Book Description
Achieving accurate skin tones is one of the most challenging tasks in digital photography. Master this challenge with professional photographer Lee Varis as he covers a range of skin: women and men, young and old, various tones, in-studio and outdoors, tattoos, and more. His step-by-step tutorials and before-and-after illustrations demonstrate various techniques for topics such as digital-specific lighting challenges and what can and cannot be done in post-process.
A free CD-ROM accompanies the book and contains sample image files to use while following the tutorials, plus equipment recommendations and technical reference materials that enhance and reinforce the instruction.
Order your copy of this practical guide today and get a complete start-to-finish approach to integrating everything from posing models to shooting and retouching candid scenes.
Customer Reviews:
Very helpful.......2007-09-25
I agree with the other 5 star reviews. The only thing I'd like to add is part of the foreword by Gerald Bybee:
"If you're looking for pointers on shooting nudes or tutorials on photographing sexy models in the desert, this book is not for you. There is already a plethora of those pseudo-technical books explointing the throngs of photo voyeurs. Lee isn't about exploitation of our society's fascination with naked skin. Lee's fascination is simply with digital imaging technique focused on the practical application of photographing people, who coincidentally are primarily dermal by nature."
If you are like me and don't want a book full of nude models sitting around the house, then don't let this book's title keep you from buying it. There is a thumbnail of the most nude picture in the book on the cover (3rd down on the left side) and is the image of a woman's back. Lee Varis does a good job of talking about and showing examples of skin without including pictures you may not want your children seeing.
great book.......2007-09-24
Great book mostly for post processing in photoshop. Espesially about how to treat skincolor. Also a littel bit of how to light. Many usable photoshop techniques. Just get it!
EXCELLENT book.......2007-09-07
One of the most focused books on lighting and Photoshopping people I have ever read - it's very advanced, but well explained. This book will help you push yourself when it comes to this subject. Refreshing and different approach in his writing.
the book is great.......2007-09-05
The book is very helpful. The book is based on Photoshop CS2, so if you're like me and still using CS, some of the tutorials won't work.
A good read.......2007-09-05
I can say I am happy with the book for the price I paid ($23) It is not worth the full retail for myself (newbies will get a lot more out of it) I was hoping it would go into more detail with making correct skin tones, it is sadly only a chapter long, but is a great chapter. The retouching chapter is ok but not for high end retouching, Katrin Eismanns book on retouching (3rd edition) has a lot of great "high end" pore by pore retouching techniques, the ones in this book are good for quick portrait retouches, also a great section for tattoo's and even applying tattoos to the skin. All in all its a good book just don't expect a ton of advanced techniques.
Book Description
This exceptional, full-color Maya Press title -- produced by Alias, the software's creators -- offers a brand-new approach to teaching modeling and animation using the characters from the Academy Award-winning short film The ChubbChubbs. You'll find instructor-led tutorials, scene files, artist interviews, and Maya Personal Learning Edition on the enclosed DVD.
Customer Reviews:
An Interactive Way to Learn Maya.......2007-05-07
This book was a great way to learn the concepts of Maya. It is colorful and engaging. The book uses fun examples to teach the reader about creating animations.
This book starts out with basic concepts and runs up all the way into complicated animation details. It would be a great book for any level - but absolutely perfect for someone starting out, and looking to become a Maya pro.
worst....guidebook.....ever..............2007-03-28
horrible. as some have said, names are misused, images are confusing,
greatly lacking in explanation. i've been banging my head against this thing for two and a half weeks and i give up. clunky workflow examples and frankly outdated pipeline. anyone interested in a book like this would do themselves a favor by checking out Gnomon Studios or Digital Tutors. they present more sophisticated and intuitive workflows. save your money and use the manual that came with your software as reference with the video guides available from the above mentioned companies. it'll save you from the inevitable ulcers Learning Maya 7 will cause. p.s. been using EIAS since '95. Not new to this game. hope the review helps.
