Course Number: CMPT/IAT 261
Course Title: Spatial Computing
Credit Hours: 3 Vector: 0-0-5
Course Description
An exploration of the major concepts of analytical and computational geometry and an introduction to tools for programming geometric information and displaying the results. Students completing this course will have a basic understanding of how computer graphics systems work; skills in writing programs to display geometric information for graphics display; ability to solve geometric problems using transformations, geometric representations and the basic algorithms of computational geometry; and familiarity with various common mathematical notation for representing spatial objects.
Prerequisite:
CMPT 125, MATH 232.
Recommended: None.
Corequisite: None.
Special Instructions: Students with credit for ITEC271, 272 and 273 may not take this course for further credit.
Course(s) to be dropped if this course is approved:
ITEC 271 Computer Graphics: Introduction to Computer
Graphics
ITEC 272 Computer Graphics: 2D and 3D Transformations and
Curves
ITEC 273 Computer Graphics: Rendering Techniques
This course consolidates three 1-credit module-based (5 week) courses into a single 3-credit semester-based course. It covers material usually covered in overview in upper division computer graphics courses to provide the student with basic concepts of the mathematical representation and programming spatial objects.
Will this be a required or elective course in the curriculum; probable enrolment when offered?
Indicate Semester and Year this course would be first offered and planned frequency of offering thereafter.
2005-1 and annually thereafter.
Which of your present CFL faculty have the expertise to offer this course? Will the course be taught by sessional or limited term faculty?
Calvert, Krylov, DiPaola, Wiese, Woodbury.
Are there any proposed student fees associated with this course other than tuition fees?
No.
Is this course considered a `duplicate' of any current or prior course under the University's duplicate course policy? Specify, as appropriate.
This course duplicates ITEC 271-1, 272-1, and 273-1.
Note: Senate has approved (S.93-11) that no new course should be approved by Senate until funding has been committed for necessary library materials. Each new course proposal must be accompanied by a library report and, if appropriate, confirmation that funding arrangements have been addressed.
Provide details on how existing instructional resources will be redistributed to accommodate this new course. For instance, will another course be eliminated or will the frequency of offering of other courses be reduced; are there changes in pedagogical style or class sizes that allow for this additional course offering.
This course will largely use the resources already in place for the three 1-credit modules it replaces. There is a requirement for one-third of a person year to further develop and refine existing course material.
Does the course require specialized space or equipment not readily available in the department or university, and if so, how will these resources be provided?
No.
Does this course require computing resources (e.g. hardware, software, network wiring, use of computer laboratory space) and if so, describe how they will be provided.
No new resources are required by virtue of this course consolidation.
This course is divided into three parts.
In Vectors, Points, Lines, Planes and Frames, students learn how to represent simple objects and how to compute properties of these objects using operators such as the dot product, cross product, line operator and plane operator. They learn how to relate objects described in different coordinate systems, through rotation, scaling, shearing and translation transformations.
In Curves students learn the systolic array and deCasteljau algorithm as a fundamental representation for curves. This part of the course limits itself to what can be demonstrated directly from the systolic array and from vectors relating to it, including subdivision, degree elevation, hodographs and informal Cn and G n continuity. The systolic array is generalized to a blossom form to demonstrate the B-Spline representation. A sketch of the extension to surfaces is made.
In Spatial Sorting students learn algorithms to order objects in space. Algorithms for the convex hull, proximity and maximal line representation are developed.
Delivery Model: Lectures and tutorials
Activities consist of class-based discussion, tutorial sessions, weekly problem sets (20%), programming assignments (50%) and an examination (30%).
Parts of standard texts, such as:
David F. Rogers and J. Alan Adams. (1990) Mathematical Elements for Computer Graphics. Second Edition. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Alyn Rockwood and Peter Chambers, Interactive Curves and Surfaces: A Multimedia Tutorial on CAGD, Morgan-Kaufmann, 1996.
Material from the present online courses ITEC 271, 272 and 273 will be modified for this course.
The following two documents will be refined as course notes:
Daniela Marinescu and Robert Woodbury. (2003). Representing Curves and Surfaces. Simon Fraser University.
Robert Woodbury. (2003). Mathematical Structures for Computing Space. Simon Fraser University.