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"...ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus."
(...that in all things God may be glorified.)
Rule of St. Benedict (RB 57:9)
Instructor: Br. Boniface Hicks,
O.S.B.
Office: Physics, Room 205
Office Hours: Tuesday 8:00-9:30PM ; Thursday 1:00-2:30PM and
by appointment
Email: bhicks@stvincent.edu
Phone: 724-539-9761 ext. 2367
Prerequisite: CS 111, Computing and Information Science II (or
equivalent) and Calculus II (or equivalent)
Course Hours: MWF 12:30 - 1:20 PM
Course Location: Commons 101 (also in CIS Lab periodically)
Text: Computer Graphics
Using Open GL (Second Edition) by F.S. Hill
Supplemental Reading: Open GL Programming Guide (3rd Edition)
by Woo, Neider and Davis: This is the main reference for the Open GL libraries.
Lab Hours: The CIS lab on the ground floor of the Physics building
will be available according to a schedule that
will be posted outside of the lab and under the CIS Department Web Page.
The lab will normally be staffed by tutors who may be able to assist you
with this course.
"It is necessary to work towards a higher synthesis of knowledge, in which alone lies the possibility of satisfying that thirst for truth which is profoundly inscribed on the heart of the human person. Aided by the specific contributions of philosophy and theology, university scholars will be engaged in a constant effort to determine the relative place and meaning of each of the various disciplines within the context of a vision of the human person and the world that is enlightened by the Gospel, and therefore by a faith in Christ, the Logos, as the center of creation and of human history." (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, 16)
"An area that particularly interests a Catholic University is the dialogue between Christian thought and the modern sciences." (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, 45)
"And first of all, whatever good work you begin to do, beg of Him with
most earnest prayer to perfect it, that He who has now deigned to count
us among His children may not at any time be grieved by our evil deeds.
For we must always so serve Him with the good things He has given us,...
And so we are going to establish a school for the service of the Lord.
In founding it we hope to introduce nothing harsh or burdensome. But
if a certain strictness results from the dictates of equity for the amendment
of vices or the preservation of charity, do not be at once dismayed and fly
from the way of salvation, whose entrance cannot but be narrow,..." (Rule
of St. Benedict, Prologue)
Course Goals
The primary goal of the course is to develop an understanding of the techniques
used by the graphics programmer to produce actual images on a hardware device.
The course material examines the mathematical and algorithmic basis of graphics
concepts and the implementation of these procedures in a representative interactive
graphics system. A major emphasis is placed on the structure and use
of a device-independent application programmer's interface (API) to create
graphical applications.
Goals
Since a major goal of this course is to develop the skills necessary for
graphics programming, practical experience is a necessary complement to the
underlying theory that will be taught in class. The programs in this
course, therefore, will be challenging and fairly complex. They will
involve building on existing programs in order to apply knowledge learned
in class. The programs will be a major tool for really learning the
material in this class. Therefore, the student should start them early,
work on them diligently and ask for help from the instructor or tutors whenever
necessary. The student should begin the assignments sufficiently far
in advance of the due date so that there will be time to get help. The
programs assume a familiarity and ease in object-oriented programming using
C++. The student is expected to have this facility as a pre-requisite
to the course.
This is not a software engineering course. At the same time, however programs should be done with care and should be in a form that is easy to read and understand. A software standard has been provided for this purpose. Documenting one's code both by choosing appropriate names for variables and functions and also with explicit comments is always helpful in gaining a better understanding of how the code works.
All assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the day stated at the time the assignment is given. No late assignments will be accepted. However, partial credit will be given for partial solutions. Programs must compile and execute in order to receive credit. If your program only works for some input, then errors should be described and a description of what works should be provided to receive partial credit.
All programming assignments must include a copy of the source code stored in a file as well as a printed copy of the source code. In addition, if required by the assignment, a copy of results for specified input values is to be included.
We will use compilers and interpreters that are already installed on the machines in the Lab. You may use another implementation of a given language or library, but only at your own risk (or with my permission). My ultimate test (and your grade) will be determined on the basis of whether it runs in the Lab.
The purpose of having examinations is to provide the professor with a method of evaluating the teaching and learning process in the course. They are not designed to put the instructor and the class in a competitive or adversarial position. They are to be used for obtaining information that will help both the student and the instructor measure progress and achievement in understanding, assimilating and mastering the content of the course.
There will be one exam during the semester and a final exam. Each of these will be cumulative and students will be responsible for all material presented up to the time the exam is given.
Exams will be of a closed-book, closed-notes nature as the material in this course is of the type that a programmer or other computing professional should know without having to repeatedly look it up.
To be excused from class a student must provide the instructor with a written excuse. Acceptable written excuses include those provided by the college health center, a doctor's office, a sports coach, and the dean of students office. Those on a sports team are expected to provide the instructor in advance with a schedule showing what classes may have to be missed.
The grade for a missed quiz or exam is 0. Make-up exams will not
be given, except in special circumstances and with the consent of the instructor.
See your instructor ahead of time if you know you must miss an exam or quiz
(e.g. due to sports).
Academic Honesty
It is expected that all work turned in by a student will consist solely of
the efforts of that student. Knowing how tempting it is to copy just
a line or two of code when you're stuck, all precautions should be taken
to avoid the temptation. When two students are working on a project
at the same time in the lab, they would be wise not to sit next to each other.
It is acceptable to share ideas orally or to point a fellow student
to the relevant place in the text, but no code should ever be shared. Similarly,
projects may not be downloaded from the Web. In some cases, it will
be helpful to consult tutorials and code sources on the Web for coding a
routine. In this case, that source should be clearly documented. If
a student needs help, he should consult the instructor, another faculty member
or one of the tutors. To help students remain honest, the instructor
reserves the right to ask a student to explain his code in order to receive
full credit for the assignment. All cases of plagiarism will be referred
to the Academic Dean.
Be sure to read and follow the CIS Department Policies statement, available under the CIS Department Web Page. (This statement covers especially the proper use of departmental computing facilities and department-wide course policies.) In addition, read the Regulations section of the College Bulletin (which covers such things as grading and academic honesty) and the Student Handbook (especially the section on academic honesty and the section on the misuse of computers or computer networks).
Students with documented disablities should meet with the instructor at
the beginning of the semester to find reasonable accomodations.