01. Introduction to Computer Graphics
Dated: 27-03-2025
Definition
Computers accept process, transform and present information.
Computer Graphics involves technology to accept, process, transform and present information in a visual form that also concerns with producing images (or animations) using a computer.
Why Should You Study Computer Graphics
Visualization
Sometimes, when we are doing abstract things, we want to visualize what is happening or we want to help others see the visuals to understand what is happening.
Graphics is Interesting
We humans admire visuals.
Requirement
Computer graphics is used heavily in areas like
- Machinery
- Architecture
Entertainment
- Animated cartoons
Some History
The term “computer graphics” was coined in 1960 by William Fetter to describe the new design methods that he was developing at Boeing.
He created a series of widely reproduced images on a plotter exploring cockpit design using a 3D model of a human body.
Whirlwind: early graphics using Vector Scope (1951)
Spacewars: first computer graphics game (MIT 1961)
First CAD system (IBM 1959)
First bump-mapped images (Blinn 1978)
Texture mapping
Ray Tracing
Distributed ray tracing
Graphics Applications
- User Interfaces
- Layout and Design
- Scientific Visualization and Analysis
- Art and Design
- Medicine and Virtual Surgery
- Layout Design & Architectural Simulations
- History and cultural heritage
- Entertainment
- Simulations
- Games
User Interfaces
Many software packages contain a graphical user interface.
A major component is a window manager which allows display of multiple windows, processes within them and graphical symbols to control parameters etc.
Blender
Layout and Design
PowerPoint
Scientific Visualization and Analysis
Helps in engineering or medicine for creating models, charts etc.
Polynomial mesh of a Paraboloid
Art and Design
Also used in fine or commercial arts
Pixel art
Medicine and Virtual Surgery
Extensively used in tomography and simulations of operations.
Tomography
It's a technique the allows cross sectional views of physiological systems in Xray photography.
Tomography
Layout Design & Architectural Simulations
History and Cultural Heritage
A lot of work is done in this area to preserve history and cultural heritage.
Entertainment
Toy story
Shrek
Behind the Scenes of Antz Production
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of frames in the movie | 119,592 |
| Number of times the movie was rendered during production | 15 (approx.) |
| Number of feet of approved animation produced in a week | 107 ft. |
| Total number of hours of rendering per week | 275,000 hrs. |
| Average size of the frame rendered | 6 MB |
| Total number of Silicon Graphics servers used for rendering | 270 |
| Number of desktop systems used in production | 166 |
| Total Number of processors used for rendering | 700 |
| Average amount of memory per processor | 256 MB |
| Time it would have taken to render this movie on 1 processor | 54 yrs., 222 days, 15 min., 36 sec. |
| Amount of storage required for the movie | 3.2 TB |
| Amount of frames kept online at any given time | 75,000 frames |
| Time to re-film out final cut beginning to end | 41.5 days (997 hrs.) |
Simulations
There are multiple software used to simulate environment.
- Flash
- Maya
Games
- Quake
- Dooms
- Need For speed
Related Disciplines
- Image processing
- Computer vision
- Data processing
Interdisciplinary
Science
Physics
- light
- color
- appearance
- behavior
Mathematics
- Curves
- Surfaces
- geometry
- perspective
Engineering
Hardware
- Graphics media
- Processors
- Input and output devices
Software
- graphics libraries
- windows systems
- art
- perception
- esthetics
- color
- composition
- lighting
- realism