Spring 2026 - CMPT 722 G100
Rendering and Visual Computing for Artificial Intelligence (3)
Class Number: 5493
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
-
Course Times + Location:
Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Mon, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Burnaby
-
Instructor:
Manolis Savva
msavva@sfu.ca
-
Prerequisites:
Recommended: CMPT 361 and CMPT 726.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Advanced topics in computer graphics with a focus on rendering, and computer graphics for virtual/augmented reality and artificial intelligence systems. Topics include photorealistic rendering; advanced ray tracing; light fields and volume rendering; differentiable and inverse rendering; neural rendering; and high-performance architectures for visual computing systems.
COURSE DETAILS:
This course covers advanced topics in computer graphics with a focus on rendering, and computer graphics for emerging applications in virtual/augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Topics include: photorealistic rendering; advanced ray tracing; light fields and volume rendering; differentiable and inverse rendering; neural rendering; level-of-detail algorithms and scene representation; and high-performance architectures for visual computing systems. The course ends with an open-ended group project where students choose a research paper and implement the techniques it describes.
Topics
- 3D representation foundations: meshes, implicits, volumes, lightfields, pointclouds, multiview
- Modeling 3D shapes and 3D scenes: hierarchical representations, scene graphs, level-of-detail
- Volume rendering and advanced ray tracing
- Neural architectures for rendering: implicit representations and neural radiance fields (NeRFs)
- Differentiable and inverse rendering
- Shape reconstruction and synthesis
- High-performance graphics for artificial intelligence and virtual/augmented reality applications
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
Learning Goals
- Understand the fundamentals of advanced rendering algorithms and their use in domains such as augmented/virtual reality, machine learning, and artificial intelligence
- Experience reading, summarising, and critiquing research papers on rendering and visual computing for AI
- Practice synthesising ideas from papers and connecting to own research
- Expand in-depth knowledge of rendering or image generation through a self-selected course project
Grading
NOTES:
To be announced in first week of class.
Materials
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Department Graduate Notes:
-
Students must attain an overall passing grade on the weighted average of exams in the course in order to get a C- or higher.
-
All student requests for accommodations for their religious practices must be made in writing by the end of the first week of classes, or no later than one week after a student adds a course. After considering a request, an instructor may provide a concession or may decline to do so. Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability can contact the Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca).
Graduate Studies Notes:
Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.
To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit:
- SFU’s Academic Integrity Policy: S10-01 Policy
- SFU’s Academic Integrity website, which includes helpful videos and tips in plain language: Academic Integrity at SFU
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.