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The OpenGL Programming Guide, now in its third edition, is the definitive volume for programmers using this evolving graphics interface standard. Written by members of the OpenGL Architecture Review Board, this book offers understandable tutorials and lessons on getting up to speed and getting the most out of the latest version of OpenGL, version 1.2.
The guide uses code examples in C and is targeted at programmers who have experience in coding yet are new to coding for OpenGL applications. The opening chapters go into descriptive detail of how OpenGL, the software interface for hardware 3-D chipsets, works and what you can expect from it, which turns out to be much more than you might have thought. Color plates are used, for example, to show how OpenGL handles such effects as motion blur and depth-of-field blur, in addition to shadows and texture mapping.
This is not a beginner's guide to programming computer graphics. Some previous knowledge of both programming in general and computer graphics in particular is required. For example, code snippets are used to describe how to implement these effects, but because OpenGL is platform-independent, some code examples may need to be modified when used with your specific compiler.
Filled with the expertise of those who standardized OpenGL, there is no better reference volume for learning and understanding this system. The examples cited are clear, commented, and explained. The only drawback to the book is that it lacks a companion CD-ROM--all examples must be either typed in or downloaded from an Internet FTP site. (The URL is listed in the preface.) --Mike Caputo
Book Description
OpenGL is a powerful software interface for graphics hardware that allows graphics programmers to produce high-quality color images of 3D objects. The functions in the OpenGL library enable programmers to build geometric models, view models interactively in 3D space, control color and lighting, manipulate images, and perform such tasks as alpha blending, antialiasing, depth cueing, and texture mapping.
The OpenGL Reference Manual, Second Edition, documents all OpenGL functions, including brand new features recently approved by the OpenGL Architecture Review Board (ARB) for inclusion in OpenGL, Version 1.1. The ARB is an industry consortium responsible for defining OpenGL, composed of such industry leaders as Digital Equipment Corporation, Evans & Sutherland, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, IBM, Intergraph, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, and Silicon Graphics.
Each reference page fully describes: C specifications, relevant parameters, the effects of functions, possible errors generated by functions, associated effects, Reference pages for the OpenGL Utility Library (GLU) and the OpenGL extension to the X Window System (GLX) are included in this manual.
Customer Reviews:
By far the best OpenGL resource available.......2007-08-27
If you're a serious OpenGL programmer like I am, this book is basically a bible. Unlike DirectX, there aren't a ton of decent places to find documentation for OpenGL. I've had to do some pretty complex programming and every single time the "Red Book" helped me accomplish the goal.
Honestly though, I think a lot of this material should be online. This is not a book you read cover to cover. It's something you need if you're having trouble with blending operations in your scene and you need to know more about how OpenGL works (not for novices). I would suggest buying the "Blue Book" along with this (The OpenGL reference manual). The blue book goes over each API call in detail (similar to what you would expect from MSDN).
OpenGL programming guide.......2007-07-19
Recently I had my first experience in programming computer graphics with OpenGL. After considering many sources I would recommend the Official Guide to Learning OpenGL the best option for beginner in the computer graphics area with mathematical background. Besides, book is very helpful for use as a reference during the entire programming process with OpenGL.
It provides the necessary level of detail, not going too deep in underlying mathematical concepts explanations unlike many other books. For anyone interested in more detail each subchapter has "Advanced" section providing in depth explanations. It also contains working sample programs written in C/C++ (which could easily be integrated to other programming languages) being really helpful during learning process.
The complete reading of book not required once started, as after having understanding of how main concepts of OpenGL works, it could be used as search convenient reference manual. One can easily find the subject of interest and gain rather complete understanding of topic after reading corresponding section.
Concise and clear. A must to have on your bookshelf.......2007-05-09
When we migrated from DirectX to OpenGL and from Microsoft to Linux this book was a constant reference during those weeks of hard work. It is concise, clear and documents well OpenGL. You have to know what you are looking for, but... that's the purpose of a reference guide, right?.
