B.

Sc IT Notes Annamalai University

COMPUTER GRAPHICS
Unit –I
Section -A
All question Carries 5 marks

1. Explain Computer Graphics(Jan 2014)

2. List out the merits and demerits of computer graphics.(July 2013)
3. What is computer graphics? Explain the usage of computer graphics (May 2012, May
2011,Dec 2010)
Answer:
Computer graphics are pictures created using computers and the representation of image data by a computer
specifically with help from specialized graphic hardware and software.

The interaction and understanding of computers and interpretation of data has been made easier because of
computer graphics. Computer graphic development has had a significant impact on many types of media and
have revolutionized animation, movies and the video game industry.
Computer graphics was at best a simplistic affair where lines, boxes and ellipses were manipulated on the
screen. The most easily visible use of graphics can be seen on most computer screens today-the Windows OS.
All computer art is digital, but there are two very different ways of drawing digital images on a computer
screen, known as raster and vector graphics. Computer Graphics plays an important role in certain fields.
User Interfaces- Most OS today are graphic interfaces. The advent of computer graphics gave rise to a new
term, What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get. Today any and every application has a graphic interface.
Interactive Plotting-Graph have always been used in a variety of fields to represent data and trends. These have
been used to then either gauge the performance of the past or project the performance for the future.
Printing and publishing- Printing and publishing software today are so powerful, mostly due to the use of
computer graphics, that you no longer have to look for an expert when you want to create simple documents.

The main advantages of computer graphics are as follows:-

      1. It provides tools for producing pictures not only of concrete real world objects but also of abstract,
synthetic objects such as mathematical surface in 4D and of data that have no inherent geometry such as survey
results.

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      2. It have ability to show moving pictures and thus it is possible to produce animations with computer
graphics.

    3. With computer graphics user can also control the animation speed, portion of the view, the geometric
relationship the object in the scene to one another, the amount of detail shown and on.

4. Explain Random scan and Raster scan displays(Jan 2014)

Answer:
Raster Scan System                                       Random Scan System

Resolution It has poor or less Resolution because It has High Resolution because it stores

picture definition is stored as a intensity picture definition as a set of line commands.
value.

Electron-Beam Electron Beam is directed from top to Electron Beam is directed to only that part
bottom and one row at a time on screen, of screen where picture is required to be
but electron beam is directed to whole drawn, one line at a time so also
screen. called Vector Display.

Cost It is less expensive than Random Scan It is Costlier than Raster Scan System.

System.
Refresh Rate Refresh rate is 60 to 80 frame per second. Refresh Rate depends on the number of lines
to be displayed i.e 30 to 60 times per
second.
Picture It Stores picture definition in Refresh It Stores picture definition as a set of line
Definition Buffer also called Frame Buffer. commands called Refresh Display File.
Line Drawing Zig – Zag line is produced because plotted Smooth line is produced because directly the
value are discrete. line path is followed by electron beam .
Realism in It contains shadow, advance shading and It does not contain shadow and hidden
display hidden surface technique so gives surface technique so it can not give realistic
the realistic display of scenes. display of scenes.

Image Drawing It uses Pixels along scan lines for drawing It is designed for line drawing applications
an image. and uses various mathematical function to
draw.

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5. Explain the working principle of raster scan displays (July 2010),(May 2012),(Dec
2010),May(2011)
Answer:   
Simple .raster display system

BUS

System      Frame
Memory Memory

Figure 1.13: Simple RDS

The figure shows a very simple raster display system. The roles played by the CPU and t he      memories
are    exactly    the same    as    in non-graphics systems.    The    only difference is that a portion of the
memory also serves as a pixmap. The image then takes the image    in the frame    buffer and
displays    it on the monitor.    The video controller does not access the frame buffer on the same port as
it does the memory, but on a different port. While on most systems the amount of frame. buffer is fixed
permanently, on others the amount of memory reserved for the frame buffer can be reduced or
increased as per the requirements of the moment.
The video controller cycles through the frame buffer one scan line at a time. The typical rate is around 60 times
every second. The memory reference addresses are generated in synchrony with the raster scan and the contents
in the memory are used to control the intensity of the CTR beam and color. The raster-scan generator that
generates the scan produces the deflection signals
Performing scan conversion through software is slow.    This is because almost everything needs to be
computed. Each location, for instance, has to be calculated and then translated into a memory address. This
address will consist of a byte and bit within-byte pair. On the outset it looks simple but the sheer number of
computations involved makes this a very tedious and slow process. Such software-based scan conversion
usually slows down the system. Of late the decreasing cost of RAM has meant that this problem is no longer a
major drawback but it still remains

