Book excerpt: In recent years, we have witnessed an increasing use of sophisticated graphics in designing and manufacturing complex architectural and engineering systems; in modeling, simulating and visualizing complicated physical processes; in generating, highly realistic images and animation; and, in most man-machine interfaces. These trends are made possible by the improvement in performance and the lowering of cost of hardware since the mid 1970s, and the continuing advances in many areas of computer graphics. The major advances in computer graphics include: greater sophistication and realism of image generation techniques, improved man-machine interaction techniques, superior geometric modeling techniques for the representation and modeling of complex physical and mathematical objects, sophisticated software systems for animation and modeling of incorporating latest AI and software engineering techniques, greater integration of CAD and CAM in CIM, and techniques to represent and visualize complicated physical processes. These advances are reflected in this present volume either as papers dealing with one particular aspect of research, or as multifaceted studies involving several different areas.