Apparently quite good.......2007-01-09
I gave this as a gift, but the recipient told me it's an excellent resource and well worth the investment
Good for Starters.......2007-01-04
This book was used in my Intermediate 3d Animation course and it's pretty good for the basics of rigging a bipedal character. However, the book tends to be inconsistent with some of its naming conventions for certain bones while rigging, which could confuse a beginner. For example, when they go through and tell you to name all your bones, they tell you to name the "knee" joint "up leg", then a few chapters later, they refer to it as the "knee joint" instead of "up leg."
Perfect.......2006-08-17
This is exactly what i was looking for, i think this is an amazing book if you want to learn....you have to get it.
Book Description
This spectacular full-color guide takes a brand-new approach to Maya special effects. Brought to you by Alias, creators of Maya, you'll find:
- A new approach to teaching rendering and dynamics using characters and effects from the Oscar-winning short film The ChubbChubbs.
- Coverage of the whole range of special effects topics, including lighting, camera rigging, effects, particles, and rigid bodies.
- Your able to compare effects you create with effects found in the final film.
- A DVD with instructor-led tutorials (Quicktime videos) as well as scene files, artist interviews, and Maya Personal Learning Edition.
Order your copy of this indispensible handbook today!
Customer Reviews:
Good reference.......2007-01-04
Good reference if you know enough about Maya to spot the discrepancies. Some of the tutorials are also buggy in Maya 8.
Good but.......2006-11-10
it has a very bad explation of how alpha in file textures work. In fact one example that showed how to connect "alpha" was actually using black for transparency. Other wise the info is a good foundation. Hope the Maya 8 Version is better.
great rendering and dynamics for maya7.......2005-11-15
A great book for beginners of maya7. It is basicaly the "Rendering" and "Dynamics" books of the Learning Maya6 Book Series all in one. There are over 600 pgs of color diagrams and simple text discriptions. It is very clear and covers many very important aspects of image quality. Unfortunately for me, I already have the Learning Maya6 Book series so there is a lot of redundant information. Though there is enough new info to keep me happy.
The best it gets!.......2005-10-30
These books are a spectacular edition. Alias has been good about teaching in their books, but these books actually have FUN projects! I have enough books that will tell me how to do something (and these are VERY easy to understand) but the only ones that I can actually have fun working with are the ones contained in this new series. Not for the advanced user though. If you want advanced, go for the Maya Tecniques series, not the Learning Maya series. Great books!
Book Description
Despite its ease of use Maxon's Cinema 4D is an incredibly powerful and diverse package. The Cinema 4D 10 Handbook teaches how to harness this power and flexibility through a project-based approach that allows users to create impressive projects as they learn C4D's array of tools and functions. This is a completely updated edition of this popular guide to the ins-and-outs of C4D that provides new C4D users with a complete introduction to the powerful and affordable C4D program, while teaching the fundamental principles of 3D. The book is best for beginners. It explores the most powerful and frequently used aspects of the program and explains how best to use them. Through intensive tutorials, users will learn ideas and techniques not covered in the manuals, and they'll learn about the theory behind why things work the way they do. The book is also for users of earlier versions of C4D who need to get up to speed with the new features. For those just learning Cinema 4D and new to 3D graphics, this book provides the one resource they'll need to get up and running!
Customer Reviews:
C4D book highly recommended.......2007-09-18
I've been gone for a few months from working in C4D and this book has really helped me to jump back into modeling and animation. This book has coverage on new additions and changes from C4D R9 that I've found extremely helpful. The layout makes it easy to sift through the book and discover these new updates according to what you're working with currently. The tutorials are easy to follow and some graphics have additional bold text and arrows to help clarify what is being attempted in the tutorials, a really great idea for beginners who may not know all the terminology and layouts! I highly recommend the book to beginners and experts, especially, if you're attempting to learn on your own, rediscover old skills, or update your knowledge of C4D.
Great 3D Resource.......2007-07-19
This is the second book in the series that I've owned. The new content is very useful for even more experienced users.
The book introduces the fundamentals of 3D modeling which will translate well to any 3D work, not just C4D. The chapters on HDRI, materials, and lighting are all great for the intermediate to advanced users. The tutorials are all well written and help improve your work flow, not just how you use the program.
C4D is a great 3D program, and this book makes it that much easier to learn and get the most out of the program.
