.The creation of computational graphics and visualizations is a skill in growing demand. These skills are applicable to the following scenarios: the game industry
for creating graphics and animations, the healthcare industry for medical visualizations, the entertainment industry for computer-generated imagery (CGI) and
visual effects, 3D printing for creating physical objects for applied real-world problem solving, and much more. Throughout this course, you will learn how to
write computer code that commands any OpenGL graphics processing unit (GPU) to create, texture, light, render, and animate 3D models in 3D space, and
control virtual environments relative to a virtual camera.
3D Object
A. Your 3D object will be assessed visually to ensure it meets the elements below:
i. Utilize organized geometry, ensuring that polygons (triangles) on the 3D model are well spaced and connected and give a low-polygon
representation of a real-world object.
ii. Utilize textures, ensuring that high-resolution textures are projected accurately on the 3D model.
iii. Generate lighting, ensuring that all lights are implemented to give a professional-looking presentation and visualization of the model.
iv. Apply color to lighting with varying intensities.
B. Navigation Through Input Devices: Your applications will be navigated by using the mouse and keyboard input devices to control a virtual
camera. The elements below must be met:
i. Create horizontal orientation navigation of the 3D object in the application allowing for azimuth orientation of a virtual camera that
orbits a lit model when the mouse is moved horizontally.
ii. Create vertical orientation navigation of the 3D object in the application allowing for altitude orientation of a virtual camera that orbits
a lit model when the mouse is moved vertically.
iii. Create code to clamp or gimbal lock azimuth and altitude orientation to prevent irregular camera angles (e.g., a 90-degree camera
rotation clamp on the pitch axis).
iv. Create perspective and orthographic displays of the 3D object so that the user can change the viewport display of the 3D model from
2D to 3D and vice versa, using the tap of a keyboard key, allowing the user to switch between orthographic (2D) and perspective (3D)
views at will.
C. Syntax Assessment—Best Practices: These best practices should be evident within your program:
i. Employ formatting best practices by providing program code that is easy to read and follows industry-standard code formatting
practices, such as indentation and spacing.
ii. Utilize commenting best practices, ensuring that project source code used is briefly and clearly explained using descriptive comments.
iii. Employ functional coding logic best practices, ensuring that the program runs as expected.