DLS Explains: What is SIGGRAPH?

Filed under: Design, Education

For most people, it doesn't mean anything. But for people writing the software that lets the rest of us see imaginary worlds, SIGGRAPH is an acronym for the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Graphics and Interactive Techniques. SIGGRAPH is dedicated to the creation and dissemination of information on computer graphics and interactive techniques. The group specializes in the artistic applications of computer graphics, so nearly every computer game and many movies owes something to someone involved in SIGGRAPH.

If the organization is known at all outside techie circles, it is probably best known for the annual SIGGRAPH conference they sponsor. In 2009, the conference attracted over 11,000 artists, research scientists, gaming experts and developers, filmmakers, and academics from around the world. The attendees find the panel discussions, exhibitor presentations and research papers valuable in advancing their art. This is often the first place they hear of new research. The conference also includes courses in state-of-the-art computer graphics topics. And, new devices are showcased each year that use ever more sophisticated visualization and imaging techniques. SIGGRAPH has members all over the world, from Helsinki, Finland to Melbourne, Australia, but the conference is held in the United States as the largest number of members are there. Since 2008, a separate SIGGRAPH Asia conference has been held on that continent.

Their 37th International Conference will be held on July 25-29, 2010 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, in California, the world capital of animation and visual effects. They also host a variety of programs year-round and worldwide to benefit the SIGGRAPH community. If you're in a computer graphic arts field and are interested in attending a program, check out the 2010 events calendar.

For the rest of us, movies and computer games are the points where SIGGRAPH intersects home technology and where we see the fruits of the members' work. Movies have been created in 3D for several years, using digital techniques. Recently, gaming has begun to head down the 3D road. Head-mounted, active display goggles instead of the old, two-color glasses make a screen appear more like a window than a flat picture. These new glasses use an active LCD shutter system to actually opens and closes the lenses in synchronization with the screen images, to create the 3D effect. And new 3D monitors enhance the experience, allowing personal immersion in the games. As reported at Joystiq, 3D gaming will even have its own summit this year.

Beyond the home, a technology known as augmented reality (AR) may someday make inroads to other fields. AR is a field of research combining real-world information with computer-generated data. It allows real-time views of the world to incorporate computer graphics objects. It's expected to find applications in everything from industrial design to architectural visualization. And likely home entertainment too. Imagine having a tactile display that allows you to pick up and "feel" an object that doesn't exist! If that arrives, thank the folks at SIGGRAPH for that too.

DLS Explains: What is SIGGRAPH? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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