Schaum's Outline of Computer Graphics [Paperback]

Zhigang Xiang (Author), Roy A. Plastock (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071357815 | ISBN-13: 978-0071357814 | Publication Date: September 8, 2000 | Edition: 2

Scores of examples and problems allow students to hone their skills. Clear explanations of fundamental tasks facilitate students’ understanding of important concepts. New! Chapters on shading models, shadow, and texture—including the Phong illumination model—explain the latest techniques and tools for achieving photorealism in computer graphics.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Master the fundamentals of computer graphics with Schaum's -the high-performance study guide. It will help you cut study time, home problem-solving skills, and achieve your personal best on exams! Students love Schaum's Outlines because they produce results. Each year, hundreds of thousands of students improve their test scores and final grades with these indispensable study guides. Get the edge on your classmates. Use Schaum's! If you don't have a lot of time, but want to excel in class, this book helps you: *Use detailed examples to solve problems *Brush up before tests *Find answers fast *Study quickly and more effectively *Get the big picture without spending hours poring over lengthy textbooks Schaum's Outlines give you the information your teachers expect youto know in a handy and succinct format - without overwhelming you with unnecessary jargon. You get a complete overview of the subject. Plus, you get plenty of practice exercises to test your skill. Compatible with any classroom text, Schaum's let you study at your own pace and remind you of all the important facts you need to remember - fast! And Schaum's are so complete, they're perfect for preparing for graduate or professional exams. Inside, you will find: *Full coverage of Computer Graphics, from the traditional 2D to the recent 3D advances *Simplified explanations of the algorithmic aspects of image synthesis *Hundreds of solved problems in computer graphics, including step-by-step annotations *Examples and worked problems that help you master computer graphics If you want top grades and a thorough understanding of computer graphics, this powerful study tool is the best tutor you can have! Chapters include: Introduction, Image Representation, Scan Conversion, Two-Dimensional Transformations, Two-Dimensional Viewing and Clipping, Three-Dimensional Transformations, Mathematics of Projection, Three-Dimensional Viewing and Clipping, Geometric Represenation, Hidden Surfaces, Color and Shading Models, Ray Tracing, Appendixes include: Mathematics for Two-Dimensional computer Graphics, Mathematics for Three-Dimensional Computer Graphics.

About the Author

Zhigang Xiang (Rego Park, NY) is Associate Professor of Computer Science at Queens College and at the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 347 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 2 edition (September 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071357815
• ISBN-13: 978-0071357814
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #528,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful for computer graphics algorithm details, January 6, 2006

By 

calvinnme - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Schaum's Outline of Computer Graphics (Paperback)

Two things that you'll likely find in most computer graphics textbooks are:
1. A triple digit price tag
2. Disorganized and obfuscated algorithm details
This Schaum's outline is an excellent antidote to both of these problems. Besides its low price tag, it has a very clear presentation of the basics of computer graphics algorithms. It starts out talking about image representation including common color spaces. It gives a clear definition of dithering, halftone approximations, and error diffusion. Next comes a discussion of scan conversion, which is how to translate geometric figures into pixels. Chapters 4 and 5 discuss two-dimensional graphics and their transformations. This includes good discussions and examples on matrix transformations and how they can be chained together. Chapters 6 through 8 extend these concepts to three dimensions. Very detailed information is given on transformations, projections, and clipping in 3D. This includes a definition of a typical 3D graphics "pipeline", which is basically an assembly-line of computer graphics from object definition to display. Chapter 9 on geometric representations was not as good as the other chapters in this outline, since it didn't do a very good job of talking about such representations in greater than two dimensions which is necessary for the development of wireframe models. However, the last three chapters of the book on hidden surfaces, shading models, and ray tracing had very good examples and discussions that could lead to pseudocode. I would highly recommend this guide to anyone taking or planning to take a course on computer graphics as a good language-independent guide to the basic methods and algorithms of computer graphics programming.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very handy reference, January 8, 2001

By 

Jonathan D. Decarlo (Thomaston, Connecticut USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Schaum's Outline of Computer Graphics (Paperback)

This book is a very handy guide to have while you are studying computer graphics. It explains a wide variety of topics in the field computer graphics as well as the math that is involved. However, this book is all concepts and math. You will not find much code in here, but rather a good review of the theory behind elementry computer graphics. I recommend this book to those taking an undergraduate course in computer graphics.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For software engineers / programmers an excellent choice, September 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of Computer Graphics (Paperback)

This excellent book enabled me to design my first graphics pipeline from scratch. Even though technologies like DirectX, OpenGL and Glide provide this all for you on a platter today; if you want to understand the maths that they all share at their core, this is the book !