图形学笔记《Fundamentals of Computer Graphics 4th Edition》——【1】Introduction

• 计算机图形学：describes any use of computers to create and manipulate images
• 一般包括specific hardware, file formats, a graphic API
• 本书尽量避免依赖于任何特定硬件或API
• 本章内容：基础概念，历史背景，信息资源

Graphics Areas

major areas

• Modeling: deals with the mathematical specification of shape and appearance properties in a way that can be stored on the computer.
• Rendering: a term inherited from art and deals with the creation of shaded images from 3D computer models.
• Animation: a technique to create an illusion of motion through sequences of images.

other areas (maybe not core areas)

• User interaction: the interface between input devices to the user in imagery, and other sensory feedback.
• Virtual reality: attempts to immerse the user into a 3D virtual world.
• Visualization: attempts to give users insight into complex information via visual display.
• Image processing: deals with the manipulation of 2D images, is used in both the fields of graphics and vision.
• 3D scanning: uses range-finding technology to create measured 3D models.
• Computational photography: new ways of photographically capturing objects, scenes, and environments.

Major Applications

• Video games
• Cartoons
• Visual effects: modern films, some not real characters
• Animated films
• CAD/CAM: computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing
• Simulation: can be thought of as accurate video gaming
• Medical imaging: creates meaningful images of scanned patient data. 如computed tomography (CT)
• Information visualization

Graphic APIs

• API (application program interface): a standard collection of functions to perform a set of related operations
• graphics API: a set of functions that perform basic operation such as drawing images and 3D surfaces into windows on the screen

每个图形程序都需要两种API：

• a graphics API for visual output
• a user-interface API to get input from the user

目前的两种dominant paradigms for graphics and user-interface APIs：

• the integrated approach, 如Java, always fully standardized and supported as part of the language
• Direct3D and OpenGL, part of a software library tied to a language such as C++

Graphics Pipeline

• 3D graphics pipeline: a special software/hardware subsystem that efficiently draws 3D primitives（基本体） in perspective（透视）
• 处理前后透视关系采用z-buffer
• 图形管线中主要使用四维空间，4×4矩阵，4维向量——3 traditional geometric coordinates + a fourth homogeneous（齐次） coordinate (helps with perspective viewing)
• 大多数情况下，重要性排序：速度 > 质量
• level of detail (LOD): fewer triangles are needed than when the model is viewed from a closer distance

Numerical Issues

曾经的数码处理非常混乱，直到出现了IEEE floating-point standrad，下面是一些比较重要的规则：

• 一些特殊值：正无穷（$∞$）、负无穷（$-∞$）、不是个数（NaN）
• 有关这些特殊值的一些计算结果：
  +a/(+∞)<