Guest Editor's Introduction

Computer Graphics Tokyo 84,Part 1: Geometric Modeling, 4Graphics LanguageDesign, and Software

Tosiyasu L. Kunhi

University of Tokyo

Computer graphics has grown as a greattree would grow: It has developed its owndeep roots, and it has spread out itsbranches. This tree is not limited to thedomain of computer science. Its branchesreach into the field of art, with computerpainting and animation; into manufactur-ing; into the engineer's domain, withrobotics, CAD, and CAE.

Looking carefully at the evolution ofcomputer graphics, you will notice thatthe successful branches are supported byhealthy roots, namely progress in geo-

metric modeling of physical objects andoperations, and sound graphics languagedesign based on the modeling.

These special issues cover this progress

in detail. They are composed of outstand-ing papers contributed to ComputerGraphics Tokyo 84, which was held inTokyo April 24 to 27, 1984. CG Tokyo 84was sponsored by Japan Management As-sociation in cooperation with the Com-puter Graphics Society, Japan ComputerGraphics Association, IEEE ComputerSociety, the Association for ComputingMachinery, the Information ProcessingSociety of Japan, and the Institute ofElectronics and Communication Engi-neers of Japan. All the papers in thisspecial issue and the next one have beenreviewed and revised in conformance withthe IEEE Computer Graphics and Appli-cations editorial policy.

This month you will read papers on

geometric modeling, graphics languagedesign, and software. First, Tony C. Woo

approaches solid modeling, CAD, CAM,and robotics with a storage-efficient 3-Ddata structure to speed up the geometricalgorithms. Then with Toshiaki Satohand Kazunori Yamaguchi, I present a setof algorithms for converting octrees to avariety of boundary representations con-

structed topologically with Euler opera-tions. Next Herv6 Huitric and MoniqueNahas comment that B-spline surfaces are

extremely interesting aesthetically, be-cause they allow modeling of shapes as a

sculptor would work in clay. They illus-trate how with bicubic B-splines. Then wehave two articles on graphics languagedesign: K. Yamaguchi, N. Inamoto, and I

introduce a data-flow language for intel-ligent graphics displays as a conceptualmodel for such applications as multiplerobot arm control; and N. Magnenat-Thalmann and M. Fortin explore Mira-nim, a director-oriented system for creat-ing most scenes in a computer-generatedfilm. These authors also suggest an in-novative way to extend the creative possi-bilities with this user-friendly system.Finally, we have an article on software, inwhich James R. Warner makes cogentsuggestions about evaluating softwarepackages based on graphics standards.Next month we look forward to bringingyou more articles on geometric modeling.

Tosiyasu L. Kunii is currently a professor of information and computerscience at the University of Tokyo. He started work there in raster graphics in1968, which led to the Tokyo Raster Technology Project. His research in-

terests include computer graphics, database systems, and software engineer-

ing. He has authored and edited 20 computer science books and published 75refereed academic/technical papers in computer science and applicationsareas.

Kunii is president of Computer Graphics Society, chairman of the boardof the Handheld Computer Society, and a member of the editorial board ofCG&A. He is active in IFIP, organized and is ex-chair of the Technical Com-

mittee on Software Engineering of the Information Processing Society of Japan, and organizedand is ex-president of the Japan Computer Graphics Association. He served as general chairman ofthe Third International Conference on Very Large Data Bases in 1977, program chairman of Inter-graphics 83, and program chairman of Computer Graphics Tokyo 84, which he will also chair in1985.

Kunii received his BSc, MSc, and DSc in chemistry from the University of Tokyo in 1962, 1964,and 1967.

Kunii's address is Department of Information Science, Faculty of Science, the University ofTokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan.

0272-1716/85/0300-0017$01.00 O 1985 IEEE

The computer graphics rendering of the pagoda isfrom the article by the Thalmanns and Mario Fortin

on page 61 of this issue.

March 1985 17