3-D computer graphics : a mathematical introduction with OpenGL

This digital document is an article from School Science and Mathematics, published by School Science and Mathematics Association, Inc. on March 1, 2009. The length of the article is 692 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: 3-D Computer Graphics: A Mathematical Introduction with OpenGL.(Book review) Author: Medhat H. Rahim Publication: School Science and Mathematics (Magazine/Journal) Date: March 1, 2009 Publisher: School Science and Mathematics Association, Inc. Volume: 109 Issue: 3 Page: 183(2) Article Type: Book review Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning This textbook, first published in 2003, emphasises the fundamentals and the mathematics underlying computer graphics. The minimal prerequisites, a basic knowledge of calculus and vectors plus some programming experience in C or C++, make the book suitable for self study or for use as an advanced undergraduate or introductory graduate text. The author gives a thorough treatment of transformations and viewing, lighting and shading models, interpolation and averaging, Bézier curves and B-splines, ray tracing and radiosity, and intersection testing with rays. Additional topics, covered in less depth, include texture mapping and colour theory. The book covers some aspects of animation, including quaternions, orientation, and inverse kinematics, and includes source code for a Ray Tracing software package. The book is intended for use along with any OpenGL programming book, but the crucial features of OpenGL are briefly covered to help readers get up to speed. Accompanying software is available freely from the book's web site. Team LRN......Page 1 Cover......Page 2 Contents......Page 9 Preface......Page 13 I: Introduction......Page 19 II: Transformations and Viewing......Page 35 III: Lighting, Illumination, and Shading......Page 85 IV: Averaging and Interpolation......Page 117 V: Texture Mapping......Page 144 VI: Color......Page 164 VII: Bezier Curves......Page 173 VIII: B-Splines......Page 218 IX: Ray Tracing......Page 251 X: Intersection Testing......Page 283 XI: Radiosity......Page 298 XII: Animation and Kinematics......Page 315 Appendix A: Mathematics Background......Page 345 Appendix B: Raytrace - Software Package......Page 358 Bibliography......Page 379 Index......Page 385 This introduction to 3D computer graphics emphasizes fundamentals and the mathematics underlying computer graphics, while also covering programming techniques using OpenGL, a platform-independent graphics programming environment. The minimal prerequisites make it suitable for self-study or for use as an advanced undergraduate or introductory graduate text as the author leads step-by-step from the basics of transformations to advanced topics such as animations and kinematics. Accompanying software, including source code for a ray tracing software package, is available freely from the book's web site. "This book is aimed at the advanced undergraduate level or introductory graduate level and can also be used for self-study. Prerequisites include basic knowledge of calculus and vectors. The OpenGL programming portions require knowledge of programming in C or C++. The more important features of OpenGL are covered in the book, but it is intended to be used in conjunction with another OpenGL programming book."--BOOK JACKET This textbook emphasises fundamentals and the mathematics underlying 3D computer graphics while also covering programming techniques using OpenGL, a platform-independent graphics programming environment. Topics include transformations and viewing, lighting and shading, ray tracing, radiosity, texture mapping and colour theory, and aspects of animation, including quaternions, orientation, and inverse kinematics This chapter discusses some of the basic concepts behind computer graphics with particular emphasis on how to get started with simple drawing in OpenGL.