1. Computer Graphics Imaging
Ying Zhu
Administrative Issues &
Course Overview

2. Office Hours & Contact Information
Office Hours
Tuesdays 3pm – 5pm
Or by appointment
Office: 34 Peachtree Street (One Park Tower building) room1441
Phone: (404)

3. Correspondence
By default, I will send announcements/notice to your GSU account.
If you prefer a different account, please let me know.
When sending me , please make sure to include “4840” or “6840” in the subject line.

4. Textbook No paper based textbook Blender User’s Manual
I will add additional links to various Blender tutorials on my course web site.

5. Optional books Blender books
Introducing Character Animation with Blender, by Tony Mullen, Sybex, 2007

6. Software Blender http://www.blender.org/
A free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems.
No programming is required

7. Grading For all students: Assignments: 20% Projects: 70%
Presentations: 10%

8. Grading The grading scale is as follows: A: 90+ B: 80 - 89 C: 70 - 79

9. Projects & Homework Assignments
Two projects
Project 1: create and render a picture
Project 2: produce a short 3D animation
You may do it individually if you like. But I strongly encourage teamwork
3 to 4 homework assignments
will be individual efforts

10. Lecture Notes
Lecture notes will be posted on course web site before each class.
6840/home.htm

11. Graduate Teaching Assistant
Mr. James Reid

12. Classroom Etiquette
Please refrain from talking to each other during the lecture
But do ask questions
Please silence your cell phone while in class
Please do not take or make phone calls in class

13. Expected Outcome
Basic understanding of 3D computer graphics concepts and theories
Basic 3D modeling and animation techniques
Learn to use a 3D modeling and animation tool
Learn state of the art in 3D computer graphics

14. About this course
Generally considered a difficult course by students in my previous classes
Why?
3D computer graphics has a steep learning curve
It’s time consuming to create 3D content
Blender is a complicated tool
Students need to spend a lot of time outside of class to learn Blender and create their

15. What I expect you to do Read the syllabus Get to know your classmates
Ask questions

16. Any questions?

17. What is Computer Graphics?
The word “Computer Graphics” means different things to different people.
We will focus on 3D computer graphics:
How to create and store geometry objects (Modeling)
How to manipulate geometry objects (Animation)
How to generate and display images of geometry objects (Rendering)
Images courtesy Discreet
Lord of the Rings

18. Major Fields Modeling Animation Rendering
How to create and store geometry objects
Animation
How to manipulate geometry objects
Rendering
How to generate and display images of geometry objects

19. General Goals of CG
Modeling & rendering: create photo-realistic images
Is it real or is it CG?
Animation: create visually realistic simulation
Towards true real-time performance
60 frames per second
Flexible user interaction
Use CG techniques to advance other research fields
Scientific visualization and engineering simulation

20. Major Applications Entertainment Training and education
3D games
Feature films, TV series & commercials
Training and education
E.g. flight simulator, military training
Scientific and information visualization
E.g. bioinformatic visualization, data visualization

21. Blender
We will be using Blender as a teaching and learning tool throughout the semester
Blender is a free open-source software for modeling, animation, and rendering
The rendering part is normally done through a third party package
Download this tool and start learning it as soon as you can

22. Next Lecture
Overview of 3D graphics