Introduction to Computer Graphics

Chapter One:
Introduction to interactive computer graphics
Definition:
Computer Graphics is the creation of pictures with the help of a computer.
Computer Graphics is the use of computers to create, store, manipulate and produce
pictorial outputs on a computer screen.
 We can defined the term computer graphics as "almost everything on the
computer, including text or sound." In addition, refers to the following things:
 Computer representation and manipulation of image data.
 Various technologies for creating and manipulating images.
 It is a sub-field of computer science that studies methods for digitally incorporating
and manipulating visual content.

History of Computer Graphics

Computer Graphics (CG) was first developed as a visualization tool. Computer graphics were
introduced for scientists and engineers in government and corporate research centers, i.e., Bell
Labs and Boeing in the 1950s. After then the tools would be developed at Universities in the
60s and 70s at Ohio State University, MIT, University of Utah, Cornell, North Carolina, and
the New York Institute of Technology.

The first computer graphics design system was developed by Evan Sutherland as his PhD
thesis at MIT in 1963. It was called Sketchpad and allowed a user to sketch a mechanical part
on a computer screen.

In computer graphics, two or three-dimensional pictures can be created and that are used for
research. Many hardware devices algorithm has been developing for improving the speed of
picture generation with the passes of time. It includes the creation storage of models and
image of objects.

Some terminologies in Computer Graphics

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Bit map: It is a rectangular array of bits (dots) used to represent a picture.

Pixel: One dot of the raster or the smallest picture elements of the raster and they are
arranged on the screen in horizontal rows.
Scan line: One horizontal line of pixels.
Resolution: The number of pixels used on the screen. It is the number of pixels in the
horizontal by the number of pixels in the vertical.
I.e. R = HxV
Example: 320 x 200, 1024 x 1024, 800 x 600
 The screen with higher resolution gives sharper and clearer picture. Higher resolution
means, large number of pixels and large number of memory.
Dot pitch: the distances between adjacent pixels or the distance between adjacent sets
of red, green, blue dots. This is also same as the shortest distance between any dots of
the same color (i.e., from red to red, green to green etc).
Note: When the amount of dot pitch increases, resolution decreases and the clarity of
images also decreases.
Aspect Ratio: It is the ratio of y-resolution to x-resolution. (y/x)
Most common CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) has a display area with an aspect ratio of 4:3.
Clipping : This usually means avoiding the drawing of items outside a defined field of view
(e.g. in 2D a rectangular area)

Frame buffer: is a large contiguous piece of computer memory that stores the raster image
ready for display.

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 Bit plane/Depth of frame buffer: is the number of bits used for each pixel. I.e. each
pixel in the raster is represented at least one bit, this amount of memory of one bit per
pixel is called bit plane.
E.g. typical frame buffer resolutions:
 640x480x8
 1280x1024x24
The frame buffer is a digital device while the raster CRT is an analog device. We need a
device to convert from a digital representation to analog signal when information is read from
the frame buffer and displayed on the raster graphics device. This conversion is done by
Digital-to-Analog Convertor (DAC)

Example:

For n bit plane on the frame buffer, there is 2n different color for each pixel.
Example: from the above picture, there is 2n =23=8 different colors for a pixel.

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 The formula to calculate how much video memory is required at a given resolution and bit
depth is given by:

Memory in MB=(x-resolution * y-resolution * bit per seconds)/(bit depth x1024 x 1024)

Exercises:
1. If a monitor computer has 480 scan lines and aspect ratio 4:5 and each pixel contains 8
bits intensity information, how many bits per second are required to show 30 MB
frame each second?
2. How many colors are possible with 4-bit planes frame buffer raster graphics device?
3. How many bits are required for 512x512 with each pixel represented by 3 bits?

Uses of computer graphics

 It allows easy communication through pictures (like charts, pie charts, etc)
 It stores large data: a huge database can be presented by pictures.
 It saves time: since large database can be presented by pictures, time to review this
database is minimum compare to reviewing the whole database in textual forms.

Application Areas of Computer Graphics

Computer graphics is used in every field. Some application areas of computer graphics are:
1. CAD (Computer Aided Design)
Used in design of buildings, automobiles, aircraft, watercraft, spacecraft, computers,
textiles & many other products objects are displayed in wire frame outline form
Software packages provide multi-window environment.
2. Presentation Graphics
 Used to produce illustrations for reports or generate slides for use with
projectors. Commonly used to summarize financial, statistical, mathematical,

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scientific, economic data for research reports, managerial reports & customer
information bulletins
3. Entertainments and Animation
 Used to produce different films and games
4. Education and Training
5. Visualization
 Computer graphics allows engineers, scientists, medical personnel, business
analysts and others to analyze large amount of information or to study the
behavior of certain processes.
6. GUI(Graphical User Interface)
Computer graphics used to create graphical user interface, because GUI is:
 Takes less memory
 More user friendly
 More flexible
 High descriptive
7. Image Processing
 Computer graphics is used to create a picture
8. Computer art
 Used in both fine art and commercial art which include artist’s paintbrush
programs, paint packages, CAD packages and animation packages

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