Subject: COMPUTER GRAPHICS

UNIT 1 : INTRODUCTION TO
COMPUTER GRAPHICS

Prepared By
Dr. Soumi Ghosh
Assistant Professor
 OVERVIEW OF
COMPUTER GRAPHICS (CG)
 Definition and Importance of Computer Graphics

• The term computer graphics (CG) describes the use of

computers to create and manipulate images.
• Graphics can be two- or three-dimensional
• Computer Graphics is the creation and manipulation of images
or pictures with the help of computers.
• There are two types of computer graphics :
1) Passive Computer Graphics (Non-interactive Computer
Graphics)
2) Active Computer Graphics (Interactive Computer Graphics)
Contd..
• The major product of computer graphics is a picture. With
the help of CG, pictures can be represented in 2D and 3D
space.
• Many applications show various parts of the displayed
picture changing in size and orientation. Such type of
transformations i.e. the pictures can be made to grow,
shrink, rotate and etc. can be achieved through CG.
• The display on them is often too big to be shown in their
entirety. Thus, with the help of CG, a technique called
clipping can be used to select just those parts of the
picture that lie on the screen and to discard the rest.
Contd..
• CG is in daily use in the field of science, engineering,
medicine, entertainment, advertising, the graphic arts, the
fine arts, business, education etc.
• The electronic industry is more dependent on the
technologies provided by CG such as engineers can draw
their circuit in a much shorter time,
• architects can have alternative solution to design problems,
• the molecular biologist can display pictures of molecules
and can study on the structure,
• the town planners and transportation engineers use the
computer generated maps which display data useful to them
in their planning work etc.
 Interactive Computer Graphics

• The Interactive computer graphics (ICG) provides two way

communications between the computer and the user.
• The various applications of ICG are as follows.
• Using ICG system the integrated electronic circuits which are
very complex can be drawn in a much shorter time.
• It is very useful in training of the pilots as they spend much of
their training on the ground at the controls of a flight simulator
and not in a real aircraft.
• There are many tasks that can be made easier & less expensive
by the use of ICG. The effectiveness of the ICG is the speed
with which the user can absorb the displayed information.
Contd..
• The Interactive Graphics display consists of three major
components as follows & shown in Figure 1:
(1) Frame Buffer (2) T.V. Monitor (3)Display Controller

10001101 Scan line Data

01101010
00101001
11100111
00111000
01010100
00111001 Display Adapter/
01010101 Display Controller Video Monitor/
Frame Buffer T. V. Monitor
Contd..
1) Frame Buffer
• The images that are to be displayed are stored in a frame buffer in the form of
matrix of intensity values.
• The frame buffer contains the image stored in binary form as a matrix of 0’s and
1’s which represent the pixel. 0 indicates the darkness and 1 indicates the image.
• The Frame Buffer holds the set of intensity values for all the screen points.
• The intensity values stored in a Frame Buffer are retrieved and painted on a screen
one row at a time. This row is called as scan line.
2) Display Controller
• The Display Controller passes the contents of frame buffer to the T.V. Monitor.
• Display Controller reads successive bytes of data from the frame buffer & then
converts 0’s and 1’s into the corresponding video signal.
• These signals are fed to the T.V. Monitor. 
3) T.V. Monitor
• The T.V. Monitor then produces black and white pattern on the screen.
• The frame Buffer contents are to be modified, in order to represent the new pattern
of pixels or if some changes are to be made on the displayed picture.
 GRAPHICS AREAS

The following major areas of computer graphics are:

• Modeling deals with the mathematical specification of shape
and appearance properties in a way that can be stored on the
computer. For example, a coffee mug might be described as a set
of ordered 3D points along with some interpolation rule to
connect the points and a reflection model that describes how
light interacts with the mug.
• Rendering is a term inherited from art and deals with the
creation of shaded images from 3D computer models.
• Animation is a technique to create an illusion of motion
through sequences of images. Animation uses modeling and
rendering but adds the key issue of movement over time, which
is not usually dealt with in basic modeling and rendering.
Contd..

There are many other areas that involve computer graphics.

