Ugo Erra

Ugo Erra

Associate Professore in Computer Science

Fondamenti di Grafica Tridimensionale 2024/25

Laurea Magistrale, Università della Basilicata, Dipartimento di Ingegneria, 2024

Objectives and learning outcomes

The course’s main objective is to provide a theoretical and applicative introduction to 3D graphics with particular reference to approaches based on photorealistic offline renderings. At the end of the course, the student must be able to:

  • Knowledge and understanding: knowledge and understanding of the mathematical models and algorithms that use Ray Tracing to generate photorealistic images, including the camera model, transformation matrices, lighting and shading models, texture mapping, global illumination, and implementation through the C/C++ language of all the theory illustrated in the lesson.

  • Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: modify and develop algorithms autonomously from the theory illustrated in the lesson, develop procedures capable of generating images from the scene description, and add and modify the approaches seen in the lesson to expand the possibilities of a photorealistic rendering system.

  • Autonomy of judgment: evaluate a photorealistic rendering algorithm’s fundamental properties and performance.

  • Communication skills: communicate the functions of a photorealistic rendering system starting from its own, as well as the aspects of efficiency and effectiveness.

  • Learning ability: consult texts autonomously and scientific articles on graphics rendering to extend the basic knowledge acquired during the course. For those interested in the Advanced Three-dimensional Graphics course, this applies to other application domains, such as real-time computer graphics.

Course Contents

  • Miscellaneous Math: Trigonometry, Vectors, Linear Interpolation, Triangles;

  • Raster Images: Raster Devices, Images, Pixels and Geometry, RGB Color, Alpha Compositing;

  • Ray Tracing: The Basic Ray-Tracing Algorithm, Perspective, Computing Viewing Rays, Ray-Object Intersection, Shading, A Ray-Tracing Program, Shadows;

  • Transformation Matrices: 2D Linear Transformations, 3D Linear Transformations, Translation and Affine Transformations, Inverses of Transformation Matrices, Coordinate Transformations;

  • Viewing Camera: Viewing Transformations, Projective Transformations, Perspective Projection, Some Properties of the Perspective Transform, Field-of-View;

  • Surface Shading: Diffuse Shading, Phong Shading, Artistic Shading;

  • Texture Mapping: Looking Up Texture Values, Texture Coordinate Functions, Applications of Texture Mapping;

  • Advanced Ray Tracing: Transparency and Refraction, Instancing, Distribution Ray Tracing;

  • Global Illumination: Particle Tracing for Lambertian Scenes, Path Tracing, Accurate Direct Lighting.

Reference Books