This course is devoted to cultivating research skills in computer graphics and related areas. These include choosing a problem, focusing on specific publication-size questions, identifying the right techniques, writing and presenting. The instructors will closely guide the students through two projects, providing constructive feedback on all stages of the process.
We will explore the research process through the theme of computational aesthetics and creativity support. This broad theme provides fertile ground for innovative work. Several class sessions will focus on specific aspects of the research process, such as problem selection and effective writing. We will also analyze a number of recent publications in detail, focusing on the factors that led to success.
| Day | Topic | Readings |
|---|---|---|
| March 29 | Course introduction | |
| March 31 | Art and aesthetics | V. S. Ramachandran and William Hirstein, The Science of Art, 1999 V. S. Ramachandran, Sharpening Up "The Science of Art", 2001 Semir Zeki, Art and the Brain, 1998 Denis Dutton, What is Art?, 2009 Pentti Routio, Beauty of a Product |
| April 5 | Research project 1, early-stage discussions | |
| April 7 | Writing and research | Marc Raibert, Good Writing
Aaron Hertzmann, Writing Research Papers James Hollan, Research and Writing Advice Richard Hamming, Striving for Greatness in All You Do |
| April 12 | Paper analysis and discussion [submit critique] |
Georges Winkenbach and David Salesin, Computer-Generated Pen-and-Ink Illustration, SIGGRAPH 1994 |
| April 14 | Research project 1, mid-way discussions | |
| April 19 | Paper analysis and discussion [submit critique] |
Tim Weyrich et al., Digital Bas-Relief from 3D Scenes, SIGGRAPH 2007 |
| April 21 | The dynamics of research | |
| April 26 | Creativity (guest lecture by Scott Klemmer) |
Margaret Boden, The Creative Mind [excerpt]
Thomas Ward et al., Creative Cognition |
| April 28 | Research project 1, final presentations | |
| May 3 | Paper analysis and discussion [submit critique] |
Doug DeCarlo and Anthony Santella, Stylization and Abstraction of Photographs, SIGGRAPH 2002 |
| May 5 | Research project 2, early-stage discussions | |
| May 10 | Paper analysis and discussion [submit critique] |
James Hays and Alexei Efros, Scene Completion Using Millions of Photographs, SIGGRAPH 2007 |
| May 12 | Writing research papers | |
| May 17 | Paper analysis and discussion [submit critique] |
Jean-Francois Lalonde et al., Photo Clip Art, SIGGRAPH 2007 |
| May 19 | Research project 2, mid-way discussions | |
| May 24 | Paper analysis and discussion [submit critique] |
Robert Carroll et al., Optimizing Content-Preserving Projections for Wide-Angle Images, SIGGRAPH 2009 |
| May 26 | Paper analysis and discussion [submit critique] |
Wilmot Li et al., Interactive Cutaway Illustrations of Complex 3D Models, SIGGRAPH 2007 |
| May 31 | Memorial Day, no class | |
| June 2 | Research project 2, final presentations |
The instructors will guide student teams through two small research projects during the quarter. The directions for the projects are briefly summarized below. Within these directions, the teams will propose and develop specific ideas. More details on this process and on the research directions will be given in class.
This course cannot be audited. Registration is required in order to attend. The course can be taken for any number of units in the range 1-4.