Overview

CPSC 096 Adv Topics in Computer Science: Computer Graphics

Instructor: Dr. Suzanne Buchele

Time and Place: Monday and Wednesdays, 1:15-2:45pm, LH 4
Practical Thursdays 3:00-4:30pm Lab 1

Contact Info: Building 3, F06, email: sbuchele AT ashesi.edu.gh

Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10:30-11:30am, or by appointment

Texts: Interactive Computer Graphics, A Top-Down Approach with OpenGL (3^rd ed), by Edward Angel. Also helpful will be a C programming/reference book of your choice (there are some in the library).  We will use OpenGL, a free platform independent API – there is plenty of free web-based documentation on OpenGL, which you should download.

Course Description and Content: This is an introductory course in computer graphics, an advanced topic in the field of computer science.  This is not a class in how to use existing graphics-intensive applications (such as Macromedia’s Director or Flash, or Alias’ Maya or Pixar’s Renderman); we will learn the algorithms underlying these tools and the importance of implementing these algorithms for speed. The course will cover an introduction to 2D and 3D graphics, including scan conversion, anti-aliasing schemes, clipping, OpenGL programming, 3D viewing and transformations, homogeneous coordinates, perspective and orthographic projections, illumination, shading, and some topics needed from linear algebra. This is a high-workload class with significant programming expected.  The nature of the course content requires that you have successfully completed Data Structures and Algorithms, and Programming III.  If you have not completed these courses with a grade of a C- or better, you are required to speak to me to get my approval to take this course.

Required Summer Preparatory Work for Students: Because you are graduating seniors and there is a compressed schedule this semester, preparatory work in linear algebra and vector concepts was assigned over the summer.  A quiz over these concepts will occur in the first week of the semester.

Attendance: Attendance is required. Six or more unexcused absences will result in an F in the class. Three tardies will count as one unexcused absence.  You are responsible for all material and announcements given in class.

Late/missed work: No late work/make-up work will be accepted, except by prior arrangement or in case of documented illness or family emergency.  If I do accept late homework, I reserve the right to assess a penalty, typically 10% every half day up to two days, with no credit given for the assignment thereafter.

Grading:  Computer graphics can be learned very well by implementing the various ideas that we will study. Therefore, the emphasis for this class will be “learning by doing”; although there will be quiz over background material needed for the class, there will be no exams. Your final grade in the course will be based on a quiz over linear algebra and concepts of vectors (5%), homework (45%), an individual research project (25%) and an individual final project (25%).

The quiz (5% of the course grade) will be during the first week of the semester.  You must receive at least a 70% to pass the quiz and continue in the course; multiple opportunities to take and pass the quiz will be given.

The homework assignments (approximately 6 of them) will be both paper/pencil and programming, and are to be completed by each student completely independently.  Homework assignments will constitute 45% of the course grade.

The individual research project will consist of a paper, presentation, and implementation, and will be worth 25% of the course grade.  The individual research project must be the student’s own independent work, and must include a paper, implemented project, and presentation.  A project proposal and interim report will be required.  Individual project presentations will be the week of midterm exams, October 15-19 (failure to attend any of the student presentations will result in a mandatory reduction in your individual research project grade).

The final project will be a unique 3-D OpenGL project that you and up to one other student will have approximately four weeks to develop, and will be worth 25% of the course grade.  A project proposal, interim report and at least one individual meeting with Dr. Buchele will be required.  You will be expected to present your final project during seniors final exam week, November 19-23 (failure to attend any of the student presentations will result in a mandatory reduction in your individual final project grade).  The final project will be individually assessed (even if you are working with a partner).

Per Ashesi policy, final class grades may be adjusted upward or downward by 0.3-0.7 points, based on your daily preparedness for class and meaningful participation in class.

Academic Integrity: In general, all work (including the programming aspects of the assignments and projects) is to be completed independently (or, in the case of the final project, in collaboration with one other student). Obtaining code from the web to aid in a programming assignment or project is a flagrant violation of academic expectations for this course, unless it is properly referenced. I do reserve the right to ask you about your programs to ensure that you fully understand the coding and details of the implementation. Please note that because this class has no exams, I will be particularly militant about enforcing academic honesty to ensure that each student is learning the course material by wrestling with the material on his or her own.  However, some limited amount of helping each other can be very useful: for example, helping each other to track down bugs in your programs (after all code has been specified and implemented) is great; helping each other with C or C++ syntax, and OpenGL particulars (again, after all code has been specified) is also great. Please ask if you have questions regarding what constitutes academic dishonesty for this course.

Disclaimer: This syllabus is a guideline. Changes to the syllabus will be announced in class.

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