Comprehensive introduction to the world of 3D.......2007-07-06
I wish I'd had this book four years ago when first making the transition from 2D to 3D. Cinema4D is a surprisingly powerful 3D modeling tool with less of a learning curve than many of the other packages on the market, and this most current iteration in the Cinema 4D handbook series covers everything from basic polygonal modeling to high-dynamic range lighting to character rigging. It's an excellent choice for beginners, but the breadth of topics covered makes it a logical choice for those who familiar with Cinema4D but perhaps not up-to-date with the most recent changes in revision 10. Many of the tutorials will be familiar to those who have read previous versions of the book, but some (the lighting tutorial in particular) have been updated and vastly improved. Recommended.
I appreciate the challenge:.......2007-06-27
An excellent overview of C4D for those new to the software. If you had C4D 9.1 and Mr. Call's previous Handbook, you would recognise some of the tutorials.
helpful and clear.......2007-06-24
I have the r9 version of this book that i used in college and it was great.
This newer version is just as helpful and I think the style of communication makes it really easy to understand what the author is teaching you. It does a great job covering all the new parts of r10
I agree with Mark7th... One of the most helpful c4d books out there. Tutorials are good for beginners/experts alike. Even taught me some special tricks that I would never have thought of.
*****! (that's five stars)
Amazon.com
Digital cameras for still pictures have become pretty commonplace, but digital video remains less widely adopted. This must be purely because of equipment cost, because everyone with a recent-model personal computer has access to excellent editing software, and has all the required data ports. PC Magazine Guide to Digital Video shows how to capture, edit, and publish digital movies with the tools available for the Microsoft Windows operating system. This is a fairly comprehensive guide meant for someone who's never had training in videography, doesn't really know about the multimedia file formats Windows uses, and doesn't want to invest a lot of money in professional-grade software for editing and publishing. It's all you need to take some digital home movies, edit them so they're not too boring, and burn them to DVD for distribution to the remote parts of the family.
Jan Olzer explains how to shoot video properly in the first place, offering advice on lighting, composition, and action. Then, focusing on Windows Movie Maker and (to a lesser degree) Pinnacle Studio, he walks the reader through techniques for chopping up the raw footage, disposing of the dull parts, and reassembling the rest into a coherent storyline. Titling and other production techniques get attention, too. His style is highly example driven, and easy to follow. --David Wall
Topics covered: How to capture, edit, and publish (to DVD) home videos and amateur movies. There's coverage of composition, lighting, and sound for when you're filming, and explanations of how to use popular editing suites when you're back home assembling a final product.
Book Description
What does it take to make great digital video? The right equipment, the right skills, and Jan Ozer's advice.
PC Magazine's digital video authority delivers the details that will help you make videos you can be proud of. Here's the lowdown on which camera to choose (and why), how to shoot the best footage, how to capture the best sound, how to get your video from the camera to your computer, what to do when you get it there, and how to produce a showstopper from start to finish.
Author Jan Ozer offers expert advice on:
- Deciding what you do and don't need in a digital camcorder
- Selecting a DV or analog capture solution
- Picking the perfect video editor
- Getting the right DVD-authoring package and recorder
- Shooting terrific footage and capturing sound that's just right
- Outputting your project in various formats
- And producing professional-quality DVDs
The book's CD-ROM includes audio and video files comparing consumer and prosumer camcorders and demonstrating techniques like noise removal; MyDV D, Pinnacle Studio, Ulead Video Studio, RealONE Player, muvee auto Producer trial versions, and more.
Customer Reviews:
A Practical Guide.......2007-03-31
If you are wanting to learn about digital video, get this book. The book is written lightly and personably--as if you are sitting there talking to the author. The most valuable part of the book is the section on creating DVDs. The author takes you through every aspect of creating a professional DVD with a menu, background music, and advanced authoring.
The author also has provided information on video editing and shooting techniques. I love his approach and the layout of the book. The book is appropriately written for the audience it addresses (beginner to intermediate videographer).
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the CD that is included only has trial versions of commercial software on it. I would have liked for him to discuss and provide some free software for video capture and editing. No disappointments though. This is a good book and has been quite valuable to me.
Gosh, what a great book .......2007-02-11
Having already struggled with a little bit of filming and editing, I found many of my prior frustrations described and clarified in this wonderful book.
