Chapter one
Introduction to Computer Graphics
computer graphics 02/15/2024 1
Outline
Introduction
Initial Development of Computer Graphics
Applications of Computer Graphics
Graphics Software
Graphics Display Devices
computer graphice 02/15/2024 2
Introduction
The aim of computer graphics is to produce realistic and/or useful
images on a computer. Image is the visual representation.
An image can represent a realistic scene from the real world.
The development of computer graphics has made computers easier
to interact with, and better for understanding and interpreting many
types of data.
The term computer graphics has been used in a broad sense to
describe "almost everything on computers that is not text or sound“…
computer graphics 02/15/2024 3
Cont.…
Today, computers and computer-generated images touch many aspects
of daily life, Computer imagery is found on television, in newspapers,
in weather reports, or in all kinds of medical investigation and surgical
procedures.
A well-constructed graph can present complex statistics in a form that
is easier to understand and interpret.
In the media "such graphs are used to illustrate papers, reports,
thesis", and other presentation material.
Many powerful tools have been developed to visualize data.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 4
Cont.…
Computer generated imagery can be categorized into several different
types: 2D, 3D, and animated graphics.
As technology has improved, 3D computer graphics have become more
common, but 2D computer graphics are still widely used.
Typically, the term computer graphics refers to:-
the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer
the various technologies used to create and manipulate images.
the sub-field of computer science which studies methods for
digitally synthesizing and manipulating or managing visual
content.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 5
Cont.…
This process of starting with a model (often a 3-D model) of the world
and taking a picture of it with a virtual camera is known in computer
graphics as rendering.
The rendering process can include many stages, such as hidden surface
elimination, surface rendering and clipping.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 6
Initial Development of Computer Graphics
The advance in computer graphics was to come from an engineering
university in Cambridge student in Sutherlands.
In 1961 Sutherland created another computer drawing program called
Sketchpad.
Using a light pen, Sketchpad allowed one to draw simple shapes on the
computer screen, save them and even recall them later.
Even today, many standards of computer graphics interfaces got their
start with this early Sketchpad program.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 7
Cont…
If one wants to draw a square for example, s/he doesn't have to worry
about drawing four lines perfectly to form the edges of the box.
One can simply specify that s/he wants to draw a box, and then specify
the location and size of the box.
The software will then construct a perfect box, with the right
dimensions and at the right location.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 8
Applications of Computer Graphics
Before we look in any more detail at how computers can generate
graphical images, let us consider why we would want to do this.
Since the early days of computing, the field of computer graphics has
become a very popular one because of its wide range of applications.
Graphs and Charts
Data Visualisation
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
Education and Training
Entertainment
computer graphice 02/15/2024 9
Cont.…
1. Graphs and Charts
Graphs and charts have long been used for visualising data.
They are particularly widely used for visualising relationships in
scientific, mathematical, financial and economic data.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 10
Cont.…
2. Computer-Aided Design
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) involve using a computer application to
enable designers to construct and visualise 3-D models.
They are commonly used in fields such as architecture, engineering
and circuit design.
Computer Graphics used for Computer-Aided Design
computer graphice (CAD) 02/15/2024 11
Cont.…
3. Data Visualisation
More complex, often multidimensional, datasets can also be visualised
using graphics techniques.
In this case, it is often difficult to visualise such datasets without
computer graphics.
These complex datasets are particularly common in science (scientific
visualisation) and business (business visualisation).
For example, the following figure shows a three-dimensional medical
dataset of a patient. Here we use computer graphics to visualise the
paths of blood vessels inside the patient’s head.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 12
Cont.… VR- create an immersive
virtual environment
4. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
Virtual Reality (VR) allows users to be immersed in a computer generated
world, and to interact with it as if they were interacting with the real
world.
Typically, the user will wear special hardware such as the VR-headset .
This allows the machine to completely control the visual information
received by the user, so if realistic computer-generated images are
displayed in the headset in stereo (i.e. different images for the left and
right eyes) the user will have a sense of physical immersion in the virtual
world.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 13
Cont.…
Augmented Reality (AR) combines a computer-generated virtual world
with the real world.
In AR, computer-generated images are overlaid onto a user’s view of
the real world. For example, the following Figure shows an AR system
used for surgery, in which computer-generated images of hidden
features such as blood vessels and tumours are overlaid on the
surgeon’s view of the patient through a surgical microscope.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 14
Cont.…
5. Education and Training
Computer graphics can be very beneficial in education and training.
For example, the following figure shows a screenshot from some
educational software that teaches students about human anatomy.
Graphics are used to help students visualise the appearance and
location of different organs inside the body.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 15
Cont.….
Another common application of computer graphics is in training.
In many jobs it is difficult for workers to get direct experience of the
environment that they are expected to work in.
This may be because the environment is inaccessible (e.g. space),
dangerous (e.g. bomb disposal), expensive (e.g. flying aircraft) or high-
risk (e.g. surgery).
Computer graphics, combined with specialised hardware, can be used
to simulate the working environment, so that workers can gain the
skills required for their work.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 16
Cont..
• Example
computer graphice 02/15/2024 17
Cont.…
6. Entertainment
The applications of computer graphics in entertainment fall into three
categories: computer art, special effects and animations, and games.
Computer-generated images (CGI) have been widely used in the
entertainment industry for producing special effects for films, and also
for producing completely computer-generated films.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 18
Cont.…
computer graphice 02/15/2024 19
Graphics Software
To generate graphical images like those we have seen above, we need
some type of graphics software.
We can divide graphics software into two categories:
1. Special-purpose graphics packages
2. General-purpose graphics packages
1. Special-purpose packages are designed for a specific purpose.
For example Paint accessory: it is designed to allow users to draw simple
pictures consisting of lines, curves and other basic components.
Special-purpose graphics packages tend to be used mostly by end-users,
not programmers or computer professionals.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 20
Cont.…
In other words, you do not need to know about computer graphics
theory to use them.
Other examples of special-purpose packages are the drawing
applications Adobe Photoshop, the visualisation software like
Microsoft Excel.
2. General-purpose packages are a pre-defined library of routines
for drawing graphics primitives( line, circle, rectangles etc.).
They are used by computer programmers to add graphical capability
to their programs.
They provide a lot more flexibility than special-purpose packages but
they require technical knowledge of computer graphics and
programming and they are not suitable for end-users.
computer graphice 02/15/2024 21
Cont.…
E.g.:- OpenGL-the standard low-level graphics library.
Graphics Display Devices
Any computer-generated image must be displayed in some form.
The most common graphics display device is the video monitor, and
the most common technology for video monitors is the Cathode Ray
Tube (CRT).
Assignment one (10 %)
Write in detail how CRT display and 3D display works?
computer graphice 02/15/2024 22
• Next class:-
OpenGL????
computer graphice 02/15/2024 23
