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Agenda

• First things first
• How to study
• My philosophy of teaching
• Course Description, objectives, and tools
• Course materials
• Your feedback
• Your Participation
• More on Computer Graphics tools

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First things First How to Study

• There are no such things as
• I am stupid. I can never understand this
  material
• The others are smarter than me. I am just a
  loser.
• My capacity is limited, and my brain cant
  handle it.
• Everyone of us is capable of achieving anything
  given
• Enthusiasm
• Perseverance, especially in CG
• Patience, especially in CG
• Time organization
• Suitable style of learning

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First things First How to Study

• The killer of them all Procrastination
• Excuses for not studying and doing your homework
• I cant study now because I have to get a
  haircut.
• I cant do the project because I have other
  projects.
• I cant review the CS373 lectures because I have
  to review only for this coming exam.
• It is Okay to leave things until the day of
  exam.
• The cure
• Do not leave the work of today until tomorrow
  for tomorrow has its own work.
• Reward yourself After I am done with this, I
  should get a nice haircut.
• Start with things that you feel good at.

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First things First How to Study

• How to be a good student
• People think and learn differently
• Eyes Visual learner
• Ears Auditory learner
• Order sequential learner
• Images global learner
• Doing kinesthetic learner
• Find your own style of learning
• Write sequential notes
• Use mind-map technique
• Draw images
• Explain loudly the lecture to yourself
• The read the lecture while walking
• Write and run the code to see how things work

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How to be a good student

• Find your optimal style of learning
• Do not miss a single lecture
• Be active during the lecture
• Write notes
• Ask questions
• Study your notes
• Just after the lecture
• At least three times during the week of the
  lecture
• Once after two weeks
• Once after three weeks and so on
• Organize your time
• Do not over-study for a course at the expense of
  the other courses
• Try to give each course an amount of time every
  day
• Do not leave the review and the project until one
  day before the deadline
• Do not procrastinate!
• Use office hours as much as possible
• Take time to sharpen your axe

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My philosophy of teaching

• Teach by following different styles
• Images and mind-maps
• Analogies
• Hands-on things
• Asking questions why, how, what, when, who
• The theory behind things to achieve deep
  understanding of things
• Be close to my students
• Any student who does his best (see the previous
  slide) will pass

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Course Description and objectives

• Computer graphics is used in diverse
  applications
• Medical Imaging
• Scientific Visualization of Complex data
• Special effects in movies
• Games
• The main objective of this course is to introduce
  the programming principles of computer graphics,
• Mathematical and theoretical foundations
• Fundamental data-structures and algorithms for
  rendering and modeling.
• Pipeline rendering and ray tracing
• Game designing and programming
• Software for Computer graphics
• OpenGL with C
• OpenGL with Java
• Java 3D and VRML
• DirectX with C
• Pov-Ray
• Lightwave

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Beauty of Computer Graphics

• Demo using POV-Ray
• Demo using Lightwave
• Demo using VRML

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Course materials

• Computer Graphics using OpenGL, F.S. Hill and
  S.M. Keelly (required textbook)
• Interaction Computer Graphics A Top-Down Approach
  with OpenGL, E. Angel
• OpenGL A Primer, E. Angle
• http//fly.cc.fer.hr/unreal/theredbook/
• http//nehe.gamedev.net/
• Foundations of 3D Graphics Programming, J.X. Chen
  and E.J. Wegman
• Course Webpage everything will be available in
  here
• http//faculty.qu.edu.qa/belaid.moa/

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Your feedback

• Teaching/learning is interactive
• two-way communications
• Let me know
• what you think about lectures, projects, labs,
  exams, topics,
• What you want to know or probe further
• You can reach me
• in class, during office hours, by email/phone

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Your participation
Midterm 15
Quizzes and class participation 5
Lab 40 (Project 60)
Final Exam 40
Total 100
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Project

• The theory and practice projects were combined to
  produce only one project
• Each project is composed of at most two students
• In the case of two students, both of them are
  responsible for implementing and understanding
  the code.
• The project has three milestones
• Shapes and colors
• Texture and light
• Animation and interaction

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More on Computer Graphics tools

• The students can choose any subset from the
  following tools
• OpenGL with C
• JOGL (OpenGL with Java)
• DirectX with C or VB
• POV-Ray
• Java3D or VRML
• In the lab, however, the instructor will only use
  OpenGL with a very small subset of C