Jan Ozer, the author, is blessed with an ability to explain technical concepts clearly. (Where was he when I was studying physics in high school?)
The chief virtues of this book are:
1) superb graphics -- of equipment, of software screenshots, and of Mr Ozer's beautiful models (his small daughters)
2) explanations written clearly and concisely, and with a fine dry wit, as if Mr Ozer were at your home talking us through the process.
At this writing (early 2007), this book may appear a bit dated. However, the concepts Mr Ozer explains so well will be with us for years to come. I can't imagine there's a better introduction to amateur video than this book.
Nice introduction, for a general audience.......2004-08-23
This is a field that spans both hardware and software. Unlike, for example, Photoshop, which is a pure software construct. If you're going into digital video, the hardware issues alone can be daunting. Important things like choosing an internal analog capture card. Who are the main vendors? What are the salient features to compare? Ozer gives you these data.
In software, you have to pick some video editor. These run the gamut from the entry level Microsoft Movie Maker 2 to more powerful and expensive alternatives like Pinnacle Edition, Sonic Foundry Vegas or Adobe Premiere Pro.
Many other issues are shown in the book. Along with simple editing techniques. Enough to get you started. Ozer's writing style should be clear enough to many. And he gives you a lot of material to digest. Including various utility programs on the accompanying CD.
Worth the money even if not perfect.......2004-08-13
My impressions of the book:
(1) It was better than I expected. A lot of beginner material but he does cover some key concepts. I agree that his tone is not too novice-targetted, nor is it too technical. He uses Microsoft Movie Maker 2, Pinnacle Studio 8 and Ulead VideoStudio 7 for most of his illustrations. Unfortunately, although the book came out this year, as is common with software, Pinnacle is up to Version 9 and Ulead up to version 8. He does cover other prosumer editors like Vegas, Liquid Edition, and Premier, but the book is primarily focused on users of consumer editors and equipment, not the professionals. That was Ok with me.
His advise on equipment and technique was interesting to read although, in my opinion, he did not spend enough time on accessories. This is not the best book for advice on accessories. Most of his time is spent on video editing software. As is also unfortunately common, he did not talk about set-top stand-alone DVD recorders, which some people use for archiving. I found his advise on "The Basics of Shooting" to be quite helpful.
(2) The book can be a bit wordy and he overuses the adjective "lovely" to describe software features, effects, pictures, etc. It sounds a little odd sometimes.
(3) For equipment and software, his focus on Sony camcorders sound unnecessarily. Similarly, he sometimes sound like a salesman for Pinnacle Studio. Now, I happen to like Sony camcorders (I am on my third) and Pinnacle Studio (warts and all) but I would have preferred more balanced descriptions. So, if you do not have Pinnacle or Ulead VideoStudio (both of which I have) you may feel a little put out.
Overall, a useful book. It could be better, but for $20.39 on Amazon, I think anyone relatively new to digital video would find the book helpful and worth the money.
Excellent Book!.......2004-08-13
This book is a must-read for anyone trying to create DVDs from analog videotape! His chapters on cameras, capturing video, working with audio, choosing software, and creating DVDs are indispensable!
Average customer rating:
- Aim Higher
- Absolutely Dreadful
- Average at best
- Files not on CD again!
- A decent basic tutorial, will not turn you into a Poser guru
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The Poser 5 Handbook (Graphics Series) (Graphics Series)
R. Shamms Mortier
Manufacturer: Charles River Media
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Secrets of Figure Creation with Poser 5
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ASIN: 1584502290 |
Book Description
Discover the power of the latest version of Poser, the ultimate 3D character design and animation tool for artists and animators. Whether you're just beginning with Poser and 3D design or are an experienced designer, you'll find a wealth of ideas and techniques for harnessing the power of this fantastic tool. The new, innovative interface makes figure design, posing, and animating fast and easy. Using the practical examples and tutorials packed throughout these pages, you'll dig into the new features and really learn how to maximize Poser for your own projects. Beginning with a detailed review of the new interface and a discussion of how to use the Poser 5 Rooms, you'll find all the instruction you need to get up and running quickly. Next you'll explore Poser's animation features and tools, and gain new insights from the Poser masters. From there it's on to more advanced topics, including creating articulated poseable models, smart props, articulating props, editing clothing, and the art of composition.
