CS 551/645: Introduction to Computer Graphics

CS 445/645: Introduction to Computer Graphics

Extra Credit

Goal: Ray Tracer

Extra credit points: 3 points on your final grade (A maximum of 3% points will be added to your final grade). Note, students not doing the extra credit will not have their letter grade go down as a result of others doing the extra credit. In other words, final grades will be calculated, curves applied, letter grades assigned, and then the extra credit points will be assessed.

URL: http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~gfx/Courses/2000/Intro.fall.01/Exercises/extracredit.htm

Assigned: Thursday, November 29, 2001

Due: Sunday, Dec 16, 2001 at 9:00 a.m. (no late days can be used)

Starter files:
raytrace.C for an OpenGL example that allows you to directly color pixels of a window
Makefile

Relevant reading/files/software:

Chapter 14 of Hill Textbook
Note: Unlike many previous assignments, you are not allowed to use any other books or code you find on the web for this assignment. You must write the code yourself. If the textbook is insufficient, I will post additional readings through the class email list.

Synopsis: For this assignment you will write your own ray tracer from scratch. The ray tracer must specify an eyepoint, a lookat point, a light source, and multiple spheres and polygons (six of each). The polygons can be any n-sided polygons you wish to define. However, the scene you compose must demonstrate sphere/sphere, sphere/polygon, polygon/sphere, and polygon/polygon shadowing. The ray tracer should use Phong lighting to render ambient, diffuse, and specular lighting effects. The ray tracer does not have to perform recursive ray tracing calls (sometimes a renderer like the one you're building is called a ray caster). Here is a sample image from a ray tracer that satisfies these goals.

Turning in the assignment:

Verify that your code compiles and runs correctly on an SGI in Small Hall.
Write a README file with your login, your name, what you did, and anything you'd like us to notice or know about your demo.
Deposit the README and all files required to compile and run you code in the following directory:
/courses/cs/445_brogan/Students/<username>/ExtraCredit

Collaboration: You may talk with one another about your projects, but one should not take written records during the collaboration. Your recollection of the concepts should be the product of the collaboration. Similarly, no side-by-side coding. Don't use the web or other written sources.