lesson 22 Graphics Software

This lesson includes the following sections: Paint Programs Photo-Manipulation Programs Draw Programs Computer-Aided Design Programs 3-D Modeling Programs Animation Graphics and the World Wide Web

Paint Programs Paint programs work with bitmap images and manage the individual pixels that make up an image. Paint programs provide a variety of tools that can add special effects to an image. It can be difficult to edit an entity in a paint program because the program does not see the entity as a whole, but as a set of pixels. To edit the image, you must make changes to the pixels that comprise it.

As the circle is zoomed on the screen, the individual pixels can be seen. Pixelization is characteristic of paint programs.

Photo-Manipulation Programs Photo-manipulation programs are bitmap-based programs, which are used primarily to edit electronic or digitized photographs. Photo-manipulation programs can repair problems with an image, such as adjusting colors or hiding mistakes. Photo-manipulation programs can produce sophisticated effects, such as combining multiple images into a seamless whole, hiding parts of an image, and more.

The airbrush tool can be used to repair a scratched photograph.

Draw Programs Draw programs work with vectors and give the designer a great deal of flexibility in editing an image. Objects created in a draw program can be altered easily and without loss of image quality. Draw programs work well with text.

Draw programs offer many text effects.

Computer-Aided Design Programs Computer-Aided Design (CAD) programs are used in technical design fields to create models of objects that will be built or manufactured. CAD software allows users to design objects in three dimensions (3-D) and to produce 3-D wireframe and solid models. CAD products provide the user with high precision, and enable the user to divide drawings into layers, and add accurate dimensions (measurements) to a drawing.

3-D Modeling Programs Designers use 3-D modeling programs to build three-dimensional models of objects and characters, and to add special effects to them. Modeling programs use four techniques to build models: Surface modeling Solid modeling Polygonal modeling Spline-based modeling

Gear Model in 3-D

Animation Computers are used to create animation in various fields, including games and movies. Fly-bys and walk-throughs are basic types of computer animation. Character animation is the art of creating a character and making it move in a lifelike manner. Compositing tools allow designers to add characters and objects to scenes that did not originally contain them.

Fly-by frame sequence

Graphics and the World Wide Web Web pages support many types of graphics, including bullets, rules, logos, complex artwork, and photographs. The GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) and JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) image formats are the most widely used formats on the Web. Animation can be added to a Web page by using simple animated GIF images or plug-in software such as Flash or Shockwave.

lesson 22 Review List five types of graphics software and their uses. Differentiate the way bitmap and vector graphics programs work. Describe four methods for creating 3-D computer models. Identify three categories of computer-generated animation. Name five types of graphics elements commonly found in Web pages.