Columbia University
|
 |
3D user interfaces are already essential to fields as diverse as visualization and video games, and are becoming even more important as the major personal computer and smartphone user interfaces incorporate increasingly powerful 3D technology. COMS W4172 provides an introduction to this exciting way of interacting with computers, with an emphasis on methods for designing and developing effective 3D user interfaces. The course's name acknowledges the major role played in our projects by augmented reality—dynamically integrating 3D virtual media with our experience of the real world. We will explore:
Your grade will be based on:
The domain for your team project will be up to you. You can see screenshots of past team final projects and our team final project videos from Spring 2012, Spring 2013, and Spring 2014.
There will be no final exam, but we hope you'll be having too much fun doing the final project to miss it.
Prerequisites are one of the following:
Please don't hesitate to talk with me to find out if this is the right course for you! Prior familiarity with the 3D math used in COMS W4160 will be helpful, but is not required: the course will include a review of the 3D math needed to understand the material and do the assignments.
Xin (Amy) Xu (xx2152 [AT] columbia [DOT] edu) is a senior in the CS Vision and Graphics Track in SEAS. She has assisted on augmented reality research projects in the Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab using Unity3D over the past semester. Her interests include graphics and human–computer interaction. She will hold office hours Thursdays 10am–noon in 6LE3 Schapiro CEPSR (212-939-7101).
Noah Zweben (njz2104 [AT] columbia [DOT] edu) is a senior in SEAS studying CS. He is interested in Computer Graphics, AR, art, and robotics and has worked in the Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab, developing AR tools for humanities projects. He will hold office hours Tuesdays 4–6pm in 6LE3 Schapiro CEPSR (212-939-7101).
D. Bowman, E. Kruijff, J. LaViola Jr., and I. Poupyrev. 3D User Interfaces: Theory and Practice. Addison-Wesley, Boston, 2005, ISBN 0-201-75867-9 [required]. (A new edition will appear later this semester; however, I will assume you will have the first edition.)
For those assignments that involve programming, you will be using Unity 5 Personal Edition, which supports the development of 3D applications for desktop, hand-held, and head-worn displays. To support augmented reality, in which the user's perception of the surrounding real world is integrated with geometrically aligned 3D media, you will be using PTC Vuforia, a computer-vision–based software tracking library. We will be deploying our apps to Android and iOS devices with cameras (e.g., smartphones and tablets).
You are responsible for all material covered in class and all the assigned reading listed in the syllabus, including any changes or additions announced in class. If you miss a class, please talk to someone who didn't. (Copies of each class's slides will be linked to the syllabus.)
Course material will be found on the web through CourseWorks, and the syllabus and assignments will be linked through http://www.cs.columbia.edu/graphics/courses/csw4172/.
Each assignment should be submitted electronically through CourseWorks, before the beginning of the class (1:10pm) on the day the assignment is due. If you don't submit an assignment on time, the following lateness policy applies.
All assignments are due at 1:10pm on the scheduled due date before, not during or after, class. To make the deadlines more manageable, each student will be allowed four "late days" during the semester for which lateness will not be penalized. However, no late days may be applied to the final project, and only one late day may be applied to the first assignment. Otherwise, your four late days may be used as you see fit.
Anything turned in past the start of class until midnight the next day is one day late. Every (partial) day thereafter that an assignment is late, including weekends and holidays, counts as an additional late day.
Absolutely no late work will be accepted beyond that accounted for by your late days. If you're not done on time, please be sure to turn in whatever you have completed on time to receive partial credit. Now, please go back and read this section over again!
This course will follow the Department of Computer Science Policies and Procedures Regarding Academic Honesty. Collaboration on any assignment (except as an approved part of group projects) is, as in all Columbia courses, strictly prohibited. Infractions will be reported to the Department of Computer Science Academic Committee and referred to the Deans.
For example, this means that if you use GitHub to maintain material for an individual or team assignment, you must use a private repository whose access is appropriately restricted. (Note that the GitHub Student Developer Pack is free for registered students and includes a "Personal" GitHub plan that allows the creation of an unlimited number of private repositories.)