CS 519 -- RenderMan and OpenGL Shaders

Spring 2009

http://cs.oregonstate.edu/~mjb/cs519

IM Lectures Projects Handouts Grades VHR

This page was last updated: June 2, 2009

Announcements:

What We Will Be Doing This Quarter

The goals of this course are to leave you "career-ready" (i.e., both work-ready and research-ready) for tasks, both GPU and RenderMan, that require the implementation of graphics algorithms in the form of shaders.

You will have access to the graphics systems in OSU's Computer Graphics Education Lab (CGEL) in Batcheller Hall 244. This is likely the only place around OSU where you can get access to RenderMan. It is also a place to get access to the OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL), although you might have it if you've bought a good graphics card in the last 2 years or so

Speaking of graphics cards, you can tell if a card will support vertex and fragment shaders by looking for the phrase Shader Model 3.0 compliant in its specifications. A card will support vertex, fragment, and geometry shaders if it is Shader Model 4.0 compliant.

CS 519 topics include:



Prerequisites

You must come in being a good OpenGL programmer. No exceptions! This is not a good time to learn computer graphics and OpenGL for the first time.

CS 450, 550, 553, or 554 are acceptable preparation.

Learning Objectives

On completion of the course, students will have demonstrated the ability to:

  1. Explain the difference between Model Coordinates, World Coordinates, Eye Coordinates, Clip Coordinates, Normalized Device Coordinates, and Screen Coordinates.
  2. Explain the ModelView and Projection matrices, and what operations belong in each, and why.
  3. Describe where surface, displacement, vertex, fragment, and geometry shaders fit into the graphics pipeline
  4. Explain the difference between uniform, varying, and attribute variables.
  5. Apply the concept of octave noise to shader effects.
  6. Explain the difference between bump-mapping and displacement-mapping.
  7. Demontrate how to use cube mapping to achieve a good approximation to reflection and refraction. Explain what is different about reflection and refraction done this way and real reflection and refraction.
  8. Apply shaders to visualization problems
  9. Use textures in shaders for imaging, height fields, and general data.
  10. Explain how to avoid the aliasing effects of sharp transitions.
  11. Demonstrate how shaders can be used to simulate various physics optics effects.



Professor

The class is being taught by Professor Mike Bailey.

Office: Kelley 2117
Phone: 541-737-2542
E-mail: mjb@cs.oregonstate.edu
Web site: http://cs.oregonstate.edu/~mjb

Office Hours:

Sundays 7:00-8:00 (PM) Instant Messaging
Mondays 11:00 - 1:00 My office (KEC 2117)
Wednesdays 11:00 - 1:00 My office (KEC 2117)
Thursdays 12:00 - 2:00 My office (KEC 2117)
    or, by appointment -- send email

The Virtual Hand Raise (VHR)

I recognize that it sometimes takes a certain amount of courage to ask a question in class. But, the worst thing of all is to not ask! So, this class also offers a feature called the Virtual Hand Raise. Click here to get into it. It will allow you to send me a question or comment, completely anonymously. I will answer all questions submitted this way at the start of the next class.



Textbook

You are expected to have the following book handy:

Bailey and Cunningham, Graphics Shaders: Theory and Practice, AK Peters, 2009.
(ISBN = 978-1-56881-334-9)

This is available from the OSU bookstore. There will be assigned readings from it. You don't need your own copy, but at least have one you can share. Other course material will consist of web pages, handouts, and notes taken in class.



Other Good References

The Rost, Upstill, and Shreiner books are in the CGEL library.



Lecture Schedule

To see an Academic Year calendar, click here.

Class lecture time is: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 1:00 - 1:50.

Be sure to check the class room in the table below to see what days we will be in Gilkey Hall ("Gilk") room 113 and what days we will be in the Computer Graphics Education Lab (CGEL -- Batcheller Hall room 244).

  Date Room Reading Topics
22 May 18 CGEL pp. 217-268 Geometry Shaders, II
Dino Poster class presentations, I
23 May 20 CGEL pp. 217-268 Dino Poster class presentations, II
The GLSL API, I
24 May 22 CGEL pp. 260-287, 289-333 Written Shader Challenge proposals due at the start of class.
The GLSL API, II
Visualization using shaders, I
25 May 25 ----   OSU Holiday -- No Class Today
26 May 27 CGEL pp. 289-333 Visualization using shaders, II
27 May 29 CGEL pp. 289-333 Visualization using shaders, III (if needed)
28 June 1 CGEL   No class today. I will be in my office, though, so com eby for any reason!
29 June 3 CGEL   Class Evaluations
Test #2 review.
More Information
30 June 5 CGEL   No class today.
* June 11 CGEL   Test #2 Thursday, June 11, 2:00 - 3:30 PM, CGEL.



Projects

Project # Points Title Due Date
1 20 Register your Grade-Posting Alias April 2
2 60 Elliptical polka-dots April 11
4 100 Interactive noisy elliptical polka-dots April 28
5 60 Dino poster May 10
6 100 Bump Mapping Linear Ripples May 20
9 200 The Shader Olympics June 4

Forgiveness Days

Projects are due at 23:59:59 on the listed due date, with the following exception:

Each student is granted five Forgiveness Days, which are no-questions-asked one-day extensions which may be applied to any project, subject to the following rules:

  1. No more than 2 Forgiveness Days may be applied to any one project
  2. Forgiveness Days cannot be applied to tests
  3. Forgiveness Days cannot be applied such that they extend a project due date past the end of Finals Week

Click here to get a copy of the Forgiveness Day Submission Form. Fill this out and turn it in the next class period after turning in your project.



Grading

Grades will be posted through this web page. To protect your privacy, they will be posted by your alias that you give me in Project #1.

Click here to see the current grade posting.

CS 519 will be graded on a fill-the-bucket basis. There will be 9 projects and two tests. You get to keep all the points you earn.

Your final grade will be based on your overall class point total. Based on an available point total of 1040, grade cutoffs will be no higher than:

Points Grade
1030 A 
1010 B+
990 B 
970 C+
950 C 
930 D+
910 D 



Files Used in Class

  1. Images Shown in Class
  2. .rib and .sl files used in class
  3. .glib, .vert., and .frag files used in class
  4. .obj files used in class



Handouts

  1. OpenGL-GLUT-GLUI
  2. Homogeneous Coordinates
  3. Graphics Coordinates and Pipeline
  4. List of RIB Commands
  5. RenderMan shader global variables
  6. RenderMan shader functions
  7. RenderMan Quadrics
  8. Bvrman documentation
  9. Bvrman documentation
  10. Noise notes
  11. CUDA notes

Executables

These executables are all loaded on the CGEL machines, but you can also get them here in case (1) you want to run them on other machines, or (2) there are newer versions than what are on the CGEL machines.

  1. bvrman.exe
  2. glman.exe
  3. noisegraph.exe

You might also need these dlls:

  1. glew32d.dll
  2. glut32.dll
  3. msvcr71d.dll



Project Turn-In Procedures



Class Rules



Students With Disabilities

Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Disability Access Services (DAS). Students with accommodations approved through DAS are responsible for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained approval through DAS should contact DAS immediately at 737-4098.



Other Useful Online Graphics and Shader Information