Great job on compiling the material !!!!
Gabriel
I've recieved my product without problems........2007-01-13
I've recieved my product without problems. Good book, fast ship. I'm satisfied.
Excellent resource for OpenGL.......2007-01-12
OpenGL isn't a beginner's topic. It is a (seemingly) complex world of graphics processing at the lowest levels. It is not for the timid or mathematically illiterate. This book addresses the topic in a very logical manner. When you know and understand OpenGL, it is easy to understand that some elements of a logical progression do not necessarily make the best sense to a newcomer to the technology. When first embracing OpenGL, there is a relatively steep on-ramp for some kinds of thinkers. So what's new? Everyone thinks a bit differently.
This book will point your thinking in the direction of OpenGL. It takes a very steady, but fundamental course toward that objective. It is not full of fluff, nor does it attempt to overwhelm the uninitiated with superfluous content. It does a really good job at combining elements of the nitty-gritty of OpenGL code with the practices and underlying architecture of the OpenGL system as implemented by the standards-conformant graphics hardware/drivers. It has a very comprehensive expose of the OpenGL pipeline and every reasonable aspect of using OpenGL at the fundamental level and with the GLUT.
My copy of this book is well-worn from countless flippings back-n-forth of pages and chapters as I continue to extract useful information about OpenGL from it. Perhaps it deserves 5 stars, but I have no frame of reference nor am I a gift to OpenGL programmers, so I rate it conservatively at 4.5 stars.
The book reads very easily. It is not wordy or overly terse. It does assume that you've had at least fundamental mathematics representative of college-level computer science majors. Even if your math skills are not so well-developed, this book doesn't try to drown you in such things, rather, it directs you toward the practices of accomplishing OpenGL programming assuming that you will learn that math that is necessary for the work you intend to do. It also assumes that you have strong fundamentals in C programming. It also assumes that you're able to read and comprehend English. I don't find any of these to be worthy of a disclaimer as might another reviewer.
The book is presented very well. I can not say enough how straight-forward and logically it proceeds through the topics necessary to get up-to-speed with OpenGL programming. It reads well, too. That is, you don't necessarily need to be sitting at your computer in order to enjoy elements of this book while learning about OpenGL.
The included examples are well-chosen to illustate the points made during the course of the text where they are found. I had absolutely no problem compiling and executing them on my GNU/Linux-based system using Mesa and GCC.
I would suggest that you plan to spend some quality time with this book if you're serious about learning OpenGL. Some of the topics take more than a brief reading to fully sink-in...at least they did for me! There are a few sections that I spent several hours on and re-read several times, which I credit to the technical-aspects of the content rather than reduce to an "issue" with the authors' presentation skills. OpenGL isn't going to be easy if you're relatively new to 2D and 3D programming. It is probably an "advanced" topic for all but the most severe.
The book is thoroughly enjoyable and when completed and you're banging away OpenGL code with style and grace, there is a notable sense of accomplishment. I had a lot of fun dissecting this book until my brain finally decided to learn its contents.
Book Description
Designing Disney sets into history and puts into context the extraordinary contributions of John Hench, who, at the age of 94, still comes into his office at Imagineering each day. His principles of theme park design, character design, and use of color have made him a legendary figure, not only for Disney fans but also for students and aficionados of architecture, engineering, and design. Designing Disney reveals the magic behind John's great discoveries and documents his groundbreaking work in several key areas, including the values, attitudes, aesthetics, and logic that went into the original design concepts for Disney theme parks. Hench details the essence and various meanings of colors and how they work in the parks, and lets the reader in on the how and why of the Disney characters' inherent popularity-their timeless human traits, archetypal shapes and gestures that suggest their qualities graphically, and their emotional resonance in our lives.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty Good!.......2007-08-23
I do like this book, but it doesn't have the great pictures that the other Imagineering book does. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Imagineers. It has a lot of text, which will help you understand many aspects of what it means to be an Imagineer. I would recommend getting the other one first, and this one second if you are still interested. They are both great.
Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show.......2007-04-30
not exactly what I expected. I was hoping for a more historical perspective, but overall a good book.
superb explanation of how the Imagineers operate.......2007-03-10
This is a fascinating look into the mind of the premier Disney designers. Hench explains how every single detail of the Disney parks is designed to fit into a great whole: color, form, space, and even time must reinforce a narrative theme in every single ride or experience, as if the viewer had entered a film sequence. All detail is foreseen - with storyboards! - discussed, and built with this kind of total consistency of experience in mind. I was astounded that the parts were so much more deeply planned than I had imagined.
I read this as part of my research for a writing project on Disney. For this, it was extremely useful and informative. It strikes me that the imagineering method is of great relevance to all managers.
While easy to read quickly, this book will give anyone who likes Disney a fascinating new perspective on one of the great American success stories. Warmly recommended. The writing is clear and to the point, while elegant.
So you want to see how to make sausages..........2005-07-07
For most Disneyland guests, the nuts-and-bolts details behind the many attractions will ruin their illusions. Most people who are shown the tricks behind stage magic cannot get over feeling cheated. If you had to watch the process of making sausages from birth of the meat animal (pig or whatever) to the grilling of your breakfast in the restaurant kitchen, odds are that you'd enjoy your oatmeal instead.
But I enjoy seeing projects grow from project to fruition. John Hench's "Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show" in an insiders peek at the Disney theme parks and cruise line. Concept art is directed at a specific audience. Usually the task for concept art is to sell the idea to the "suits"--who are a very different audience than Disneyland guests. It's been said that executives consider everyone else subhuman--especially their customers and subordinate employees--so what "sells" a concept to a panel of executives will leave the end customer unimpressed. Once the project gets the go-ahead, changes will happen. "No plan survives contact with reality!" At Disneyland, "finished attractions" will continually be changed due to economics or guest feedback until the attraction is replaced. The Disneyland Monorail is a fine example of this. On pages 26 and 27 and on page 33 monorail concept art differs significantly from today's Disneyland Monorail. John Hench wrote about how this occurred.
Many ideas don't make it to the concept stage. Disenyland was very much the experimental community during the 1950's and 1960's. The Enchanted Tiki Room was originally conceived of as a dinner show. Around 1960, the South Pacific was considered romantic and adventurous. Today, the Enchanted Tiki Room is considered ho-hum boring by most--but just try to rid Disneyland of it! My visits to Disneyland are incomplete if I cannot see the Tiki Birds at least once!
Hench wrote about the central theme of the park attractions, how "show" was the focus. Some of the rides and attractions at Disneyland (Disney's California Adventure is a worse offender) are just rides or exhibits. They have little if any tie-in, no synergy, with the rest of the park. Walt Disney told stories with his park attractions. The "nuts and bolts" of telling stories with a walk-in theater and live actors is explained in simple terms. No math! Imagine equations for the curve radii and bank on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! Color, character, form, space, and time are some of the elements used to tell the story.
I like the panaramic photos of Main Street, Disneyland on pages 68 through 71. Disney theme parks keep changing. I like to see how the park has changed over time. Hench explained why these changes occured.
This book is a nice addition to my Disney library.
Nice behind the scenes look........2005-04-08
After a recent trip to Disney World, I became captivated by all that went on there and immediately went online to find any behind the scenes books that might be lingering about. Designing Disney was a great read from cover to cover. Written by John Hench, possibly the longest serving Imagineer, you're given insight into some of the things that went into creating the enchanting parks that we all know and love.
Particularly interesting, I thought, were some of the techniques that the Imagineering group developed along the way, and some ingenious tricks that were used from the need for creative solutions.
This book is great for Disney fanatics, but even if you're not all that enthused about the parks, this book should keep anyone that's interested in the process of creation entertained until the very end.