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6. What are the features of Inkjet printers?(Jul 2013)
Answer:   
An inkjet printer is a computer peripheral that produces hard copy by spraying ink onto paper. A typical inkjet
printer can produce copy with a resolution of at least 300 dots per inch ( dpi ). Inkjet printers are best known for
their ability to produce color prints and black and white documents at a lower initial cost than laser printers.
The relatively cheap hardware makes them attractive for use in low-volume print processes for both business
and home users. Several characteristics of inkjet printers work together to affect image quality, although factors
external to the printer, such as the substrate used in printing, can significantly impact image quality. The
permanence, edge quality, artifacts, resolution/addressability, linear tonescale/color reproduction and solid-area
quality are the main characteristics of inkjet printers that work together to affect the perceived image quality.
Initial Cost
Ink-Jet printers are one of the lowest cost products on the market. In the past, the quality of low inkjet printers
have matched with its price. It means that when you buy an cheap inkjet printer, the quality of the images are
not good. However, ink-jet technology has developed and improved so remarkably that the cheapest inkjet
printers can create images with good quality.

Quality
Today you can create images or documents with high quality by Inkjet printers. They used to use blurry effect
to the texts or images before but with the powerful technology now, you are able to create more effects so that
your images are more vivid and have the best quality.

Space
Compare to laser printers, the ink jet printers have suitable size to put on the desk on your office or a small
room in your home to serve to your work.

Time
Different from laser printer, the inkjet printer do not require time to heat the machine system before print. They
have also shorter delay between the document being sent to print and the beginning of a print process.

7. Explain the function of a mouse(May 2013)

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ANSWER
A computer mouse enables its user to move a cursor smoothly and intuitively across a two-dimensional
plane. It's therefore an essential input device for selecting, dragging, hovering, and clicking. The mouse
allows users to switch between applications, select options and buttons, and move around the screen with a
great degree of accuracy and fluidity. It is used to move between and select links on a website, buttons on
an options screen, entries on a menu, and many more tasks that would be far more difficult using a
keyboard alone.

OTHER FUNCTIONS
Most mice come with a left button, a right button, and a scroll wheel. Not only does the mouse enable
moving and selecting with the left mouse button, it can also be used to bring up alternative functions and
menus by clicking the right button when hovering over a screen element. The mouse lets users zoom in and
out quickly, and scroll up and down using the scroll wheel located between the two buttons. Advanced mice
have extra buttons placed around the casing that can be assigned tasks and functions specific to the
operating system or a particular program.

8. Explain the conceptual framework for the interactive graphics(Dec 2010)

ANSWER
In interactive computer graphics user have some control over the picture i.e user can make any change in
the produced image. One example of it is the ping pong game. The conceptual model of any interactive
graphics system is given in the picture shown in Figure 1.1. At the hardware level (not shown in picture), a
computer receives input from interaction devices, and outputs images to a display device. The software has
three components. The first is the application program, it creates, stores into, and retrieves from the second
component, the application model, which represents the graphic primitive to be shown on the screen. The
application program also handles user input. It produces views by sending to the third component, the
graphics system, a series of graphics output commands that contain both a detailed geometric description of
what is to be viewed and the attributes describing how the objects should appear. After the user input is
processed, it sent to the graphics system is for actually producing the picture. Thus the graphics system is a
layer in between the application program and the display hardware that effects an output transformation
from objects in the application model to a view of the model.

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Section -B
All question Carries 20 marks

1. What are the types of Input Devices? Explain(Jan 2014)(May 2012)

ANSWER:

Keyboards

Keyboards vary greatly in the number and arrangement of keys.

Most keyboards include the following:

a. Alphanumeric keys - The letters of the alphabet, numerals, and punctuation symbols (numeric keypads
may be separate on portable computers).

b. Dedicated formatting keys - Keys for text formatting operations such as a Space bar, a Tab key, and a
Return or Enter key.

c. Modifier keys - Keys that modify or qualify the effects of other keys for as long as they are held down,
for example, Shift, Ctrl, and Alt.

d. Navigation keys - Keys that move a cursor, for example, Arrow keys, Home, End, Page Up, and Page
Down.

e. Fixed-function key - Keys provided for extra or general functions, typically labeled F1, F2, and so on.

f. Special purpose keys - Keys that have a special function, such as Help, Delete, and Backspace.

When to use. If applicable, keyboards shall be provided for the entry of alphabetic, numeric, and other
special characters into the system.

Mouse

Use. A mouse should be used for zero order control only (for example, the generation of X and Y
outputs by the controller results in proportional displacement of the pointer)

The design of the mouse and the placement of the maneuvering surface shall allow the user to
consistently orient the mouse within 10° of the correct orientation without visual reference to the mouse.

