Faculty of Media and Communication
Coursework Assignment Brief
201920
Programme Title: BA Hons Computer Animation Technical Arts
Level 4
Unit Title: Programming Principles
Title of Brief: Programming Project
This assignment is a formal element of coursework worth 50 of the overall unit mark
Each piece of coursework may vary according to the unit
THE BRIEF
This assignment requires the design and implementation of a computer graphics application supported by a report discussing its design and implementation counting for 50 of unit mark. It assesses software development practice, knowledge of procedural programming concepts as well as understanding of basic 2D computer graphics techniques and algorithms. This is in relation to the following ILOs Intended Learning Outcomes of the Programming Principles Unit:
Being able to implement algorithms in general and basic CG algorithms using a suitable Application Programming Interface API.
Demonstrating an ability to design and implement suitable data structures.
Demonstrating an ability to apply suitable software engineering principles.
All assignments must be written in C not C and make use of the SDL library and appropriate SDL extensions such as SDLimage or SDLttf for creating windows, accessing images and pixel drawing operations as well as OpenGL for option 3 and must include a working makefile that will successfully build the project on the lab machines on Linux.
Project Option 1: Turtle GraphicsDrawing Spirolateral Curves
Turtle graphics http:en.wikipedia.orgwikiTurtlegraphics is a simple and well know method for drawing complex shapes from simple lines. Turtle graphics employs the concept of a turtle, which is a simple robot or agent in the shape of a turtle that has the following attributes usually implemented using a record data structure:
a position x, y in 2D space,
a heading or angle measured in degrees or radians, and
a flagvariable pen that could be set either as Up Truedrawing or as Down Falsenot drawing
If the turtles pen is set to have the value Down and the turtle moves then the turtle leaves a trace while it moves. It accepts the following simple instructions usually implemented as functions:
penup sets the state of the turtles pen to Up,
pendown sets the state of the turtles pen to Down,
move n makes the turtle move n units along its heading usually implemented by drawing a line
segment between the start point and the end point, and
turnturns the heading of the turtle bydegrees.
While there are some similarities between turtle graphics and Lsystems, turtles and Lsystems are not the same and need to be treatedimplemented differently.
A spirolateral is a geometric shapepattern that is constructed from a series of straight lines of growing
length that are attached at an angle, which, if repeated after one another, will result in a closed curve http:mathworld.wolfram.comSpirolateral.html.
Your task is to first implement a simple turtle library data structurea set of related functionsnot implemented as an Lsystem using C in combination with the SDL library for 2D pixel drawing and then to use this library to create a spirolateral drawing program with a simple user interface that may be graphical or textbased that is capable of the following:
1. allow the user to interactively through the user interface selectchange the drawing parameters such as drawing and background colours, the initial length and number of line segments. These parameters should also include the number of repetitions of the initial pattern, the drawing angle etc.
2. provide a set of at least three preset spirolaterals that are selectable by the user for drawing
3. save the resulting spirolaterals as image files, and optionally save the spirolateral drawing as an image sequence that shows the addition of each line segment as a separate animation frame that would show the curve being drawn step by step
Recommended reading:
Krawczyk, R.J. 1999. Spirolaterals, Complexity from Simplicity, in Proceedings of the 1999
Conference of The International Society of the Arts, Mathematics and Architecture. Available
from: http:mypages.iit.edukrawczykisama99.pdf
Krawczyk, R.J. 2000. The Art of Spirolaterals, in Proceedings MOSAIC 2000, the Millennial
Open Symposium on the Arts and Interdisiciplinary Computing. Available from:
http:mypages.iit.edukrawczykmosaic00.pdf
Reed, D. 2002, CSC 107, Lab 2: Functions and Turtle Graphics, in Nifty AssignmentsSIGCSE 2002. Available from: http:davereed.comNiftyWalkLab.html
Project Option 2: Advanced EtchASketch
Your task is to write a computer graphics program in C and using the SDL library that allows image creation by emulating the popular EtchASketch toy https:en.wikipedia.orgwikiEtchASketch, adding a set of advanced features.
Unlike the original EtchASketch toy, your program should allow the creation of multicoloured images. The program should be able to save resulting images and to reload previously saved images to continue drawing. The left and right rotating control buttons should be emulated by using the AD and the left arrowrightarrow keys.