Customer Reviews:
Aim Higher.......2003-12-10
Do not waste your $$$ on this book. The other reviews here are accurate when they say it is amateurishly written and the visual examples are even worse than the writing. You can gain greater inspiration and learn far more FOR FREE by perusing online resources such as renderosity.com, poserworld.com or any of the other poser community links at Curious Labs' website. There you will find complete tutorials and beautifully done CG artwork to feed your mind and imagination.
Absolutely Dreadful.......2003-10-07
Absolutely Dreadful
Sometimes ya gotta wonder how someone gets picked for a job. The author of this book is a horrible CG artist (click on the book cover photo for proof) and not a particularly good writer. He spends 4 sentences saying something that could be said in one, and then, in the following step-by-step example, he will leave out a crucial step or two. If you do manage to figure out the steps he forgot to tell you about and thereby finish the exercise, what you are left with is an image that looks like one of his - i.e. horrible. Wow, now that's bad.
I only bought this book because, after six months, I got tired of waiting for the Peachpit Press's Poser 5 Visual Quick Start book to come out. The Visual Quick Start series is a wonderful series. I have a least half a dozen of those books, and they've all been good. As for Charles River Media, the publisher of this book, all the books of theirs that I've seen or purchased have been highly doubtful.
The only reason that I don't give this book one star is that if you do fill in the missing steps yourself, and if you come up with your own parameter settings, you can make some pretty cool stuff. Poser 5 is an exciting, powerful "new" program, and this book will give you just enough information to just barely make it over that "newness" hump. Which is more than I can say about the manual that came with the program. It is even worse than this book (how's that possible?).
Bottom line - if Peachpit Press's Poser 5 Visual Quick Start book is available (now due October 21, 2003, but don't bet on it) - buy that instead. If not, and you really want some info now - buy this book and live to regret it. What a choice!
Average at best.......2003-07-13
I found myself lost several times in this book, as the author left out key points in the walkthrough that I had to look on the web to find out what he was asking (how to save a material/cloth for example, he just says "now save the material" - ok how?). Not for a beginner, in my opinion, and more painful than anything. The book does help you get an understanding of the fundamentals, and I especially like the fact that instead of just giving you a bunch of settings, he gives you the settings then explains what they each mean. However, dont expect to walk away an expert, some of the exercises are a struggle and will leave you backtracking steps to find out where you went wrong. The end-product examples weren't all that impressive either, they looked very amateurish and crude.
Files not on CD again!.......2003-06-09
I have the Poser 4 Handbook which is largely cut and pasted word for word from the Poser 3 Handbook. I can only hope that Mr. Mortier has done a better job with this one. I have read the previous reviews but bought it anyways and am now disappointed. He uses examples and software not included on the CD. So when I went to the bookstore and saw that there is new Poser 5 Handbook I looked at the examples and the software necessary to complete them and once again that are not on the CD! How do you expect someone to complete tutorials with programs they don't have, figures they don't have. If you want to really invest your time and money into Poser then this is the book for you. You can buy all the programs and extra figures necessary to complete Mr. Mortier's tutorials. A good book to get is the Poser 4 fx and design or wait till Secrets of Figure Creation in Poser 5 is released.
A decent basic tutorial, will not turn you into a Poser guru.......2003-05-27
The first part of the book is by Shamms Mortier, who gives an overview of Poser's features. The second half is a collection of articles and tutorials by other artists who seem to be much more accomplished than Mr. Mortier. (The difference in quality between Mortier's work in the interior color plates and those of other artists is rather glaring.)
The "overview" portion is not bad. For the most part it simply rehashes information found in the Poser manual, but does so in more detail and in a more readable form, offering several tutorials to give you some hands-on practice. It will not be helpful to anyone who already has some familiarity with Poser or other 3D programs, but if you are a complete novice like me, it's a good introduction to Poser's rooms and basic features.
The tutorials written by other people cover more advanced topics, and while by themselves they will not turn you into an expert, they do give you some idea of what it takes to create your own models, textures, and characters. Some of the topics are fairly advanced, far beyond the level of anyone who is working their way through the first part of the book.
