View from the top: a conversation with Dena Slothower, Chair of SIGGRAPH 2004. Interview conducted by Phil LoPiccolo, Editor-in-Chief, Computer Graphics World.(Interview)

Q. What are the main themes of the SIGGRAPH 2004 conference?

One of the most striking aspects of this year's content is the incredible diversity of uses for the technical advances in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Researchers are looking at areas ranging from perception to geoinformatics to preserving cultural heritage. This broad range of applications for research creates new problems and new challenges. Perhaps it is the reason why submissions to several of our technical programs continues to increase, this year at rates of 10 to 25 percent.

We are also seeing a stunning breadth in the submissions to areas such as the Art Gallery and the Computer Animation Festival. The accessibility of advanced technologies is making it possible for more and more people to realize their personal visions. The pool of creators of these animations, images, and experiences represents a wider range of professional and educational institutions and includes a greater number of international artists. For example, the SIGGRAPH 2004 Art Gallery: Synaesthesia received nearly 1000 submissions from dozens of countries, and the Computer Animation Festival jury selected a student piece from Australia for one of our two Festival awards.

Q. What technological advances do you think stand out this year?

Programming on GPUs is definitely a hot topic this year. There's a course on "General-Purpose Computation on Graphics Hardware," Papers on "Large Meshes and GPU Programming," Sketches on topics such as GPU1 and GPU 2, an Exhibitor Workshop on the topic of "Faster GPU Computations Using Adaptive Refinement," and a co-located conference on "General-Purpose Computing on Graphics Processors."

Another area coming into its own at SIGGRAPH 2004 is display technologies. Some examples include 3D TV--a system for real-time acquisition, transmission, and 3D display of high-definition, dynamic content--and High-Dynamic Range Display, a project which addresses the brightness, contrast, and color accuracy needs for applications such as film editing, medical imaging, and satellite imagery. I am particularly pleased to see that a number of these projects are exhibiting in our Emerging Technologies venue. You will really need to experience them to understand their potential, because they are pushing past the boundaries of what is possible with our current display technologies.

Q. What new applications of graphics technology are emerging?