Three-dimensional computer graphics architecture

Three-dimensional (3D) computer graphics hardware has
emerged as an integral part of mainstream desktop PC
systems. The aim of this paper is to describe the 3D graph-
ics architecture at a level accessible to the general compu-
tational science community. We start with the generic 3D
graphics rendering algorithm, the computational require-
ments of each of its steps, and the basic architectural fea-
tures of 3D graphics processors. Then we survey the
architectural features that have been implemented in orproposed for state-of-the-art graphics processors at theprocessor and system levels to enable faster and higher-quality 3D graphics rendering. Finally, we describe a tax-onomy of parallel 3D rendering algorithms that accelerate the performance of 3D graphics using parallel processing.

1.   Introduction UNTIL recently, real-time three-dimensional (3D) computer,graphics was available only in very high-end machines from Silicon Graphics Inc. In the last few years however, the PC industry has seen an unprecedented growth of cost- effective 3D graphics accelerators. Because a significant amount of industrial research effort has been invested in powerful 3D graphics cards, it is predicted that the perform- ance of these accelerators will surpass the performance of SGI machines by the year 2001 (ref. 1). 3D graphics applica- tions place a stringent demand on the processing power  and on the data transfer bandwidth of the memory subsys- tem and interconnecting buses. The growing importance of 3D graphics applications has motivated CPU vendors to add new instructions to the existing instruction set architec- ture, and to develop higher-bandwidth memory and system buses. In fact, the data-intensive nature of 3D applications has been one of the primary motivations behind the introduction of advanced Dynamic RandomAccess Memory (DRAM) architectures for host memory, and the local memory on graphics cards.  In this article, we start with the basic steps required to render a polygon-based 3D graphics model and their asso- ciated and bandwidth requirements. Then we examine the major design issues in generating photo-realistic images on  esktop machines in real time, and the architectural innova tions that attempt to address these problems. Finally, we present a taxonomy of parallel rendering algo-rithms, which uses parallel processing hardware to render extremely complicated 3D graphics models.

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Teaching Graphics with the OpenGL Shading Language

1 Foreword
The following material (in slightly altered form) was accepted for publication
and will appear in SIGCSE ’06. The work described therein came about
as a direct reaction to what I believe are significant deficiencies in the pre-
vailing mentality of what constitutes the “right” way to go about teaching
undergraduate courses in computer graphics. In particular, despite recent
technological advancements that have fundamentally altered the graphical
landscape in both academia and industry, many instructors persist in bas-
ing their classes on antiquated techniques that inhibit student learning and
squander the unparalleled opportunity graphics courses present to get stu-
dents excited about the science of computing.
                                      The introductory graphics course I took at the University of Illinois was,
             in many ways, one of the best of experiences of my college career. The ma-
             terial was fascinating and diverse, the presentation motivated many math-
             ematical concepts I had previously been forced to blindly memorize, and
            the assigned course projects were of sufficient scope that their completion
             instilled a significant sense of pride. For me, like many computer science stu-
            dents, graphics was the first course in which I was expected to produce an
            application that did more than just process a text file or compute a number.

          

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NPR: Art Enhancing Computer Graphics

Abstract
Nonphotorealistic rendering is a field in computer science in which scientists apply artistic
techniques to enhance computer graphics. This paper addresses the interrogatives what, how,
and why, about NPR. The discussion expands on what NPR is and what kinds of projects
are being done in NPR, specifically it focuses on three issues: two large problems in NPR,
simulating pen-and-ink illustration and simulating painting, and last the application of NPR
to visualization. Exploring these topics thoroughly provides some specific answers to how
these effects are accomplished. Throughout the paper various motivations for using NPR are
revealed, including the application of NPR to visualization (as evidence of why). Our lab
is interested in applying NPR techniques to visualization, so the paper concludes with some
conjecture on how to verify the efficacy of this goal.

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COMPUTER GRAPHICS

DIGITAL DESIGN CERTIFICATE
The curriculum focus is on both visual communication and
technical proficiency. Students will build a foundation within
interactive design, web-based media, animation and motion
graphics. The Digital Design Certificate will prepare students
for careers in broadcast, video and interactive design.
GRAPHIC + WEB DESIGN CERTIFICATES
These certificates provide students, whether interested in
traditional publishing or digital communications, with the
creative and technical skills needed to compete in these
exciting industries.
 
These programs are particularly well-suited for current
graphics professionals wishing to upgrade their computer
skills, production artists or programmers seeking career
advancement, individuals working to establish their own
businesses and creative young people looking for a way to
enter the profession. The majority of classes are taught on the
Macintosh platform, the industry standard for graphics
professionals.

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Rendering + Modeling + Animation + Postprocessing = Computer Graphics

 CURRENT PROBLEMS
After teaching a computer graphics course for several years, we have found four major
problems: (1) course materials are inadequate, (2) “programming” alone is not sufficient, (3) the
“design” component is missing, and (4) graphics educational research is almost non-existent in spite
of the recent and rapid advance of  graphics  technology.  The following sections discuss each of
these problems in some detail.
2.1  Course Materials Are Inadequate
Comparing the content of popular graphics textbooks
2

 with features available in low-end
graphics systems shows that some topics in our textbooks are a little out-of-date.  A survey
conducted by Wolfe
3
 clearly shows that most syllabi did not cover all four important components
of graphics. Topics frequently covered (e.g., viewing transformations, lighting models, and 3D

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CMSC 427 Computer Graphics1

Lecture 1: Course Introduction
Reading: Chapter 1 in Hearn and Baker.
Computer Graphics: Computer graphics is concerned with producing images and animations (or sequences of im-
ages) using a computer. This includes the hardware and software systems used to make these images. The
task of producing photo-realistic images is an extremely complex one, but this is a field that is in great demand
because of the nearly limitless variety of applications. The field of computer graphics has grown enormously
over the past 10–20 years, and many software systems have been developed for generating computer graphics
of various sorts. This can include systems for producing 3-dimensional models of the scene to be drawn, the
rendering software for drawing the images, and the associated user-interface software and hardware.
Our focus in this course will not be on how to use these systems to produce these images (you can take courses
in the art department for this), but rather in understanding how these systems are constructed, and the underlying
mathematics, physics, algorithms, and data structures needed in the construction of these systems.
The field of computer graphics dates back to the early 1960’s with Ivan Sutherland, one of the pioneers of
the field. This began with the development of the (by current standards) very simple software for performing
the necessary mathematical transformations to produce simple line-drawings of 2- and 3-dimensional scenes.
As time went on, and the capacity and speed of computer technology improved, successively greater degrees
of realism were achievable. Today it is possible to produce images that are practically indistinguishable from
photographic images (or at least that create a pretty convincing illusion of reality).

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Computer Graphics Lecture Notes CSC418 / CSCD18 / CSC2504 PDF

Book Description:

by an arbitrary matrix, or using the functions OpenGL provides to multiply the matrix by Nevertheless it is sometimes useful to give Computer graphics practitioners more

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