● Computer Graphics is the creation of pictures with the help of a computer.
The end product of the computer graphics is a picture it may be a business graph, drawing, and engineering ● Computer graphics are used to visually communicate information, create realistic simulations, and enhance user experience across various fields.They are essential in entertainment, design, education, scientific research (data visualization) and user interface design (e.g. software and web interface). ● Graphics makes complex data understandable and improve engagement
Types of Computer Graphics
● Raster Graphics: In raster, graphics pixels are used for an image to be drawn. It is also known as a bitmap image in which a sequence of images is into smaller pixels. Basically, a bitmap indicates a large number of pixels together. ● Vector Graphics: In vector graphics, mathematical formulae are used to draw different types of shapes, lines, objects, and so on.
Applications of Computer Graphics
● Computer Graphics are used for the aided design of systems engineering and architectural systems- These are used in electrical automobiles and electro-mechanical, and electronic devices. For example gears and bolts. ● Computer Art – MS Paint. ● Presentation Graphics – It is used to summarize financial statistical scientific or economic data. For example- Bar charts systems and line charts. ● Entertainment- It is used in motion pictures, music videos, and television gaming. ● Education and training- It is used to understand the operations of complex systems. It is also used for specialized systems such as framing for captains, pilots, and so on. ● Visualization- To study trends and patterns. For example- Analyzing satellite photos of earth.
History of Computer Graphics
● SKETCHPAD by Ivan Sutherland in 1960- [1] ○ Sketchpad (a.k.a. Robot Draftsman ) is a computer program written by Ivan Sutherland in 1963 in the course of his PhD thesis. ○ It’s been dubbed a “breakthrough” in computer graphics. For example, the graphical user interface (GUI) was derived from Sketchpad. ○ It enabled users to design and draw in real time directly on the computer displays, using a light pen. The light pen uses to draw, move and modify objects directly on the display. ○ Sketchpad ran on the Lincoln TX-2 (1958) computer at MIT, which had 64k of 36-bit words.
DISPLAY ● Cathode Ray Tube (CRT): A cathode ray tube (CRT) is a specialized vacuum tube in which images are produced when an electron beam strikes a phosphorescent surface. It modulates, accelerates, and deflects electron beam(s) onto the screen to create the images. Most desktop computer displays make use of CRT for image-displaying purposes.
● How it works: Uses liquid crystals that are aligned by electric fields to modulate light. It requires a backlight to illuminate the display. ● Pros: Good color accuracy and brightness; energy-efficient for its category. ● Cons: Limited contrast ratio and viewing angles compared to newer technologies.
Plasma (1995):
● How it works: Uses ionized gases (plasma) to produce light. Each pixel is made up of cells filled with gases that emit light when electrically charged. ● Pros: Excellent color accuracy, deep blacks, and high contrast ratios. ● Cons: Heavier, consumes more power, and can suffer from screen burn-in.
LED (Light Emitting Diode):
● How it works: A type of LCD that uses LEDs for backlighting instead of traditional fluorescent lights. There are two main types: edge-lit and direct-lit. ● Pros: Better contrast, brighter displays, and more energy-efficient compared to traditional LCDs. ● Cons: Color accuracy and uniformity can vary based on the type of LED backlighting.
OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode):
● How it works: Uses organic compounds that emit light when an electric current is applied. Each pixel generates its own light. ● Pros: Excellent color accuracy, true blacks, high contrast ratios, and flexible designs. ● Cons: Generally more expensive, potential for burn-in, and sometimes less bright than LED displays.
● How it works: A type of OLED with an active matrix of thin-film transistors (TFTs) to control the pixels. This improves response time and resolution. ● Pros: Superior color reproduction, high contrast, and better energy efficiency for darker images. ● Cons: Can still suffer from burn-in and may have shorter lifespan compared to LCDs.
E-Ink (Electronic Ink):
● How it works: Uses tiny capsules filled with charged particles that rearrange to form text or images when an electric field is applied. Commonly used in e-readers like Kindle. ● Pros: Very low power consumption, excellent readability in direct sunlight, and paper-like appearance. ● Cons: Limited to grayscale or basic color, slower refresh rates, and generally not suited for video or high-speed content.
PRINTING TECHNOLOGY
Prehistoric, Ancient & Medieval
● Clay Tablets: ○ How it works: Symbols or text are inscribed onto wet clay tablets using a stylus or other sharp tools. The tablets are then baked or dried to harden them. ○ Use: Common in ancient Mesopotamia (e.g., Sumerian cuneiform) and other early civilizations for record-keeping and communication. ● Wood Block Printing: ○ How it works: Carving a design into a block of wood, applying ink, and then pressing it onto paper or fabric. Each block can only be used for a single color. ○ Use: Originated in China and was used for printing text and images on paper and textiles. It spread to other regions, including Europe. ● Stencils/Masks: ○ How it works: Creating a design by cutting out shapes from a material (like paper or metal) and applying ink or paint through the openings. Masks can be reused for multiple prints. ○ Use: Used in various cultures for decorating and marking objects, from ancient pottery to medieval manuscripts. ● Seals and Stamps: ○ How it works: An engraved or carved surface is pressed into a medium like wax or clay to create an impression of the design or text. ○ Use: Used for authentication, decoration, and communication, especially in ancient and medieval times.
