CSE 564 -- Visualization

This graduate course covers the fundamental concepts in the field of scientific, engineering, biomedical, and information visualization. The topics covered include:

• Introduction and motivation: definition, domain, history; data acquisition, numerical simulations, 'classical' visualization, typical applications and examples.
• Visualization process: models of the visualization process, data representations, regular & irregular grids, data handling, the visualization pipeline, display primitives, and standard formats.
• Visual perception (form, color, space, motion) ; effective use of color, aesthetic issues.
• Computer graphics & imaging : iteractivity and steering, workstaion and hardware, I/O peripherals, image processing, introduction to 2D & 3D graphics.
• Introduction to volume visualization: volume data, basic principles, data flow, pipeline, volume manipulation, slicing, segmentation.
• Surface rendering: contouring, triangulation, iso-surfaces, marching cubes.
• Volume rendering & shading: object & screen order rendering, front-to-back & back-to-front rendering, ray casting, splatting, semi-transparency & compositing, pseudo normal calculation, voxel-based & pixel-based shading.
• Volume graphics : voxelization, hybrid rendering, discrete ray tracing, geometry-based applications.
• Visualization of sampled data: medical scanning, 3D reconstruction, manipulation and navigation, volume microscopy, electron density maps, other applications, case studies.
• Visualization of simulated data: supercomputer simulations.
• Visualization systems : such as vtk, VolVis, AVS, image, Image3D.

The course emphasizes a "hands-on" approach to the use of visualization. Each student is required to complete two small and one large programming assignments. The assignments grade is 70% of the final grade. The other 30% of the final grade will be based on a midterm exam. Both the assignments and the exam are mandatory.
Assignment 1 (4%)
Assignment 2 (5%)
Assignment 3 (6%)
Projects (55%)
(Grades So Far)

The required textbook for the course is:
W. Schroeder, K. Martin, & B. Lorensen "Visualization Toolkit" , Prentice Hall, 1998 (Second edition).

The recommended books for the course (reserved in the CS library):
1. R.S. Wolff & L. Yaeger "Visualization of Natural Phenomena" , Springer Verlag, 1993.
2. J. D. Foley, A. van Dam, S.K. Feiner & J.F. Hughes, "Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice - Second Edition in C" , Addison-Wesley, (1995).
3. A. Kaufman (ed) "Volume Visualization", IEEE CS Press, 1991.
4. J. D. Foley, A. van Dam, S. Feiner & J. F, Hughes, Computer Graphics : Principles and Practice" , Addison Wesley, 1990.
5. E. Tufte "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information", Graphics Press, 1983.
6. E. Tufte "Envisioning Information" , Graphics Press , 1990

In addition, material from recent articles will be presented. Numerous slides and video tapes will be shown.

Prerequisites: Introductory computer science and programming; preferably C++.

Office Hours: Tuesdays 1 - 2pm & Thursdays 10 - 11am CS 2431, or any time to: ari@cs.sunysb.edu

TA for the course is:
Huamin Qu (email: huamin@cs.sunysb.edu).
His office hours during 3/3/99 - 3/19/99 in the Transaction Lab, CS 2114: Mondays 12-1, Wednesdays 12-1, Fridays 2-3.

Note 1: If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out assigned course work, I would urge that you contact the staff in the Disabled Student Services office (DSS), Room 133 Humanities, 632-6748/TDD. DSS will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation of disability is confidential.

Note 2: Because a primary goal of the course is to teach professionalism, any academic dishonesty will be viewed as evidence that this goal has not been achieved and will be grounds for receiving a grade of F. (CEAS Procedures and Guidelines Governing Academic Dishonesty, 1/81).