HOW TO PASS COMP 390 Computer Graphics FINAL EXAM
STUDY NOTES 2025 Athabasca University
Final Notes
Format
Study:
the lighting calculations, ray tracing, and texture mapping pretty thoroughly; but don't worry about
(for example) the specific parameters to glLight() or glTextureImage2d().
do all the study questions in each unit and studied the TMEs. I believe you should be familiar with
your final project, especially.
Unit 2: Intro
2.1: Major applications of CG
Graphics and charts
computer-aided design(CAD) and computer-aided
manufacturing VR environments
Data visualization
Education and training
Computer art
Entertainment, ex. special effects CGI
Image processing like Photoshop
Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
2.1: OpenGL hardware requirements
Video Display Devices
older model: cathode-ray tube (CRT)
Refresh cathode-ray tubes: a beam of electrons (cathode ray) is emitted by the electron gun,
and focusing and deflection systems direct the beam towards a specific point on the
phosphor-
Final Notes 1
, coated screen. The electron beam fades very quickly. To refresh the image, the display is
redrawn repeatedly, and the frequency of drawing movie frames in the refresh rate. The
brightness of the display is determined by the voltage at the control grid (electron gun). The
electron beams can be controlled with electric or magnetic fields
Raster-scan display
electron beam is swept across the screen one row at a time, top to bottom, where each
row is a scan line. The picture definition is stored in a frame/refresh buffer, and holds
the colour values for all screen points.
each pixel has several bits to store a range of values from white to black/on to off, and
the number of bits per pixel is called the depth of the buffer area: 1 bit/pixel is a
bitmap, multiple bits/pixel is a pixmap
Final Notes 2
, Refresh rate is expressed in Hertz (1/s) and the speed of return to the left of screen after
a single scan line is horizontal retrace, and return to top left of screen after a whole
frame is vertical retrace
interlacing - displaying a screen in two passes (such as even and odd lines) doubles
perceived refresh rate
Processing and control:
in addition to CPUs, raster-graphics systems usually also have a video controller to
control the operation of the display device. the frame buffer is anywhere in the
system memory, and the video controller accesses the frame buffer to refresh the
screen
Final Notes 3
, Final Notes 4
STUDY NOTES 2025 Athabasca University
Final Notes
Format
Study:
the lighting calculations, ray tracing, and texture mapping pretty thoroughly; but don't worry about
(for example) the specific parameters to glLight() or glTextureImage2d().
do all the study questions in each unit and studied the TMEs. I believe you should be familiar with
your final project, especially.
Unit 2: Intro
2.1: Major applications of CG
Graphics and charts
computer-aided design(CAD) and computer-aided
manufacturing VR environments
Data visualization
Education and training
Computer art
Entertainment, ex. special effects CGI
Image processing like Photoshop
Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
2.1: OpenGL hardware requirements
Video Display Devices
older model: cathode-ray tube (CRT)
Refresh cathode-ray tubes: a beam of electrons (cathode ray) is emitted by the electron gun,
and focusing and deflection systems direct the beam towards a specific point on the
phosphor-
Final Notes 1
, coated screen. The electron beam fades very quickly. To refresh the image, the display is
redrawn repeatedly, and the frequency of drawing movie frames in the refresh rate. The
brightness of the display is determined by the voltage at the control grid (electron gun). The
electron beams can be controlled with electric or magnetic fields
Raster-scan display
electron beam is swept across the screen one row at a time, top to bottom, where each
row is a scan line. The picture definition is stored in a frame/refresh buffer, and holds
the colour values for all screen points.
each pixel has several bits to store a range of values from white to black/on to off, and
the number of bits per pixel is called the depth of the buffer area: 1 bit/pixel is a
bitmap, multiple bits/pixel is a pixmap
Final Notes 2
, Refresh rate is expressed in Hertz (1/s) and the speed of return to the left of screen after
a single scan line is horizontal retrace, and return to top left of screen after a whole
frame is vertical retrace
interlacing - displaying a screen in two passes (such as even and odd lines) doubles
perceived refresh rate
Processing and control:
in addition to CPUs, raster-graphics systems usually also have a video controller to
control the operation of the display device. the frame buffer is anywhere in the
system memory, and the video controller accesses the frame buffer to refresh the
screen
Final Notes 3
, Final Notes 4
