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README.md

Final Project - Computer Graphics

Description

An important part of any computer graphics course, in my opinion, is having the opportunity to build a project that you care about. The final project in this course showcases your creativity from what you have learned over the semester and can be used as a portfolio piece for future internship, co-op, and full-time job opportunities. We have covered enough computer graphics now that you are ready to design and create a project from scratch.

Expectations

You can work on any idea you want that is within the scope of graphics (OpenGL, WebGL, Vulkan, DirectX, etc.). You may explore areas that we did not cover heavily in class (Animation, particles, different rendering techniques, advanced shaders, image processing, volume rendering, etc.). Your final project should be on the order of the difficulty beyond the homeworks.

Banned Project Ideas (You cannot or otherwise are strongly advised against these ideas)

  • Solar Systems based off of Assignment 6
    • Sorry, I've seen too many, and they tend to underperform
      • (most folks just add more planets which is not enough effort for a final project).
      • A final project should be at least the equivalent effort of an assignment if not more.

Project Ideas

I am going to list a few project ideas that I think are within the scope of this class.

Assignment strategy

My suggested strategy for this project is to:

  • You will have plenty of time to think about the project you want to deliver, but get started early.
  • I recommend finding at least one web tutorial, youtube talk, etc. that can serve as a reference for you to fall back on.
  • You can get feedback from me ahead of time on nearly any graphics related topic, do so!
  • Find your teammates(teams of up to 2) early if you choose to work in a team!
    • Piazza is a good resource, and I will tentatively match folks on a spreadsheet if requested.

How to run your final project

Use a build.py. You can modify build.py to your needs, but I should be able to type python3 build.py and then run the generated executable. I plan to spend 0 time figuring out what dependencies to download. If there is some setup extraneous setup needed to run your project, we should arrange to demonstrate your project during office hours.

Pretend you are deploying this software to someone who has no idea what your code does and needs to be able to run it. The only assumption you should make is the user has SDL2 setup and perhaps a web browser. Logistically, using the build.py that we have used in this course makes it possible for myself and the course staff to run and debug your project.

Video Deliverable

For this project, you need to make a video recording of your project. Here are the specifications:

  • Give an 2-3 minute overview of your implementation as a youtube video.
  • Explain what your project is (i.e. You should be talking in your video as you show things)
  • Show what was achieved (e.g. moving a camera around and talking over)
  • In the video highlight one particular technical achievement.
    • e.g. Part of the code or algorithm that does something neat or was difficult to get right.
      • Give a quick 'tutorial' like summary of how you solved the problem.
      • You can talk about other important features in your project, but dedicate some time on one specific item.

Videos may publicly be uploaded to the course websites 'hall of fame'--please keep the links up!

Sample Video Deliverable

Here are some samples from previous years and what I like about it:

  • Terrain: https://youtu.be/cGB8C6IT8eE
    • I like this sample because:
      • I can hear the speakers voice.
      • The talk is well outlined and concise.
      • The speaker shows off the technical parts of the code well.
      • The speaker shows the actual visuals and uses a high resolution video.
      • It is not a very long video with lots of silence or 'umms'
      • If I were to see this on a resume, I would have a very good idea of what the developer knows.
  • (Summer 20) Breakout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV4EvMX9Lw8&feature=youtu.be
    • I like this sample because:
      • I can again hear the speakers voice very clearly.
      • There are additions beyond what the tutorial provides showing creativity, and pushing the envelope.
      • The presentations highlights very clearly the graphics effects being talked about.
      • The technical portions are broken into small pieces, thus making it possible for someone to learn from. They are teaching as they are presenting their project which is absolutely wonderful.
  • (Fall 20) Deferred Rendering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-fF5R1jeBc
    • I like this project because this student took a large risk in the implementation.
      • They did a great implementation and conveyed their passion.
      • They conveyed enough passion throughout the entire semester, did something very difficult, that I forgave them for having a very loud fan in their video.
        • They should probably do another recording for their portfolio however.
        • They spent most of the video 'teaching' so I forgave them for going over the recommended 3 minute limit.
  • (Fall 20) 3D Sine Wave Visualier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu3k_METjzA
    • Excellent job teaching in this presentation.
    • May have liked to see the visualization earlier to sell me as a viewer, but otherwise speaker did a great and clear presentation.
  • (Fall 21) Surface Simplification: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfl6fkYbPXU
    • This project implements an actual SIGGRAPH paper.
    • Well presented, and shows off the actual 3D object going simplification as speaker speaks.
    • Breaks down complicated technical idea (from a paper) to something consumable.

Deliverables

  • You need to commit your code to this repository.
  • Your program needs to compile using a build.py script (Unless it is a webgl project).
  • Put a link to a youtube/Vimeo video in this README.md.
  • Put screenshots in the README.md along with the youtube/vimeo video.

More Resources

  • N/A

Other FAQ

  • Q: May I upload my final project to a public repository after the semester is over?
  • A: Yes under the following conditions
    • You acknowledge your team members and any third parties fairly for their contributions.
    • You remove the README.md provided with the assignment (delete it entirely from your github history), as you'll want your own readme anyway.
  • Q: May I have a team of 3 or 4--I really want 3 or 4 team members?
  • A: No. I recommend a team size of 1-2. This project can be completed as a 1 person project. I strongly recommend using this project as a portfolio piece and treating it as such if you were to apply for a software or graphics engineering position.
  • Q: Can I use any of the lab code in my project?
  • A: Yes, anything that I've provided you can use. Please acknowledge it somewhere in the repo, and if you use this project in your portfolio, please keep that acknowledgement in if there was significant use of code I have provided.
  • Q: Can I use late day tokens on the final project?
  • A: No, unfortunately the final project deadline is the same for everyone for both fairness, as well as the more pragmetic grading deadline that looms at the end of the semester.