CMSC 491G/691G: Computer Graphics for Games

Fall 2007 / 3 credits

TuTh 2:30-3:45

Last Change:

Thu Nov 29 13:58 EST 2007
Thu Oct 25 09:43 EDT 2007
Thu Sep 27 13:13 EDT 2007
Wed Sep 26 16:58 EDT 2007

Instructor: Dr. Marc Olano (olano umbc.edu)
ITE 354 (455-3094); Office Hours: Tue 1:00-2:15; Thu 3:45-5:00

Co-requisite: CMSC 435/634
Yes, we will make heavy use of this. You should at least be taking it at the same time.

Text: Alan Watt and Fabio Policarpo, 3D Games, Volume 2: Animation and Advanced Real-time Rendering

Description

This course is an introduction to some of the computer graphics methods commonly used in 3D computer games. Computer graphics encompasses a wide variety of algorithms and techniques, many more than can be covered in just one or two courses. This course is similar in style and scope to CMSC 635/Advanced Computer Graphics, but uses computer games as a focus and motivation to explore a different set of graphics algorithms. Topics include using and manipulating scene graphs, design of interactive applications, collision detection, geometric level of detail, potentially visible set computation, and hardware procedural shading. Students will learn several common algorithms in each topic area in sufficient depth for implementation.

Note that (as the course title says), this is a course about computer graphics, specifically 3D graphics, as used by many games. It is not a class about playing games, nor about all of the other equally important aspects of creating a game (AI, art, game play, interface design, ...). I expect that the class will be a lot of work, but hope that you will find it rewarding.

Grades: Grades will be based on class participation (10%), programming assignments (30%), and a group final project (60%).

Assignments

Programming assignments require the use of the C/C++ programming language. These assignments may be time-consuming. START EARLY! A tentative list is given below:

Students taking the course for graduate credit (i.e. CMSC 691G) will be expected to do extra parts on each assignment and more complex work in the final project.

Late Policy

Assignments are to be submitted electronically by 11:59 PM of the day listed. Assignments submitted up to one week late will be penalized 20 percent of the possible score. Assignments more than one week late will receive a score of 0.

Academic Honesty

By enrolling in this course, each student assumes the responsibilities of an active participant in UMBC's scholarly community in which everyone's academic work and behavior are held to the highest standards of honesty. Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and helping others to commit these acts are all forms of academic dishonesty, and they are wrong.

All assignments and exams in the course are expected to be your INDIVIDUAL work. You may discuss assignments with anyone, but must write your programs independently. Any help you receive must be documented, including discussion, books, papers, and web resources. With each assignment, you will turn in a text file describing your assignment. At the beginning of this file, you must include a comment indicating the sources you used while working on it and the type of help you received from each. If you received no help, say so. Failure to include this comment will result in your program being returned ungraded.

Tentative Schedule

Project Presentation Schedule

Online resources

• This class page: (This syllabus online, where you can follow all of the following links). Important announcements and updates will be made to this class web page throughout the semester. I will announce at the beginning of class if I make a significant change or addition.