The computer graphics manual. 2 Volumes (Q640480)

The book presents a broad overview of computer graphics, its history and its pioneers, and the hardware tools it employs. Covering a substantial number of concepts and algorithms, the book describes the techniques, approaches and algorithms at the core of this field. Emphasis is placed on practical design and implementation, highlighting how graphics software works and explaining how current computer graphics can generate and display realistic-looking curves, surfaces and objects. The manual covers nearly all topics related to computer graphics. The book consists of seven parts. Part 1 covers the history, basic concepts and techniques used in computer graphics. Part 2 is devoted to transformations and projections, linear and nonlinear. In Part 3 the methods of curves and surfaces interpolation and approximation are described. Part 4 treats object rendering, animation, graphics standards and fractals. Part 5 is devoted to image compression, especially orthogonal and subband transforms, including detailed description of JPEG standard. In Part 6 many commonly used graphics devices are described. Part 7 consists of appendices in which some mathematical foundations are presented. The book is presented in a very accessible fashion, with many grayscale and color illustrations, Mathematica or Matlab codes and examples with solutions. The use of mathematics is mostly non-rigorous, without theorems and proofs. It is the essential resource for professionals in computer science, engineering and other disciplines involved in the generation and processing of digital images. The manual is also ideal for use as a textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses on computer graphics. The book is definitely a must read for all who are interested in computer graphics in any way.