Computer Graphics I Class Page (Winter 06)

CS 430 Computer Graphics I

Instructor: Dr. David Breen

E-mail: david_AT_cs.drexel.edu
Office: University Crossings 114
Office Hours: Wed 4:00-5:30
Class Hours: Tue/Thur 9:30 - 10:50
Class Location: University Crossings 153
Phone: (215) 895-1626

Teaching Assistant: Manolya Eyiyurekli

E-mail: me52_AT_cs.drexel.edu
Office: University Crossings 129
Office Hours: Thursday, 3:00 → 5:00

Course Page : http://www.cs.drexel.edu/~david/Classes/CS430

Recommended Textbook:

Introduction to Computer Graphics, by James D. Foley, Andries van Dam, et al., Addison-Wesley Pub Co, 1994; ISBN: 0201609215

Suggested Supplemental Texts:

Curves and Surfaces for CAGD, 5th ed., by Gerald Farin. Published by Morgan-Kaufmann
Fundamentals of Computer Graphics, 2nd ed., by Peter Shirley et al., AK Peters, 2005, ISBN: 1-56881-269-8

E-mail:

It is University policy that you read your official Drexel email; it is the course policy that you read it at least once per day.

Course Objective

Computer Graphics represents a vast technical field, ranging from mathematics and geometry topics to computer hardware and software engineering topics to rendering, animation and virtual reality, far more than can be comprehensively covered in a 10 week term. Computer Graphics I provides students with an introduction to the fundamental algorithms of computer graphics through detailed coverage of the mathematics and implementation of 2D and 3D line, curve and surface drawing. The course culminates with a focus on 3D viewing and visible surface algorithms.

Pre-Requisites

Students are required to have taken CS260 (Data Structures), CS 350 (Software Design) and Math 201 (Linear Algebra). You will find this course extremely difficult if you do not have strong (B or better) linear algebra skills. Minimal review of linear algebra will be given in this class. Students are assumed to have excellent knowledge of programming. Students can use whatever programming language they wish (C, C++, Java, etc.) for the assignments in this class with the following caveat: you will need to turn in both source code and an executable file for testing and evaluation. Code must run, without dynamic linking, as a single command-line process on the CS Department's Linux (tux) computers, or possibly on a MacOS X computer. Arguments passed to the command-line will parameterize assignments; hence you'll need to read command-line arguments (argc, argv) and parse input files. This course is mathematically intense and implementationally challenging. You will be required to implement complex mathematical calculations as a regular part of your assignments.

Course Grading Scheme

Assignments (85%)
Final exam (15%)

I will use the standard grading scale of 100→ 90 (A), 89→ 80 (B), 79→ 70 (C), 69→ 60 (D), else (F). Please also note that incompletes will not be given for this course.

Assignments

Students must work on the assignments individually. No geometry or graphics libraries may be used in the homework assignments.

1 point per day (max of 5 points) will be deducted from late assignments. You will be given a grade of 0 if an assignment is not turned in by the last day of classes.

The programming assignments must be submitted on the class WebCT page before 11:59 PM on the due date.

Note: If the TA or instructor finds strong evidence of cheating on assignments and/or the final examination, the student(s) involved will receive an "F" in the course, and a memo describing the cheating will be added to their student record. Be very careful, it is not worth the risk.
Note: Your source code for all programming assignments will be run through a plagiarism detection system. This program uses compiler techniques, which are invariant of syntax and style. If you are sharing/borrowing code with other classmates (from this or previous years), you will get caught.

Assignment 1 (Draw clipped lines) - Due January 22
Assignment 2 (Sutherland-Hodgman polygon clipping) - Due February 5
Assignment 3 (Draw clipped, filled polygons) - Due February 19
Assignment 4 (Draw 3D lines) - Due March 5
Assignment 5 (Z-buffer rendering) - Due March 19
Extra Credit Assignment (Bezier curve drawing) - Due March 19

Examinations

There will be a final exam on the material from class that is not covered by the assignments.

Calendar

Week 1 (January 9 - 13)

Reading Assignment - Chapter 1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.9
January 10 - Lecture : Introduction 6 per page
January 12 - Lecture: Lines 6 per page
XPM Manual

Week 2 (January 16 - 20)

Reading Assignment - Chapter 5
January 17 - Lecture: 2D-Transformations 6 per page
January 19 - Lecture: 3D-Transformations 6 per page
January 22 - Assignment 1 Due

Week 3 (January 23 - 27)

Reading Assignment - 3.3→3.6, 3.10, 3.11, 9.1
January 24 - Lecture: Polygons 6 per page
- Sutherland-Hodgman algorithm animation
January 26 - Lecture: Circles 6 per page

Week 4 (January 30 - February 3)

Reading Assignment - 9.2→9.2.3
January 31 - Lectures: Introduction To Curves 6 per page
February 2 - Lecture: Bezier 6 per page
February 5 - Assignment 2 Due

Week 5 (February 6 - February 10)

Reading Assignment - 9.2.4→9.2.8
February 7 - Lecture: Bsplines and NURBS 6 per page
February 9 - Lecture: Drawing NURBS 6 per page

Week 6 (February 13 - 17)

Reading Assignment - 3.7, 3.14, 6.1→6.4
February 14 - Lecture: Thick Primitives 6 per page
February 16 - Lecture: Introduction to 3D Viewing 6 per page
February 19 - Assignment 3 Due

Week 7 (February 20 - 24)

Reading Assignment - F et al.: 6.5→6.7, Chapter 11
February 21 - Lecture: Math of 3D Viewing 6 per page
February 23 - Lecture: Color 6 per page

Week 8 (February 27 - March 3)

Reading Assignment - F et al.: 13→13.4, 9.3, 9.4
February 28 - Lecture: Culling, Z-Buffering and Ray Tracing 6 per page
March 2 - Lecture: Surfaces 6 per page
March 5 - Assignment 4 Due

Week 9 (March 6 - March 10)

Reading Assignment - F et al.: Chapter 10
March 7 - Lecture: Subdivision Surfaces and Solid Modeling
March 9 - Lecture: Solid Models 6 per page

Week 10 (March 13 - 17)

Reading Assignment - 9.5
March 14 - Lecture: Fractals 6 per page
March 16 - Lecture: Level Set Models 6 per page
March 19 - Assignment 5 Due