153 research outputs found
The Computer Graphics Scene in the United States
We briefly survey the major thrusts of computer graphics activities, examining trends and topics rather than offering a comprehensive survey of all that is happening. The directions of professional activities, hardware, software, and algorithms are outlined. Within hardware we examine workstations, personal graphics systems, high performance systems, and low level VLSI chips; within software, standards and interactive system design; within algorithms, visible surface rendering and shading, three-dimensional modeling techniques, and animation.
Note: This paper was presented at Eurographics\u2784 in Copenhagen, Denmark
A Programming Environment Evaluation Methodology for Object-Oriented Systems
The object-oriented design strategy as both a problem decomposition and system development paradigm has made impressive inroads into the various areas of the computing sciences. Substantial development productivity improvements have been demonstrated in areas ranging from artificial intelligence to user interface design. However, there has been very little progress in the formal characterization of these productivity improvements and in the identification of the underlying cognitive mechanisms. The development and validation of models and metrics of this sort require large amounts of systematically-gathered structural and productivity data. There has, however, been a notable lack of systematically-gathered information on these development environments. A large part of this problem is attributable to the lack of a systematic programming environment evaluation methodology that is appropriate to the evaluation of object-oriented systems
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Summer Faculty Fellowship Program, 1987, volume 1
The objective of the NASA/ASEE program were: (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA centers. Each faculty fellow spent 10 weeks at Johnson Space Center engaged in a research project commensurate with his/her interests and background and worked in collaboration with a NASA/JSC colleague. A compilation is presented of the final reports on the research projects done by the fellows during the summer of 1987. This is volume 1 of a 2 volume report
Visual Descriptors: A Design Tool for Visual Impact Analysis
This study is concerned with the development of a practical and effective
form of computer-aided analysis of the visual impact of building
development in rural areas. Its contribution is fourfold. Firstly, a
conceptual model has been developed for the process of seeing in the
context of visual impact analysis. Secondly, a mathematical model for a
consistent series of visual descriptors has been devised. Thirdly, a
suitable design tool has been devised to make use of visual descriptors
in visual impact analysis. Fourthly, visual descriptors have actually been
implemented as computer software.
The concept of visual impact analysis is defined and placed within the
wider context of landscape research. The problems faced by a designer in
the context of visual impact analysis are identified and the concept of a
'design tool' is introduced and defined. A number of existing computer
software packages, intended or used for visual impact analysis, are
reviewed critically. The concept of 'visual descriptors' as measures to be
used by designers is introduced and examined critically. A conceptual
model is presented for the process of seeing in the context of visual
impact analysis. A range of possible measures for use as visual
descriptors is presented and developed further into a series of precise
definitions. A method of implementing visual descriptors is presented
together with formal algorithms for the derivation of eight visual
descriptors. A software package incorporating these descriptors is
presented and verification and case studies of its use carried out. Visual
descriptors, as implemented, are assessed for their effectiveness as a
design tool for visual impact analysis.Strathclyde University
Dept. of Architecture and
Building Scienc
Management of digital map data using a relational database model
Special issue (CISRG - Cartographic Information Systems Research Group) ;
Surface interaction : separating direct manipulation interfaces from their applications.
To promote both quality and economy in the production of applications and their
interactive interfaces, it is desirable to delay their mutual binding. The later the binding,
the more separable the interface from its application. An ideally separated
interface can factor tasks from a range of applications, can provide a level of independence
from hardware I/O devices, and can be responsive to end-user requirements.
Current interface systems base their separation on two different abstractions.
In linguistic architectures, for example User Interface Management Systems in the
Seeheim model, the dialogue or syntax of interaction is abstracted in a separate
notation. In agent architectures like Toolkits, interactive devices, at various levels of
complexity, are abstracted into a class or call hierarchy.
This Thesis identifies an essential feature of the popular notion of direct manipulation:
directness requires that the same object be used both for output and input.
In practice this compromises the separation of both dialogue and devices. In addition,
dialogue cannot usefully be abstracted from its application functionality, while
device abstraction reduces the designer's expressive control by binding presentation
style to application semantics.
This Thesis proposes an alternative separation, based on the abstraction of
the medium of interaction, together with a dedicated user agent which allows direct
manipulation of the medium. This interactive medium is called the surface. The Thesis
proposes two new models for the surface, the first of which has been
implemented as Presenter, the second of which is an ideal design permitting document
quality interfaces.
The major contribution of the Thesis is a precise specification of an architecture
(UMA), whereby a separated surface can preserve directness without binding in
application semantics, and at the same time an application can express its semantics
on the surface without needing to manage all the details of interaction. Thus
UMA partitions interaction into Surface Interaction, and deep interaction. Surface
Interaction factors a large portion of the task of maintaining a highly manipulable
interface, and brings the roles of user and application designer closer
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