This course is an introduction to computer graphics -- a field that is unique in its combination of science, art, and engineering. Its focus is the generation and manipulation of visual content, and it provides the fundamental technology to an ever-increasing variety of media, including special effects and animation, interactive computer games and simulation, and graphical user interfaces. In this class we will discuss methods for synthesizing images in two and three dimensions, with an emphasis on "photorealistic rendering". We will also spend time looking at other applications, including those for interactive rendering as used in computer games.

To illustrate the material, we will use a combination of lectures, code walkthroughs, physical models, short films, and graphics & animation software. We will also have a few guests from the animation and research worlds. This will be a fun course, but will require the completion of some nontrivial homework as well -- it is expected that you have coding skills.

There will be six homework assignments, each of which will be mostly fullfilled by programming. Assignments are to be coded in C++; a framework will be provided, as well as an interface specification (i.e. the name of the functions to write, their arguments, and return values). The framework is so that you will not have to spend time on anything other than the relevant aspects of the problem, to provide a uniform set of tests on your implementation, and to make grading easier.

On Late Assignments: Assignments lose 10% each day they are late.

On Collaboration: Discussion of algorithms is encouraged, as well as the sharing of drawings and other representations of problems and the like. What is not permitted is the sharing or acquisition of code in any form. Any material from an outside source must be explicitly acknowledged