DMS 424: Programming Graphics 2
Spring 2003

Course Info

When: Monday/Wednesday 1:00 - 2:50 pm
Where: CFA 242

Instructor: Dave Pape
e-mail: dave.pape@acm.org
Office: CFA 248A
Office hours: MW 3-4

Website: http://resumbrae.com/ub/dms424/

Course Description

This production course extends students knowledge of OpenGL and programming into the realm of 3D computer graphics. The course, a continuation of DMS 419, will cover more advanced techniques for rendering, animation and interaction. The major focus of the course will be on creating interactive art experiences by programming graphics and sound. However, the topics are also relevant to many real-time applications such as virtual reality and computer games.

Textbook

OpenGL Programming Guide, Third Edition, Mason Woo et al.

Other books/websites that may be of interest:

• http://opengl.org
• GLUT web documentation
• http://siggraph.org
• OpenGL Reference Manual, Third Edition, Dave Shreiner

• Real-Time Rendering, Tomas Moeller, Eric Haines; http://realtimerendering.com/

• Physics for Game Developers, David Bourg
• The Practice of Programming, Brian Kernighan, Rob Pike
• Learning Python, Mark Lutz, David Ascher

Course Requirements

• 50% - ~weekly assignments
• 40% - semester project
• 10% - attendance & participation

This is a course that is still in flux, so participation is vital - I need to know where you're having problems and what you're interested in, in order to adjust the class. You are allowed up to three free absences; after that, each absence will cost you 2% of your overall grade.

Assignments will be given on Wednesday, and due (electronically) the following Wednesday at noon. Late assignments are penalized -10% per 24 hour period that they're late.

Assignments will be graded first on whether they visually accomplish what was required, and second on code quality. It is important that code be clear and understandable, both so that you can work on it, and so that others can make use of it in the future.

All assignments and projects must be your own work. Work is to be done individually - do not share code with, write code for, or copy code from other students. This applies to all assignments while they are outstanding - i.e., until everyone's program has been turned in and graded. A first violation of this policy will result in failure of the assignment; repeated violations will result in failure of the course.

The default course grading will be:
   91-100 = A, 85-90 = A-, 80-84 = B+, 75-79= B, 70-74 = B-,
   65-69 = C+, 60-64 = C, 55-59 = C-, 50-54 = D, 0-49 = F
The final cutoff points may be adjusted downward as appropriate.

Topics

• Basics of 3D
  • Projections, transformations, Z-buffering
  • 3D geometry
  • Lighting
  • Alpha
  • Fog
• Simulation / physics
  • Basic motion; gravity simulation
  • Springs
  • Particle systems
  • Finite automata
• Advanced texturing
  • Texture movies
  • Texture transformations
  • Texture vertex generation, reflection maps
  • Multi-texturing, light-mapping
• Other:
  • Real-time techniques
  • CAVE library
  • Python
  • Performer / scene-graphs

Tentative Schedule

(This will almost certainly change as the semester progresses.)
Last updated: 7 March