Product Description

Interactive Computer Graphics features a top-down, programming-oriented approach to computer graphics. Capitalizing upon this top-down and hands-on approach, the text quickly gets students writing interesting 3D graphics programs. Angel uses OpenGL, a graphics library supported by most workstations, and the C++ programming language, allowing students to be aware of what is happening at the lowest levels of computer-graphics programming.

Each chapter is built around applications, with key principles and techniques explained as needed and in increasing detail, teaching students by example and by practice. While emphasizing applications programming, the book covers all topics required for a fundamental courses in computer graphics, such as light-material interactions, shading, modeling, curves and surfaces, antialiasing, texture mapping, and compositing, as well as hardware issues. The top-down approach taken in this book enables students studying computer science and engineering to generate complex interactive applications by the end of their first course, and will give them a solid background for future work or study in computer graphics.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1257121 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 719 pages

From the Back Cover

This introductory text recognizes that beginners learn computer graphics more quickly by doing it. Taking a top-down approach, the book gets you started early in writing interesting 3D graphics programs. Each chapter is built around a nontrivial application program. In this programming context, key principles and techniques are explained as needed and in increasing detail. Coverage includes all the topics required for a fundamental understanding of computer graphics, such as light-material interactions, shading, modeling, curves and surfaces, anti-aliasing, texture mapping, and compositing, as well as important hardware issues.

To enable this top-down approach, the book first describes an important application programmer's interface, OpenGL, a graphics library available on most platforms, from high-end graphics workstations to PCs. This high-level interface and a basic knowledge of C programming allow you to generate complex interactive applications, even applications involving 3D viewing and event-driven input. OpenGL's well-defined architecture also facilitates the book's technical discussions of algorithm implementations.

The Second Edition of this widely used book features enhanced discussion of hierarchy and object orientation, visualization, interaction, and projection; includes additional code examples, such as two new variants of the Sierpinski gasket, display of hierarchical models, shadow generation, and visualization; and covers functionality added to OpenGL 1.1, including vertex arrays.

About the Author

Edward Angel is currently a professor of Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Media Arts at the University of New Mexico. He was recently named the Director of the Art Tech Center at UNM in the College of Fine Arts.

Professor Angel received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California in 1968 and has since held visiting positions in Sweden, India, and England. His present research interests focus on computer graphics and scientific visualization.

Customer Reviews

run screaming to a real graphics book
This is a terrible textbook to get if you want to actually learn something. I had the bad luck of having to use this as the text for a class and am thankful that I had Foley & Van Dam for a backup. Get that if you want a book that talks in depth(and with authority) about graphics.

A good book for those with a decent math and cs background
I used this book for a 400 level computer graphics course and found it to be very worthwhile. This book provides an introduction to 3D programming using OpenGL. It is not a book on OpenGL programming. The author assumes the reader has a good background in programming, at least senior level in college, and understands the basics of linear algebra such as matrix multiplication, etc. If you are a hobbiest or novice programmer, look for another book. If you are a student of computer science and mathematics, this book is an excellent introduction. Computer graphics is a complex and highly technical topic and any book that tries to hold your hand is probably not worth reading. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Computer Graphics.

Not for those wanting to learn OpenGL programming
I have to use this text for a graphics course at my university. I was expecting a good introduction on how to create graphics, but this book doesn't do that. Rather, it focuses more on mathematics (linear algebra/matrices) and Computer Graphics _concepts_.

Exercises are given at the end of each chapter, and are poorly worded, and require knowledge not given in the accompanying chapter.

There are many grammatical errors and the author frequently refers to the third-person (reader) as "she", rather than use a neutral term.

Bottom line: If you want theory and mathematics, this is an excellent book.

However, if you want to get to programming graphics quickly, then this book is absolutely horrible. I've frequently had to resort to other texts ( "lego" text) to learn what was going on.