langbein.org: Notes

Contents

Graphics

Introductory notes

I. Graphics Hardware: In this section we start with a general introduction to graphics and what this module is about. Our main focus will be on hardware, geometric modelling and rendering of real-time and realistic scenes using OpenGL. We will also discuss some issues related to imaging and animation. For the rest of this section we discuss the operating principle of various devices particularly relevant for graphics such as display devices, input devices and display processors.
II. Geometric Modelling: In this section we discuss algorithms and data structures for creating, representing and modifying shapes from the shape of a single object or surface to a complete 3D environment. This is required for using 3D graphical APIs such as OpenGL in graphical applications such as game engines. We discuss object and scene representations and graphical transformations to represent shapes, llunmination models to actually make these shapes visible, curves and surfaces as basic elements of representing shapes, and a method for finding convex hulls as an example for a computational geometry algorithm.
III. Real-Time Rendering: In this section we discuss the basic concepts and algorithms required to create a graphics library such as OpenGL. We introduce the core algorithms used inside a graphics pipeline: viewing, clipping, visible-surface detection, line drawing, polygon drawing, polygon shading. If you are using a API like OpenGL, this is all done by the library for you. But understanding the underlying concepts can help to use the library's features more efficiently and is a starting point to further improve graphical pipelines.
IV. Realistic Rendering: Finally we discuss approaches towards making graphics scenes look for realistic. First we consider how to use texture mapping and similar maps to improve real-time graphics. Then we discuss approachs to create realistic looking scenes, not necesarily in real-time, using ray tracing, radiosity and photon tracing. We also briefly have a look at physically based modelling techniques and amorphous objects.