Course Content

What is the content of this course, or more formally, what are the expected learning outcomes?

Computer graphics is a huge and constantly changing field that is impossible to cover entirely in just one semester. Instead we will cover basic concepts that are used everywhere and which will serve as a foundation to build on if you choose to continue working in computer graphics.

By the end of the semester you should understand and have some practical experience with:

• Understanding the differences between graphical APIs and formats for interactive and batch graphics.
• The foundations of 3D graphics: coordinate spaces, transformations, and geometry modelling.
• The basics of interactive or realtime 3D lighting and shading: texture maps and realtime lighting algorithmns and materials.
• The design and implementation of event driven interactive programs, such as visualisation systems, simulators, games, and virtual reality.
• The basics of CGI: image composition and manipulation, generating and rendering scene descriptions.

How will it be taught?

This course will mostly be hands-on, learning by doing (experiential) rather than theoretical. We will be writing many small programs to test various concepts and techniques. If you ask "what would happen if I did this?" the most likely answer will be "try it and see."

Computer graphics is not a subject for those who seek after timeless wisdom and certainty. Most questions have more than one possible answer, and there are usually at least two ways of doing anything. Both the assignments and exam will require you to consider alternatives, make decisions, and justify your choices.

There will be a lecture session and a computer lab each week. The plan is that each lecture will cover one or two topics or problems. The textbook gives you one explanation, and I will give another in the lecture and (try to) explain how it applies to this course. The labs will be based around modifying or writing small programs to gain practical experience with the textbook and lecture material.

I don't provide lecture notes, just an outline of topics to be discussed. A lecture is an interactive process, not a script, and frequently I have to change or add new material in response to student questions. The textbook will cover most of the topics in detail, and you will learn much more if you make your own notes rather than simply download mine.

Programming assignments will be half your assessment for the course. These will be marked by demonstration of the visual display and user interaction, not by handing in code listings. Many students find this unusual, so I will explain this further in lectures and the assessment pages. This is not a programming course so you won't actually fail for bad coding style, but students who use the techniques taught elsewhere at DCS will finish assignments faster and more easily.

I can't force you to attend lectures and labs, but you should. If you really prefer learning on your own, or can't attend any or all of the lectures/labs, please contact me to discuss other arrangements.

The final exam will be the other half of your assessment. It will not involve any actual programming. Instead it will be orientated around your ability to understand or describe what particular algorithmns do; and discussion of particular aspects of computer graphics, for instance the advantages and disadvantages of 8 bit and 24 bit image formats for texture mapping. (Don't worry if you don't understand what those terms mean, you will by the end of semester.)