FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6 March 2002
 
For further information:
Sheila Hoffmeyer/Ann Kilhoffer-Reichert
+1.312.644.6610 x5811
+1.312.245.1083 fax
media-s2002@siggraph.org
 
SIGGRAPH 2002 Courses Teach Newest Computer Graphics Techniques for Interactive Systems, Games, Films, the Web, and Wireless Devices

Record Number of Courses Submitted and Offered

(Chicago, IL) - ACM SIGGRAPH today announced the content of the Courses program for SIGGRAPH 2002, the 29th International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, being held 21-26 July, Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas. The 2002 Courses teach the newest computer graphics techniques for interactive systems, games, films, the Web, and wireless devices. Courses content is an example of SIGGRAPH's strategic goal of offering education that applies to both existing and emerging applications of computer graphics.

"Selected from a record-setting 100 submissions, we are offering 59 courses in our program this year – 25 full-day, 26 half-day, and 8 tutorials. The submissions were all of an unbelievably high quality, making the selection process very difficult," said Valerie Miller, SIGGRAPH 2002 Courses chair from Georgia State University. "The jury attempted to achieve a balance across different areas of interest as well as different levels of expertise to provide something for every attendee. This year, many courses are being offered in conjunction with other Conference programs, in particular the new Web Graphics program."

"As new application areas of computer graphics emerge and others grow, the SIGGRAPH programs are changing so SIGGRAPH remains the definitive source for information and techniques in computer graphics," said Tom Appolloni, SIGGRAPH 2002 Chair from Harris Corporation. "The Courses content is an excellent example of this as the techniques learned can be applied in traditional areas as well as new ones like the Web and wireless."

The SIGGRAPH 2002 Courses include:

MPEG-4: Next-Generation Standard for Interactive Media
Organizer: Klaus Diepold, DynaPel Laboratories GmbH
MPEG-4 is an international open standard that provides technology for creation and delivery of rich, interactive media transported via the Internet or broadcast or wireless channels to a broad spectrum of user terminals ranging from set-top boxes to PDAs. This course presents an overview of the tools and opportunities for creating interactive content with a blend of media technologies.

Dynamic Media on Demand: Exploring Wireless and Wired Streaming Technologies and Content
Organizer: Theresa-Marie Rhyne, North Carolina State University
This course highlights issues associated with streaming media technologies and delivery of dynamic media and 3D content in wired and wireless environments. It summarizes media architectures and media management (storage, retrieval, and indexing challenges) and compression, coding, and decoding issues. And it reviews protocols and strategies for transmitting content via local, metropolitan, and wide-area wired and wireless networking. Since small, portable, wireless gadgets are becoming ubiquitous, it also addresses multimedia (2D and 3D) rendering on handheld devices, phones, and other thin clients.

Motion Capture: Pipeline, Applications, and Use
Organizer: Suba Varadarajan, The Ohio State University
An introduction to motion capture, from initial planning to final mapping of data to characters. Various uses of motion capture, including dance, human-motion analysis and recognition, character animation, and facial animation are presented. Using Maya, attendees gain hands-on experience with applying motion to characters. This course will be taught in the Creative Applications Lab.

Simulating Nature: Realistic and Interactive Techniques
Organizer: David Ebert, Purdue University
This summary of the state-of-the-art for simulating natural phenomena in both research and commercial production environments covers realistic modeling, rendering, and animation of mountains; interactively navigable worlds; plants; trees; water; fire; smoke; and clouds. Practical aspects, interactive approximation, implementation, and future directions for research are discussed.

OpenGL 2.0
Organizer: Randi Rost, 3Dlabs, Inc.
OpenGL 2.0 is a major upgrade to the preeminent cross-platform 3D graphics standard, OpenGL. This course presents a status report on the OpenGL 2.0 effort and an overview of all of the new features in the new version, including programmable shaders, programmable image formats, support for multipass rendering, better synchronization, and improved performance.

Character Setup From Rig Mechanics to Skin Deformations: A Practical Approach
Organizer: Yaron Canetti, Summer Breeze
How body rigs, face rigs, pipeline integration, and muscles are used in character setup for rig mechanics and skin deformations, with an emphasis on practical, production-tested approaches that use off-the-shelf products.

Building Interactive Spaces
Organizer: Claudio Pinhanez, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
A survey of traditional and emerging technologies used for design and construction of new forms of immersive and interactive physical spaces for offices, homes, and location-based entertainment. Basic concepts are explored in four case studies and a participatory design exercise.

Design of Interactive Multimodal Media Systems
Organizer: Kellogg Booth, The University of British Columbia
How traditional human-computer-interaction methodologies augmented with theories and experimental findings from cognitive science address challenges posed by multimodal interaction using vision, haptics, and sound in conventional and immersive computer graphics environments. Attendees learn the theory and practice of multimodal interaction design in a multidisciplinary setting.

New for SIGGRAPH 2002, Courses start early on Sunday morning and run through Wednesday of the conference week. For complete Courses information including, schedule, topics, prerequisites, and lecturers, please see www.siggraph.org/s2002/conference/courses/index.html.

Registration information can be found at www.siggraph.org/s2002 or by contacting SIGGRAPH 2002 Conference Management, 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611 USA. +1.312.321.6830 phone; +1.312.321.6876 fax; registration@siggraph.org.

SIGGRAPH 2002 will bring nearly 20,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from six continents to San Antonio for the week-long conference, 21 – 26 July. A comprehensive technical program and special events focusing on research, art, animation, games, interactivity, and the Web are planned. SIGGRAPH 2002 includes a three-day exhibition of products and services for the computer graphics and interactive marketplace from 22 – 25 July 2002.
 
Complete information on SIGGRAPH 2002 Conference & Exhibition

SIGGRAPH 2002 Contact Information:

SIGGRAPH 2002 Media Relations
Sheila Hoffmeyer or Ann Reichert
+1.312.321.6830
+1.312.245.1083 fax

SIGGRAPH 2002 Conference Management
Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.
+1.312.644.6610 x5811
+1.312.321.6876 fax

SIGGRAPH 2002 Exhibition Management
Hall-Erickson, Inc.
Mike Weil
+1.630.434.7779
+1.630.434.1216 fax