OOTI Visualization Module

OOTI Visualization Module

Block Lecturer

dr.ir. J.J. van Wijk

Goals

The aim of the module is to provide:

Motivation

Interactive computer graphics is ubiquitous nowadays. Its applications vary from entertainment to research, from business graphics to highly realistic animations. For professionals in computer science it is therefore worthwhile to have an understanding of its basic principles. Some typical aspects of graphics are:

As a result, computer graphics is a typical engineering science. Driven by a problem, multiple disciplines have to be integrated to lead to methods, techniques, and systems that are useful in practice. The development of interactive graphics systems is therefore a good case for improving design skills. Realization

The module can be studied independently by students. The assignments consist of self study, literature study, and projects. The reasons for this are:

The module is currently split up in four assignments. This will probably be refined and adapted in the future.

Assignment 1 - Computer Graphics (60 hours)

The aim is to get solid background knowledge on computer graphics. This has to be done via self-study. Jack van Wijk and Huub van de Wetering are available to answer questions. The book to be studied is:

Foley, J.D., A. van Dam, S.K. Feiner, J.F. Hughes: Computer Graphics - Principles and Practice, second edition, Addison-Wesley, 1996.

The following chapters and sections have to be studied: The assignment will be finished with an oral examination.

Assignment 2 - Graphics Standards (40 hours)

The aim of this assignment is to get an6insight into the main current standards for 3D graphics programming. This has to be done via a study of literature and the web. The following standards must be studied: The result is an article (+/- 10 pages) with a description of the standards and a comparison. The audience are software developers that must decide for their application which standard(s) suit best.

Assignment 3 - Colormap editor (80 hours)

The aim is to obtain practical experience and get more insight in the application of computer graphics. This has to be done via a single integrated project in which several aspects of computer graphics have to be addressed. The assignment is to develop a colormap editor. A colormap is a sequence of colors that are used to map data to color. Typical applications are scientific visualization and cartography. The user must be able to define such colormaps (and to compare them) in a flexible way. Some requirements of the tool are: Creativity and extra features are welcome! The editor is preferably implemented as a Java-applet. For tutorial purposes, 3D aspects must be programmed without 3D libraries, i.e. from scratch. A manual page, a description of the features and future developments are required. Present the work as if it were for a company that markets sophisticated editors.

Assignment 4 - Project (200 hours)

The aim of this assignment is to gain further insight in visualization. A typical project consists of the design, implementation, and evaluation of some non-trivial visualization or interactive simulation tool. The key-question to be answered is: How to get insight into some complex set of data? A major difference with the previous assignment is that the requirements will be limited to a description of the problem. Often literature will have to be studied to examine existing solutions. New and innovative solutions are encouraged, as well as smooth integration of visualization and user-interface. Topics for projects will be defined per student, based on his interest and the research programme of the Computer Graphics Expertise Area.

Contact

Jack van Wijk / vanwijk@win.tue.nl