Customer Reviews:
Very inspiring, if not completely detailed.......2007-09-05
I loved this book because it has so many pictures. It is most interesting to see aspects of the rides that you might not get to view by visiting the park. The enthusiasm of this book is inspiring for anyone who is interested in theme park design. It does not get into anthing too technical, or show you what an Imagineer does from day to day on a regular basis. I would reccomend this book if you are interested in seeing Disneyland from another angle or if you want to be a theme park designer. It is a very good book if you aren't looking for technical advice, just to have fun and get excited!
Spectacular Book!!.......2007-07-11
Fabulous book!! Framable quality pages and chock FULL of amazing images. Details the making of films and has frame by frame development by the Imagineers. If the book seems a little spendy, it is. And it is worth it. Not just a coffee table book. You will page through it over and over again and find new things each time!
I admit it..........2007-04-02
...I didn't realize that Imagineering was going to be exclusively based on the Disney theme parks. I was... well, more than a little disappointed when I opened it up and looked for the many illustrations and stuff about the making of the movies, that I confess I thought would be there. The book in itself was nicely put together, and DOES look attractive, in terms of what was in there. I can clearly see why anyone would greatly enjoy it. Nevertheless, in my case it sits collecting dust on my shelf.
I blame myself: I should have looked just a little deeper in what the book was going to be about, before purchasing it. A technical explanation of the process of the theme parks' creation was... uh, boring. *laugh*
great book for the Disney fan.......2006-11-10
This is a beautiful informative book. My kids just enjoy looking at the pictures from their favorite movies and the theme parks. The accompanying stories are interesting and full of fun facts. So much is written about the imagineers it's nice to find one book that is first hand accounts and backgroundn info. If you've ever visited WDW or Disneyland this book gives you a whole new insight into what went into creating these magical places.
Any Imagineering Enthusiast Needs this Book.......2005-12-01
Anyone who has ever dreamed of being an imagineer needs this book. It has interesting construction photographs and artist renderings, however it doesn't have as much in depth and truly new information as I hoped it would. Overall, worth the money.
Average customer rating:
- very useful for product design
- Very helpful
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formZ 4.0: 3D Modeling, Rendering, and Animation
Lachmi Khemlani
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional
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The Illustrated AutoCAD 2008 Quick Reference (Illustrated AutoCAD Quick Reference)
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Landscape Architect's Portable Handbook
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Inside Form Z, 2E
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Materials and Components of Interior Architecture (7th Edition)
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Into 3D With form.Z
ASIN: 0071425160 |
Book Description
* A hands-on guide to form.Z--the most popular 3D software on the market--specifically geared towards architects and designers
* Workshop approach focuses on the concepts, skills, and technologies needed to master form.Z
* CD-ROM contains step-by-step tutorials
Customer Reviews:
very useful for product design.......2004-04-13
Even though I did not follow the books step by step classroom exercises, but used it as a reference on "how to" questions for my own projects, this book was essential for me in the creation of several designs at a very satisfying level. The explanations are well written and logical. Still at a beginners level, I was surprised at how much I had learned over the course of 2 weeks focussing on form Z (for at least several hours per day). Render Zone is also well covered in the book and it allowed me to create great and surprisingly realistic looking renderings that I was able to use for client presentations.
Clearly written from an architectural standpoint, the only thing the book lacks is addressing some of the specific needs of a product / industrial designer: adjusting the environment to working on a smaller scale, rendering surfaces and materials and lighting set up for a "product shot".
All in all, this book is certainly worth the money and will be my first choice as a guide to improve my 3D skills.
