THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2023/2024

Draft Edition - Due to be published Tuesday 11th April 2023.

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

University Homepage
DRPS Homepage
DRPS Search
DRPS Contact
DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Informatics : Informatics

Postgraduate Course: Computer Animation & Visualisation (Level 11) (INFR11067)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Informatics CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryTwo major topics of Visualisation and Computer Animation are covered in this course.

Visualisation is a cognitive process using the powerful information processing and analytical functions of the human vision system. It has always been a major factor in scientific progress and now, with the assistance of computer graphics, it extends our vision system from sub-atomic to interstellar dimensions and allows geometric representations and simulations of any multidimensional dataset. The fundamental objective is to acquire new knowledge rather than generating pictures. This part is very practical and techniques will be illustrated with applications in the scientific, engineering and medical domains. The increasingly important field of information visualisation and visual data-mining will also be covered.

The computer animation part will focus mainly on technological aspects for 3D computer animation for applications such as games and virtual environments. Techniques of character animation such as synthesising their body movements, facial expressions and skin movements, and behaviors in crowded scenes, and how to compress such data will be first covered. Other topics which are essential to create natural scenes, such as physically based simulation for clothes, fluids and particles will also be covered.
Course description * Visualisation: definition and motivation.
* Data representation: geometric abstractions; volume and surface representations, interpolation.
* Fundamental algorithms: colour mapping; contouring; glyphs; volume rendering.
* Advanced algorithms: flow visualisation, vector visualisation, tensor visualisation.
* Information visualisation: networks and trees; document visualisation.
* Advanced topics of Computer Graphics: Visualisation of environments, data processing.
* Character Animation techniques: keyframe animation, inverse kinematics, facial animation, PD-control, flocking, crowd simulation.
* Motion capture technologies: optical, magnetic, mechanical, gyrosensors.
* Optimization-based techniques: space-time constraints, Laplacian distance shape deformation.
* Physically based animation techniques: fluid animation, hair animation, cloth simulation, deformable objects.

Relevant QAA Computing Curriculum Sections: Relevant QAA Computing Curriculum Sections: Artificial Intelligence, Computer Based Systems, Data Structures and Algorithms, Developing Technologies, Graphics and Sound, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites It is RECOMMENDED that students also take Computer Graphics (Level 11) (INFR11021)
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements This course is open to all Informatics students including those on joint degrees. For external students where this course is not listed in your DPT, please seek special permission from the course organiser.

Some previous knowledge of 3D geometry, 3D computer graphics, and simple programming or scripting will be an advantage.
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Describe different representations of 3D objects, structural properties of data and how these relate to choice of visualisation algorithms
  2. Implement a simple visualisation application using an object-oriented visualisation toolkit
  3. Explain the kinds of animation that can be generated from the application of inverse kinematics or spacetime constraints to control characters
  4. Describe and synthesise character animation techniques, including motion, changing their facial expressions and crowd behaviour
  5. se physically-based simulations to animate the movements of clothes, fluids and particles
Reading List
* Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics), Richard Parent
* SIGGRAPH computer animation course http://www.siggraph.org/education/materials/HyperGraph/animation/anim0.htm
* Shroeder, Martin & Lorenson, 'The Visualization Toolkit', 2nd ed., Prentice Hall, 1998. The primary text for the course.
* Spence 'Information Visualization', Addison-Wesley, 2001. Good for the topic of information visualisation.
* Lichtenbelt, Crane & Naqvi, 'Introduction to Volume Rendering', Prentice Hall, 1998.
* Shroeder, Martin & Lorenson, 'The Visualisation Toolkit User's Guide', Prentice Hall,
Additional Information
Course URL http://course.inf.ed.ac.uk/cav
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Taku Komura
Tel: (0131 6)51 3445
Email: T.Komura@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Clara Fraser
Tel:
Email: clara.fraser@ed.ac.uk
Navigation
Help & Information
Home
Introduction
Glossary
Search DPTs and Courses
Regulations
Regulations
Degree Programmes
Introduction
Browse DPTs
Courses
Introduction
Humanities and Social Science
Science and Engineering
Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Other Information
Combined Course Timetable
Prospectuses
Important Information