CS32110 - INTERACTIVE COMPUTER GRAPHICS

Module Identifier	CS32110
Module Title	INTERACTIVE COMPUTER GRAPHICS
Academic Year	2002/2003
Co-ordinator	Dr Mark B Ratcliffe
Semester	Semester 1
Other staff	Dr Frederic Labrosse, Dr Yonghuai Liu
Pre-Requisite	CS21120, MA28010
Course delivery	Lecture	22 lectures
	Other	Workshop. Up to 3 x 1hr
	Practical	Up to 2 x 2 hours
Assessment	Semester Exam	2 Hours	100%
	Supplementary Exam	Will take the same form, under the terms of the Department's policy.
Further details	http://www.aber.ac.uk/compsci/ModuleInfo/CS32110

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will:

be able to select and deploy appropriate geometrical theories and algorithms behind interactive and reactive 2-dimensional games and know some techniques necessary for their creation;
be able to describe and apply the main concepts behind 3-dimensional graphics standards;
be able to describe and critique different methods of image synthesis from 3-dimensional models;
be aware of the variety of hardware and software technologies that allow the creation of complex animations.

Brief description

The course concentrates on several aspects of Interactive Computer Graphics: animation, game programming, 2- and 3-dimensional visualisation, and illumination models. Geometric transformations are also introduced. This module involves practical graphics programming and students will need a basic knowledge of the Java programming language.

Aims

This module intends to introduce to students the basic concepts of interactive computer graphics including:

animation;
interactivity (game programming);
Java3D;
principles of image formation.

Content

1. Graphics Systems Overview - 1 lecture
Important definitions, major components and features of interactive graphics systems.

2. 2D game programming - 6 lectures
2D coordinate systems, animation basics, sprites, interactions between objects, interactivity, Java applets, creation of a game.

3. Java3D - 6 lectures, 2 practicals
Java3D programming model, output primitives and attributes, model creation and editing, display. Constructing hierarchical models, viewing models, animating models, interacting with models.

4. Image synthesis - 5 lectures
Colour models, illumination models, shading.

5. Animation - 4 lectures
Creation, different actors and elements, key-framing, morphing, artificial behaviours.

Reading Lists

Books
** Essential Reading
P.Cooley. (2001) The Essence of Computer Graphics. Pearson Education Ltd. ISBN 0130162838
G. W. Rowe. Computer graphics with Java. Palgrave ISBN 033392097X