George Mason University
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
IT/CS 852 - Graphical Real-time Simulation:
A Speical Topic on Virtual Reality - Spring 2004
Description
| Grading
| Syllabus
| Textbooks
Professor Jim X. Chen
Office: ST2
Room 409
Office hour: Tuesday 9am-11am or by appt; e-mail all times
Email:
jchen@cs.gmu.edu
Phone: (703) 993-1720
DESCRIPTION:
CS/IT 852 is a 3-credit advanced graphics course with prerequisite CS451,
CS 652, or IT 875. Topics include selections from physics-based modeling, real-time
simulation, distributed interactive simulation, virtual reality, and current
graphics software tools. This semester we focus on Virtual Reality technology.
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GRADING POLICY:
There are all together 100 points:
- A project and presentation (50 points)
- Class participation and random in class quizzes (30 points)
- Homeworks (20 points)
Your overall course score, S, will be the sum of these points.
- A: S is at least 90 points
- B: S is at least 75 (and less than 90) points
- C: S is at least 60 (and less than 75) points
- F: S is less than 60 points
Class participation is very important. Active participation will be rewarded
with extra points toward your score S.
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SYLLABUS: (tentative, and notes will be available)
- Introduction
- Input Devices: trackers, navigation, and gesture interfaces
- Output Devices: graphics, 3D sound, and haptic displays
- Computing Architectures for VR
- Modeling Techniques: graphics libraries, geometric models, solid
modeling, procedural modeling, fractals, particle systems, and physically-based
modeling (Polyhedra)
- VR Methods and Programming: hardware, software, WorldToolKit, OpenInventor,
VRML, Java3D (ScienceSpace, DEVISE,
MUVEs)
- Human Factors in VR: performance, health and safety, VR and society
- Traditional VR Applications: medical applications, education, Arts,
Entertaiment, and Military Applications
- Emerging Applications in VR
- Project discussions, presentations, and final summary
(Optional additional topics)
- Animation and Simulation: keyframe approach, image-based and model-based
animation, simulation, real-time simulation (Spider, Fluid)
- Low-level Graphics Techniques: scan-conversion, anti-aliasing, and
graphics hardware (polygon)
- Advanced Lighting and Rendering Techniques: ray tracing and radiosity
- Networked Virtual Environment: DIS, MUVEs, ActiveWorlds
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BOOKS REQUIRED:
- Grigore C. Burdea and Philippe Coiffet, Virtual Reality Technology,
second edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Jim X. Chen, Guide to Graphics Software Tools, Springer Verlag.
REFERENCES:
Graphics related
journals and magazines including:
Graphics related conference proceedings including:
Some reference books of mine:
- Computer Graphics
from Addison Wesley
- Interactive Computer Graphics: A Top-Down Approach with OpenGLTM by Edward
Angel
- Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice, Second Edition in C by James
D. Foley, Andries van Dam, Steven K. Feiner and John F. Hughes
- Introduction to Computer Graphics by James D. Foley, Andries van Dam,
Steven K. Feiner, John F. Hughes, and Richard L. Phillips
- Virtual Reality Systems by John Vince
- The Inventor Mentor and The Inventor Toolmaker: Extending Open Inventor,
Release 2 by Josie Wernecke and the Open Architecture Group
- "Motif Programming: The essentials ... and more" by Marshall Brain, Digital
Press
- "Computer Graphics" by Donald Hearn, Prentice Hall, C edition
- "COMPUTER GRAPHICS: an Object-Oriented Approach to the Art and Science"
by Cornel Pokorny, Franklin, Beedle & Associates, Incorporated
- "Object-Oriented Programming with C++ and OSF/Motif" by Douglas A. Young,
Prentice Hall, 2nd edition
Graphics tools and groups related sites:
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2004 by Jim X. Chen, Department of Computer Science, George mason University