• User interaction deals with the interface between input devices such as mice
and tablets, the application, feedback to the user in imagery, and other
sensory feedback.
• Virtual reality attempts to immerse the user into a 3D virtual world. This
typically requires at least stereo graphics and response to head motion. For
true virtual reality, sound and force feedback should be provided as well.
• Visualization attempts to give users insight into complex information via
visual display.
• Image processing deals with the manipulation of 2D images and is used in
both the fields of graphics and vision.
• 3D scanning uses range-finding technology to create measured 3D models.
Such models are useful for creating rich visual imagery, and the processing of
such models often requires graphics algorithms.
• Computational photography is the use of computer graphics, computer
vision, and image processing methods to enable new ways of
photographically capturing objects, scenes, and environments.
 COMPUTER GRAPHICS APPLICATION
Almost any field can make some use of computer graphics, but the major consumers
of computer graphics technology include the following industries:
• Video games increasingly use sophisticated 3D models and rendering algorithms.
• Cartoons are often rendered directly from 3D models. Many traditional 2D
cartoons use backgrounds rendered from 3D models, which allows a continuously
moving viewpoint without huge amounts of artist time.
• Visual effects use almost all types of computer graphics technology. Almost every
modern film uses digital compositing to superimpose backgrounds with separately
filmed foregrounds. Many films also use 3D modeling and animation to create
synthetic environments, objects, and even characters that most viewers will never
suspect are not real.
• Animated films use many of the same techniques that are used for visual effects,
but without necessarily aiming for images that look real.
• CAD/CAM stands for computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing.
These fields use computer technology to design parts and products on the computer
and then, using these virtual designs, to guide the manufacturing process. For
example, many mechanical parts are designed in a 3D computer modeling package
and then automatically produced on a computer-controlled milling device.
Contd..

• Simulation can be thought of as accurate video gaming. For example, a flight

simulator uses sophisticated 3D graphics to simulate the experience of flying an
airplane. Such simulations can be extremely useful for initial training in safety-
critical domains such as driving, and for scenario training for experienced users
such as specific fire-fighting situations that are too costly or dangerous to create
physically.
• Medical imaging creates meaningful images of scanned patient data. For example,
a computed tomography (CT) dataset is composed of a large 3D rectangular array
of density values. Computer graphics is used to create shaded images that help
doctors extract the most salient information from such data.
• Information visualization creates images of data that do not necessarily have a
“natural” visual depiction. For example, the temporal trend of the price of ten
different stocks does not have an obvious visual depiction, but clever graphing
techniques can help humans see the patterns in such data.
• Presentation graphics: In applications like summarizing of data of financial,
statistical, mathematical, scientific and economic research reports, presentation
graphics are used. It increases the understanding using visual tools like bar charts,
line graphs, pie charts and other displays.
 GRAPHICS PIPELINE
• In computer graphics, the graphics pipeline refers to a series of
interconnected stages through which data and commands related to
a scene go through during rendering process.
• It takes us from the mathematical description of an object to its
representation on the device. The figure 2 shown below illustrates a
3D graphic pipeline.
• The real world objects are represented in world coordinate system.
It is then projected onto a view plane. The projection is done from
the viewpoint of the position of a camera or eye.
• There is an associated camera coordinate system whose z axis
specifies the view direction when viewed from the viewpoint.
• The infinite volume swept by the rays emerging from the viewpoint
and passing through the window is called as view volume or view
pyramid.
• Clipping planes (near and far) are used to limit the output of the
object.
Contd..

Figure 2: A 3D graphic pipeline

Contd..
• The mapping of an object to a graphic device requires
the transformation of view plane coordinates to
physical device coordinates. There are two steps
involved in this process.
1) The window to a viewport transformation. The
viewport is basically a sub – rectangle of a fixed
rectangle known as logical screen.
2) The transformation of logical screen coordinates to
physical device coordinates.
Contd..

Figure 3 (a): Sequence of transformation in viewing

pipeline

Figure 3 (b): 2D coordinate system to physical device coordinates

transformation
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES
 Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

• The most common graphics output device is the video

monitor which is based on the standard cathode ray tube
(CRT) design. Figure 4 illustrates the basic operation of a
CRT.

Figure 4: Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

Contd..
• As shown in above figure, it consists of electron gun, focusing
system, deflection plates and a phosphor-coated screen.
• Electron gun is the primary component of a CRT. When the heat is
supplied to the electron gun by directing a current, a beam of
electrons emitted by an electron gun, passes through focusing and
deflection systems that direct the beam toward specified positions on
the phosphor-coated screen.
• The focusing system in a CRT is needed to force the electron beam
to converge into a small spot as it strikes the phosphor.
• There are two pairs of deflection plates - Horizontal deflection
plates and vertical deflection plates.
• One pair of plates is mounted horizontally to control the vertical
deflection, and the other pair is mounted vertically to control
horizontal deflection.
Contd..
• The beam passes between the two pairs of deflection plates and
positioned on the screen.
• The phosphor then emits a small spot of light at each position
contacted by the electron beam.
• Because the light emitted by the phosphor fades very rapidly,
some method is needed for maintaining the screen picture.
• One Way to keep the phosphor glowing is to redraw the picture
repeatedly by quickly directing the electron beam back over the
same points. This type of display is called a refresh CRT.
• In CRT monitors there are two techniques of displaying images:
1) Raster scan displays
2) Random scan displays
 RASTER SCAN DISPLAY
 Raster: A rectangular array of points or dot.
 An image is subdivided into a sequence of
(usually horizontal) strips known as "scan lines“
which can be further divided into discrete pixels for
processing in a computer system.

