LECTURE 2

OVERVIEW OF GRAPHICS SYSTEMS

CSE 320
GRAPHICS PROGRAMMING
 • Images
• Hardware
– Input Systems
Overview of Graphics Systems – Output Systems
• Software
– OpenGL

2
 Two Dimensional Images
• Images (at least the
+Y
ones in this class)
are two
dimensional
Y
shapes. Axis
• The two axes we
will label as X
(horizontal), and Y
(vertical). (0,0) X Axis +X

3
 Three Dimensional Images

• The three axis: X

(horizontal), Y (vertical)
and Z (middle).

4
 Color Model

RGB Color cube (what we use in computer

graphics)

Other color spaces include HSV, CMY, and

YIQ

5
 Hardware Pipeline

Input Computation Output

We want to draw a rectangle, how do we describe it to a computer?

Model (n) - object

description that a
computer understands.

6
 Record every position

Bitmap - a rectangular array of bits mapped one-to-one with pixels.

10
 Position relative

Vector display system - graphical output system that was based on strokes (as
opposed to pixels). Also known as: random, calligraphic, or stroke displays.
 Representing Objects

• Most common method is the VERTEX method.

Define the object as a set of points with
connectivity information.
• Why is connectivity important?

Connectivity - information that defines which vertices

are connected to which other vertices via edges.
Edge - connects two vertices
 Input Devices

• Locator Devices
• Keyboard
• Scanner
– Images
– Laser
• Cameras
 Locator Devices
When queried, locator
devices return a position
and/or orientation.
• Tablet
• Joystick
• Virtual Reality Trackers
– Data Gloves
– Digitizers
 Keyboard

• Text input
– List boxes, GUI
– CAD
– Modeling
• Hard coded
– Vertex locations are inserted into code
Computation Stage
Input Computation Output

• Now that we have a model of what we

want to draw, what goes on inside the
computer to generate the output?

Computation

Transformations Rasterization
Computation Stage

Computation

Model Output

Transformations Rasterization

Transformed
Model
 Store process in memory

We would like to allocate memory to hold the results of the

computation stage.
 Frame buffer
Frame buffer – The picture definition is
stored in a memory is called refresh or
frame buffer.

Pixel - one element of the framebuffer

Basic architecture of raster graphics of
frame buffer

20
 Frame buffer in Memory

• If we want a frame buffer of 640 pixels by 480

pixels, we should allocate:
Frame buffer = 640*480 bits
=307200 bits
=38400 bytes
=38.4 kilobytes
 Output

Input Computation Output

• Hardcopy
• Display
– Vector or random scan
– Raster Scan
 Image Quality Issues
• Screen resolution • Brightness
• Color • Contrast
• Blank space between the pixels • Refresh rate
• Intentional image degradation • Sensitivity of display to viewing angle
Display Devices

• Display devices also known as output devices.

• The most commonly used output devices in a graphics

system is a video monitor.
Display Devices

• Types of display devices:

• CRT
• Radom Scan
• Raster Scan
• Colour CRT
• DVST (Direct view storage)
• Flat Panel Display
• Plasma Panel Display
• LCD
 CRT

• A CRT is an evacuated glass tube.

• An electron gun at the rear of the tube produces a beam of

electron which is directed towards the front of the tube
(screen) by a high voltage.

• The inner side of the screen is coated with phosphor substance

which gives off light when it is stroked by electron.

• The control grid voltage determines the velocity achieved by

the electrons before they hit the phosphor.
Cathode Ray Tube
CRT
• CRT
• The control grid voltage determines how many electrons are
actually in the electron beam.

• Thus, control grid controls the intensity of spot where the

electron beam is strike the screen.

• The focusing system concentrates the electron beam so that

the beam converges to a small point when it hits the phosphor
coating.
CRT
• CRT
• The deflection system of the CRT consists of two pairs of
parallel plates, referred to as the vertical and horizontal
deflection plates.

• The voltage applied to vertical deflection of the electron beam

and voltage applied to the horizontal deflection plates controls
the horizontal deflection of the electron beam.

• There are two techniques used for producing images on the

CRT screen : Random Scan (Vector scan) and Raster Scan.
Colour CRT
• Colour CRT
• A CRT monitors displays colour pictures by using a
combination of phosphors that emit different-coloured light. It
generates a range of colours by combining the emitted light
from different phosphors.

• There are two basic techniques used for producing colour

displays:
• Bean-Penetration technique
• Shadow mask technique
Colour CRT
• Beam-penetration technique:
• This technique is used with random-scan monitors.

• In this technique, the inside of CRT screen is coated with two

layers of phosphor, usually red and green.

• The displayed colour depends on how far the electron beam

penetrates into the phosphor layers.

• The outer layer is of red phosphor and inner layer is of green

phosphor.
Colour CRT
• Beam-penetration technique:
• A beam of slow electrons excites only the outer red layer.

• A beam of very fast electrons penetrates through the red layer and
excites the inner green layer.

• At intermediate beam speeds, combination of red and green light

are emitted and two additional colours, orange and yellow
displayed.