Very helpful.......2003-12-17
I had to learn formZ for my profession and I've gone to great lengths to do so. I had already taken two courses from different instructors and I was still feeling very unstable and was about to start a new job where I really needed the skills. Stressed-out and feeling at a loss, I did a search on the web and found this book for the new 4.0. While I already had a great understanding of the program, this book showed me so many ways to do things I had not yet been taught and I was able to do it on my own. The information is clearly laid out and easy to understand. Icons let you reference exactly where to go but the best part was the tutorials. I have not been able to find in any class or supporting material that came with the software, tutorials that let you practice. This was the most helpful as it's never enough to just know what everything does. You need to implement the info. This book saved my life (and probably my career!!)
Average customer rating:
- Architecture in motion
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Architecture + Animation (Architectural Design)
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Architecture and Science
ASIN: 0471496294 |
Book Description
In recent years, architectural animation has offered a whole new field of conceptual and
technical possibilities to you as an architect.Whereas some designers are intent on exploring the creative potential that high-end computer software offers, others are experimenting with its production and technical possibilities. Architecture and Animation features the most innovative proponents of the media, and features work from Mark Burry,Greg Lynn,Ben Nicholson,Oosterhuis.nl,Ali Rahim,Chris Romero and Bernard Tschumi.
Customer Reviews:
Architecture in motion.......2004-08-11
I high recommend this book for all the architects interested in architecture in motion.
animated architecture.......2001-11-27
I am a architect and I want to collect some articles about animated architecture and architectural animation.
Book Description
Macromedia's architecture is like a chest filled with precious jewels, and this book is quite simply the key to open it! One of the most important tools provided with Flash is the Macromedia Component Architecture: a framework of components written in ActionScript 2, based on established design patterns, that provides a wealth of functionality you can just bolt on to your Flash applications when desired. This can save you an enormous amount of time during application development and help you improve the quality of your code. Whats more, the source code is included, so if you cant find the component you need within the component architecture, you can just modify existing components to create your own! Expert Flash developer and author Antonio De Donatis gives you everything you need to master Flash components. In the first part, he shows you how the architecture works, how to create effective component-based applications, and how to create your own custom components from whats already provided. The second part shows how XML can be used to effectively describe and dynamically create not only single component instances, but whole applications based on any number of components. The last part of the book is a comprehensive reference to using all of the components already available in the Macromedia Component Architecture. It includes a specific chapter dedicated to each of the UI components like basic usage, component management, customization, and practical examples showing usage of each component. Summary of Contents:
- PART ONE INTRODUCING THE ARCHITECTURE
- Chapter 1 OOP in Component Design
- Chapter 2 Core Classes and Component Design
- Chapter 3 Exploring the UI Components
- Chapter 4 Building Component-based Applications
- PART TWO EXPLOITING THE ARCHITECTURE
- Chapter 5 Architecture-based Development
- Chapter 6 XML for Defining User Interfaces
- Chapter 7 Extending the Application Framework
- Chapter 8 Making Your XML Life Easier
- Chapter 9 The Customization Process
- PART THREE CUSTOMIZING THE COMPONENTS
- Chapter 10 The Accordion Component
- Chapter 11 The Button Component
- Chapter 12 The CheckBox and RadioButton Components
- Chapter 13 The List, ComboBox, and DataGrid Components
- Chapter 14 The DateChooser and DateField Components
- Chapter 15 The Loader, ScrollPane, and ProgressBar Components
- Chapter 16 The Menu and MenuBar Components
- Chapter 17 The NumericStepper Component
- Chapter 18 The TextArea, TextInput, and Label Components
- Chapter 19 The Tree Component
- Chapter 20 The Window and Alert Components
- Chapter 21 Handling the Scrollbars
- PART FOUR APPENDIXES
- Appendix A Locating the Source Code of the Component Architecture
- Appendix B Transitions and Easing Classes
Customer Reviews:
DA book for all Flash 8 Coders........2007-07-29
Don't know how to build custom components?
How to edit/change/revive the current components? This book is for you. Want to learn how other people make money selling custom components.......well, this is a great "Start". Some OOP knowledge would be great, but not needed, as always....Friends of ED hits the mark!
