The implementation of visually-oriented software for graphics support on the high-performance computer graphics hardware at NASA's Johnson Space Center is the latest step in the evolution of an interactive computer applications technology being developed by the Computer Graphics Group at The Applied Research Laboratory of Penn State University. This technology is designed to aid the typical scientist or engineer in learning and using computer graphics productively, including writing his own programs and interfacing to software specialists who will write and maintain his programs. Key aspects of the current development include the creation and incorporation of a visually-oriented learning package for graphics geometric perception and graphics programming, as well as a sophisticated control environment which aids the user in obtaining a quick understanding of and access to the system. Preliminary results indicate that this software support can substantially reduce the startup time for a novice graphics user with some background in Fortran.

The Pennsylvania State University Computation Center is currently performing research and development in providing an effective research and training support environment which enables a user, whether researcher or student, to become familiar with an available base of graphics hardware and software support and to proceed to original programming with confidence and effectiveness.The main consideration is to provide an interactive programming environment in which users can become self-sufficient in coping with both hardware operation and potential as well as effective utilization of software in a reasonably short period of time. Such users should not have to be computer graphics specialists to apply a graphics system to their fields of expertise. Users should be thoroughly trained to understand and handle an available hardware/software system in order to be better able to evaluate the potential system usage directly and effectively.This paper, together with a film, describes an approach developed at the Computation Center and tested and implemented in three offerings of a Computer Science advanced undergraduate course.

The Pennsylvania State University Computation Center is currently performing research and development in the areas of communication and perception to expand a user's ability to function in a dynamic interactive computer graphics environment. One aspect of this research is the development of an on-line approach to graphics comprehension and learning through user-interaction.withgeometric imagery on a cathode-ray-tube. Such geometric imagery allows fundamental concepts of computer graphics to be readily conveyed to the user with or without the guidance of a knowledgeable graphics programmer. This paper, together with a film, describes the nature of such an approach. The film illustrates some of the aspects of system/user interaction embodied in the geometric perception and communication package in development at the Computation Center.