CSE 557: Computer Graphics

Winter Quarter 1997

Syllabus

Administrivia:

Time: MW 1:30-2:50
Place: Sieg 225
Course personnel

Prerequisites:

Knowledge of data structures
A good working knowledge of C (and hopefully C++) programming
Some linear algebra
Some mathematical sophistication
(No prior knowledge of graphics is assumed.)

Optional texts:

Foley, van Dam, Feiner, Hughes. Computer Graphics Principles and Practice, Second Edition in C. Addison Wesley, 1996.
OpenGL Reference Manual. Addison-Wesley, 1992.
Jackie Neider, Tom Davis, and Mason Woo. OpenGL Programming Guide. Addison-Wesley, 1993.
Josie Wernecke, The Inventor Mentor. Addison-Wesley, 1994.

Topics:

Week 1: Introduction and Overview
Week 2: Geometric Transformations
Week 3: Curves and Surfaces
Week 4: Sampling Theory
Week 5: Color Theory
Week 6: Numerical Methods
Week 7: Global Illumination
Week 8: Extracting Geometry
Week 9: Image-Based Rendering

Philosophy:

We plan to experiment this quarter with active learning. Our goal is to promote active student engagement with the course material and active student participation in the teaching process. Hopefully, this will encourage greater creativity, deeper and more individualized learning, and all-around more fun!

A pragmatic effect is that there will be very little required work in the course. You will earn a certain number of points for each unit of work you do, but you will have a great deal of freedom to choose to work on the projects that interest and excite you most.

Grading:

Points may be earned for each of the following activities:

Lecture notes (required): 100 points
Quizzes (7): 25 points each
Project 0: 45 points
Projects 1-3: 150 points each
Project artifacts (3): 20 points each
Final project: 200-800 points (est.)

Extra credit may be earned on all activities. The only required part of the course is doing one set of lecture notes; all other activities are optional. The lecture notes, projects 1-3, and the final project may all be done collaboratively. More details about the final project can be found here.

We will use a non-linear mapping of points to grades. Here are the points you'll need for the following grades:

4.0: 1500
3.9: 1212
3.8: 1092
3.7: 1000
3.6: 923
3.5: 855
3.4: 793
3.3: 737
3.2: 684
3.1: 634
3.0: 588
2.9: 543
2.8: 501
2.7: 460
2.6: 420
2.5: 382

Projects:

Projects are implemented in the graphics instructional lab, which consists of 14 Silicon Graphics Indy R4400s. The lab is located in Sieg 228.

There are four optional "canned" projects, and one final project. You'll work indvidually only on the first project (Project #0). For the next three projects, you'll work with a team of 2 to 3 students. Each project will require you and your teammate to make substantial extensions to an existing interactive graphical application. The projects we have in mind are:

Project 0: Mandelbrot:: A simple program to create pictures of a Mandelbrot set.
Project 1: Sweeper:: A program to create complex surfaces by extruding (sweeping) a curve along a path in three dimensions.
Project 2: Morph:: A program to create video animations by ``morphing'' (blending) between a pair of images.
Project 3: Trace:: A program to create beautiful raytraced images, complete with shadows, reflections, and transparent effects.

Projects will be graded during in-person sessions with the TA. During the grading session, the TA will run the project to make sure that it conforms to the project guidelines. The TA will then quiz individual members of the team to determine how well they understand the structure of the code, the design trade-offs, and the implemented algorithms.

One grade will be assigned for all members of the team for the project's implementation. Separate grades will be recorded for each team member's "knowledge of the project." The last component of the grade involves using your project to create an artifact, hopefully, of some artistic merit. Extra credit will be given for the nicest artifacts, as determined by class vote. Click here for more information on project grading.

Project Turn-in & Late Policy:

Assignments are due at the beginning of lecture on the due date. This means that the modification stamp on the project executable must be earlier than the start of lecture on the due date. Late assignments are marked down at a rate of 33% per day (not per lecture), meaning that if you fail to turn in an assignment on time it is worth 66% for the first 24 hours after the deadline, 33% for the next 24 hours, and it is worth nothing after that. In addition, no extra credit for bells and whistles will be awarded for any late assignment.

Exceptions will be given only in extreme circumstances and only in advance.

CSE/557 Catalog description:

Introduction to computer image synthesis, with an emphasis on the underlying theoretical principles in preparation for undertaking computer graphics research. Topics vary from year to year, but may include color perception; radiometry, photometry, and radiative transport; geometric fundamentals, including affine and projective geometry; data structures and algorithms from computational geometry; curve and surface design; numerical methods, including wavelets, optimization, and root finding; sampling theory and its relation to image and volume processing; and physical dynamics for modeling and animation. Laboratory project required.