As a minimum, the program should include the following features:
1. provide a keyboard shortcut based interactive user interface
2. allow the user to change drawing colour and linewidth for drawing
3. allow the user to save the resulting image in an image file of their choosing and take a snapshot of current drawing position and parameters a 2nd fileeither a text file or a binary file storing data in a format of your choosingnoting the drawing colour, drawing position, line width and the corresponding image file will have to be created for this and to reload previously saved images
for further editing
Recommended reading:
http:gigi.nullneuron.netgigilabssdl2pixeldrawing
https:wiki.libsdl.orgCategoryKeyboard
https:www.programiz.comcprogrammingcfileinputoutput
Project Option 3: Breakout
Your task is to write a clone of the classic arcade video game Breakout released in 1976, making use of the OpenGL API in conjunction with the SDL library see: https:en.wikipedia.orgwikiBreakoutvideogame, https:en.wikipedia.orgwikiArkanoid and https:www.youtube.comwatch?vUpa5x3coC0.
In the game Breakout, the player controls a horizontal paddle at the bottom of the screen that is used to hit a bouncing ball towards a wall of bricks at the top of the screen, which get destroyed when hit with the ball different types of bricks may need a different number of hits to break. The speed of the ball is variable, depending on different factors e.g. the angle of connection with the paddle If the player misses the ball, i.e. if the ball falls below the bottom of the screen, the player loses a life.
As a minimum, your program should include the following features:
1. a keyboardcontrolled paddle for the player and three player lives
2. two different types of brick and three different levels that show a different targetwall hardcoded or possibly loaded from a file
3. at least one powerup e.g. gained by hitting a certain number of bricks in a short time or a special brick being destroyed etc. that provides a bonus to the player e.g. shortterm slowdown of the ball, a wider paddle, an extra life etc.
Recommended reading:
https:www.c64wiki.comwikiArkanoid Project Option 4: Frame Processor
Your task is to write a computer program in C making use of the SDL library that converts source images to ASCII art see: http:en.wikipedia.orgwikiASCIIart, i.e. a representation of the original image using ASCII characters only.
Employing a textbased interface either through commandline arguments or through interactive queries during program execution, the program you create should allow the user to select an image or a sequence of images e.g. animation frames and then process these by matching pixel regions with ASCII characters of comparable intensitybrightness, saving the results in a format selectable by the user, which should be either as ASCII text files, an image file of ASCII characters with a selectable text and background colour or as an image of coloured ASCII characters using the average colour of the pixels they replace on a neutral background using the SDLttf extension for the SDL library to write characters into the image.
Do not hardcoded filenames of files that the user is supposed to manipulate e.g. the filename for images a user loads or saves!
Recommended reading:
Parberry, I. 2011. Text Arthttp:ianparberry.comartasciitext
Parberry, I. 2011. ASCII Art on a Pixel Shaderhttp:ianparberry.comartasciishader
Mikolay, M. 2012. A Basic ASCII Art Algorithmhttps:web.archive.orgweb20151031150811http:mattmik.comarticlesasciiascii.html
Marking Criteria:
The quality of the source code and usability of the program. This includes effective use of programming techniques, such as using structured and procedural programming, recursion, relevant control structures and data structures, etc., but also encompasses adherence to the brief such as the use of the prescribed programming language and libraries. This will count for 50 of the mark of your assignment.
The remaining 50 will be determined by:
The project report, including Background, Implementation, Results see section 3 of the submission details below and references using BU Harvard referencing.
The visual Impact i.e. how well it achieves the intended results of the generated artefacts based on the Results section of your report, andor submitted generated artefacts, see submission details.
Source code documentation relevant and appropriate comments in the source code.
SUBMISSION DETAILS
Your submission needs to include the following:
1. One or more well commented C source code files and a working Makefile that will build an executable program without errors on any machine on Linux in the 1st year labs and that will run on the machines in the 1st year labs.
2. A PDF user Manual for your application. The User Manual should explain how to initialise and run your program this does not include compilation.
3. A PDF report documenting and explaining your application. As a guide, the report should be approximately 68 A4 pages of text and appropriate diagrams such as design drawingsflow charts but also including resulting imagesscreenshots. The report should contain a section called Background or Introduction explaining related work, the algorithms, techniques, and ideas used in your project. It should also have a section called Implementation explaining the structure of your program in terms of the implementation of the algorithms and techniques used, describing flow of control, and explain the implementation of the most important functions or procedures. This section should serve to illuminate but not replicate your code. Finally, the report should contain a section called Results which includes images, or references to images and video demonstrating and explaining the results produced by your program. Sources used or referred to must be cited using BU Harvard referencing.
4. Appropriate sample results and source data, such as original and images where this applies, such as animations or images generated by your program.
Note: this assignment is not a group project assignment but an individual project assignment,
and apart from trivial parts of your source code, we expect to see a substantial amount of originaldifferent source code and original reports submitted by different students.
Ensure all requested deliverables are present. Make sure your programs compile and run on the Linux workstations in the lab. It is your responsibility to include examples, images screen shots, other data and relevant documentation regarding the operation of the programs submitted.
