Assignments

Assignment 3

Due Date: 1/6/2014

Objectives:

After completing this assignment you will:

• Understand how files are compressed using the Huffman Coding technique.
• Understand how files are compressed using the Run Length Encoding technique.
• Compute compression ratios.

Q1 [30%]: Bit-Level RLE

Search the internet for possible methods for applying Run Length Encoding on a stream of bits. Choose any possible way and write a short description about it. You should:

1. include a clear description of the method. Use illustrations if you need to make the method clearer. There is no lower/upper limit on the number of words used. What is important is that you explain the method clearly.
2. discuss advantages and disadvantages of the method. In which situations will the method work well? In which situations will it make the file size larger or barely smaller?

Q2 [70%]: Compression

1. Download the following program "MM-HW3.exe"
2. Run the program and enter your first and last names as required. You MUST enter your first and last names and not any other two words.
3. Check the generated file "questions.txt", which contains your version of the assignment.
4. The file "questions.txt" will be generated in the same directory where "MM-HW3.exe" resides.
5. Submit your answers as a hard copy before the deadline.

Collaboration Policy:

You are encouraged to discuss with your colleagues about this assignment. Every student will have a different version of Q2. Therefore, every student will eventually have to put some effort to get his version of the assignment solved.

For Q1, do not copy/paste from the internet or from any of your friends. Make sure that you describe your method in your own words.

Enjoy!

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Assignment 2

Due Date: 19/4/2013

Objectives:

After completing this assignment you will:

• Be able to write programs that manipulate images.
• Have a stronger understanding of the following concepts: sprites animations, video transitions, dithering and color quantization.

Team Formation
This assignment can be done in teams of 2 students each. You can also choose to work individually if you wish.

If you you choose to work as a team, you have to solve the 4 questions.
If you choose to work individually, you have to solve 2 questions.

Q1: Color Quantization

Write a program that converts any colored image (in ppm format) into a 6-bits colored image.

Q2: Ordered Dithering

Write a program that uses ordered dithering to transform grayscale images (in pgm format) from 256 colors to only black and white. You can use a 2x2 or a 3x3 dithering matrix.

Q3: Video Transitions

Write a program that simulates a "Bottom-To-Up Wipe" transition in 10 steps (Tmax = 10).

You can do any of the following:
- Write a program that takes T as input and produces the corresponding frame in the transition. Run the program 10 times, each time with a different T, in order to generate the 10 frames.
- Write a program that generates the 10 transition frames in one shot.

In both cases, output the 10 frames and then use Windows Movie Maker to create a movie that illustrates the transition.

Q4: Sprites

Use the "sprites" technique to bring pacman to PSUT!

You can use the following images: pacman-mask.ppm, pacman-sprite.ppm, psut.ppm.

(A good place for inserting pacman is x=0 and y=270).

Test Images:

To test your programs, you can use any PPM/PGM image that you like. You can also use the test images provided here.

How to Deliver the Assignment:

• You have to submit the .cpp files and sample output images of your programs.
• Compress your work into one file and name it as "YourName_Sec#".
• Post your work on the following link before the deadline.
• The maximum upload size is 10 MBs per student.

Grading Scheme:

• All questions have the same weight.
• Late submissions will loose 25% for each late day.

Integrity Policy:

Although we trust our students, plagiarism can possibly occur (intentionally or unintentionally). Therefore, it is important to note the following:

• It is your responsibility to protect your work from being copied by others. Make sure that no one has access to the code that you write.
• Any identical or very similar programs will be penalized with a zero for the whole assignment.
• Copying code from the internet will also be penalized with a zero.

Enjoy!!

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Assignment 1

Due Date: 16/3/2013

Objectives:

• Have an idea about some of the current multimedia projects and research topics. 
• Have a hands-on experience with Multimedia authoring using markup languages.
• Practice creating simple HTML pages and simple SVG images.

Question 1:

Create an HTML page about a multimedia application or research topic. Proceed as follows:

• Choose one of the following multimedia topics/applications: 

• Digital Watermarking, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), Medical Imaging, Tele-Surgery, Speech Recognition, Motion Capture, Morphing, Vocaloid, Reactable, Leap Motion, CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment.

• Create an HTML page that describes the topic you have chosen. 

• The page should have at least 200 words describing the topic.
• The page should contain at least 3 images about the topic.
• The page should use only standard HTML tags and should not be designed with an HTML editor.
• The page should have at least one link.

• The following are a few references about HTML:
• Simple HTML examples.
• A basic HTML tutorial.
• HTML tutorial on W3 schools.

Question 2:
Create an SVG image as follows:

• The image should be centered at the top of the HTML page created in the previous question.

• The image should have at least three different animations (either on the same object or on different objects). For example, the three animations can be: change in color, a change a motion from left to right and a change in size.

• Be creative! The image can be anything you like!

• The following are a few resources about SVG:
• The example we did in class.
• A simple tutorial from W3 schools.
• Other examples.

How to Deliver the Assignment:

• Before the deadline, upload your HTML page here.
• Make sure to name your HTML page as follows: firstName_lastName_sec#.html.
• If you will upload a folder that contains images along with the HTML page, then please zip it and name it in the same way.

Grading Scheme:

• Question 1 (50%):
• Text written about the chosen topic/application (20%).
• HTML (30%).

• Question 2 (50%):
• Placement of the SVG image in the HTML document as described (2.5%).
• Each animation is worth (15%).
• Creativity (2.5%).

• Submissions that are not named properly loose 2%.

• Late submissions loose 25% for each late day.

Integrity Policy:

Although we trust our students, plagiarism can possibly occur (intentionally or unintentionally). Therefore, it is important to note the following:

• In the HTML page, you should use your own words to describe the multimedia project.
• You can copy/paste definitions and other information from the internet, provided that:
• You clearly mention where the text was exactly taken from. for example, instead of saying "wikipedia" at the end of the document, give exactly the link to the wikipedia article directly after the quotation.
• The overall amount of quoted text should not exceed 30% of the written text.
• Any two identical or very similar submissions will receive a zero.

Enjoy!!