Chapter 1

Introduction to Interactive
Graphics System

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 Introduction
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Early man used drawings to communicate even before he

learnt to talk, write, or count
ancient hieroglyphics (picture-writings) communicate as
well today, this fully supports the saying
“A picture is worth a thousand words” and in the era of
computers we may revise the saying to
“A computer is worth a million pictures”; → power of
computer as a communication system
advances in computer hardware & software, more and
more people are teaching and learning, communicating
and sharing their ideas through the medium of graphics
power and easy availability of computer graphics have
increased the use of pictures to replace and augment
words to describe, educate, or inform a wide variety of
audiences, on a wide variety of subjects.
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For some applications the emphasis will be on realism

(e.g. special effects in films), whereas for others it will
simply be on usefulness (e.g. data visualisation)
Whatever the application, the final image will be generated
from some model of the scene we want to take a picture of
representation of a 3-D tetrahedron (object model),
together with some model of how the scene is lit (the
light sources), and we want to produce an image on the
image plane based on the position of the viewer

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object model – represent the geometry of the object

together with some information about what type of
material it is made of (i.e. what it looks like)
viewer – virtual camera, which defines how the picture is
taken
process of starting with a model (often a 3-D model) of
the world and taking a picture of it with a virtual
camera is rendering
The rendering process can include many stages, such as
- hidden surface elimination
- surface rendering and
- clipping

26-Apr-24 Computer Graphics Alemayehu M. CSE

 What is Computer Graphics?
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CG – involves display, manipulation and storage of

pictures and experimental data for proper
visualization using a computer as a rendering tool
▪ creation of, manipulation of, analysis of, and interaction
with pictorial representations of objects and data using
computers
▪ displays or animates real or imaginary objects from their
computer-based models
▪ scientific study of techniques & methods for computer-
generating images or sequences of images (i.e.,
animations, movies)
Computer graphic is concerned with
▪ all aspects of producing pictures or images
▪ pictorial synthesis or real or imaginary objects from their
computer based model
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There are many algorithms, which can be materialised

to produce graphical effects on the screen through
several graphical tools based on different languages
CGs can be broadly divided into the ff classes:
▪ Business Graphics – such as bar-charts, pie-charts,
pictograms, x-y charts, etc. used to present quantitative
information to inform and convince the audience
▪ Scientific Graphics - such as x-y plots, curve-fitting,
contour plots, system or program flowcharts etc
▪ Scaled Drawings - such as architectural representations,
drawings of buildings, bridges, and machines
▪ Cartoons and artwork - including advertisements
▪ Graphics User Interfaces (GUIs) – which are the images
that appear on almost all computer screens these days,
designed to help the user utilise the software without
having to refer toComputer
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manuals Graphics Alemayehu M. CSE
What is Interactive Computer Graphics?
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User controls contents, structure, and appearance of

objects and their displayed images via rapid visual
feedback
It comprises of host computer with fast processor,
large memory, frame buffer and:
❑ Input (mouse, joystick, tablet and stylus, scanner, …)
❑ Processing (and storage)
❑ Display/output (color monitors, paper-based printer,
video recorder,. . . .)
❑ Interfacing devices (video I/O, TV interface, etc.)
are basic requirements necessary to build CG system
▪ Interactive CG - interactively used by users e.g., games
▪ Passive Computer Graphic - has no option for users to interact
or use computer graphics e.g., movies

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 Basic Elements of CG
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Modeling – representation choices, geometric

processing
Rendering – geometric transformation, visibility,
discretization, simulation of light, etc
- Synthesizing realistic-looking, useful, or interesting images
Interaction - input/output devices, etc
Animation – lifelike characters, their interactions,
surrounding virtual environments
- creating visual impression of motion
Image processing: analyzing, transforming,
displaying images efficiently

26-Apr-24 Computer Graphics Alemayehu M. CSE

 Why Computer Graphics?
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Dominant form of computer output

Enable scientists (also engineers, physicians, and
general users) to observe their simulation and
computation
Enable them to describe, explore, and
summarize their datasets (models) and gain
insights
Enrich the discovery process and facilitate new
inventions

