TO COMPUTER GRAPHICS BASED ONGKS Part I gives an introduction to basic
concepts of computer graph- ics and to the principles and concepts of
GKS. The aims of this part are twofold: to provide the beginner with an
overview of the terminology and concepts of computer graphics, based on
GKS, and to give the computer graphics expert an introduc- tion to the
GKS standard. In the early chapters of this part, the main areas of
computer graphics, the various classes of com- puter graphics users, the
interfaces of GKS and its underlying design concepts are discussed and
important terms are defined. The later chapters give an informal
introduction to the main concepts of GKS and their interrelationships:
output, attributes, coordinate systems, transformations, input,
segments, metafile, state lists, and error handling. This introduction
to the GKS framework will prepare the ground for the detailed
description of 2D GKS functions in Part III and the 3D extensions to GKS
in Part IV. 1 WHAT IS COMPUTER GRAPHICS? 1. 1 Defmition of Computer
Graphics The Data Processing Vocabulary of the International
Organization for Stan- dardization (ISO) [ISO 84] defines Computer
Graphics as follows: "Methods and techniques for converting data to and
from a graphic display via computer. " This definition refers to three
basic components of any computer graphics system - namely "data",
"computer", and "display".