Computer graphics is a vast field that is becoming larger every day. It is impossible to cover every topic of interest, even within a specialization such as CG rendering. For many years, Noriko Kurachi has reported on the latest developments for Japanese readers in her monthly column for CG World. Being something of a pioneer herself, she selected topics that represented original and promising new directions for research. Many of these novel ideas are the topics covered in The Magic of Computer Graphics. Starting from the basic behavior of light, the first section of the book introduces the most useful techniques for global and local illumination using geometric descriptions of an environment. The second section goes on to describe image-based techniques that rely on captured data to do their magic. In the final section, the author looks at the synthesis of these two complementary approaches and what they mean for the future of computer graphics.
This book contains coverage of the hottest image editing and manipulation programs, including Adobe Photoshop, Aldus Photostyler, and Caligari's trueSpace and the latest advances in popular technologies, including PhotoCD, morphing, image processing, and 2-D and 3-D animation.
If you have ever looked at a fantastic adventure or science fiction movie, or an amazingly complex and rich computer game, or a TV commercial where cars or gas pumps or biscuits behaved liked people and wondered, “How do they do that?”, then you’ve experienced the magic of 3D worlds generated by a computer. 3D in computers began as a way to represent automotive designs and illustrate the construction of molecules. 3D graphics use evolved to visualizations of simulated data and artistic representations of imaginary worlds. In order to overcome the processing limitations of the computer, graphics had to exploit the characteristics of the eye and brain, and develop visual tricks to simulate realism. The goal is to create graphics images that will overcome the visual cues that cause disbelief and tell the viewer this is not real. Thousands of people over thousands of years have developed the building blocks and made the discoveries in mathematics and science to make such 3D magic possible, and The History of Visual Magic in Computers is dedicated to all of them and tells a little of their story. It traces the earliest understanding of 3D and then foundational mathematics to explain and construct 3D; from mechanical computers up to today’s tablets. Several of the amazing computer graphics algorithms and tricks came of periods where eruptions of new ideas and techniques seem to occur all at once. Applications emerged as the fundamentals of how to draw lines and create realistic images were better understood, leading to hardware 3D controllers that drive the display all the way to stereovision and virtual reality.
Computer graphics is a vast field that is becoming larger every day. It is impossible to cover every topic of interest, even within a specialization such as CG rendering. For many years, Noriko Kurachi has reported on the latest developments for Japanese readers in her monthly column for CG World. Being something of a pioneer herself, she selected topics that represented original and promising new directions for research. Many of these novel ideas are the topics covered in The Magic of Computer Graphics. Starting from the basic behavior of light, the first s.
Computer Graphics from Scratch demystifies the algorithms used in modern graphics software and guides beginners through building photorealistic 3D renders. Computer graphics programming books are often math-heavy and intimidating for newcomers. Not this one. Computer Graphics from Scratch takes a simpler approach by keeping the math to a minimum and focusing on only one aspect of computer graphics, 3D rendering. You’ll build two complete, fully functional renderers: a raytracer, which simulates rays of light as they bounce off objects, and a rasterizer, which converts 3D models into 2D pixels. As you progress you’ll learn how to create realistic reflections and shadows, and how to render a scene from any point of view. Pseudocode examples throughout make it easy to write your renderers in any language, and links to live JavaScript demos of each algorithm invite you to explore further on your own. Learn how to: Use perspective projection to draw 3D objects on a 2D plane Simulate the way rays of light interact with surfaces Add mirror-like reflections and cast shadows to objects Render a scene from any camera position using clipping planes Use flat, Gouraud, and Phong shading to mimic real surface lighting Paint texture details onto basic shapes to create realistic-looking objects Whether you’re an aspiring graphics engineer or a novice programmer curious about how graphics algorithms work, Gabriel Gambetta’s simple, clear explanations will quickly put computer graphics concepts and rendering techniques within your reach. All you need is basic coding knowledge and high school math. Computer Graphics from Scratch will cover the rest.
Do you spend too much time creating the building blocks of your graphics applications or finding and correcting errors? Geometric Tools for Computer Graphics is an extensive, conveniently organized collection of proven solutions to fundamental problems that you'd rather not solve over and over again, including building primitives, distance calculation, approximation, containment, decomposition, intersection determination, separation, and more. If you have a mathematics degree, this book will save you time and trouble. If you don't, it will help you achieve things you may feel are out of your reach. Inside, each problem is clearly stated and diagrammed, and the fully detailed solutions are presented in easy-to-understand pseudocode. You also get the mathematics and geometry background needed to make optimal use of the solutions, as well as an abundance of reference material contained in a series of appendices. Features Filled with robust, thoroughly tested solutions that will save you time and help you avoid costly errors. Covers problems relevant for both 2D and 3D graphics programming. Presents each problem and solution in stand-alone form allowing you the option of reading only those entries that matter to you. Provides the math and geometry background you need to understand the solutions and put them to work. Clearly diagrams each problem and presents solutions in easy-to-understand pseudocode. Resources associated with the book are available at the companion Web site www.mkp.com/gtcg. * Filled with robust, thoroughly tested solutions that will save you time and help you avoid costly errors.* Covers problems relevant for both 2D and 3D graphics programming.* Presents each problem and solution in stand-alone form allowing you the option of reading only those entries that matter to you.* Provides the math and geometry background you need to understand the solutions and put them to work.* Clearly diagrams each problem and presents solutions in easy-to-understand pseudocode.* Resources associated with the book are available at the companion Web site www.mkp.com/gtcg.
This resource offers more than 20 amazing projects to design, animate, and create digitally, from birthday cards to 3D cities and more. With five chapters covering bitmap painting, vector graphics, photo-editing, animations, and 3D drawing, you will be a super-designer by the end of the book!
A practical introduction, the second edition of Fluid Simulation for Computer Graphics shows you how to animate fully three-dimensional incompressible flow. It covers all the aspects of fluid simulation, from the mathematics and algorithms to implementation, while making revisions and updates to reflect changes in the field since the first edition. Highlights of the Second Edition New chapters on level sets and vortex methods Emphasizes hybrid particle–voxel methods, now the industry standard approach Covers the latest algorithms and techniques, including: fluid surface reconstruction from particles; accurate, viscous free surfaces for buckling, coiling, and rotating liquids; and enhanced turbulence for smoke animation Adds new discussions on meshing, particles, and vortex methods The book changes the order of topics as they appeared in the first edition to make more sense when reading the first time through. It also contains several updates by distilling author Robert Bridson’s experience in the visual effects industry to highlight the most important points in fluid simulation. It gives you an understanding of how the components of fluid simulation work as well as the tools for creating your own animations.
