Interactive Graphics Systems
Interactive Computer Graphics is the most important means of producing pictures
since the invention of photography and television; it has the added advantage
that, with the computer, we can make pictures not only of concrete, "real-world"
objects but also of abstract, syntetic objects. Although static pictures are a
good means of communicating information, dynamically varying pictures are
frequently even better: "a moving pictures is worth ten thousand static ones".
An Interactive Graphics System (IGS) is a technical computing environment for numeric
computations and graphics visualization with numeric/graphics interactions.
In our research activity we realized a lot of IGSs (see references). In the years
1983-86 we proposed IGSs called electronic books with the aim to be uself
for self-learning in computational mathematics. It was the advent of graphics-based
personal computers, such as the Apple and the IBM PC, that drove down the costs
of both hardware and software so dramatically that millions of graphics computer
were sold as "appliances" for office and home as well as for education.
All the experiences acquired since 1981 in this area, has been exploited recently
in the designing and realization of xcmodel system.
xcmodel integrates four IGSs and more precisely a 2D free form modeler,
a 3D free from modeler, an object composer and a scene realistic renderer.
These packages evolved over a period of years with input from many students.
In our University environment, xcmodel has become the standard
instructional tool for courses in geometric modelling and computer graphics as well
as our reseach laboratory to develop, perfect and compare methods and algorithms
in geometric modelling.
xcmodel system is freely distributed as well User's Guide, data, model
and images from the web page:
http://www.dm.unibo.it/~casciola/html/xcmodel.html
References
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L.Bacchelli Montefusco, G.Casciola, Using interactive graphics for
fitting surfaces to scattered data, IEEE Computer Graphics and
Applications, vol.4 n.2 (1984)
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L.Bacchelli Montefusco, G.Casciola, Un prototipo di sistema
interattivo per l' elaborazione di dati climatologici, Dipartimento
di Matematica dell'Universita` di Bologna, (1984)
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G.Casciola, V.Ruggiero, Tecniche e metodi per la realizzazione
di libri elettronici, Atti del convegno internazionale ANTEM,
Dioikema-CLUEB, Bologna (1986)
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G.Casciola, An interactive, graphic system for the study of
functions, Computers & Graphics, vol.11 n.3 (1987)
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G.Casciola, P.Citelli, V.Ruggiero, L.Stargiotti, Studio di funzioni,
Biblioteca Scolastica Olivetti (1984)
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G.Casciola, V.Ruggiero, Trasformazioni di funzioni nella
trigonometria, Biblioteca Scolastica Olivetti (1985)
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G.Casciola, V.Ruggiero, Trigonometria Trasformazioni di funzioni,
Olivetti Education (1986) (2a ed.)
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G.Casciola, V.Ruggiero, Studio di funzioni 1, Olivetti
Education (1986) (2a ed.)
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G.Casciola,
xcmodel: a system to model and render NURBS curves and surfaces,
User's Guide - Version 1.0,
Monographs of the 1998-2000 Scientific Research Program
"Numerical Analysis: Methods and Mathematical Software",
Ferrara (2000)
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G.Casciola,
xccurv: the 2D modeller, User's Guide - Version 1.0,
Monographs of the 1998-2000 Scientific Research Program
"Numerical Analysis: Methods and Mathematical Software",
Ferrara (2000)
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G.Casciola,
xcsurf: the 3D modeller, User's Guide - Version 1.0,'
Monographs of the 1998-2000 Scientific Research Program
"Numerical Analysis: Methods and Mathematical Software",
Ferrara (2000)
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G.Casciola, G.DeMarco,
xcbool: the object composer, User's Guide - Version 1.0,
Monographs of the 1998-2000 Scientific Research Program
"Numerical Analysis: Methods and Mathematical Software",
Ferrara (2000)
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G.Casciola,
xcrayt: the scene descriptor, User's Guide - Version 1.0,
Monographs of the 1998-2000 Scientific Research Program
"Numerical Analysis: Methods and Mathematical Software",
Ferrara (2000)