Computer Science Fundamentals

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Questions and Answers

What is the Von Neumann Model and what are its parts?

The Von Neumann Model is the fundamental computer design that describes the structure and organization. The parts are input unit, central processing unit, control unit, algorithmic unit, memory unit, output unit.

How does the binary number system work?

It works by storing data into 0s or 1s and turns them on or off.

What are the main properties of digital media? (Select all that apply)

Procedural (programmable) (correct)
Spatial (Multifunctional) (correct)
Encyclopedic (High-storage) (correct)
Distributed (Location Aware) (correct)
Participatory (Interactive) (correct)

What is a screen?

A screen consists of small points called pixels. Signup and view all the answers

What is screen resolution?

It is the two-dimensional size of the screen in terms of pixels. Signup and view all the answers

What is aspect ratio?

It is the width to height ratio of a screen. Signup and view all the answers

What is color depth?

Color is created and displayed using the combination of red, green, and blue. Signup and view all the answers

What is a pixel?

A pixel is a small point on the screen. Signup and view all the answers

What are 8-bits and 24-bit color values?

8 bits store up to 256 color combinations (B), 24 bits can store up to 16 million color combinations (C) Signup and view all the answers

How are BMP, JPG, and GIF file formats different? (Select all that apply)

PNG has lossless compression and allows transparency (A), BMP has no compression (B), GIF has only one byte per character so smaller in file and allows animation (C), JPEG is true color but can have different levels of compression (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does a coordinate system work in computer graphics?

The coordinate system works by using X and Y values to position, manipulate, and render objects that are on the screen. Signup and view all the answers

How does a blur filter work?

The blur filter works by compressing its neighboring pixels and changes its value. Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between vector and raster graphics?

Vector graphics do not lose quality when zooming in, while raster graphics lose quality. Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between object and world coordinate systems?

The object coordinate system defines the object in a positive relative to its own local center while the world coordinate system defines the object's position relative to a fixed global origin. Signup and view all the answers

What are frames and FPS in an animation?

Frames are a collection of images, and FPS in an animation is how fast the motion is. Signup and view all the answers

How does Cel animation work?

Cel animation works by separating layers for characters, objects, and backgrounds, then combines them into one. Signup and view all the answers

What is a sprite?

A sprite is a single image. Signup and view all the answers

What is a keyframe and what is special about keyframe animation?

A keyframe animation consists of frames that are generated by computer software. It's special because it reduces the amount of time to work on a project. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the process of motion capture. When do we need it?

Motion capture captures the motion of a human in order to design characters for games, movies, and animations. Signup and view all the answers

What is procedural animation?

Procedural animation is animation that has been generated by computer software using mathematical calculations. Signup and view all the answers

How is procedural animation similar to and different from keyframing?

Procedural animation follows the fundamental laws of math and physics, while keyframing is based on manually set frames. Signup and view all the answers

What are the differences and relations between the web and the internet?

The internet is a global network of interconnected computers that allows data to be sent, while the web is a collection of information and resources that can be accessed through the internet using web browsers. Signup and view all the answers

How does a web server work?

When a user enters a URL in their browser, the browser sends an HTTP request to the server where the website is hosted, the server receives the request, locates the relevant file, then sends back an HTTP response for the page. Signup and view all the answers

What is a markup language?

A markup language is a text that describes formatting and structure of output content using specific signs. Signup and view all the answers

How do HTML elements work?

HTML elements work by describing a function to be displayed on the web. Signup and view all the answers

What are UI and UX, and how are they related?

User Interface is all the elements that users can interact with, while User Experience is how user-friendly the system is. They are related because user interface affects user experience. Signup and view all the answers

What are the elements of design thinking?

Empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Von Neumann Model

The Von Neumann Model describes the fundamental computer design.
Its parts include:
- Input unit
- Central processing unit (CPU)
- Control unit
- Arithmetic unit
- Memory unit
- Output unit

Binary Number System

Uses 0s and 1s to represent data
Data is represented as either "on" or "off" states

Properties of Digital Media

Procedural: Programmable and customizable
Participatory: Interactive and engages the user
Spatial: Multifunctional and capable of multiple uses
Encyclopedic: High storage capacity
Distributed: Location-aware and can be accessed from various places

Screens and Resolution

Screens are made up of individual points called pixels
Screen resolution measures the size of the screen in pixels
Aspect ratio defines the width to height ratio of the screen
Color depth determines the number of colors that can be displayed

Pixel and Color Representation

A pixel is the smallest unit of a digital image
8-bit color can display up to 256 colors
24-bit color can display up to 16 million colors
24-bit color uses 8 bits per color channel (red, green, blue)

Image File Formats

BMP: Uncompressed format, resulting in large file sizes
JPEG: Supports lossy compression, allowing for smaller file sizes with some quality loss
PNG: Uses lossless compression, maintaining image quality while reducing file size
GIF: Uses a limited color palette (1 byte per pixel), resulting in smaller file sizes, and supports animation

Computer Graphics Coordinate System

Uses X and Y values to define the position of objects and manipulate them for rendering

Blur Filter in Graphics

Averages the color values of neighboring pixels, resulting in a blurred effect.

Vector vs. Raster Graphics

Vector Graphics: Maintain quality when zoomed in, uses mathematical equations to define shapes
Raster Graphics: Lose quality when zoomed in, uses a grid of pixels to define images

Object vs. World Coordinate Systems

Object Coordinate System: Defines an object's position relative to its own center
World Coordinate System: Defines an object's position relative to a global origin

Animation Fundamentals

Frames: A collection of images that create the illusion of motion
FPS (Frames Per Second): Determines the smoothness and speed of animation.

Cel Animation

Technique where characters, objects, and backgrounds are separated onto different layers
Layers are combined to create a final image for each frame

Sprite Animation

Uses a single image (sprite) that is moved or manipulated to create animation

Keyframe Animation

Uses keyframes to define the start and end points of an animation
Software generates intermediate frames between keyframes

Motion Capture

Captures human movement data to create realistic animations
Used in game development, film, and animated projects

Procedural Animation

Uses computer software to generate animation based on mathematical calculations and physical laws
Does not require manual keyframing

The Web and Internet

Internet: A global network of interconnected computers that allows data transfer
Web: A collection of information and resources accessible through the internet using web browsers

Web Server Functionality

Receives requests (HTTP requests) from users' browsers
Locates the necessary website files and processes them (if needed)
Sends an HTTP response back to the browser to display the content

Markup Language

Uses specific symbols and tags to describe the structure and formatting of content

HTML Elements

Defines the layout and content structure of web pages
Examples: <header>, <body>, , <div>, <img>, <audio>

Including Images, Audio, and Video in HTML

HTML tags like <img>, <audio>, <video> are utilized for embedding media into a web page

Standard HTML Formatting Elements

<header>: Defines the header section at the top of the page
<body>: Contains the main content of the page
: Defines a paragraph of text
<div>: Divides content into sections
<h1>-<h6>: Defines heading elements with different heading levels
<ul> and <li>: Creates unordered lists
<ol> and <li>: Creates ordered lists

UI and UX

UI (User Interface): The elements users interact with, such as buttons, menus, and text fields
UX (User Experience): How well the system/website is designed, its ease of use, and accessibility.
Relationship: UI is the visual representation of how users interact, and UX is what emerges from those interactions.

Design Thinking Elements

Empathize: Understanding users' needs and their goals.
Define: Clearly defining the problem to be solved.
Ideate: Brainstorming and generating creative solutions.
Prototype: Creating a tangible representation of the solution.
Test: Evaluating the prototype with users to gather feedback.

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Description

This quiz covers the foundational concepts of computer science, including the Von Neumann Model, the binary number system, and the properties of digital media. Additionally, it explores screen technology, resolution, and color representation. Test your knowledge on these essential topics!