• The beam acceleration voltage controls the speed of the electrons

and hence the screen colour at any point on the screen.
Colour CRT
• Beam-penetration technique:

• Merits:
• It is inexpensive technique to produce colour in random scan monitors.

• Demerits:
• It can display only four colours
• The quality of picture produced by this technique is not good as
compared to other techniques.
Colour CRT
• Shadow Mask Technique:
• The shadow mask technique produces a much wider range of
colours then the beam penetration technique.

• Hence this technique is commonly used in raster-scan displays

including colour TV.

• In a shadow mask technique, CRT has three phosphor colour dots

at each pixel position.

• One phosphor dots emits a red light, another emits green light
and third emits green light.
Colour CRT

Shadow mask techniques

Colour CRT
• Shadow Mask Technique:
• It has three electron guns, one for each colour dot, and a
shadow mask grid just behind the phosphor coated screen.

• The shadow mask grid consists of series of holes aligned with

the phosphor dot pattern.

• Three electron beams are deflected and focused as a group on

to the shadow mask and when they pass through a hole in the
shadow mask, they excite a dot triangle.
Colour CRT
• Shadow Mask Technique:
• A dot triangle consists of three small phosphor dots of red,
green and blue colour.

• A dot triangle when activated appears as a small dot on the

screen which has colour of combination of three small dot on
the screen which has colour of combination of three small dots
in the dot triangle.

• By varying the intensity of the three electron beams we can

obtain different colours in the shadow mask CRT.
DVST
• DVST:
• DVST stands for direct view storage tube.

• In raster scan display we do refreshing of the screen to

maintain a screen image.

• The DVST give alternate method of maintaining the screen

image.

• A DVST uses the storage grid which stores the picture

information.
DVST

DVST
DVST
• DVST:
• DVST consists of two guns: Primary gun and Flood gun.

• A primary gun stores the picture pattern and the flood gun
maintains the picture display.

• A primary gun produces high speed electrons which strike on

the storage grid to draw the picture pattern.

• Continuous low speed electrons from flood gun pass through the
control grid and attracted to the positive charged areas of the
storage grid.
DVST
• DVST:
• The low speed electrons then penetrate the storage grid and
strike the phosphor coating.

• During this process collector behind the storage grid smooth

out the flows of flood electrons.
DVST
• DVST:
• Advantages :
• Refreshing of CRT is not required.
• Complex picture can be displayed on high resolution.
• It has flat screen.
• Disadvantages:
• Erasing requires removal of charge on the storage grid.
• Selective or part erasing of screen is not possible.
• The performance of DSTV is poor in compare to CRT.
• Erasing of screen produces flash over the entire screen.
Flat Panel Display
• Flat Panel Display:
• The term flat panel display refers to a class of video devices
that have reduced volume, weight and power requirement in
compared to a CRT.

• The important feature of FPD is that they are thinner than

CRTs.

• There are two types of Flat panel display: Emissive display

and Non-emissive display.
Flat Panel Display
• Emissive Display:
• They convert electrical energy into light energy. Plasma
panels, thin-film displays, and light emitting diodes are
example of emissive displays.

• Non-emissive Display:
• They use optical effect to convert sunlight or light from some
other source into graphics patterns. Liquid crystal display is an
example of non-emissive display.
Plasma Panel Display
• Plasma Panel Display:
• Plasma panel display writes images on the display surface point
by point, each point remains bright.

• This makes the plasma panel functionally very similar to the

DVST.

• It consist of two plates of glass with thin, closely spaced gold

electrodes.

• The electrodes are attached to the inner faces and covered with a
dielectric material.
Plasma Panel Display

Plasma Panel Display

Plasma Panel Display
• Plasma Panel Display:
• These are attached to as a vertical ribbons on one glass plate,
and a set of horizontal ribbons to the other glass plate.

• The space between two glass plates is filled with neon-based

gas and sealed. By applying voltage between the electrodes the
gas within the panel is made to behave as if it were divided
into tiny cells.

• Refreshing is not required in this display.

Plasma Panel Display
• Advantages:
• Refreshing is not required.
• Produce very steady image.
• Light weight than CRT
• Allow selective writing and selective erasing.
• Flat screen and is transparent.
• Disadvantages:
• Poor resolution.
• Complex addressing and wiring
• Costly than CRTs.
LCD
• Liquid Crystal Display:
• The term liquid crystal refers to the fact that these compounds
have a crystalline arrangement of molecules, yet they flow like
a liquid.

• Two glass plates, each containing a light polarizer at right

angles to the other plate sandwich the liquid-crystal material.

• Rows of horizontal transparent conductors are built into one

glass plate, and columns of vertical conductors are put into the
other plate.
Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs)
LCD

Liquid Crystal Display

LCD
• Liquid Crystal Display:
• The intersection of two conductors defines a pixel position.

• In the ON state, polarized light passing through material is

twisted so that it will pass through the opposite polarizer.

• It is then reflected back to the viewer.

• To turn OFF the pixel, we apply a voltage to the two

intersecting conductors to align the molecules so that light is
not twisted.
 Projection Displays

• Use bright CRT or LCD

screens to generate an
image which is sent through
an optical system to focus
on a (usually) large screen.
 Basic Projector Designs

Reflective Projection System Transmittive Projection

System