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The mouse shall be easy to move in any direction without a change of hand grasp.

A complete lateral movement of the mouse from side to side within the maneuvering area (such as a
mouse pad) shall move the pointer from side to side on the display regardless of the scale setting or
offset unless expanded movement is selected for an automatic sequencing mode of operation. Users
shall be able to specify or modify the lateral movement ratio.

The mouse shall have no sharp edges but shall be shaped roughly as a rectangular solid, with limiting
dimensions.

Joystick and trackball

Joysticks and trackballs are appropriate to use if precise input functions are required. They are most
useful when used to control direct pointing, rather than discrete controls such as cursor control keys.

A discrete mechanism shall be provided to allow the user to activate and deactivate the joystick or
trackball.

A displacement joystick is a joystick that moves in the direction it is pushed. Displacement joysticks are
usually spring-loaded so that they return to their center position. An isometric joystick responds to the
amount and direction of pressure applied to it, but it does not move. Displacement joysticks usually
require less force than isometric joysticks and are thus less fatiguing over long operating periods.

Movement shall not exceed 45° from the center position. Movement shall be smooth in all directions,
and positioning of a follower shall be attainable without noticeable backlash, cross-coupling, or need for
multiple corrective movements. If the joystick is to be used for generating free-drawn graphics, the CRT
shall have a refresh rate sufficiently high to give the appearance of a continuous track when the follower
is moved. Delay between control movement and the confirming visual indicator response shall be
minimized and shall not exceed 0.1 sec.

If accuracy is more important than speed, a displacement joystick should be used rather than an isometric
joystick. If a displacement joystick is used for rate control, the joystick should be spring-loaded so that it
returns to center. If a joystick will have a secondary control, a displacement joystick should be used
rather than an isometric joystick.

Displacement joysticks shall not be used with automatic sequencing of a CRT cursor or tracking symbol
if they have a dead band near the center or hysteresis. An exception may be made if they are
instrumented for null return or zero-set to the instantaneous position of the joystick at the time of
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sequencing. Upon termination of the automatic sequencing routine, the joystick center shall again be
registered to the scope center.

2. Discuss about conceptual framework for interactive graphics (July 2013)

ANSWER
Computer graphics is a sub-field of computer science which studies methods for digitally synthesizing and
manipulating visual content. Although the term often refers to the study of three-dimensional computer
graphics, it also encompasses two-dimensional graphics and image processing.
The term computer graphics includes almost everything on computers that is not text or sound. Today
almost every computer can do some graphics, and people have even come to expect to control their
computer through icons and pictures rather than just by typing. Here in our lab at the Program of Computer
Graphics, we think of computer graphics as drawing pictures on computers, also called rendering. The
pictures can be photographs, drawings, movies, or simulations - pictures of things, which do not yet exist
and maybe could never exist. Or they may be pictures from places we cannot see directly, such as medical
images from inside your body. We spend much of our time improving the way computer pictures can
simulate real world scenes. We want images on computers to not just look more realistic, but also to be
more realistic in their colors, the way objects and rooms are lighted, and the way different materials appear.
We call this work “realistic image synthesis”.
In interactive computer graphics user have some control over the picture i.e user can make any change in
the produced image. One example of it is the ping pong game. The conceptual model of any interactive
graphics system is given in the picture shown in Figure 1.1. At the hardware level (not shown in picture), a
computer receives input from interaction devices, and outputs images to a display device. The software has
three components. The first is the application program, it creates, stores into, and retrieves from the second
component, the application model, which represents the graphic primitive to be shown on the screen. The
application program also handles user input. It produces views by sending to the third component, the
graphics system, a series of graphics output commands that contain both a detailed geometric description of
what is to be viewed and the attributes describing how the objects should appear. After the user input is
processed, it sent to the graphics system is for actually producing the picture. Thus the graphics system is a
layer in between the application program and the display hardware that effects an output transformation
from objects in the application model to a view of the model.

