An Introduction to NURBS: With Historical Perspective - Softcover

Rogers, David F.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0123991838 ISBN 13: 9780123991836

Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann, 2011

Synopsis

The latest from a computer graphics pioneer, An Introduction to NURBS is the ideal resource for anyone seeking a theoretical and practical understanding of these very important curves and surfaces. Beginning with Bazier curves, the book develops a lucid explanation of NURBS curves, then does the same for surfaces, consistently stressing important shape design properties and the capabilities of each curve and surface type. Throughout, it relies heavily on illustrations and fully worked examples that will help you grasp key NURBS concepts and deftly apply them in your work. Supplementing the lucid, point-by-point instructions are illuminating accounts of the history of NURBS, written by some of its most prominent figures. Whether you write your own code or simply want deeper insight into how your computer graphics application works, An Introduction to NURBS will enhance and extend your knowledge to a degree unmatched by any other resource.

About this title

Review

Curve and surface computer modeling is far more complex than what you see on screen. It is quite a feat to convert a data set into a visual image, and a bigger trick to convert it into a recognizable dimensional object that you can turn as if you were holding it in your hand. The mathematical heroes who paved the road to this point are acknowledged eloquently in David Rogers's An Introduction to NURBS with Historical Perspective.

Rogers himself is a figure in computer graphics history, having penned Mathematical Elements for Computer Graphics and Procedural Elements for Computer Graphics. In An Introduction to NURBS, he takes us on a mathematical journey that introduces the concept and details of non-uniform rational B-splines, while simultaneously shedding light on the mathematical wizards that make NURBS possible.

This is a hardcover textbook (not light reading) with enough equations and pseudocode to satisfy even the hungriest of math theorists. With seven chapters, starting with "Curve and Surface Representation" through "B-Spline Curves" to "Bzier Surfaces," the book is a thorough primer for those who are working toward understanding computer graphic modeling.

What really sets this book apart from other texts, however, is the closing portion of each chapter, in which readers get a historical perspective of the current state of the art in curve and surface mathematics, in passages written by such luminaries as Robin Forrest (Bzier curves), Rich Riesenfeld (B-splines), and Lewis Knapp (rational B-splines). --Mike Caputo

About the Author

David F. Rogers, Ph.D, is the author of two computer graphics classics, Mathematical Elements for Computer Graphics and Procedural Elements for Computer Graphics, as well as works on fluid dynamics. His early research on the use of B-splines and NURBS for dynamic manipulation of ship hull surfaces led to significant commercial and scientific advances in a number of fields. Founder and former director of the Computer Aided Design/Interactive Graphics Group at the U.S. Naval Academy, Dr. Rogers was an original member of the USNA's Aerospace Engineering Department. He sits on the editorial boards of The Visual Computer and Computer Aided Design and serves on committees for SIGGRAPH, Computer Graphics International, and other conferences.

Edition details

• Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0123991838
• ISBN 13: 9780123991836
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 342