CS 40: Computer Graphics — Fall 2025

Instructor: Prof. Andrew Danner

Class: MWF 9:30am-10:20am Sci 105

Lab A: M 1:05-2:35pm Martin 327

Lab B: M 2:45-4:15pm Martin 327

Office hours: W 10:30am-12:00pm, R 1:30-2:40pm Martin 306

Edstem: CS40 Q&A forum

GitHub CS40 Swarthmore GitHub Organization

Welcome to CS40: Computer Graphics! This course focuses on the creation and manipulation of 3D geometric models and the rendering of these models on a two dimensional screen. We will examine modeling from both a pixel-based view and a more geometric vector-based approach. Core topics include geometric primitives, 2D and 3D matrix transformations, projective geometry, and object modelling. We’ll examine the traditional rendering pipeline and will explore advanced techniques for scene manipulation using programmable shaders. Intermediate topics include texture mapping, lighting, and shadows. We will be using the modern OpenGL programming approach which uses programmable vertex and fragment shaders throughout the course. Advanced topics may include GPGPU computing using CUDA, particle systems, noise, and additional programmable shaders.

There is no required textbook for this course.

Tutorials:

References:

Quick Checks for Online WebGL demos:

By the end of the course, you will have developed the following knowledge and skills:

CS40 requires you to understand several linear algebra and geometric concepts and apply them to an advanced codebase in a highly specialized parallel computing environment. OpenGL, Qt, and CUDA are large software APIs and we will not be exploring them in great depth in a one semester course. To succeed in this course, you should consistently do the following:

Grades will be weighted as follows:

Lab assignments are submitted electronically using git, and are typically due by 7am {tzone} on Monday mornings. You may submit your assignment multiple times, but only the final submission will be graded.

Some labs will be individual assignments to ensure that everyone knows the basics of the course material. Later, we will transition to partnered lab assignments to allow you to work on more complex problems.

Academic honesty is required in all your work. Under no circumstances may you hand in work done with (or by) someone else under your own name. Your code should never be shared with anyone; you may not examine or use code belonging to someone else, nor may you let anyone else look at or make a copy of your code. This includes, but is not limited to, obtaining solutions from students who previously took the course or code that can be found online. You may not share solutions after the due date of the assignment.

Discussing ideas and approaches to problems with others on a general level is fine (in fact, we encourage you to discuss general strategies with each other), but you should never read anyone else’s code or let anyone else read your code. All code you submit must be your own with the following permissible exceptions: code distributed in class, and code found in the course text book. In these cases, you should always include detailed comments that indicates on which parts of the assignment you received help, and what your sources were.

Failure to abide by these rules constitutes academic dishonesty and will lead to a hearing of the College Judiciary Committee. According to the Faculty Handbook: "Because plagiarism is considered to be so serious a transgression, it is the opinion of the faculty that for the first offense, failure in the course and, as appropriate, suspension for a semester or deprivation of the degree in that year is suitable; for a second offense, the penalty should normally be expulsion."

The spirit of this policy applies to all course work, including code, homework solutions (e.g., proofs, analysis, written reports), quizzes, and exams. Please contact me if you have any questions about what is permissible in this course.

If you believe you need accommodations for a disability or a chronic medical condition, please contact Student Disability Services via e-mail at studentdisabilityservices at swarthmore.edu to arrange an appointment to discuss your needs. As appropriate, the office will issue students with documented disabilities or medical conditions a formal Accommodations Letter. Since accommodations require early planning and are not retroactive, please contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. For details about the accommodations process, visit the Student Disability Services website.

To receive an accommodation for a course activity, you must have an Accommodation Letter from the Office of Student Disability Services and you need to meet with us to work out the details of your accommodation at least two weeks prior to the activity.

You are also welcome to contact us privately to discuss your academic needs. However, all disability-related accommodations must be arranged, in advance, through Student Disability Services.

We’ll be using Edstem, an online Q&A forum for class discussion, help with labs, clarifications, and announcements that pertain to all sections of CS40. You should be automatically enrolled in CS40 on Edstem. If you don’t have access, please let me know.

Edstem is meant for questions outside of regular meeting times such as office hours, class, and lab. Please do not hesitate to ask and answer questions on Edstem, but keep in mind the following guidelines:

Links that are related to the course may be posted here. If you have suggestions for links, let me know.