Computer Graphics: Techniques and Applications

Description

About four or five years ago one began to hear about the enormous interest being taken in on-line consoles and displays. Nothing much was done with them, but computer men felt that this was the way computing ought to go: one might dispense with cards, and overcome many of the problems of man-machine communication. It quickly appeared that, as with computers, there had been a great under­ estimation of the amount of work involved, of the difficulties of programming, and of the cost. So it began to emerge that graphics was not the ultimate answer, in spite of superb demonstrations where one might watch a square being converted into a cube and then rotated. But my mind goes back to 1951 and the first computers. There, there were demonstrations of arithmetic speed and storage facility; but not much idea of actual use. However, we now understand how to use computers, and in the last year or two, significant developments in the field of graphics have led to genuine applications, and economic benefits. The equipment is still expensive, but it is becoming cheaper, more uses are being found, and f believe that we are just at the stage when the subject is gaining momentum, to become, like computers, a field of immense importance. Front Matter Pages i-xiv Systems, Equipment, Techniques, and Trends Front Matter Pages xv-xv What Has Computer Graphics to Offer? Samuel M. Matsa Pages 1-6 Computer Graphics Hardware Techniques D. R. Evans Pages 7-15 Computer Graphics Software Techniques S. Bird Pages 17-27 Interactive Software Techniques A. R. Rundle Pages 29-39 Computer Display System Tradeoffs Harry H. Poole Pages 41-59 Computer Graphics in the United States C. Machover Pages 61-83 The U.K. Scene F. E. Taylor Pages 85-89 Low Cost Graphics Murray A. Ruben Pages 91-97 Remote Display Terminals R. Elliot Green Pages 99-107 Applications, Installations Front Matter Pages N1-N1 Graphical Computer Aided Programming Systems C. W. Gear Pages 109-117 Alphanumeric Terminals for Management Information A. E. P. Fitz Pages 119-123 Computer Graphics Used for Architectural Design and Costing P. E. Walter Pages 125-133 Graphical Output in a Research Establishment F. M. Larkin Pages 135-140 Appendix to Graphical Output in a Research Establishment F. M. Larkin Pages 141-148 High Energy Physics Applications P. M. Blackall, J. C. Lassalle, C. Vandoni, A. Yule Pages 149-159 Mechanical Design Using Graphics B. T. Torson Pages 161-167 Electronic Design Using Graphics D. C. McDouall Pages 169-177 Man-Machine Co-operation on a Learning Task Roger A. Chambers, Donald Michie Pages 179-186 Some Hardware, Software and Applications Problems Roger W. Prowse Pages 187-206 For the Computer Technologist Front Matter Pages N2-N2 Present-day Computer Graphics Research R. Elliot Green Pages 207-216 Back Matter Pages N3-233