AdvancED is no joke..........2007-03-29
I wish I could tell you that I enjoyed reading this book, but that would not be an entirely true statement. I figured I should look into this title when I realized that I didn't know much about components or their underlying architectures. I won't lie; I don't use components, at all. I find them heavy in weight and hard to customize and I like the control that I receive when I make my own scrollbars, pull down menus, and loaders. That being said, I thought it was necessary to at least gain some inside knowledge on components because I don't want to totally ignore the subject (not to mention that I may run into a project someday that I'm forced to use them with).
Before I go any further, I have to state that I read this book before I learned a great deal about OOP, which looking back on it now was a big mistake. I cannot deny, however, that Antonio De Donatis knows what he is talking about, and looking back at it now and skimming through the pages, it makes a bit more sense, but I just don't have the time to re-read this book.
If you ever wanted to know every little detail about the components that are shipped with Flash, this is the book you want to pick up. You'll digest more information than you can handle on the subject and you'll be well on your way to developing extensible components not only from the ones shipped with Flash, but also making your own component frameworks and using those in your projects as well.
I gave this book 4 stars because I know deep down inside that this is a great book, it's just not for the faint of heart. The title says AdvancED ActionScript Components, and anyone who takes that title lightly will probably be upset with the book and seek a refund. However, if you know your way around components and you want to dig deeper, this is the one-stop-shop for everything you'll want to know about the subject.
Excellent as one would expect from FoED.......2006-11-04
Another excellent book, as have all other titles from FoED.
ActionScript Components: One of the best tech books I have seen.......2006-07-28
I don't know Antonio De Donatis, but I wish I did.
As a Corporate Trainer of Internet Technologies for the past 10 years, I am always looking for well written and logically presented material for use in the classroom. ActionScript Components by Antonio De Donatis is one of the best I have ever seen in the ActionScript genre. On second thought, this is one of the best technical books I have ever seen, and I own hundreds.
My background is in XML, VoiceXML and Internet Technologies. I found this book on the friendsOfEd site, read the chapter on using XML and was astounded at the clarity and depth of knowledge. De Donatis is someone who knows his subject and knows how to impart information to his readers. I went to the local bookstore to see if the rest of the book could sustain that level of writing. The short answer: yes it does.
From explaining in layman terms how Object Oriented Programming works through delving into the creation and use of components, De Donatis knows his stuff. But better than that, he doesn't hide behind a bunch of geek speak. More than anything else, I kept saying to myself "That explanation is so clear, I wish I had written it myself."
Five star rating, highest there is, with no hesitation.
Well worth it!!.......2006-04-23
As a java coder who has recently been writing Flash/Flex for rich database-driven UI products, this book has been a huge help. My understanding of the best way to use inheritance and the component architecture has improved a ton with this book. And the section on skinning has helped alot since the UI guys just give me pretty mockups, and then i need to actually make them look and work that way.
Well written and I really like the incremental approach he takes in teaching you the material with examples that you change bit by bit as you go.
Highly recommended.
Book Description
Ultimate 3D Game Engine Design and Architecture teaches how to design and create a video game engine that can be used to create gaming applications on the PC. Written for beginning programmers, beginning game developers, and those aspiring to get into the fi eld, the book covers the various systems and processes that go into a complete game engine, with an emphasis on architecture issues. The book focuses on building a complete game engine, including graphics, physics, programming, audio, AI, data structures, memory management, and more. The sample engine is called the Building Blocks 3D Engine and it's designed to give you the basics of each system that you can build from to create your own engines and games. The technologies used include OpenGL, C++, and the Windows XP, MacOS X, and Linux operating systems. This cross-platform approach makes the information and techniques easy to apply to any type of project. The book is broken into five main parts, beginning with introductory material, the engine core, input, sound, and networking systems. Next comes graphics and environments, including the rendering system, the drawing of static models, and more advanced rendering topics such as level of detail, scene graphs, graphical effects, resource management, and scene management for environments in general. In the third part, Physics, AI, and Scripting are covered. The custom physics system is detailed, along with point masses and soft bodies. A variety of AI techniques are covered next, followed by scripting-- command, property, and compiled scripting. In the fourth part the engine is ready to use for the two demo applications you'll create-- a black jack game and a 3D walkthrough using a portal rendering system. In the final part, you'll review what you've done, what you could do, and what resources you might need in the future to enhance your game engine.
