This is a concise and informal introductory book on the mathematical concepts that underpin computer graphics. The author, John Vince, makes the concepts easy to understand, enabling non-experts to come to terms with computer animation work. The book complements the author's other works and is written in the same accessible and easy-to-read style. It is also a useful reference book for programmers working in the field of computer graphics, virtual reality, computer animation, as well as students on digital media courses, and even mathematics courses.

This book introduces the mathematical concepts that underpin computer graphics. It is written in an approachable way, without burdening readers with the skills of ow to do'things. The author discusses those aspects of mathematics that relate to the computer synthesis of images, and so gives users a better understanding of the limitations of computer graphics systems. Users of computer graphics who have no formal training and wish to understand the essential foundations of computer graphics systems will find this book very useful, as will mathematicians who want to understand how their subject is used in computer image synthesis. '

This textbook, first published in 2003, emphasises the fundamentals and the mathematics underlying computer graphics. The minimal prerequisites, a basic knowledge of calculus and vectors plus some programming experience in C or C++, make the book suitable for self study or for use as an advanced undergraduate or introductory graduate text. The author gives a thorough treatment of transformations and viewing, lighting and shading models, interpolation and averaging, Bézier curves and B-splines, ray tracing and radiosity, and intersection testing with rays. Additional topics, covered in less depth, include texture mapping and colour theory. The book covers some aspects of animation, including quaternions, orientation, and inverse kinematics, and includes source code for a Ray Tracing software package. The book is intended for use along with any OpenGL programming book, but the crucial features of OpenGL are briefly covered to help readers get up to speed. Accompanying software is available freely from the book's web site.

This engaging book presents the essential mathematics needed to describe, simulate, and render a 3D world. Reflecting both academic and in-the-trenches practical experience, the authors teach you how to describe objects and their positions, orientations, and trajectories in 3D using mathematics. The text provides an introduction to mathematics for game designers, including the fundamentals of coordinate spaces, vectors, and matrices. It also covers orientation in three dimensions, calculus and dynamics, graphics, and parametric curves.

This text, by an award-winning [Author];, was designed to accompany his first-year seminar in the mathematics of computer graphics. Readers learn the mathematics behind the computational aspects of space, shape, transformation, color, rendering, animation, and modeling. The software required is freely available on the Internet for Mac, Windows, and Linux. The text answers questions such as these: How do artists build up realistic shapes from geometric primitives? What computations is my computer doing when it generates a realistic image of my 3D scene? What mathematical tools can I use to animate an object through space? Why do movies always look more realistic than video games? Containing the mathematics and computing needed for making their own 3D computer-generated images and animations, the text, and the course it supports, culminates in a project in which students create a short animated movie using free software. Algebra and trigonometry are prerequisites; calculus is not, though it helps. Programming is not required. Includes optional advanced exercises for students with strong backgrounds in math or computer science. Instructors interested in exposing their liberal arts students to the beautiful mathematics behind computer graphics will find a rich resource in this text.

Original title: Computer graphics in mathematical approaches

Computer Graphics - First Mathematical Steps will help students to master basic Computer Graphics and the mathematical concepts which underlie this subject. They will be led to develop their own skills, and appreciate Computer Graphics techniques in both two and three dimensions. The presentation of the text is methodical, systematic and gently paced - everything translates into numbers and simple ideas. Sometimes students experience difficulty in understanding some of the mathematics in standard Computer Graphics books; this book can serve as a good introduction to more advanced texts. It starts from first principles and is sympathetically written for those with a limited mathematical background. Computer Graphics - First Mathematical Steps is suitable for supporting undergraduate programmes in Computers and also the newer areas of Computer Graphics and Visualization. It is appropriate for post-graduate conversion courses which develop expertise in Computer Graphics and CAD. It can also be used for enrichment topics for high-flying pre-college students, and for refresher/enhancement courses for computer graphics technicians.