A raster image is a collection of dots called pixels

WORKING
 In a raster scan system, the electron beam is swept
across the screen, one row at a time from top to
bottom.
 As the electron beam moves across each row, the
beam intensity is turned on and off to create a
pattern of illuminated spots.
 The return to the left of the screen, after refreshing
each scan line is called Horizontal retrace.
 At the end of each frame the electron beam returns
to the top left corner of the screen to begin the
next frame is called Vertical retrace:
 Raster Scan Displays

Figure 5: Raster Scan Display Figure 6: Horizontal and Vertical

Retrace
WORKING
• Picture definition is stored in a
memory area called the refresh buffer
or frame buffer.
• Refresh buffer or frame buffer is
memory area that holds the set of
intensity values for all the screen
points.
• Stored intensity values then retrieved
from refresh buffer and “painted” on the
screen one row (scan line) at a time.
Object as set of discrete points across each scan line
 The quality of a raster image is determined by the total
number pixels (resolution), and the amount of
information in each pixel (color depth)
 A black-and-white system: each screen point is either on
or off, so only one memory bit per pixel is needed to
control the intensity of screen positions in the raster.
Such type of frame buffer is called Bit map and the
amount of memory is called bit plane.
 High quality raster graphics system have 24 bits per
pixel in the frame buffer (a full color system or a true
color system) single bit plane yields black (gray scale)
or white (monochrome display)
 1024 x 1024 element required 220 = 1024 x1024 sq.
raster or 1048576 memory bits in a single bit
plane (210 =1024);
 Refreshing on raster scan displays is carried out at the
rate 60 to 80 frame per second.
 Raster Scan Systems

Figure 7: Architecture of a simple raster system

 RASTER SCAN SYSTEM
 In addition to the central processing unit (CPU), a
special processor, called the video controller or display
controller, is used to control the operation of the
display device.

 A fixed area of the system memory is reserved for the

frame buffer, and the video controller is given direct
access to the frame buffer memory.

 Operation performed:
1. Refreshing operation

2. Transformation (Areas of the screen can be

enlarged,
reduces, or moved during the refresh cycles)
Contd..

Figure 8: Architecture of a raster system

 Raster Scan Display Processor
• Figure shows one way to set up the organization of a raster system
containing a separate display processor, sometimes referred to as a
graphics controller or a display coprocessor.

Figure : Architecture of a raster-graphics system with a

display processor
 DISPLAY PROCESSOR
 The purpose of the DP is to free the CPU
from the graphics chores.
 A major task of the display processor is
Scan Conversion.
 Scan Conversion: is digitizing a picture
definition given in an application program into a
set of pixel intensity values for storage in the
frame buffer.
 RASTER SCAN SYSTEM
 Graphic commands are translated by the
graphics package into a display file stored in
the system memory.
 This file is then accessed by the display
processor unit (DPU)(graphic controller) to
refresh the screen.
 APPLICATIONS
 Suited for realistic display of screens
 Home television computer printers create their
images basically by raster scanning. Laser
printers use a spinning polygonal mirror (or an
optical equivalent) to scan across the
photosensitive drum, and paper movement
provides the other scan axis

 Common raster image formats include BMP

(Windows Bitmap), JPEG (Joint Photographics Expert
Group), GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) , PNG
(Portable Network Graphic), PSD (Adobe PhotoShop)
 DISADVANTAGE
• To increase size of a raster image the pixels
defining the image are be increased in either
number or size Spreading the pixels over a
larger area causes the image to lose detail and
clarity.
• Produces jagged lines that are plotted as discrete
points
Random Scan Display/ Vector-Scan Display/ Calligraphic Displays

Figure 10: Random Scan Display

WORKING
 When operated as a random-scan
display unit, a CRT has the electron
beam directed only to the parts of the
screen where a picture is to be drawn.
 Random-scan monitors draw
a picture one line at a time and for
this reason are also referred to as
vector displays (or stroke-writing or
calligraphic displays).
 Refresh rate depends on the number of
lines to be displayed.
 Picture definition is now stored as a line-
drawing commands an area of memory
referred to as refresh display file (display
list).
 To display a picture, the system cycle
through the set of commands in the display
file, drawing each component line in turn.
 Random scan displays are designed to
draw all the component lines of a picture 30
to 60 times each second
Advantages
 Random scan displays have higher
resolution than raster systems.
 Vector displays product smooth line
drawing.
 This minimal amount of information
translates to a much smaller file size. (file
size compared to large raster images)
 On zooming in, and it remains smooth
 The parameters of obje.cts are stored and
can be later modified.
Random-Scan Systems/ Random-Scan Display
Processor

Figure 11: Architecture of a simple random scan system

 HARD COPY DEVICES
• Printers
• Plotters

INPUT DEVICES FOR OPERATOR INTERACTION

• Keyboards
• Mouse
• Trackball and Spaceball
• Joysticks
• Data Glove
• Digitizers
• Touch Screens
• Light pen
• Voice Systems
• Image Scanners
THANK YOU