Assosa University

Computer Graphics
Course code: CoSc 3072

Credit hours: 3, ECTS: 5

Prerequisite: CoSc 1012 Computer Programming

Prepared by: kehussen12@[Link]

 Course description

 This course will introduce students to all aspects of computer graphics

including hardware, software and applications.

 Students will gain experience using a graphics application programming

interface (OpenGL) by completing several programming projects.

 Course objectives

 By the end of this course, students will be able to:

 Have a basic understanding of the core concepts of computer graphics.

 Be capable of using OpenGL to create interactive computer graphics.

 Understand a typical graphics pipeline.

 Have made pictures with their computer.

 Chapter one

Introduction to interactive computer

graphics
What is Computer Graphics?

 Computer graphics is an art of drawing pictures on computer

screens with the help of programming.
 It involves
• Creation
• Computation and
• Manipulation of data
What is Computer Graphics?

 computer graphics is a rendering tool for the generation and

manipulation of images.
Types of Computer Graphics

 Interactive
 users have some controls over the image

 the user can make any changes to the image produced

 E.g. Ping-pong game, drawing on touch screen, animating

pictures or graphics in movies etc…

 Non-interactive
 user has no control over the image.

 E.g. screen savers, map representation of data etc…

 History of computer graphics

Ivan Sutherland (1950s- 1960s) - SKETCHPAD

 simple graphics on early computers

 pop-up menus

 constraint-based drawing

 hierarchical modeling
 History of computer graphics

Vector graphics (1960s- 1970s)

 Uses mathematical equation to represent lines and curves.

 mathematically based computer image format

 development of languages like SAGE and Sketchpad that allowed

users to interactively create and manipulate graphical objects.
 History of computer graphics

Pixel graphics (1970s- 1980s)

 The introduction of raster displays and bitmap graphics

revolutionized computer graphics.

 In the mid-1970s, Xerox PARC developed the first computer

with a graphical desktop, known as the "Alto."
 History of computer graphics

Pixar and 3D Graphics (1980s)

 In 1986, Pixar released "Luxo Jr.," a short film that showcased

the potential of computer-generated 3D animation.

 The film's success led to advancements in 3D rendering and

animation, paving the way for computer-generated imagery
(CGI) in films.
 History of computer graphics

Video Games (1970s-1990s)

 In the 1970s and 1980s, arcade games like "Pong," "Space

Invaders," and "Pac-Man" popularized pixel graphics and
pushed for faster and more advanced hardware.
 History of computer graphics

Graphical User Interfaces (1980s-1990s)

 The development of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in the

1980s,

 such as Apple's Macintosh and Microsoft Windows, made

computer graphics more accessible to the general public.

 GUIs replaced command-line interfaces with visually intuitive

elements like icons, windows, and menus.
 History of computer graphics

3D Graphics Acceleration (1990s)

 3D graphics cards with specialized hardware accelerators

became available, greatly improving real-time 3D rendering
capabilities.

 This allowed for more immersive and visually impressive video

games and applications.
 History of computer graphics

Virtual Reality (1990s-2000s)

 introduced VR headsets for gaming

 VR research continued and experienced a resurgence in the

2010s with the advent of more advanced VR devices.
 History of computer graphics

Modern Era (2000s-present)

 High-definition displays, advanced rendering techniques, and

powerful GPUs have enabled incredibly realistic graphics in
video games, movies, and virtual reality experiences.

 Additionally, fields like data visualization, scientific simulations,

and augmented reality have benefited significantly from
computer graphics advancements.
 3D graphics techniques and terminology

 The term three-dimensional, or 3D, means that an object being

described or displayed has three dimensions of measurement:

 width,

 height, and

 depth.

Fig 1.1 2D and 3D image

 3D graphics techniques and terminology

 The process by which mathematical and image data is transformed

into a 3D dimensional image is called rendering.

 When used as a verb, it is the process that your computer goes

through to create the three dimensional image.

 Rendering is also used as a noun, simply to refer to the final image

produced.
 3D graphics techniques and terminology
Transformations and Projections

 The following Figure shows the initial output of the BLOCK example
program, which shows a line drawing of a cube on a table or platform.

 The points themselves are called

vertices(or vertex in the singular)

3D wireframe cube
 Components of a 3D graphic system

 3D Modeling :
o A way to describe the 3D world or scene, which is composed of mathematical
representations of 3D objects called models.

 3D Rendering :
o A mechanism responsible for producing a 2D image from 3D models.
 3D Modeling

 Simple 3D objects can be modeled using mathematical equations

operating in the 3-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

the equation x2 + y2 + z2 = r2
is a model of a perfect sphere
with radius r.
 3D graphics techniques and terminology
Transformations and Projections

 By moving the points around, and drawing lines between them we

can produce the illusion of a 3D world on a flat 2D screen.

 The earliest flight simulators employed technology no more

sophisticated than this.
 3D graphics techniques and terminology
Transformations and Projections

 A projection matrix takes care of the mathematics necessary to turn

our 3D coordinates into two-dimensional screen coordinates, where
the final line drawing actually takes place.

Rasterization
 The actual drawing, or filling in of the pixels between each
vertex to make the lines is called rasterization.
3D graphics techniques and terminology

key concepts and terms

 Vertex: In 3D graphics, a vertex (plural: vertices) is a point in
space with three-dimensional coordinates (x, y, z).
 Vertices are the building blocks of 3D models and are
connected to form edges and faces.