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How the Interactive Graphics Display Works?
modern graphics display consists of 3
components:
▪ digital memory, or frame buffer – displayed
Image is stored as a matrix of intensity values,
which represent a rectangular array of picture
elements, or pixel
▪ Monitor
▪ display controller - simple interface that passes
the contents of the frame buffer to the monitor

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 3D techniques & Terminology 12

3D computer graphics – use 3D representation of

geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in
the computer for the purposes of performing
calculations and rendering 2D images
Modeling – creating and shaping individual objects
that will be used in a scene - may also specify materials
(textures, human organs, geological sites, types of
reflections)

Individual objects are

created and then
assembled into final
image
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graphics display is a drawing area comprised of an

array of fine points called pixels (picture elements)
real or imaginary object is represented in a
computer as a model, and is displayed as an image
image is simply a 2D array of pixels
model - an abstract description of the object’s shape
(vertices) and attributes (colors),
- which can be used to find all the points on the object
corresponding to the pixels in the drawing area

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Visualization – method of extracting meaningful

information from complex or voluminous datasets
through the use of interactive graphics and imaging
❑ process of automatically interpreting the model's data to
derive visual representations that help the user
understand specific characteristics of the model
Animation - process of automatically adjusting
positions and shapes of the various elements in the
model over time
Interaction – process of manually controlling the
view, i.e.: correction, modification, and animation
of the models through input devices (keyboard &
mouse)
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Rendering – final process of creating the actual 3D

image or animation from the prepared scene, like
- taking photo or filming the scene after setup is finished in
real life
Popular rendering techniques include
❑ shading,
❑ radiosity,
❑ raytracing, and
❑ volumetric visualization.

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Shading exploits dedicated hardware and optimized

software techniques to produce shaded images of
3D objects or scenes at interactive rates
❑ results when the color of an object is adjusted to simulate
light angles and distance from light sources
❑ varying color values across the surface (between vertices)
– easily create the effect of a light shining on a the model
❑ These techniques offer limited support for shadows,
transparency, or precise light propagation, and hence
yield unrealistic images

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Radiosity - energy radiated from all surfaces under

the specified lighting conditions
❑ extremely valuable for simulating static lighting
conditions in offices, shopping malls, theaters, and homes
❑ It models the effect of light energy being bounced from
everywhere in the scene to everywhere in the scene.

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Ray tracing is a mathematical algorithm that:

- building an imaging model by following light from a source
and “travels” to infinity in a particular direction
- Shoot “visibility ray” from center of projection (camera)
through each pixel (@viewing plane) in the image and find out
where it hits
- Find first (closest) surface that intersects the ray
- traces a ray of light from the eye to a light source
- realistically renders scenes with shiny and transparent objects
- represent reflective and refractive properties of light

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Light Source

Shadow Ray
Eye
Object
Eye Ray

Shadow Ray
Object
Light Source

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Computer Graphics Applications
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❑ Entertainment: Movies, Computer Games

❑ Presentation graphics
- Graphics as a support for reports and data
representation

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❑ Graphical user interface (GUI)

▪ Graphical elements everywhere (windows, cursors,
menus,…)
❑ Computer Aided Design & Manufacturing
(CAD/CAM)
▪ Graphical tools that allow to design prototypes
and evaluate them before producing them
❑ Medical applications
❑ Image processing, Analysis, and Synthesis
▪ ~Inverse of Graphics
▪ To modify or interpret existing pictures
▪ goal of this manipulation can be divided into 3 categories:
1. Image Processing image in -> image out
2. Image Analysis image in -> measurements out
3. Image Understanding image in -> high-level description
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❑ Simulation and training

- Driving simulation
- Simulation of processes - Industrial control panels
simulation
- Training - Components building and operation,
medicine
- Education and Teaching
❑ Scientific and medical visualization
Huge data (Dataset) and processes
▪
Scientific data representation – structure of sth
▪
Aircraft, spacecraft, automobile, surgery simulator
▪
❑ Virtual Reality (VR): User interacts and views with a 3D
world using “more natural” means
▪ Special devices (input, output)
▪ Special hardware required
❑ Others
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