CSCI 273/201 Processing: Introduction to Algorithms

This Week Schedule Moodle Resources Student Work

REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
Processing: A Programming Handbook for Visual Designers and Artists by Casey Reas and Ben Fry
TIME AND PLACE
TR 1:45-3:25PM Robinson Hall 223 (late start: 2:30-3:50PM)
INSTRUCTOR
Rebecca Bruce
Robinson Hall 220
Office Hours: M,W,F 1:00-2:00PM
Phone: 828.232.2275 (email preferred)
rbruce@unca.edu

DESCRIPTION This course is a practical introduction to computer programming for artists, designers, and anyone who wants to have fun developing their ideas on a computer. The course will be taught using the Processing programming language which won a Golden Nica award at the Arts Electronica 2005 festival. CSCI 273, Processing, may be substituted for CSCI 201.

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon successful completion of this course:

ATTENDANCE POLICY
Lecture: Students are expected to attend all class meetings. Failure to do so will impact your class grade and will be considered a lack of interest in success on the part of the student. Students are responsible for completeing all work missed due to class absense on their own.
Exams: There will not be makeup exams. Please do not ask me to make an exception unless it is an emergency, and you have the necessary documentation for an excused absence.

LATE ASSIGNMENT POLICY
Late assignments will be accepted with a late penalty.

Up to ONE week past due date: 10% off regular grade
More than ONE week past due date: NO CREDIT

As per the catalog, students will be excused from the late penalty if they have documented emergencies or are representing UNCA on university-sanctioned travel. An equipment failure is not an excuse for turning in an assignment late.

PPROGRAMMING ASSIGNMENTS
When you submit your code, please only submit the source code file (.pde) unless specifically requested otherwise. Your code should be commented. Make sure any submitted code begins with your name, the date, a one-line description of your program, and the assignment number. Each function should be preceded by a one-line comment. Also comment any programming statement of which you are particlarly proud or you do not think you will understand in a month. Most assignments will have an technical aesthetics component worth 10% of your grade - this is the 10% that distinguishes stellar work from work that simply meets requirements.


Course Schedule

01/10-14/11
Day 1: Class Canceled Due to Weather
Day 2: Course overview and goals, Processing in context (how does it relate to Java, Coordinate system (x,y dimensions), Environment, Open, Save, Run, Sketchbook, Exporting (JAR file), Structure, Comments, Statements, Point, Line.
01/17-21/11
Day 1: Shapes (fill, stroke, ellipse, curve, quad, attributes, grayscale)
Day 2: Data & Calculate: Variables, Data Types, Arithmetic Operators ( +, -, *, / %), Operator Precedence.
Reading: pp. 1-35 & 37-50
Homework 1
1/24-28/11
Day 1: Conditionals and Boolean Operators
Day 2: Repetition
Reading: pp. 51-59 & 61-68
Homework 2
01/31-02/4/11
Day 1: Repetition
Day 2: Transformations
Reading: pp. 133-143
Homework 3
02/07-11/11
Day 1: Continuous & Random & Flying Hog
Day 2: Functions
Reading: pp. 127-130, 173-180 & 181-194
02/14-18/11
Day 1: Review for Test, & Images
Day 2: Test 1, Exam Results
Reading: pp. 95-99
02/21-25/11
Day 1: Interactive Mouse Input
Day 2: Text
Reading: pp. 205-213 & 101-110
Homework 4
02/28-03/04/11
Day 1: Keyboard Input and Events
Day 2: Arrays
Reading: pp. 223-236 & 301-311
Snow created with a nested for-loop
Homework 5
03/07-11/11
Spring break
03/14-18/11
Day 1: Class Canceled
Day 2: Objects
Reading: 395-411 & 453-460
Resubmit Homework 4
Resubmit Homework 5
03/21-25/11
Day 1: Objects
Day 2: Review for Test
03/28/11-04/01/11
Day 1: Test 2 Solution & Exam Results
Day 2: PImage & Java
Homework 6
04/04-08/11
Day 1: Greenfoot
Day 2: Greeps
Project 1
04/11-15/11
Day 1: Greeps Competition
Day 2: Arduino---aborted due to setup problems
Project 2
04/18-22/11
Day 1: Music Visualization with Minim
Day 2: Undergraduate Research Symposium Day--No class
05/03/11 @ 11:30AM
Project 2 due in the final exam period

Grading

Description Number Individual Points Net Points
Tests 2 25 50
Projects 2 20 40
Daily Lab Exercises n 2 2n
Assignments 6 10 60
Totals 150 + 2n

Letter grades are assigned based on the percentage of available points obtained by a student. 100% to 90% guarantees an A, 89% to 80% guarantees a B, and so on. The instructor reserves the option of relaxing the cut-offs for a letter grade in special circumstances. Plus and minus grades will be used for this course.


Resources




Return to Rebecca Bruce's home page

Last modified: March 12, 2011