Computer GraphicsResearch:

http://comphist.org/computing_history/new_page_6.htm

Gian Joseph

4/29/2010

What is Computer Graphics?

• Computer Graphics is a manipulation of a picture by a computer, creating different shapes, sizes, animations, and motion.

The History of Computer Graphics?

• 1950: Ben Laposky created the first graphic images, an Oscilloscope, generated by an electronic (analog) machine.  The image was produced by manipulating electronic beams and recording them onto high-speed film.

• 1951: UNIVAC-I: the first general purpose commercial computer, crude hardcopy devices, and line printer pictures.

• 1951: MIT – Whirlwind computer, the first to display real time video, and capable of displaying real time text and graphic on a large oscilloscope screen.

• 1960: William Fetter coins the computer graphics to describe new design methods.

• 1961: Steve Russel --  Spacewars, first video/computer game• 1963:

– Douglas Englebart – first mouse– Ivan Sutherland  – Sketchpad, interactive CG system, a man-machine

graphical communication system, it features:• pop-up menus• constraint-based drawing• hierarchical modeling• utilized lightpen for interaction

• 1964: William Fetter -- first computer model of a human figure.

• 1965: Jack Bresenham – line-drawing algorithm

• 1968:

– Tektronix – a special CRT, the direct-view storage tube, with keyboard and mouse, a simple computer interface for $15, 000, which made graphics affordable

– Ivan Sutherland – first head-mounted display

• 1969:

– John Warnock – area subdivision algorithm, hidden-surface algorithms

– Bell Labs – first frame buffer containing 3 bits per pixel

 

• 1972: Nolan Kay Bushnell – Pong, video arcade game• 1973: John Whitney. Jr. and Gary Demos – “Westworld”, first film

with computer graphics• 1974:

– Edwin Catmuff –texture mapping and Z-buffer hidden-surface algorithm

– James Blinn – curved surfaces, refinement of texture mapping– Phone Bui-Toung – specular highlighting

• 1975:– Martin Newell – famous CG teapot, using Bezier patches– Benoit Mandelbrot – fractal/fractional dimension

• 1976: James Blinn – environment mapping and bump mapping• 1977: Steve Wozniak --  Apple II, color graphics personal computer• 1979: Roy Trubshaw and Richard Bartle – MUD, a multi-user

dungeon/Zork

 

• 1982:– Steven Lisberger – “Tron”, first Disney movie which makes

extensive use of 3-D computer graphics– Tom Brighman – “Morphing”, first film sequence plays a female

character which deforms and transforms herself into the shape of a lynx.

– John Walkner and Dan Drake – AutoCAD• 1983: Jaron Lanier – “DataGlove”, a virtual reality film features a

glove installed with switches and sensors to detect hand motion.• 1984: Wavefron tech. – Polhemus, first 3D graphics software• 1985:

– Pixar Animation Studios – “Luxo Jr.”, 1989, “ Tin toy”– NES – Nintendo home game system

• 1987: IBM – VGA, Video Graphics Array introduced• 1989: Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) – SVGA,

Super VGA formed

 

• 990: Hanrahan and Lawson – Renderman• 1991: Disney and Pixar – “Beauty and the Beast”, CGI was

widely used, Renderman systems provides fast, accurate and high quality digital computer effects.

• 1992: Silicon Graphics – OpenGL specification• 1993:

– University of Illinois -- Mosaic, first graphic Web browser– Steven Spielberg – “Jurassic Park” a successful CG

fiction film.• 1995:

– Buena Vista Pictures – “Toy Story”, first full-length, computer-generated, feature film

– NVIDIA Corporation – GeForce 256, GeForce3(2001)• 2003: ID Software – Doom3 graphics engine

What is 2D Computer Graphics?• 2D computer graphics is

the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models 

• Such as

1. digital images

2. text

3. geometric models

The picture to left, appeared in Lord of the Rings, a film which introduced the first us of 2D.

What is Computer Animation?

• Computer Animation is the art of creating moving images with the use of computers.

What is Pixel?

• Pixel is the smallest component of an image or picture on a CRT screen.

• It appears as a dot, the more the pixels, the more vibrant the image is.

List some of your favorite projects in this class

• Some of my favorite projects in computer class involve the use of1. Motion Tweening

2. Motion Guide

3. Photoshop