==course no. 19 === 

An Introduction to Physically Based Modeling

course level: intermediate / full
day offered: Monday

Chair(s):  Andrew P. Witkin - Carnegie Mellon University
                Michael Kass - Apple Computer, Inc.

==Lecturer(s)===
Andrew Witkin
Carnegie Mellon University

Michael Kass
Apple Computer, Inc.

David Baraff
Cornell University

Alan Barr
California Institute of Technology

==Course Description===
During the past few years, physically based modeling has emerged as an 
important approach to computer animation and computer graphics modeling.  
This course will provide a systematic introduction to physically based 
modelling, including the dynamics of particles and mass/spring systems, 
continuum methods for simulating water and non-rigid objects, summation 
notation, simulating systems described by arbitrary parameters, rigid body 
dynamics, kinematics and dynamic constraints, and collision and contact.

==Who Should Attend===
This course is targeted at computer graphics researchers and implementors 
who wish to develop a solid understanding of physical methods as applied to 
animation and modeling.  The material presented will be of particular 
interest to those who wish to implement physically based modeling 
techniques, and/or to read and critically appraise technical papers in the area.

==Recommended Background (Prerequisites)===
Attendees are assumed to have a good working familiarity with mainstream 
computer graphics modeling and animation.  In addition to the usual 
graphics math skills Ð familiarity with matrix and vector manipulations, and 
the like Ð attendees should have had (though perhaps half forgotten) a basic 
calculus course.  Those with more extensive math backgrounds will also 
benefit, though an expert might find it slow going at times.  The presentation 
will favor visual, spatial explanations over formal symbol manipulation 
wherever feasible.  Even so, a large amount of new mathematical material 
will be presented.  Absorbing it will require sustained concentration and 
effort, making this a rather difficult course.

==Course Objectives===
Our goal for the course is straightforward: we want to teach the participants 
to actually do it.  Bolstered by the extensive course notes, the student with 
good basic implementation skills should be able to implement the techniques 
we present, not by rote but confidently and with understanding.  The lecture 
will impart a basic understanding of each topic; the course notes will provide 
the detailed background that is required to work the mathematics and 
implement the methods.

==Chair Biography===
Andrew Witkin is Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon 
University.  He received his B.A. from Columbia College, and his PhD from 
M.I.T.  Prior to joining the faculty at Carnegie Mellon, he headed the 
Perception and Graphics Group at Schlumberger Palo Alto Research.  His 
research interests include computer animation, computer vision, and 
simulation.  He has taught four previous SIGGRAPH courses on physically 
based modeling.

Michael Kass is a Staff Research Scientist with the Advanced Technology 
Group of Apple Computer.  He received a B.A. in Artificial Intelligence 
from Princeton University, an M.S. in Computer Science from M.I.T., and a 
PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.  Before joining 
Apple Computer in 1988, he worked at Schlumberger Palo Alto Research in 
the field of computer graphics and computer vision.  His research focus is on 
the use of physical simulation for computer graphics.