Make sure that any 3rd party source code e.g. found in a book or downloaded from the web or source code you may have been given by fellow students or members staff is credited, i.e. cited in the report and included in comments explaining where the code was found and stating who is the authorif you received help with parts of your code the person helping you should be acknowledged in a source code comment as well as in your report. Borrowed3rd party code should be bracketed by comments:
source from Author starts here; it originates from … and does …
… code …
source from Author ends here
If the author is unknown state the website or location where the source code was found. If the source is modified, but the modifications are small, start and end the comments withsource based on Author . For example :
source from Ari Sarafopoulos starts here : asarafopCFG
int ivaldouble vreturn the closest integer
return vfloorv0.5 ? intceilv: intfloorv;
source from Ari Sarafopoulos ends here
Submit via the assignment submission link in the navigation bar in the Programming Principles unit on Brightspace.
Please be aware of the following restrictions.
Individual files including zipped folders must be less than 3GB considering previous cohorts submissions, your project files should not exceed 50MB.
It is strongly recommended that you upload large files while on campus using a University computer.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are submitting to the correct submission box in the correct unit on Brightspace. You should check and retain your receipt for all submissions. If you are uploading multiple files you should check all files are listed on your receipt.
DEADLINE
12 Noon, 20th January 2020 is the submission deadline for this assessment, using the Brightspace on line submission systemplease note that this is the time by when your submission must have finished uploading. If you encounter a technical Brightspace problem with uploading your submission you must contact the IT Service Desk to log the problem immediately and at least 15 minutes before the deadline phone 65515 if calling internally or 01202 965515 if calling externally and log an IT job using the Self Service web tracker http:servicedesk.bournemouth.ac.uk.
Ensure all requested deliverables are present. Make sure your programs compile using the makefile and run on the Linux workstations. It is your responsibility to include examples, images screen shots, other data and relevant documentation regarding the operation of the programs submitted.
Please note that this 12 Noon, 20th January 2020 is the final time you can submitnot the time to submit! Your feedback and mark for this assignment will be provided on the 10th of February 2020 online on Brightspace. If you fail your assignment or need further clarification on your feedback please make an appointment to see your tutor.
HELP AND SUPPORT
If you have any questions, please contact Dr Eike Anderson either in the labs or by email: EAndersonbournemouth.ac.uk;
For additional onsite help and support, you can also contact the animation demonstrators.
Plagiarism and SelfPlagiarism: You must acknowledge your source every time you refer to others work or work that you have previously submitted and been assessed on, using the Harvard Referencing system AuthorDate method. Failure to do so amounts to plagiarism or selfplagiarism which is against University regulations.
Please refer to http:libguides.bournemouth.ac.ukstudyskillsreferencingplagiarism for further details of this and to https:www1.bournemouth.ac.ukdiscoverlibraryusinglibraryhowguideshowcitereferences for the Universitys guide to citation in the Harvard style.
Students must ensure that they do not commit any type of Academic Offence. For further information please see:
https:www1.bournemouth.ac.ukdiscoverlibraryusinglibraryhowguideshowavoidacademicoffences
Plagiarism regulations extend to audio visual materials and work in other media. Archive or other material not generated by yourself or crew must be appropriately captioned when on screen and an acknowledgement to the source of the material included in the end credits or equivalent part of any online material. Failure to do so amounts to plagiarism or self plagiarism, which is against University regulations.
Students with Additional Learning Needs may contact Learning Support on http:studentportal.bournemouth.ac.uklearningalsindex.html
General academic support is available via the Study Skills community on Brightspace.
Additional support for Faculty of Media and Communication students only is provided by a small team of Learning
Development Tutors. Please contact FMCLearningDevelopmentbournemouth.ac.uk to make an appointment.
If you have any valid exceptional circumstances that mean you cannot meet an assignment submission deadline and you wish to request an extension, you will need to complete and submit the Exceptional Circumstances Form for consideration to your Administrator together with appropriate supporting evidence e.g., GP note normally before the coursework deadline. Further details on the procedure and the exceptional circumstances form can be found at https:www.bournemouth.ac.ukstudentshelpadvicelookingsupportexceptionalcircumstances Please make sure you read these documents carefully before submitting anything for consideration.
Please be mindful that certain actions carry risk which should be adequately assessed before undertaking the activity. Please refer to UniversityFaculty guidance for clarification.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this assignment brief is correct at time of publication. In the unlikely event that any changes are deemed necessary, they will be communicated clearly via email and via the VLE and a new version of this assignment brief will be circulated.
Version: 1 Updated September 2019
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