Customer Reviews:
Sub-par and Somewhat Disappointing.......2007-09-09
I purchased this book in hopes of learning how a game engine worked; and while I did not come away with nothing, I did not gain much from this book.
The tutorials and ideas presented in the book are helpful, I must admit, but they are geared entirely around building someone else's engine - not a very intuitive or personal learning experience.
I do not recommend this book.
An OK first book on the subject of game engine design.......2007-02-07
This book does an OK job of walking through the basic anatomy of a game engine. You won't have anything too complex at the end of the day, because at only 500 pages, this allows only roughly 50 pages per chapter. Imagine trying to get everything you need to say about game physics in 50 pages! What was David Eberly thinking when he wrote that 800 page book on the subject? The book walks through the basics, adding features to the game engine as it goes, while never going very deep at all into any one subject. It's a good first book on what the skeleton of a modern game engine looks like, but you'll almost need a separate book to match the subject matter in each chapter in this book if you intend to put meat on those bones. On the plus side, the author uses standard C++, making the code easy to read and understand. Also, this is one of the few books on game engine design that mentions network programming issues and audio along with all of the 3D graphics issues. Another plus is that several of the chapters include student exercises, making it a good textbook choice in a class on basic game engine design. One odd thing the author does is that he continually uses UML diagrams in the book. Beginning game programmers need to focus on engine architecture and not get befuddled with software engineering issues. In general I thought the author's figures subtracted more than they added to the understanding of the book and its subject matter. The following is the table of contents:
Part 1 INTRODUCTION TO GAME ENGINES
1. Introduction to Game Engines - a "flyover" of the entire book including coding conventions used.
2. Engine Core - A discussion of data structures used, memory allocation and file I/O, and timing utilities - the basic workhorse elements of the engine.
3. Input, Sound and Networking - A long chapter that includes a look at the XBox 360 and XInput. OpenAL, which is a free API for 3D audio, along with XACT, which is Microsoft's cross-platform audio creation tool,are discussed for adding audio. Finally, networking with sockets is discussed.
Part 2 GRAPHICS AND ENVIRONMENTS
4. Rendering Systems - Includes a basic math library as well as a discussion of geometry primitives, shaders, and texturing.
5. Rendering Scenes and Scene Graphs - Describes the scene graph and how to work with it. Talks more about special effects than the more important subject of Level of Detail. Geometry sorting and culling is also discussed.
Part 3 PHYSICS, AI, AND SCRIPTING
6. Physics - Newtonian physics and games are discussed some, but there is a relatively long discussion on cloth simulation, which seems odd.
7. Artificial Intelligence - Barely touches the surface of the subject. It mentions path finding, finite state machines, and scripting, but not in near enough detail to be helpful.
8. Scripting - A very general chapter on this subject, and all too short.
PART 4 DEMOS
9. Game Demos - Discusses two demos using the engine - "Black Jack" and "The 3D Walkthrough Demo". A pretty good chapter.
PART 5 GAME OVER
10. Conclusions - A short and very general discussion of how the engine might be improved.
Appendix A. Additional Resources
Appendix B. Additional Tools
Appendix C. About the CD ROM
This is an OK first choice on understanding the basics of game engine design, just don't expect to walk away an expert after reading it.
Writing a Gaming Engine from Scratch.......2007-01-22
At the heart of any complex computer game there's an engine that handles the actual stuff you see on the screen. This book is on programming such an engine. It isn't a beginners book. You should have a pretty good knowledge of programming in C++, some concept of file formats, graphics design, and so on.
