Due: Tuesday, September 8th (note: this is unusual because of the Labor Day Holiday. Normally, Reading and Homework Assignments are due on Mondays).
Synopsis: We have a lot of reading to do initially. Some stuff to understand how the course works, some stuff to get the basics of the math for graphics, and some stuff for the programming assignments. It’s a lot of reading, but you have extra time. There is also a short “quiz” that you will need to take.
Learning Objectives: To make sure everyone understands how the class will work, and has the basics for the topics we’ll work on in the first weeks. We also need to make sure that the course infrastructure works (that you can access Canvas, find the readings, …)
Evaluation: Check/No Check (based on passing the Quiz). You may re-try the quiz until you pass it (everyone should be able to).
Handin: Quiz on Canvas
Description
For the first week, we have a longer list of readings than usual since we need to get things rolling. There are three categories of readings: class setup info, graphics math basics, and JavaScript/Canvas stuff .
Part of this assignment is for you to make sure you can find the readings. As you should know (or soon will), the books for this class are a little unusual: you don’t need to buy them. You can access them through the library, or for many of them, we can give you online editions. Other readings will be from Tutorials we provide.
After you’ve done the reading, take the online quiz (link coming) to make sure you’ve understood what you’ve read. If you get something wrong, go back and try again.
The Required Reading List:
- Class setup stuff – generally, we want you to look around the course web
- make sure you’ve read through the Syllabus, Collaboration Policy, and Books discussion.
- Look over the Key Ideas of Computer Graphics to get a sense of what you’ll learn this semester.
- Look at our rationale for doing 559 in JavaScript (since this will help you know what to expect).
- Read the tutorial about types of graphics (image vs. objects) so you know why we’re starting where we are.
- Readings about the basic math (Linear Algrebra and coordinate systems)
- Tutorial: Points and Vectors
- Chapter 1 of Hart’s Big Fun Computer Graphics Book (Link)
- Chapter 5 of Hart’s Big Fun Computer Graphics Book (Link)
- Readings about JavaScript and Canvas
- These are best learned about through the programming assignment you’ll need them for later in the week.
Optional Readings
- If you need to brush up on linear algebra, you might wait a little since we will discuss things in class, and provide more tutorials. Or you can try chapters 1,2 and 4 or Practical Linear Algebra (Link, Link, Link)
- Foundations of Computer Graphics (Chapter 6, section 1 Link) discusses transformations in a manner similar to Hart, if you want to see it another way.
- Reading ahead to Chapter 7 of Hart’s Big Fun Computer Graphics Book (Link) will give you a sense of why we’re so interested in transformations.
Getting the books
For Hart’s book, the only way to get it will be through Canvas. The links above will take you there for individual chapters. You can also download the whole thing (at least the parts that are written) as one big pdf (link coming).
For the library books, the official way to get them is through the library. We encourage you to do that. The links above are to chapters as PDFs stored in Canvas – which is unofficial, but convenient.
The tutorials are on the open web.