Points
3D graphics techniques and terminology

key concepts and terms

 Edge: An edge is a line segment connecting two vertices and
define the shape of a 3D model and determine its overall
structure.
edge
( )
vertex
edge
3D graphics techniques and terminology

key concepts and terms

 Face: A face is a flat polygon defined by three or more vertices.
Faces create the visible surfaces of a 3D model, and their
arrangement determines the shape of the object.
3D graphics techniques and terminology

key concepts and terms

 Rendering: The process of generating a 2D image from a 3D
scene.
 It involves calculating the color, shading, and lighting of objects
in the scene to create a realistic or stylized representation.
3D graphics techniques and terminology

key concepts and terms

 Polygon: A polygon is a closed two-dimensional shape formed
by connecting multiple vertices with edges.
 Triangles and quads (four-sided polygons) are the most
common types used in 3D modeling.
3D graphics techniques and terminology

key concepts and terms

 Texture Mapping: Applying a 2D image (texture) to the surface of a 3D
model.
 Texture mapping adds details, color, and texture to objects, enhancing
their visual realism.
 models are often described not only by geometry, but by textures as
well.
 To each point of an object, we can associate some property (surface
color is a common one), and this property is then used in rendering
the object.
3D graphics techniques and terminology

key concepts and terms

 Shading: Determining the appearance of surfaces by calculating
how light interacts with them.
 Shading techniques include flat shading (each face has a single
color), Gouraud shading (smoothly interpolated colors across
vertices), and Phong shading (smoothly interpolated normal for
more realistic lighting).
3D graphics techniques and terminology
Common Uses of Computer Graphics

Real-Time 3D

An OpenGL-based flight simulator, courtesy of [Link].

Common Uses of Computer Graphics

3D graphics used for computer-aided design (CAD) (image courtesy of Software Bisque).
Common Uses of Computer Graphics

3D graphics used for medical imaging applications

Common Uses of Computer Graphics

3D graphics used for medical imaging applications

Designing Effective Step-By-Step Assembly Instructions
Common Uses of Computer Graphics

Virtual Reality

 Experiencing things through our computers that don't

really exist.
 A believable, interactive 3D computer-created world
that you can explore so you feel you really are there,
both mentally and physically.
Types of Virtual Reality System

 Windows on World(WoW)

 Also called Desktop VR

 Using a conventional computer monitor to display the
3D virtual world.

 Immersive VR

 Completely immerse the user's personal viewpoint

inside the virtual 3D world.
 Completely immerse the user's personal viewpoint
inside the virtual 3D world.
Immersive VR (cont’d)
 Often equipped with a Head Mounted Display (HMD)

Head-Mounted Display (HMD)

 A Helmet or a face mask providing the visual and auditory
displays.
Cont’d

 Telepresence
 A variation of visualizing complete computer generated
worlds.
 Links remote sensors in the real world with the senses
of a human operator. The remote sensors might be
located on a robot. Useful for performing operations in
dangerous environments.
Telepresence (Cont’d)
Types of Virtual Reality System (cont’d)

 Mixed reality (Augmented reality)

 The seamless merging of real space and virtual space.

 Integrate the computer-generated virtual objects into
the physical world which become in a sense an equal
part of our natural environment..
Types of Virtual Reality System (cont’d)

 Mixed reality (Augmented reality)

Application Area
 Computer Aided Design (CAD)

 Presentation Graphics

 Computer Art

 Entertainment (animation, games, …)

 Education & Training

 Visualization (scientific & business)

 Image Processing

 Weather Maps

 Cartography

 Simulation and modeling

 Graphical User Interfaces

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

 Used in design of buildings, automobiles, aircraft, watercraft,

spacecraft, computers, textiles & many other products
 Objects are displayed in wire frame outline form
Software packages provide multi-window environment
 Presentation Graphics
 Used to produce illustrations for reports or generate slides for use with
projectors
 Commonly used to summarize financial, statistical, mathematical, scientific,
economic data for research reports, managerial reports & customer
information bulletins
 Examples : Bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, surface graphs, time chart
 Computer art
 Used in fine art & commercial art
 Includes artist’s paintbrush programs, paint packages, CAD packages and
animation packages
 These packages provides facilities for designing object shapes &
specifying object motions.
 Examples : Cartoon drawing, paintings, product advertisements, logo
design
Examples
 Entertainment (Movies and games)
 Movie Industry
 Used in motion pictures, music
 videos, and television shows.
 Used in making of cartoon animation films
Entertainment (Movies and games)

Graphics
Animation
Game Industry

 Focus on interactivity
 Cost effective solutions
 Education and training

 Computer generated models of physical, financial and economic systems are

used as educational aids.
 Models of physical systems, physiological systems, population trends, or
equipment such as color-coded diagram help trainees understand the
operation of the system
 Training

Flight simulators, computer aided instruction, etc.

 Image processing

 CG- Computer is used to create a picture

 Image Processing – applies techniques to modify or interpret existing
pictures such as photographs and TV scans
 Medical applications
 Picture enhancements
 Tomography(a technique for displaying a cross section through a
human body or other solid object using X-rays or ultrasound.)

 Applications of image processing

Improving picture quality
Machine perception of visual information (Robotics)
Image processing
 Graphical user interface

 Major component – Window manager (multiple-window areas)

 To make a particular window active, click in that window (using

an interactive pointing device)

 Interfaces display – menus & icons

Graphical user interface