In Conclusion

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Chapter List

Chapter 3: Parametric Equations and Bezier Curves
Chapter 4: B-Splines
Chapter 5: NURBS
Chapter 6: Subdivision of Curves

Part Overview

This is where the real material on curves actually begins. Curves can be very useful for many applications. They can be used to define paths for objects in a game world; they can be used as functions that describe the speed, color , or other attributes of the objects; and, of course, they can be used to draw curves on the screen. These curves could be used to define and draw anything from fonts to strands of hair and fur. In the samples, I have chosen to draw the curves as basic shapes rather than try to implement a specific example of fur or some other "real-world" application. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, I have a limited amount of space and I want to make sure I cover the important topics. Second, I don't want someone to get the impression that any one of these concepts is directly tied to some specific application. By not giving you too many specific examples, I hope that you will be more open to finding your own interesting applications. Therefore, the sample code doesn't tell you how to draw grass; it simply shows you how to draw curves.

I begin by walking you through Bezier curves, which are straightforward but limited examples of parametric curves. From there, I will explain B-splines, which are a more general and flexible approach to drawing curves. From there, I will talk about NURBS (NonUniform Rational B-Splines), which are an even more flexible approach.

Each chapter concentrates on the mechanics of the different types of curves and renders those curves in the most straightforward way possible. This section of the book will be wrapped up in Chapter 6 where I will explain how to subdivide curves to produce more efficient rendering.

These curves are useful on their own, and they also serve as the foundation for surfaces, which I cover in Part 3.

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Focus on Curves and Surfaces
Focus On Curves and Surfaces (Focus on Game Development)
ISBN: 159200007X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 104
Authors: Kelly Dempski

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