PAGE: http://www.gridinstitute.com/bc/mt35101/
COURSE: MT 35101 Discovering Computer Graphics
 RESOURCES: Course Resources
PROF: Walsh, Aaron (bio) <walshag AT bc.edu>

 

 

Graphics Card: You will need a fast graphics card (one with sufficient 3D power) for the 3D part of this class. If you don't know what kind of graphics card you have, here's how to find out. Graphics Drivers: If your computer was purchased new since 2000 but seems too slow to keep up with the 3D graphics in this course you may be able to speed it up by updating your "graphics drivers" as described in the "Graphics Card Drivers.html " file located in the FILES area of our Yahoo Group.

Geocities Users: Running out of Web space or files too large to upload? Read these solutions so that you can submit your Final exercises on time.

Next Class: If you'd like to learn more about video games, virtual reality and 3D graphics, and have fun doing it, take MT35801 Video Games and Virtual Reality next semester. Note that this course was originally named "MT35801 Discovering 3D and Virtual Reality" but now has a larger focus on video games than the original course.

 

 

Three-dimensional (3D) Graphics, Part II [ONLINE CLASS]

NOTE: THIS CLASS IS ENTIRELY ONLINE. TO TAKE THIS CLASS YOU MUST BE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET AND HAVE ACCESS TO EMAIL, THE WEB and SECOND LIFE.

THIS CLASS CONSISTS OF NUMBERED "SECTIONS" THAT GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE MATERIAL ON THIS WEB PAGE. START WITH SECTION 00 BY READING THE TEXT UNDER THAT SECTION (AND DO ANY EXERCISES OR ACTIVITY IT SPECIFIES), THEN PROCEED TO THE NEXT NUMBERED SECTION. START WITH THE ROLL CALL.

SECTION

01. MEET ME IN SECOND LIFE (AND ROLL CALLS)

 

WARNING: Interactive 3D graphics are very computing intensive; they consume a lot of computer memory (RAM), and Central Processing Unit (CPU) resources. You should consider restarting your computer before starting this online class, and be sure not to run any applications except your Web browser! Depending on how powerful (or not) your computer is you may (or may not)  experience a crash during this class. If you do, simply restart your computer and pick up where you left off.

 

Tonight's class is online and takes place entirely inside of Second Life. Meet Prof. Walsh in Second Life at the start of class tonight. Details follow:

Meet me in Second Life "Smither's Bluff " island by clicking on the link below. Be sure that Second Life IS NOT ALREADY RUNNING (quit it if it's already running, then return and click on the link below). After you have ensured that Second Life is NOT already running click on the link below to join me and your fellow students in-world:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Smithers%20Bluff/35/205/89 (click on the "Teleport Now" button)

 

If the above location isn't available for some reason (if you can't get in) try meeting us in the Winter island through the link below. Once again, ensure that Second Life is NOT runnning before you click this link:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Voss/238/75/92 (click on the "Teleport Now" button)

HAVING PROBLEMS? If you can't get into Second Life use our Yahoo Group to post a "Help!" message so that I can read it there (outside of Second Life).

 

NOTE: ALL ROLL CALLS FOR TONIGHT WILL BE ISSUED WHILE WE ARE IN SECOND LIFE. REMEMBER TO LINK AND DESCRIBE YOUR ROLL CALLS PROPERLY.

 

 

SECTION

02. JOIN THE "IMMERSIVE EDUCATION" SECOND LIFE GROUP

During tonight's online class join the "Immersive Education" Second Life Group if you have not already done so:

Join the Immersive Education Second Life Group

  1. While you're in Second Life click on the SEARCH button and then on the GROUPS tab
  2. Enter (type) Immersive Education as the group to join and then on the SEARCH button
  3. Click on the Immersive Education group entry that appears in the list of search results
  4. Click the Join button that appears above the Owners and Visible Members listing

 

 

SECTION

03. INTRODUCING 3D GRAPHICS

 

Time limit: 30 minutes. Complete this section in 30 minutes.

Readings from our online textbook (finish these readings own time before next week if you can't complete them all tonight):

Book: Discovering 3D Graphics (click icon at left to open this book)

Sections to read now (read ALL chapters that appear under the book section listed below). NOTE: Do not follow (click) on any links in the chapters; just read the main chapter material:

1.0.0 INTRODUCING 3D GRAPHICS
1.0.1 What is "3D graphics"?
1.0.2 How 3-D Graphics Work
1.0.3 What Makes a Picture 3-D?
1.0.4 What Are 3-D Graphics?
1.0.5 How to Make It Look Like the Real Thing

 

 

 

NOTE THAT THE REST OF THE WORK FOR TONIGHT'S CLASS WILL BE DETAILED ONLINE DURING CLASS (NOT HERE ON THESE NOTES).

 

TONIGHT'S CLASS IS NOW OVER. BE SURE YOUR ROLL CALL SNAPSHOTS ARE PROPERLY LINKED, AND DESCRIBED, IN YOUR BLOG AND SUBMIT YOUR BLOG TO THE YAHOO GROUP FOR REVIEW.

FOR NEXT CLASS

1) READINGS: Finish ALL of the sections under the heading "1.0.0 INTRODUCING 3D GRAPHICS" in the Discovering 3D Graphics textbook. When done review the images under the section " 2.0.0 EXAMPLE: BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS USING 3D GRAPHICS" to visualize the process involved with rendering 3D graphics on a computer.

2) FINAL #3: Complete Final #3. See the "FINALS" file in our Yahoo Group for details. Submit your blog links for these finals to our Yahoo Group for peer review.

3) FINALS. Your FINALS are due soon. See the "FINALS" file in our Yahoo Group for details and be sure that you're done with Finals #1, #2, and #3 by the start of our next class. Submit your blog links for these finals to our Yahoo Group for peer review.

 

RELATED CLASSES:

MT35801 Video Games and Virtual Reality

 

 

 

 

 

Next Class: If you'd like to learn more about video games, virtual reality and 3D graphics, and have fun doing it, take MT35801 Video Games and Virtual Reality next semester. Note that this course was originally named "MT35801 Discovering 3D and Virtual Reality " but now has a larger focus on video games than the original course.