Columbia University
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3D user interfaces are already essential to fields as diverse as scientific visualization and video games, and are becoming even more important as the major consumer desktop and hand-held user interfaces incorporate 3D technology. COMS W4172 will provide an introduction to this exciting way of interacting with computers, with an emphasis on methods for designing and developing effective 3D user interfaces. This year, we have changed the course's name to acknowledge the major role played in our course projects by augmented reality—We will explore:
Your grade will be based on:
Following our tradition of interdisciplinary team projects, the team project will be co-advised and critiqued by Prof. Petia Morozov (Urban Design, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation), Sarah Williams (Spatial Information Design Lab, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation), and Sean White (Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab). The projects will address "situated visualization" of information through augmented reality. Our domain will be Columbia's proposed Manhattanville campus, which we will explore indoors in virtual miniature, and on-site at full scale. To get a more concrete idea of what we'll be doing, you can see screenshots of past team final projects.
There will be no final exam, but we hope you'll be having too much fun doing the project to miss it.
Prerequisites are one of the following: COMS W4160 (Computer Graphics), or COMS W4170 (User Interface Design), or a strong desire to learn about 3D user interfaces and permission of the instructor. Please don't hesitate to talk with me to find out if this is the right course for you! Prior familiarity with the 3D math used in COMS W4160 will be helpful, but is not required: the course will include a review of the 3D math needed to understand the material and do the assignments.
Steve Henderson (henderso [AT] cs [AT] columbia [DOT] edu) is a third-year Ph.D. student in Computer Science and a member of the Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab. Steve is focusing his doctoral work on exploring how augmented reality can support maintenance and repair operations. His research interests include 2D and 3D user interfaces, mobile augmented reality, information visualization, intelligent systems, social networks, large-scale database design, and optimization. Steve is an Academy Professor in the United States Military Academy's Department of Systems Engineering, located in West Point, NY. He has a M.S. in Systems Engineering from the University of Arizona, and a B.S. in Computer Science from West Point. He will hold office hours Tuesday and Thursday 3–4 pm in the Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab (6LE3 Schapiro CEPSR). His website for supplementary course material and tutorials is located at http://www.cs.columbia.edu/graphics/courses/csw4172/ta.
D. Bowman, E. Kruijff, J. LaViola Jr., and I. Poupyrev. 3D User Interfaces: Theory and Practice. Addison-Wesley, Boston, 2005, ISBN 0-201-75867-9 [required].
For those assignments that involve programming, you will be using our Goblin XNA infrastructure, which supports the development of 3D applications for desktop, hand-held, and head-worn display, including augmented reality, in which the user's view of the surrounding real world is integrated with overlaid 3D graphics. Goblin XNA is built on XNA Game Studio 3.0 in combination with a variety of supporting packages, including a vision-based 3D tracking system. More info will be available shortly, including suggestions for a suitable inexpensive camera that you will use to capture and track the surrounding environment.
You are responsible for all material covered in class and all the assigned reading listed in the syllabus, including any changes or additions announced in class. If you miss a class, please talk to someone who didn't. (Copies of each class's slides will be linked to the syllabus.)
Course material will be found on the web through CourseWorks, and the syllabus and assignments will be linked through http://www.cs.columbia.edu/graphics/courses/csw4172/.
Each assignment should be submitted electronically through CourseWorks, before the beginning of the class (1:10pm) on the day the assignment is due. If you don't submit an assignment on time, the following lateness policy applies.
All assignments are due at 1:10pm on the scheduled due date before, not during or after, class. To make the deadlines more manageable, each student will be allowed four "late days" during the semester for which lateness will not be penalized. However, no late days may not be applied to the final project, and only one late day may be applied to the first assignment. Otherwise, your four late days may be used as you see fit.
Anything turned in past the start of class until midnight the next day is one day late. Every (partial) day thereafter that an assignment is late, including weekends and holidays, counts as an additional late day.
Absolutely no late work will be accepted beyond that accounted for by your late days. If you're not done on time, please be sure to turn in whatever you have completed on time to receive partial credit. Now, please go back and read this section over again!
This course will follow the Department of Computer Science Policies and Procedures Regarding Academic Honesty. Collaboration on any assignment (except as an approved part of group projects) is, as in all Columbia courses, strictly prohibited. Infractions will be reported to the Department of Computer Science Academic Committee and referred to the Deans.