The layout of the book is to build a working engine. It is neither the most simple, nor the most complex but is a solid foundation for understanding what such an engine entails and can form the foundation upon which the engine can be customized and expanded to fit your needs.
There are several reasons for reading this book:
You may want to build your own engine
You may want to work for an engine company
You may be thinking of using a commercially available engine and want to know more about what's in them.
Or whatever?
Gaming engines are among the most complex probrams being written today. This book should be viewed as a basic introduction to how they are written. The CD supplied with the book has several ancillary packages as well as the full source code for the engine being developed in the book.
Book Description
AI Game Programming Wisdom 3 grants you an insider's look at cutting-edge AI techniques used by industry professionals in such games as Fable, Halo 2, and the Battlefield series. Successful commercial games like these require years of research and development in order to deliver exciting, new gameplay experiences. The wealth of knowledge gained through this hard work is invaluable and by sharing it, the 50+ authors in this book have generously given you the tools and techniques you need to build top tier games. In AI Game Programming Wisdom 3, you'll find an entirely new collection of exclusive tips, tricks, techniques, algorithms, and architectures that can't be found anywhere else. And as with previous volumes, the goal of this book is to offer useful, insightful, and clever ideas to help expand your own personal AI toolbox. New to this volume is the inclusion of longer and more detailed articles that allow for a more in-depth exploration of each topic. With this book, you'll be standing on the shoulders of game industry giants and taking advantage of their hard earned wisdom and insights. So take these techniques, build upon them, and lead the industry toward innovative gameplay and the next generation of games.
Customer Reviews:
The State of the Art as it Exists Today.......2006-03-31
Computer gaming continues to grow at a very rapid rate. In fact much of the development of the new higher speed chips and of course the high performance video cards are being driven by the needs of the gaming people.
Computer gaming software also continues to grow, perhaps even faster than gaming itself. Because of the rapid state of software development, no one author could possibly keep up with all of the changes that are taking place.
So in this book Steve Rabin, of Nintendo of America has gotten almost sixty of the most advanced gaming software developers to write articles explaining the state of the art as they are helping to develop it. The writers come from a mix of software companies, universities, independent consultants, and game hardware developers. This is the state of the art in the development of artificial intelligence for games.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect!.......2007-06-27
As an animator and one of the biggest Disney fans out there, this big has everything you want to know and need to know about how the Disney animation process is done. This book along with the Art of Disney and The Illusion of Life are a great combo together.
Books:
- Orson Welles: Volume 1: The Road to Xanadu
- Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me
- Pop Dreams: Music, Movies, and the Media in the American 1960's (Harbrace Books on America Since 1945)
- Propaganda and the German Cinema, 1933-1945 (Cinema and Society)
- Raising a G-Rated Family in an X-Rated World
- Retrofitting Blade Runner: Issues in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
- Sam Shepard : Seven Plays (Buried Child, Curse of the Starving Class, The Tooth of Crime, La Turista, Tongues, Savage Love, True West)
- Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash 8 in 24 Hours (Sams Teach Yourself)
- Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
- Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining O
- Just Like Heaven: A Mutts Children's Book
- Everything you want to know about TM, including how to do it: A look at higher consciousness and the
- Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance
- History: Fiction or Science
- Quo Vadis
- Journeys With a Real Jack in the Pulpit
- Life-Work: A Career Guide for Idealists
- Enhanced Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2000-2001
- The Ergonomics Edge: Improving Safety, Quality, and Productivity
OpenGL(R) Shading Language (2nd Edition) (OpenGL)
Beginning OpenGL Game Programming (Game Development Series)
GPU Gems 2: Programming Techniques for High-Performance Graphics and General-Purpose Computation (Gpu Gems)
Real-Time Rendering (2nd Edition)
Interactive Computer Graphics: A Top-Down Approach Using OpenGL (4th Edition)
