Courses in Graphics
Courses in Graphics
In addition to the general information on this page, some of these courses have their own home pages, relating to the current offering of the course. Press here to return to the home page.
- Autumn quarter:
- CS 348C - Topics in Computer Graphics:
Mathematical Methods for Computer Graphics (Hanrahan)- Winter quarter:
- CS 99D - The Science of Art (Levoy)
- CS 248 - Introduction to Computer Graphics (Hanrahan)
- CS 348A - Computer Graphics: Mathematical Foundations (Guibas)
- Spring quarter:
- CS 148 - Introductory Computer Graphics (Johnson)
- CS 348B - Computer Graphics: Image Synthesis Techniques (Levoy)
- Some kind of course on illustration and visualization (Hanrahan)
- CS 368 - Geometric Algorithms (Guibas)
The Science of Art. From the Renaissance to the nineteenth century, revolutions in science and mathematics have inspired parallel revolutions in the visual arts. Some familiar examples are Brunelleschi's invention of linear perspective, Newton's discoveries in geometric optics, and the theories of color vision proposed by Goethe, Young, Helmholtz, and others. To this rich history, modern physics has added a precise understanding of the interaction of light and matter, and computers have added the ability to experimentally verify these principles by creating our own images - a discipline called digital image synthesis. In this seminar-style course, we will examine the scientific principles behind image making and, through readings and discussion, survey the interwoven histories of science and art. Using graphics workstations and commercial software packages, we will perform our own experiments in image making. No programming experience is required. Intended primarily for freshmen and sophmores. Enrollment limited.
This course is an introduction to 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional computer graphics. Topics covered will include the fundamentals of input and display devices, scan conversion of geometric primitives, 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional transformations and clipping, windowing techniques, curve fitting, 3-dimensional viewing and perspective, hidden surface removal, and illumination models. There will be a strong emphasis on the mathematical and geometric tools used in computer graphics.
All programming will be done in the C language on PowerMacs using the OpenGL library. Pre-requisites for the course: CS107, Math 103. Note: CS148 is a terminal course in graphics for undergraduates. Masters students or students with a strong interest in continuing in graphics should take CS248.
Fundamentals of input, display, and hardcopy devices, scan conversion of geometric primitives, 2D and 3D geometric transformations, clipping and windowing, scene modeling and animation, algorithms for visible surface determination, introduction to local and global shading models, color, and photorealistic image synthesis. Coursework consists mainly of programming projects.
Look here for images and animations from the yearly CS 248 rendering competitions:
Mathematical tools needed for the geometrical aspects of computer graphics. Fundamentals: homogeneous coordinates, transformations and perspective. Theory of parametric and implicit curve and surface models: polar forms, de Casteljau subdivision, continuity constraints, B-splines, tensor product, and triangular patch surfaces. Representations of solids and conversions among them. Geometric algorithms for hidden surface elimination, shadow calculation, ray tracing, etc. Rudiments of wavelet theory and multi-resolution shape representations. Prerequisites: linear algebra and discrete algorithms.
An intermediate course emphasizing the sampling, shading, and display aspects of computer graphics. Topics include local and global illumination methods including radiosity and distributed ray tracing, texture generation and rendering, volume rendering, strategies for anti-aliasing and photorealism, human vision and color science as they relate to computer displays, and high-performance architectures for graphics. Written assignments and programming projects.
Press here for the home page of the current offering (1997) of CS 348B.
Look here for images and animations from the yearly CS 348B rendering competitions:
Look here for images and animations from the CS 348C student projects
Graduate-level introduction to basic techniques used in the design and analysis of efficient geometric algorithms including: convexity, triangulation, sweeping, partitioning, and point location. Voronoi and Delaunay diagrams. Intersection and visibility problems. Recent developments using random sampling methods. Emphasizes data structures of general usefulness in geometric computing and the conceptual primitives appropriate for manipulating them. Impact of numerical issues in geometric computation. Applications to motion planning, visibility preprocessing, model-based recognition, and GIS.