computer graphics, the transfer of pictorial data into and out of a computer computer, device capable of performing a series of arithmetic or logical operations. A computer is distinguished from a calculating machine, such as an electronic calculator , by being able to store a computer program (so that it can repeat its operations and make
..... Click the link for more information. . Using analog-to-digital conversion analog-to-digital or A/D conversion, the process of changing continuously varying data, such as voltage, current, or shaft rotation, into discrete digital quantities that represent the magnitude of the data
..... Click the link for more information. techniques, a variety of devices—such as curve tracers, digitizers, and light pens—connected to graphic computer terminals, computer-aided design programs, or optical scanners can be used to store pictorial data in a digital computer. By reversing the process through digital-to-analog conversion digital-to-analog or D/A conversion, the process of changing discrete digital data into a continuously varying signal in relation to a standard or reference.
..... Click the link for more information. techniques, the stored data can be displayed in graphical form on a mechanical plotting board, or plotter, or on a televisionlike graphic display terminal. Raster graphics stores and displays images as a bit map, a series of closely spaced dots (or pixels) arranged in rows and columns. Vector, or object-oriented, graphics stores the images as mathematical formulas; images are displayed by calculating the coordinates of the end points and then drawing lines between them. Computer graphics capabilities range from the simple display of digital tabulations as line graphs and pie charts to complex animation and elaborate special effects for television and motion pictures. Computer graphics are used in architecture, art, computer-aided design, electronic games electronic game, device or computer program that provides entertainment by challenging a person's eye-hand coordination or mental abilities. Made possible by the development of the microprocessor , electronic games are marketed in various formats, such as hand-held
..... Click the link for more information. , flight simulators flight simulator, device providing a controlled environment in which a flight trainee can experience conditions approximating those of actual flight. A simulator generally consists of an enclosure housing a working replica of the interior of the cockpit of an
..... Click the link for more information. for pilot training, and molecular modeling molecular modeling, the computer simulation, by various means, of chemical structures or processes. Special computer-graphics programs can display three-dimensional images of molecular structures and chemical processes, showing the distances and angles of chemical
..... Click the link for more information. .

Bibliography

See J. D. Foley, Computer Graphics: Principles and Practices (1990); K. S. Chauveau, J. S. Chin and T. N. Reed, The Computer Graphics Interface (1991); Sun Microsystems, An Introduction to Computer Graphics Concepts: From Pixels to Pictures (1991); R. T. Stevens, Quick Reference to Computer Graphics Terms (1993); I. V. Kerlow and J. Rosebush, Computer Graphics for Designers and Artists (2d ed. 1994); J. Peddie, High-Resolution Graphics Display Systems (1994).

computer graphics

Use of computers to produce visual images, or the images so produced. Creating computer graphics requires a digital computer to store and manipulate images, a display screen, input/output devices, and specialized software that enables the computer to draw, colour, and manipulate images held in memory. Common computer graphic formats include GIF and JPEG, for single images, and MPEG and Quicktime, for multiframe images. The field has widespread use in business, scientific research, and entertainment. Monitors attached to CAD/CAM systems have replaced drafting boards. Computer simulation using graphically displayed quantities permits scientific study and testing of such phenomena as nuclear and chemical reactions, gravitational interactions, and physiological systems. See also computer animation; computer art.

See graphics.