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Visual computing is a field of computing that deals with the acquisition, analysis and synthesis of visual data through the use of computer resources. It encompasses several fields of science (computer science, in particular), mathematics, physics and the cognitive sciences. Visual computing aims to let us control and interact with activities through the manipulation of visual images, either as direct objects or, simply, representations of nonvisual objects. The media involved can be images, 3D models, videos, block diagrams and even simple icons.
Techopedia Explains Visual Computing
Visual computing is a rather large field with many subfields, but all are related to the visual aspect of computing. Visual computing deals with everything related to computer visuals – from hardware to mathematical equations behind each pixel of color. Its primary aim is to use visual entities for the manipulation of everything around us, tangible or intangible. Visual computing can be broken down into two main branches, as follows:
- Visual computer environment: The visual paradigm used in the human interaction with computers – the combination of multimedia and text, rather than simple text alone.
- Visual applications: These deal with massive amounts of image data, such as video and 3D sequences, along with the images, diagrams and any visible entity related to computers. Commonly, however, people understand and associate visual computing with video, animation and 3D modeling and design (CAD), which is only one of two main areas of the field.
