INTRODUCTION TO

COMPUTER GRAPHICS

Introduction
Outline
Definition of Computer Graphics
History
Applications of Computer Graphics
Interactive Computer Graphics

COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND

APPLICATIONS
Computer

graphics is creation,
storage and manipulation of
models and images by the use of
computers.
Model is a representation of an
object.

HISTORY
Early 1960s;
Ivan

Sutherland invented a paper sketchpad

(Graphical language).

Jack

Bresenham introduced drawing lines and

circles on a raster device (CRT).

Larry

Roberts, Steve Coons and Pierre Bezier

advanced fields on parametric surfaces and
algorithms.

Author

Appel developed hidden surface and

shadow algorithms.

HISTORY
Early 70s;

Rendering was discovered by Gouraud and Phong.

Xerox PARC developed the paint program.

Invention of Laser printers at Xerox PARC.

Mid to late 70s;

Pascal preferred programming language

Invention of Laser printers at Xerox PARC.

In the 80s;

Introduction of Adobe Photoshop and animations.

VGA card was invented at IBM.

In the 90s;

Development of Mosaic, the first Graphical Internet browser.

Standardization of OpenGL.

In the 2000s;

Invention of more powerful computers.

Introduction of high level programming languages. E.g. C++, Java.

Application Of Computer
Graphics
Medical

imaging

Scientific

visualization

Computer

aided design

Graphical

user interfaces

Games
Entertainment.

Interactive computer graphics

Interacting

with contents, objects and structures

through input and output devices.

Components of an Interactive Graphics System include;

Input devices. Examples: mouse, tablets and stylus,

force feedback devices (haptic devices) and scanners.

Processor and Storages.

Output Devices. Examples: screen, printers and video

recorders.

Graphics Rendering Pipeline

Rendering is the conversion of a scene into an image.
Sequence of actions involved in rendering;
i.

Application

ii.

Vertex Processing

iii.

Rasterization

iv.

Fragment Processing

v.

Blending.

Graphics Rendering Pipeline

HARDWARE SOFTWARE AND DISPLAY

DEVICES
OUTLINE
Graphics

hardware

Graphics

software

Hardware
hardcopies
display

hardware

Interfacing

between CPU and Display

Graphics Hardware
INPUT DEVICES

Input devices are used to enter commands into the computer.

Types of Input Devices

Devices can be described either by;

Physical

Mouse, Keyboard, Trackball

Logical
What
A

properties

Properties
is returned to program via API

position

An

object identifier.

Graphics Hardware
Categories of input devices;

String e.g. keyboard

Valuator e.g. knob / thumbwheel

Locator e.g. mouse

Pick e.g. ATM machines

OUTPUT DEVICES

Types

Hardcopy e.g. laser printer, inkjet printer, film recorder, pen

plotter

Graphics Software
Graphics

software has taken the form of subprogram

libraries. The libraries contain functions to do things like:
draw points, lines, polygons apply transformations fill areas
with color handle user interactions. An important goal has
been the development of standard hardware-independent
libraries such as:

CORE

GKS (Graphical Kernel Standard)

PHIGS

(Programmers Hierarchical Interactive Graphics

System) X Windows OpenGL

Hardware

vendors may implement some of the OpenGL

primitives in hardware for speed.

Hardware
Vector

graphics Early graphic devices were line-oriented.

For example, a pen plotter from HP. Primitive operation
is line drawing.

Raster

graphics Todays standard. A raster is a 2dimensional grid of pixels (picture elements). Each pixel
may be addressed and illuminated independently. So the
primitive operation is to draw a point; that is, assign a
color to a pixel.

Everything

else is built upon that. There are a variety of

raster devices, both hardcopy and display.

Display Hardware
Types of Display

Raster Display: storage of bitmap/pixmap in a refresh buffer

in VRAM (virtualRAM) or in DRAM.

Bitmap is a representation in which each item corresponds to

one or more bits of information on display.

Vector Display: drawing of lines.

A refresh buffer / frame buffer is a RAM containing one or

more values per pixel used to drive display.

The video controller translates the contents of the frame

buffer into signals used by the CRT to illuminate the screen.

Examples of frame buffer

structures
Monochrome

monitor: uses one bit per

pixel.
Gray-scale

monitor: displays only one

colour.
Colour

monitor: displays limited number of

colours.

True

Colour monitor: displays all 16 million

colours.

