Computer Graphics

Computer graphics

is a field that involves using computers to create and manipulate images.

Modeling, Rendering, Animation

What are the main areas of computer graphics?

Modeling

deals with the mathematical specification of shape and appearance properties

Rendering

This is the process of creating shaded images from 3D computer models.

Animation

This is the technique of creating the illusion of motion through a rapid sequence of images

raster

is a grid-like array of pixels (picture elements) displayed on a screen

RGB value

using this Pixels are defined by their color

0

means no color exists

1

means the color is at full intensity

resolution and precision

The quality of an image depends on its _____ ?

Resolution

is the number of pixels in the raster

precision

is the number of bits used for each pixel

buffer

is a temporary storage space in a computer's memory used to hold data while it's being moved

framebuffer

Pixel data is specifically stored in an area of memory called the ______?

Color buffer

This is the minimum requirement for a framebuffer and stores the RGB values for each pixel.

Depth buffer

Used when rendering a 3D scene, this buffer stores the distance of scene objects from the virtual camera.

Stencil buffer

This buffer can be used to store values for generating advanced effects like shadows and reflections

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

has a highly parallel structure that makes it more efficient than a CPU for rendering computer graphics.

shaders

Programs that run on GPUs are called ____?

shaders

are used to perform the computations required for rendering.

Application Programming Interface (API)

which is a set of commands, functions, and protocols for interacting with an external system like the GPU

DirectX API

for Microsoft platforms, including Xbox

Metal API

for modern Mac computers, iPhones, and iPads.

OpenGL API

which is a widely adopted crossplatform graphics library.

graphics pipeline

is an abstract model that describes the sequence of steps needed to render a three-dimensional scene.

Application

This stage runs on the CPU and involves setting up the window where the rendered graphics will be displayed.

Geometry Processing

This stage determines the position of each vertex

vertex

is a data structure that contains the 3D position of a point and other information

vertex shader

is the program used in the geometry processing stage

Rasterization

In this stage, the geometric primitives (points, lines, or triangles) are converted into a raster of pixels

fragment

is created for each pixel that corresponds to the interior of a shape

fragment

is a collection of data used to determine the color of a single pixel in a rendered image

Pixel Processing

The main purpose of this stage is to determine the final color of each pixel and store it in the color buffer

fragment shader

is applied to each fragment to calculate its final color, which may involve data like base color, textures, or lighting

Pygame

is a popular set of Python modules used for creating video games

Startup, Main Loop, Shutdown

graphics-based application typically goes through three phases: ???

Startup

Creating objects, initializing values, and loading external files

Main Loop

This phase runs continuously while the application is active and contains three sub-stages

Process Input

Checks for user actions like pressing keys or clicking the mouse

Update

Changes values of variables and objects.

Render

Creates the graphics that are displayed on the screen.

Shutdown

This phase begins when the user indicates the program should stop, such as by clicking a quit button

discrete

happen once at an isolated point in time, like a keydown or keyup event

continuous

happen over an interval of time, like holding a key down to move an object

Uniform variables

are global variables that can be accessed by both the vertex and fragment shaders