TEACHING
ERGUN AKLEMAN
Summary

In the Visualization Sciences program, I teach a wide variety of topics in covering both artistic and scientific aspects of computer graphics. All my courses are interdisciplinary by nature. I combine a studio approach with lectures. The courses I have taught until now can roughly be classified into three categories (1) Technical Computer Graphics and Visualization Courses such as Image Synthesis, Digital Image, and Computer Aided Sculpting; and (2) Art & Design (or Practical Computer Graphics and Visualization) Courses such as Digital Compositing and Rendering & Shading; and (3) Storytelling and Animation courses such as Visual Storytelling and Computer Animation. In my technical computer graphics courses that are usually heavy in computer science and mathematics, students also learn aesthetics aspects of the subject. In my art, design and animation courses, students also learn mathematical and scientific aspects. I, now, regularly teach six courses: Image Synthesis, Digital Image, Computer Aided Sculpting, Digital Compositing, Rendering & Shading and Visual Storytelling (See description of these courses below).

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Technical Computer Graphics & Visualization Courses
Viza 654, Digital Image (crosslisted with Computer Science: CPSC 646).
This course is designed to provide a thorough grounding in the state of the art in the treatment of digital images, particularly within the context of computer graphics, and digital effects. It is designed to prepare students to understand existing systems for storage, display, transformation and manipulation of digital images write their own software for working with digital images undertake creative work and research involving digital images.
Viza 656, Image Synthesis (crosslisted with Computer Science: CPSC 647).
The course covers rendering techniques that include the algorithms that simulate various properties of light propagation such as ray tracing, volume rendering, backward ray tracing, radiosity and photon mapping. The course also covers practical applications of mathematical concepts such as vector, matrix and quaternion algebra, and projective geometry. In a step by step fashion, the students develop a ray tracer and extend it to either a backward ray tracer, volume renderer or photon mapping system.
Viza 657, Computer Aided Sculpting (crosslisted with Computer Science: CPSC 648).
This is a shape modeling course that teaches parametric representations, subdivision schemes, implicit representations, free-form deformations and topology. Parametric representations includes topics such as Bezier surfaces, B-Splines, Beta-splines, NURBS, Kochaheck-Bartels, Interpolation Splines, parametric and geometric continuity. Implicit representations covers subjects such as Ricci and Rvachev operations, Blobs and Metaballs, Superquadrics, Hyperquadrics and Ray-Quadrics, and Blinn's exponentials. Subdivision schemes includes topics such as Catmull-Clark, Doo-Sabin, Non-uniform rational subdivision surfaces, Loop scheme and eigenvalue analysis.
Art & Design (or Practical Computer Graphics & Visualization) Courses
Viza 616, Rendering & Shading
The course covers advanced rendering and shading techniques for the attainment of a desired visual effect; topics may include shading languages, attainment of visual realism, integration of rendering and modeling tools, and non-photorealistic rendering.
Viza 665, Digital Compositing
This is a technical directing course that teaches practical techniques for recovering information from real images such as position and orientation of the camera, camera parameters, orientations and positions of real objects and lights, surface properties of the objects and properties of lights. These techniques are based on current research in Image Based Rendering and 3D photography.
Storytelling & Animation Courses
Viza 641, Visual Storytelling
This course is an exploration of visual storytelling techniques for the attainment of desired storytelling effects; includes character development, using shots, camera, lights, props and background elements, master plots, one and multi-panel cartoons, comics, storyboards, animatics and storyreels. The content of this course is partly covered in an earlier Viza 617 - Advanced Animation course.
Viza 613, 3D Modeling and Animation
This course covers animation principles such as anticipation and follow through, timing, squash and stretch, staging and weight with a series of homeworks and projects. The homeworks and projects are short animations mostly created by using 3D modeling and animation software. Each homework is specifically designed to teach at least one animation principle. The course also covers 3D shape modeling concepts such as polygonal modeling, NURBS, patch modeling and subdivision surfaces with another series of weekly assignments.
Viza 615, Computer Animation
This is the second animation course that eventually become the digital compositing course, VIZA 665. Originally the course covered a variety of techniques. Storytelling was always a part of the course even when digital compositing became dominant part. By using some of these techniques, students integrate CG elements into their video shots. Students develop their project with weekly homeworks starting from a story idea. Each week they improve the story step by step by developing rough and final storyboards, concept sketches, animatics and video editing.
Critical Theory
Vist 441, Scientific & Technological Developments in Visual Arts
The course will cover the relationship between art, science and technology. There are two main subjects: Visual arts before digital revolution and Computer Graphics Arts. The course provides a comparative analysis of scientific, technological and artistic innovations from 30,000 BC to today.