Cathode Ray Tube

It is a vacuum tube that contains one or more
electron guns and a phosphorescent screen
and it is used to display images.

Cathode Ray Tube

It is a vacuum tube that contains one or more
electron guns and a phosphorescent screen
and it is used to display images.

Some key definitions;

Refresh

rate: redrawing screens at least 60 times

per second.

Critical

fusion frequency: minimum refresh rate

needed to avoid flicker.

Pixel:
Dot

atomic unit of an image.

Pitch: distance between the centers of two

triads. Also used to measure the resolution of a
screen.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

LCD is the technology used for displays in notebook and other
smaller computers.
Layers of LCD:

Reflective Layer

Horizontal polarizer

Layer of horizontal grid wires

Liquid crystal layer

Layer of vertical grid wires

Vertical polarizer.

How the LCD Monitor Works

Click to play video

Vector Displays

Oscilloscopes were some of the 1st computer displays

Used by both analog and digital computers.

Computation results used to drive the vertical and horizontal axis (X-Y)

Intensity could also be controlled (Z-axis) Used mostly for line drawings

Called vector, calligraphic or affectionately stroker displays Display list had to

be constantly updated (except for storage tubes)

Vector Displays cont

Raster Architecture

Raster display stores bitmap/pixmap in refresh buffer, also known

as bitmap, frame buffer; be in separate hardware (VRAM) or in
CPUs main memory (DRAM) Video controller draws all scan-lines at
Consistent >60 Hz; separates update rate of the frame buffer and
refresh rate of the CRT

Vector Displays cont

Field

Emission Devices (FEDs)

Works

like a CRT with multiple electron guns at

each pixel uses modest voltages applied to sharp
points to produce strong E fields

Reliable

electrodes proven difficult to produce

Limited in size thin, and requires a vacuum.

GRAPHICS DATA STRUCTURES

Graphics

data structure is a
specialized format for
organizing and storing
graphical data.

Colour
It is the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the
eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light.
The eye can see different colours because the retina is sensitive to different
wavelengths of light.
Colour Model
Abstract mathematical model describing the way colors can be represented as
tuples of numbers, typically as three or four values or color components. (e.g.
RGB and CMYK are color models)
Primary Colours:

Red

Green

Blue

Light

Is an electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation.

Light exists in two forms; The Particle form and The Wave Form.

Components of Light

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue

Indigo

Violet.

Retina
The

retina has both rods and cones, as shown

below. It is the cones which are responsible for
colour perception.

CONES
Types of Cones

Red

(R)

Green (G)

Blue

(B)

Cones are stimulated by absorbed light.

Mapping from Reality to Perception

Metamers:

different spectra that are perceptually identical to

the eye.
Colour

perception: stimulation of 3 types of cones.

Surround

effects, adaptation.
Colour Matching

The process of assuring that a colour on one medium remains

unchanged when converted to another medium.

Some Key Definitions

Complementary Colours;

Colours which can be mixed together to yield white light.

Dominant Wavelength;

The spectral colour which can be mixed with white light in order to
reproduce the desired colour.

Non-spectral Colours;

Colours not having a dominant wavelength.

Spectroradiometer;

A device to measure the spectral energy distribution.

The RGB Colour Cube

The additive colour model used for computer graphics
is represented by the RGB colour cube, where R, G,
and B represent the colours produced by red, green
and blue phosphors, respectively.

Colour Printing
The

reproduction of an image or text in colour.

Green

paper is green because it reflects green

and absorbs other wavelengths.

Four primary types of printing ink:

IMAGE REPRESENTATION
INTRODUCTION

Computer Graphics is principally concerned with;

The generation of images.

Wide ranging applications.

OBJECTIVES

Representation of digital images

Forms of frame-buffer

Color Representation

WAYS OF REPRESENTATING IMAGES

GRAY-SCALE

(Black and White)

PSEUDO-COLOUR
TRUE COLOUR

THE DIGITAL IMAGE

Data representation in a discrete form.

Data uses patterns of binary digits (bits) to encode numbers.

The images we perceive are analogue.

The images are formed by the interaction of light and physical

object.
Analogue signals are converted into limited digital forms.

We call this conversion process sampling.

RASTER IMAGE REPRESENTATION

The

breakdown of an image (picture)

into a regular grid patterns called
raster.
Each grid cell is a picture cell, a
term often contracted to pixel.

THE END