Course pages 2014–15
Advanced Graphics
Lecturer: Dr P.A. Benton
No. of lectures: 8
Suggested hours of supervisions: 2
Prerequisite course: Computer Graphics and Image Processing
Aims
This course provides students with a solid grounding in the main three-dimensional modelling and rendering mechanisms. It also introduces supporting topics, including graphics cards, mobile graphics, and animation.
Lectures
The order of delivery of lectures is provisional and subject to change.
- Computational geometry. The mathematics of discrete geometry:
what can you know, and how well can you know it?
- Ray tracing.
The fundamentals of raycasting, constructive solid geometry (CSG),
and bounding volumes.
- Implicit surfaces, voronoi diagrams.
Useful graphical and geometric techniques.
- Splines and subdivision surfaces.
Bézier curves and B-splines, from uniform, non-rational B-splines
through to non-uniform, rational B-splines (NURBS). Introduction
to subdivision. The key methods. Pros and cons when compared with
NURBS.
- Advanced illumination techniques.
Radiosity and photon mapping.
- OpenGL, graphics cards, and shaders. Tools and technologies available today; previews of what’s coming tomorrow.
Objectives
On completing the course, students should be able to:
- compare and contrast ray tracing with polygon scan conversion;
- define NURBS basis functions, and explain how NURBS curves
and surfaces are used in 2D and 3D modelling;
- describe the underlying theory of subdivision and
define the Catmull-Clark and Doo-Sabin subdivision methods;
- understand the core technologies of ray tracing, constructive
solid geometry, computational geometry, implicit surfaces, and
particle systems;
- understand several global illumination technologies such as
radiosity and photon mapping, and be able to discuss each in detail;
- be able to describe current graphics technology and discuss
future possibilities.
Recommended reading
Students should expect to refer to one or more of these books, but
should not find it necessary to purchase any of them.
* Shirley, P. & Marschner, S. (2009). Fundamentals of Computer Graphics. CRC Press (3rd ed.).
Slater, M., Steed, A. & Chrysanthou, Y. (2002). Computer graphics and virtual environments: from realism to real-time. Addison-Wesley.
Watt, A. (1999). 3D Computer graphics. Addison-Wesley (3rd ed).
de Berg, M., Cheong, O., van Kreveld, M. & Overmars, M. (2008). Computational geometry: algorithms and applications. Springer (3rd ed.).
Rogers, D.F. & Adams, J.A. (1990). Mathematical elements for computer graphics. McGraw-Hill (2nd ed.).
Warren, J. & Weimer, H. (2002). Subdivision methods for geometric design. Morgan Kaufmann.