CSC 418/2504, Fall 2000: Computer Graphics

Instructor Alejo Hausner
Email ah AT dgp.utoronto.ca
Phone 946-5819
Office Hours SF 4306B, MW 2-3pm (other times by appointment only)

Sections L0101, L2001 Sections L2002, L0501
Lectures MW1, VC 323 W7-9, SS 2102
Tutorials F1 W6

Online www.cs.utoronto.ca/~csc418

Synopsis

This course introduces the basic concepts and algorithms of computer graphics.

Topics

Most of the following will be covered:
colour representation and perception, colour displays, basic optics, light energy transfer, line drawing, affine and perspective transformations, windows and viewports, clipping, visibility, illumination models, energy transfer models, parametric representations, curves and surfaces, texture mapping, graphics hardware, ray tracing, graphics toolkits, procedural models, animation systems

Course Texts

Required CSC 418/2504 Course Notes, Fall 2000.
Required Donald Hearn and M. Pauline Baker, Computer Graphics, 2nd Edition, C version, Prentice Hall, 1996.
Recommended James D. Foley, Andries van Dam, Steven K. Feiner, and John F. Hughes. Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice, 2nd ed. in C, Addison Wesley, 1990.
Recommended Mason Woo et al., OpenGL Programming Guide, Second Edition, Addison-Wesley, 1997. Recommended for learning OpenGL.

Grading Scheme

out in
Assignment #1 Sept 20 Oct 4, in class 15%
Assignment #2 Oct 11 Oct 25, in class 15%
Assignment #3 Nov 15 Dec 6, in class 20%
Midterm Test Nov 1, in class 20%
Final Dec 11-20 30%
Unscheduled visits*
(see below)		 -1%

Assignments involve both analytic problems as well as implementation of algorithms. You are expected to be a competent programmer in C or C++ in this course. Late assignments will be penalized 20% per day. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense; the work submitted should be your own. If you have exchanged ideas with a fellow student and thus have answers which might be falsely construed as being plagiarised, you should state this.

Assignment 3 can optionally be replaced by a small project. This is an opportunity to implement a graphics algorithm or application of your own choosing, or, alternatively, to gain experience in producing 3D images and animations. Descriptions of suggested projects will be provided online.

Computer Facilities, St. George campus

The programming assignments will make use of the CDF Unix facilities. Those unfamiliar with CDF will find A student's Guide to CDF to be useful. This guide is available in the bookstore. The CDF workstations are located in the Engineering Annex in EA107, EA201, and EA203. There's also an online FAQ, with a variety of useful information about working on the CDF Unix machines.

* Unscheduled Visits

If you consult the professor outside office hours, without an appointment, it will cost you 1% (one course mark). Please come during office hours, consult the TA's during their office hours, or at tutorials, or make an appointment by email, phone, or at his office.

The course newsgroup ut.cdf.csc418h can be used as a discussion forum, and the professor and TAs will check it periodically, and may answer your questions posted there. Questions are best asked in person to the TAs or the professor, at appointed times. Common questions and problems with assignments will be handled using online FAQs.