Computer Graphics Through OpenGL: From Theory to Experiments

COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF SHADERS AND THE PROGRAMMABLE PIPELINE

From geometric primitives to animation to 3D modeling to lighting, shading and texturing, Computer Graphics Through OpenGL®: From Theory to Experiments is a comprehensive introduction to computer graphics which uses an active learning style to teach key concepts. Equally emphasizing theory and practice, the book provides an understanding not only of the principles of 3D computer graphics, but also the use of the OpenGL® Application Programming Interface (API) to code 3D scenes and animation, including games and movies.

The undergraduate core of the book takes the student from zero knowledge of computer graphics to a mastery of the fundamental concepts with the ability to code applications using fourth-generation OpenGL®. The remaining chapters explore more advanced topics, including the structure of curves and surfaces, applications of projective spaces and transformations and the implementation of graphics pipelines.

This book can be used for introductory undergraduate computer graphics courses over one to two semesters. The careful exposition style attempting to explain each concept in the simplest terms possible should appeal to the self-study student as well.

Features

• Covers the foundations of 3D computer graphics, including animation, visual techniques and 3D modeling
• Comprehensive coverage of OpenGL® 4.x, including the GLSL and vertex, fragment, tessellation and geometry shaders
• Includes 180 programs with 270 experiments based on them
• Contains 750 exercises, 110 worked examples, and 700 four-color illustrations
• Requires no previous knowledge of computer graphics
• Balances theory with programming practice using a hands-on interactive approach to explain the underlying concepts

Sumanta Guha obtained a Ph.D. in mathematics from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, in 1987. From 1984 to 1987 he taught mathematics at Jadavpur University in Kolkata. He left in 1987 to study computer science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he obtained a Ph.D. in 1991. On graduating from Michigan he joined the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science faculty of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee where he taught from 1991 to 2002. In 2002 he moved to the Computer Science and Information Management program of the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, where he is currently an adjunct professor. His research interests include computational geometry, computer graphics, computational topology, robotics and data mining.