Chapter 2

Computer Graphics Hardware

Goal of computer Graphics the creation of pictures.

Computer Graphics Hardware

Designer Computer

input, storage, transmission, output.

Output Devices:

Displays Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), Storage Tube, Vector Refresh

Displays, Raster Scan Displays, Color Raster Displays, Flat Panel
Displays, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Stereo LCD.

Figure 2.1 Cathode ray tube

Figure 2.2 Storage tube

Figure 2.3 Color raster display Figure 2.4 Frame buffer with three bit planes
 Printers Dot-matrix printers
Printers/Plotters Laser, Electrostatic, Thermal.

Figure 2.5 Laser plotters (printers)

Figure 2.7 Drum plotter Figure 2.6 Flatbed plotter

Plotters Flatbed plotters, drum plotters (both are pen plotters).

Speaker

Commercial Input Devices:

2D mice
Scanners
Lightpens
Digitizers
Digital Camera
Video Camera
Touch-sensitive screens
Joysticks
Trackballs
Thumb wheels
Microphones (voice data entry)
Touch plates
Storage
Hard disks 40MBs 5GBs 40GBs 80GBs 120GBs 200GBs
?TBs
Floppy disks 360KBs 1.44MBs 120MBs
CD ROM 300MBs 640MBs 800MBs
DVD R/W 1.7GBs 3.7GBs
M/O 640MBs
Cartridge tape 60MBs 150MBs
DAT tape 1GBs
IC memory 17MBs, 650MBs
Flash memory
Memory stick

New Computer Graphics Technologies

Virtual Reality has been used as a synonym for virtual world, virtual
environment, synthetic experience, artificial reality, cyberspace,
telepresence, augmented reality.

Major differences between VR and CG immersion.

Figure 2.8 Schematic diagram of a virtual

reality apparatus.
Commercial Immersive Devices:
Head-mounted displays (stereo glasses)
Data Gloves
Data Boots
Space Balls
Space Mice
Garments
Stereo Speakers
Microphones
6D Trackers
Hand Master
Force Feedback Devices
Some other sources Figure 2.9 Augmented Reality

Figure 2.10 Scientific Visualization

Figure 2.11 Virtual Environment