Fundamentals of Three-dimensional Computer Graphics - Hardcover

Watt, Alan H.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0201154420 ISBN 13: 9780201154429

Publisher: Addison Wesley, 1989

Synopsis

Watt provides a comprehensive introduction to the techniques needed to produce shaded images of three-dimensional solids on a computer graphics monitor. Strongly based on algorithm understanding.

About this title

Review

The third edition of Alan Watt's 3D Computer Graphics, a bible of computer graphics, includes a CD-ROM full of examples and updated information on graphics and rendering algorithms. The book discusses many of the techniques that have evolved in the last seven years since the previous edition was published.

3D Computer Graphics is a textbook, and it is designed for serious programmers creating graphics applications (not the end users). Over the course of 16 sections, Watt introduces the concepts and implementation of computer imaging, from "Mathematical Fundamentals of Computer Graphics" to "Representation and Rendering" and ending with "Image-based Rendering and Photo-modeling". The last section, devoted to computer animation, includes methods for linked structures, collision detection and particle animation (to name a few).

Although the topics are sometimes hard to grasp, Mr Watt writes clearly and concisely, making generous use of diagrams to help convey the principles described in the text.

The accompanying CD-ROM includes over a dozen studies of computer graphics techniques and rendering algorithms. Presented in HTML, the exhaustive studies, each with a matrix of thumbnails, demonstrates the varied achievable results. One minor complaint here: although the thumbnails can be clicked to view a much larger image, the larger version come in ".tif" format, which few (if any) web browsers can view. Users will need another application view them. Having the large image in ".jpg" format would have enabled the reader to view it in the already-open web browser.

3D Computer Graphics is ideally suited for graphics programmers and researchers working to create new medical imaging devices, a geological research system, a virtual structural testing system for aircraft, cars and spacecraft, or effects and photorealistic Hollywood animation. --Mike Caputo, amazon.com

From the Back Cover

The third edition of this book continues to focus on the 3D aspects of computer graphics, and reflects the growing demand for real-time applications such as games and virtual reality. It also includes new material on Visualization in Scientific Computing and graphics standards such as PHIGS. It deals with the processes involved in converting a mathematical or geometric description of an object -- a computer graphics model -- into a visualization -- a two-dimensional projection -- that simulates the appearance of a real object. Alan Watt provides students with a knowledge of complex and emerging topics in the field of computer graphics, including advances in rendering and new material on animation. This is an appropriate text for a first course on computer graphics at the Junior, Senior or graduate level.

Features

• NEW! Chapter on Advanced Radiosity
• NEW! Chapter on Animation
• NEW! Chapter on Precalculation Techniques
• NEW! Material about real-time applications for high complexity, such as progressive mesh optimization, BSP tree, precalculation techniques, and photo-modeling techniques
• Enhanced coverage of advances in rendering
• Complete revision of material on animation
• Includes a CD-ROM with a 400 image study and several computer graphics programs

0201398559B04062001

Edition details

• Publisher: Addison Wesley
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0201154420
• ISBN 13: 9780201154429
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 444