Drawing Simple Shapes: Lines, Circles, and Squares

Learning Objectives Identify and describe the Cartesian coordinate system used in computer graphics. Write code (or pseudo-code) to draw a straight line segment between two given points. Write code (or pseudo-code) to draw a square or rectangle using its top-left corner, width, and height. Write code (or pseudo-code) to draw a circle using its center coordinates and radius. Combine basic shapes to create more complex visual compositions. Explain the concept of pixels and how they form digital images. Ever wondered how video games 🎮 or animated movies bring characters and worlds to life from just code? In this lesson, you'll learn the fundamental building blocks of all computer graphics: drawing simple shapes like lines, circles, and squares. Understanding these basics...

TermDefinitionExample Coordinate SystemA system that uses numbers (coordinates) to uniquely determine the position of a point in space, typically (x, y) for 2D graphics.In computer graphics, the top-left corner of the screen is often (0,0), with 'x' increasing to the right and 'y' increasing downwards. PixelThe smallest individual unit of a digital image or display, a tiny dot of color. All shapes are ultimately made of pixels.A screen resolution of 1920x1080 means there are 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 pixels vertically, making up the entire display. Origin (0,0)The starting point of the coordinate system, typically the top-left corner of the drawing canvas or screen in computer graphics.If you draw a line from (0,0) to (100,0), it starts at the very top-left cor...

Drawing a Line draw_line(start_x, start_y, end_x, end_y) This function connects two points (start_x, start_y) and (end_x, end_y) with a straight line. Use it when you need to draw edges, boundaries, or simple strokes. Drawing a Rectangle/Square draw_rectangle(top_left_x, top_left_y, width, height) This function draws a rectangle starting from its top-left corner (top_left_x, top_left_y) and extending by the specified width and height. For a square, simply set 'width' equal to 'height'. Drawing a Circle draw_circle(center_x, center_y, radius) This function draws a circle centered at (center_x, center_y) with a given radius. The radius determines the size of the circle from its center to any point on its edge.