Modern
5. Lithography: ○ How it works: Based on the principle that oil and water repel each other. An image is drawn on a flat stone or metal plate with a greasy substance, then inked and pressed onto paper. ○ Use: Developed in the late 18th century and widely used for producing high-quality prints and artwork. 6. Flat-bed Printing Press: ○ How it works: An early type of press where the printing plate is flat, and the paper is pressed onto it by a platen. ○ Use: Used for producing books, newspapers, and other printed materials, especially from the 15th to 19th centuries. 7. Rotary Printing Press: ○ How it works: Uses cylindrical plates or rollers to print onto paper as it passes through the press. This allows for continuous printing and is much faster than flat-bed presses. ○ Use: Revolutionized mass production of newspapers and magazines in the 19th century. 8. Offset Press: ○ How it works: The inked image is first transferred (or "offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket and then to the printing surface. This method allows for high-quality prints and is suitable for various substrates. ○ Use: Dominant method for commercial printing of books, newspapers, and magazines. 9. Screenprinting: ○ How it works: A stencil is placed on a screen, and ink is pushed through the open areas of the stencil onto the substrate. Each color requires a separate screen. ○ Use: Popular for printing on textiles, posters, and other materials. 10. Dot Matrix Printing (DMP): ○ How it works: Uses a matrix of tiny dots to form characters and images. A print head with pins strikes an inked ribbon to create the dots on paper. ○ Use: Common in early computer printers and for printing multipart forms. 11. Thermal Printing (Thermochromic): ○ How it works: Applies heat to a special thermochromic paper, causing it to change color and form text or images. No ink is used; the paper itself reacts to heat. ○ Use: Used in receipts, labels, and some types of ticketing systems. 12. Laser Printing: ○ How it works: Uses a laser beam to create an electrostatic image on a drum, which is then transferred to paper using toner. The toner is fused to the paper with heat. ○ Use: Widely used for high-quality, fast, and reliable printing in office and home environments
● Raster-Scan Displays ○ Raster Scan Displays are most common type of graphics monitor which employs CRT. It is based on television technology. In raster scan system electron beam sweeps across the screen, from top to bottom covering one row at a time.A pattern of illuminated pattern of spots is created by turning beam intensity on and off as it moves across each row. ○ In raster scan systems refreshing is done at a rate of 60-80 frames per second ○ In modern displays, the principles of raster scanning are still used, but instead of an electron beam, we have pixels controlled by digital signals in technologies like LCD, LED, OLED, and others.
● NOTE ○ Real-time computer graphics are constrained by a combination of hardware limitations, performance considerations, rendering techniques, computational complexity, network issues, power consumption, and development challenges. Addressing these constraints involves a mix of optimization strategies, efficient algorithms, and careful management of resources to balance visual fidelity and performance.
● Graphics Pipeline Overview
○ The graphics pipeline, also known as the rendering pipeline, is a sequence of stages used in computer graphics to convert 3D models and scenes into 2D images displayed on the screen. ○ The graphics pipeline, consists of several stages through which data passes to produce the final image. Each stage performs specific tasks, transforming the input data step by step. ● 1> ○ Data Input: Data input refers to the initial set of information provided to the graphics pipeline. This includes all the raw data that needs to be processed to produce the final image. ■ Uniform State: Uniforms are a type of data used to pass consistent values to shaders across multiple vertices or fragments. They are called “uniform” because their value remains constant for all processed vertices or fragments within a single draw call. ■ Vertex Array: Vertex Arrays are used to store per-vertex attributes that describe the geometry of objects in a scene. These attributes include positions, normals, texture coordinates, and colors. ■ Element Array: Element Arrays, also known as Index Buffers or Element Index Buffers, are used to define the order in which vertices are connected to form primitives. ● 2> ○ Vertex Shader ○ The vertex shader is a programmable stage in the graphics pipeline that processes each vertex's data, applies transformations, and outputs the final position and attributes of the vertex for the next stage. ○ Input ■ Per-Vertex Data: Attributes specific to each vertex, such as position, normal, color, and texture coordinates. These are input to the vertex shader and processed individually for each vertex. ■ Uniform State: Global values that remain constant across all vertices for a single draw call, such as transformation matrices and lighting parameters. These are set outside the shader and used for consistent calculations
○ Output ■ Position: The final position of the vertex in clip space, used in further stages. ■ For Next Shader: The processed data, such as transformed positions and attributes, is passed to the next stage (e.g., fragment shader) for additional processing. ● 3> ○ Triangle Assembly ○ Triangle Assembly refers to the process of creating triangles from vertex data to form the basic building blocks of 3D models. Triangles are a common primitive type because they are simple, planar, and always convex, making them versatile for rendering complex shapes. ○ Element Array (Index Buffer): A buffer containing indices that reference vertices in the Vertex Array, used to efficiently assemble triangles and other primitives. ○ Benefits: Reduces memory usage, improves performance through efficient indexing and cache optimization, and simplifies data management
● Rasterization ○ Rasterization involves converting geometric shapes, defined by vertices, into a 2D grid of pixels. This process determines which pixels (fragments) are covered by each primitive and calculates the attributes (such as color and depth) for these fragments
