Dr. Cunningham

Project 2: more sophisticated modeling and viewing

In this second project, you are to create a science-focused graphic communication using more sophisticated modeling and viewing. This will let you go beyond the simple mechanics of an OpenGL program and to extend your experience with representing a science problem and understanding its meaning visually. You may extend the science in your first project or you may take on a different piece of science, depending on how much more you can bring to the original idea or your desire to explore a new idea.

Specifically, you are to continue to develop your project based on the following steps:

1. Identify a science problem that can be represented by a simple set of geometry,

2. Describe that problem and the geometry that represents it, and outline a visual presentation or exploration that will help someone understand the problem,

3. Design and implement a graphics program using OpenGL that carries out the visual presentation or exploration, using more sophisticated modeling and rendering, including heirarchical modeling, lighting and shading, a moving eye point integrated into the scene, blending, or level of detail techniques.

4. Explain how the visual presentation helps explain or understand the science problem.

It is fair to discuss the science and the problem with anyone, student or faculty or scientist, or to use any text or reference books you wish for ideas, but the OpenGL work should be original.

1. text listing of source code for the program

2. email or writeup that identifies the science problem you are addressing and describes the visual presentation you are creating to explore it, and that summarizes what you were able to understand about the problem from the visual display you create

2. email me the source at rsc@cs.csustan.edu so I can compile it on my PowerBook with Code Warrior

4. be prepared to demo your program in case there is any question of its operation

Thursday, October 19, by 5pm Pacific time