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The High-level conceptual framework can be used to describe almost any Graphics System. At the
hardware level, a computer receives input from interaction devices, and outputs images to a display device.
The software has three components. The first is the application program, which creates, stores into, and
retrieves from the second components, the application model, which represents the data or objects to be
pictured on the screen. The application program also handles user input. It produces views by sending to the
graphics system, the third component, a series of graphics output commands that contain both the detailed
geometric description of the thing to be viewed and the attributes describing the way the objects should
appear. It is responsible for actually producing the picture from the picture from the detailed descriptions
and for passing the user’s input to the application program for processing.
The graphics system is thus an intermediary between the application program and the display hardware that
effects an output transformation from objects in the application model to a view of the model.
Symmetrically, it effects an input transformation from user actions to inputs to the application program that
will cause the application to make changes in the model and/or picture. The fundamental task of the
designer of an interactive graphics application program is to specify the classes of data items or objects that
are to be generated and represented pictorially, and how the user and the application program are to interact
in order to create and modify the model and its visual representation. Most of the programmer’s task
concerns creation and editing of the model and handling user interaction, not actually creating views, since
the Graphics System handles it.
The objective of the application model is to captures all the data, objects, and relationships among them that
are relevant to the display and interaction part of the application program and to any non-graphical post
processing modules.
Graphics provides one of the most natural means of communicating with a computer, since our highly
developed 2D and 3D pattern-recognition abilities allow us to perceive and process pictorial data rapidly
and efficiently. In Many design, implementation, and construction processes today, the information pictures
can give is virtually indispensable

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3. Describe the various applications of computer graphics in detail(May 2013)(May 2011)

(Dec 2010)

ANSWER
We can classify applications of computer graphics into four main areas:
. Display of information
. Design
. Simulation
. User interfaces

Although many applications span two, three, or even all of these areas, the development of the field was
based, for the most part, on separate work in each domain. 

1. Display of information 
Graphics has always been associated with the display of information. Examples of the use of orthographic
projections to display floor plans of buildings can be found on 4000-year-old Babylonian stone tablets.
Mechanical methods for creating perspective drawings were developed during the Renaissance. Countless
engineering students have become familiar with interpreting data plotted on log paper. More recently,
software packages that allow interactive design of charts incorporating color, multiple data sets, and
alternate plotting methods have become the norm. In fields such as architecture and mechanical design,
hand drafting is being replaced by computer-based drafting systems using plotters and workstations.
Medical imaging uses computer graphics in a number of exciting ways. 

Recently there has been great interest in problems of scientific visualization. Although researchers are now
using supercomputers to solve formerly intractable problems in fields such as fluid flow and molecular
biology, they need new display techniques to interpret the results of analyzing the vast quantities of
multidimensional data generated.

2. Design 
Professions such as engineering and architecture are concerned with design. Although their applications
vary, most designers face similar difficulties and use similar methodologies. One of the principal
characteristics of most design problems is the lack of a unique solution. Hence, the designer will examine a
potential design and then will modify it, possibly many times, in an attempt to achieve a better solution.
Computer graphics has become an indispensable element in this iterative process. 

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Consider for example how computer graphics might enter into the design of an electronic circuit. The
designer is seated at a graphics workstation with a graphical input device, such as a mouse, with which she
can indicate locations on the display. The initial display screen might consist of the various elements that
can be used in the circuit and an empty area in which the circuit will be "constructed." The designer will
then use the input device to select and move the desired elements into the design and to make connections
between elements. To form this initial design, the system makes sophisticated use of computer graphics.
Circuit elements are drawn, and perhaps are moved about the screen. A graphical input device is used to
indicate choices and positions. A number of aids may be used to help the designer position the elements
accurately and to do automatically such tasks as routing of wires. 

3. Simulation
some of the most impressive and familiar uses of computer graphics can be classified as simulations. Video
games demonstrate both the visual appeal of computer graphics and our ability to generate complex
imagery in real time. The insides of an arcade game reveal state-of-the-art hardware and software.
Computer-generated images are also the heart of flight simulators, which have become the standard method
for training pilots. The savings in dollars and lives realized from use of these simulators has been enormous.
The computer-generated images we see on television and in movies have advanced to the point that they are
almost indistinguishable from real-world images.

4. User Interfaces
the interface between the human and the computer has been radically altered by the use of computer
graphics. Consider the electronic office. The figures in this book were produced through just such an
interface. A secretary sits at a workstation, rather than at a desk equipped with a typewriter. This user has a
pointing device, such as a mouse, that allows him to communicate with the workstation. The display
consists of a number of icons that represent the various operations the secretary can perform. For example,
there might be an icon of a mailbox that, if pointed to and clicked on, causes any electronic-mail messages
to appear on the screen. An icon of a wastepaper basket allows the user to dispose of unwanted mail,
whereas an icon of a file cabinet is used to save letters or other documents. 

A similar graphical interface would be part of our circuit-design system. Within the context of this book, we
see these interfaces as being obvious uses of computer graphics. From the perspective of the secretary using
the office-automation system or of the circuit designer, however, the graphics is a secondary aspect of the
task to be done. Although they never write graphics programs, multitudes of computer users use computer
graphics. 

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