Introduction

Computer Graphics is one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving fields of computer science. With roots in computer aided design (see Ivan Sutherland's 'Sketchpad'), video games (some history) and the special effects industry for movies, computer graphics has become an indespenable tool in many areas, including entertainment, education and science, allowing us to investigate, sometimes create, but always to ponder perspectives that are otherwise currently closed to our direct experience. In fact, the technologies that computer graphics is fundamental to have progressed so much that, in some cases, it is becoming difficult to tell the difference between the real and the synthetic.

This course will teach you the fundamental techniques and underlying principles of computer graphics and interaction. We will start from a high abstraction level and look at the core processes underlying image generation. We will proceed to derive different mathematical models for describing this process based on different approximations of the underlying physical process. During the course you will implement some different interactive graphics techniques, noting the benefits and drawbacks of each approach.

In order to be able to successfully participate in the course you will need to do quite a lot of programming. However, this is not a programming course: we will assume that you are capable of using C and C++ as a tool and that you are capable of finding information regarding this on your own. If you wish to do some study to prepare for the course, making sure that you are proficient in C/C++ would be a good idea. We will provide a lecture detailing the development environment for the labs and aim to highlight some the important programming concepts necessary.

A less technically-oriented assessment route, focussing on demonstrated knowledge of state-of-the-art compupter graphics techniques, will also be provided for those who do not wish to engage in a lot of low level C/C++ programming issues.

Objectives

• Describe and analyse the physical process generating an image
• Describe the image synthesis pipeline in a modern computer
• Derive the mathematical foundation and investigate the implemention of a ray-tracer 
• Implement an image pipeline based on rasterised graphics
• Recognise the key challenges faced in modern interactive computer graphics

Course Literature

The lectures in this course will use the book Interactive Computer Graphics, A top-down approach with OpenGL (Sixth Edition) as a reference. However, given the huge amount of information available about these subjects on the Internet, buying a course book is not strictly necessary. If you are willing to spend some time looking around the Internet, you will eventually find everything that is necessary and you will also improve your search abilities - a vital skill in the Information Age! A book can be great as a starting source of information and reference.

Schedule

Please see the course web at KTH Social for the full schedule.

Assessment

Assessment will take place through a project worth 3hp and three practical assignments worth, in total, an additional 3hp. The assignments should be performed in groups of two but each one of you should be capable of describe the work.

All assessed work will be submitted in a single archive near the end of the course. You can obtain feedback and help in the physical labs.

News

24/03/2014

First lecture due to start today in B3 from 08:00-10:00