Computer Graphics Research: _history/new_page_6.htm _history/new_page_6.htm Gian Joseph 4/29/2010

What is Computer Graphics? Computer Graphics is a manipulation of a picture by a computer, creating different shapes, sizes, animations, and motion.

The History of Computer Graphics? 1950: Ben Laposky created the first graphic images, an Oscilloscope, generated by an electronic (analog) machine. The image was produced by manipulating electronic beams and recording them onto high-speed film. 1951: UNIVAC-I: the first general purpose commercial computer, crude hardcopy devices, and line printer pictures. 1951: MIT – Whirlwind computer, the first to display real time video, and capable of displaying real time text and graphic on a large oscilloscope screen.

1960: William Fetter coins the computer graphics to describe new design methods. 1961: Steve Russel -- Spacewars, first video/computer game 1963: –Douglas Englebart – first mouse –Ivan Sutherland – Sketchpad, interactive CG system, a man-machine graphical communication system, it features: pop-up menus constraint-based drawing hierarchical modeling utilized lightpen for interaction

1964: William Fetter -- first computer model of a human figure. 1965: Jack Bresenham – line-drawing algorithm 1968: –Tektronix – a special CRT, the direct-view storage tube, with keyboard and mouse, a simple computer interface for $15, 000, which made graphics affordable –Ivan Sutherland – first head-mounted display 1969: –John Warnock – area subdivision algorithm, hidden-surface algorithms –Bell Labs – first frame buffer containing 3 bits per pixel

1972: Nolan Kay Bushnell – Pong, video arcade game 1973: John Whitney. Jr. and Gary Demos – “Westworld”, first film with computer graphics 1974: –Edwin Catmuff –texture mapping and Z-buffer hidden- surface algorithm –James Blinn – curved surfaces, refinement of texture mapping –Phone Bui-Toung – specular highlighting 1975: –Martin Newell – famous CG teapot, using Bezier patches –Benoit Mandelbrot – fractal/fractional dimension 1976: James Blinn – environment mapping and bump mapping 1977: Steve Wozniak -- Apple II, color graphics personal computer 1979: Roy Trubshaw and Richard Bartle – MUD, a multi-user dungeon/Zork

1982: –Steven Lisberger – “Tron”, first Disney movie which makes extensive use of 3-D computer graphics –Tom Brighman – “Morphing”, first film sequence plays a female character which deforms and transforms herself into the shape of a lynx. –John Walkner and Dan Drake – AutoCAD 1983: Jaron Lanier – “DataGlove”, a virtual reality film features a glove installed with switches and sensors to detect hand motion. 1984: Wavefron tech. – Polhemus, first 3D graphics software 1985: –Pixar Animation Studios – “Luxo Jr.”, 1989, “ Tin toy” –NES – Nintendo home game system 1987: IBM – VGA, Video Graphics Array introduced 1989: Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) – SVGA, Super VGA formed

990: Hanrahan and Lawson – Renderman 1991: Disney and Pixar – “Beauty and the Beast”, CGI was widely used, Renderman systems provides fast, accurate and high quality digital computer effects. 1992: Silicon Graphics – OpenGL specification 1993: –University of Illinois -- Mosaic, first graphic Web browser –Steven Spielberg – “Jurassic Park” a successful CG fiction film. 1995: –Buena Vista Pictures – “Toy Story”, first full-length, computer-generated, feature film –NVIDIA Corporation – GeForce 256, GeForce3(2001) 2003: ID Software – Doom 3 graphics engine

What is 2D Computer Graphics? 2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models Such as 1. digital images 2. text 3. geometric models The picture to left, appeared in Lord of the Rings, a film which introduced the first us of 2D.

What is Computer Animation? Computer Animation is the art of creating moving images with the use of computers.

What is Pixel? Pixel is the smallest component of an image or picture on a CRT screen. It appears as a dot, the more the pixels, the more vibrant the image is.

List some of your favorite projects in this class Some of my favorite projects in computer class involve the use of 1.Motion Tweening 2.Motion Guide 3.Photoshop