So, I would recommend this book for a Poser newbie who wants help getting started, and to dip his toe into more advanced techniques. If you already kind of know how to use Poser and want to learn more advanced techniques, this book may give you a few useful tidbits, but you will probably be better off searching sites like Renderosity and RuntimeDNA and PoserPros for the numerous tutorials offered there for free.
Book Description
Whether you are just starting in 3D or are new to Carrara Studio, The Carrara Studio 3 Handbook will get you up to speed quickly with the powerful modeling, texturing, and animation tools. Nearly 30 step-by-step tutorials and exercises guide you through modeling with subdivision surfaces, spline modeling, UV mapping, shader creation, character rigging, animation, and more. Coverage begins with an overview of general 3D concepts, and quickly moves to customizing the improved Carrara Studio user interface for your own projects. From there you'll master the powerful modeling tools as you work through tutorials on character, technical, organic, and terrain modeling. Next, you'll learn to harness Carrara Studio shaders for texturing 3D models, including creating procedural shaders, using projection mapping, shading domains, and putting the new UV Editor to work. To learn the animation tools, you'll work through tutorials on creating a walk cycle using Inverse Kinematics, rigging a character with bones, and testing out the physics and particles tools. Finally, you'll explore the new, multi-hybrid render engine and gain practical experience with High Dynamic Range (HDRI) lighting, Global Illumination, and Caustics to create ultra-realistic lighting effects, as well as non-photorealistic rendering techniques. This is the one resource you need to master Carrara Studio 3.
Customer Reviews:
If you're new to Carrara, you need this.......2004-08-13
This book is a must buy, specially for novice Carrara users. In fact, you need to buy this book and shelve the user manual, because the user manual is no where near being a tutorial. The book is a handy on guide to the most important 3D concepts and Carrara features, with practical exercises throughout every concept treated. Being paperback and printed in black and white with no color insets I do think it is an expensive book. But you get your buck back from all that you'll learn.
Top Notch Book.......2004-03-17
As an experienced graphics user with a number of graphics books, this one was a breath of fresh air. All of the aspects of Carrara are covered with information and instructions that should be easy for a beginner to follow while also having what an experienced user needs as well. The examples are top notch and not only show off what the software can do, but does it using examples that are not normally seen. A lot of quality tips and tricks in the book as well. A CD with a lot of quality content is included and it is too bad that some of those execptional images did not make it into the book as well. Certainly worth spending time on. It also includes the full demo copy of Carrara 3, the latest version. A great way to explore the software before you put down the full price for it. With the execptional output from this software and the high quality of this book, you will want to keep both close by.
Carrara Studio 3 Handbook by Mike de la Flor.......2004-02-21
This is one of the best software handbook I have ever bought.
(I started buying computer books in 1979, incidently. I'm new to 3d modelling though, started 3 months ago.)
The author has the ability to take you through a sequence of learning stages, using very clear language, but achieving sophisticated and complex outcomes, in a painless manner.
Covers all the key aspects of Carrara 3, and gives insider tips that aren't in the manual, on key board short cuts, for example that really speed up your workflow. Might not suit everyone, but it suited my learning style perfectly. Doesn't replace, but complements the manual. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Book Description
Whether you are a new or seasoned user, you'll find everything you need to get started with Carrara 5 in The Carrara 5 Pro Handbook. This edition has been completely updated to teach everything you need to know about Carrara, especially many of the new and advanced features. Explore new and creative ways to use Carrara through a great collection of step-by-step tutorials written by industry experts, including two bonus comprehensive modeling tutorials with Eovia's newest application Hexagon. These hands-on tutorials progress from basic to advanced, guiding you from the basics of 3D modeling to the challenges of animation. The book is structured so that the process of creating 3D illustrations and animations flows logically from one chapter to another. And by using this approach you can easily learn the technical aspects of working with Carrara Pro and achieve a tangible understanding of the workflow involved in creating 3D content. By the end of the book, you'll know how to use the powerful tools of Carrara 5 Pro, have new and improved 3D skills, and have gained experience in 3D production concepts. This is a must-have resource for new and seasoned users a like!
Customer Reviews:
It's great ! Step by step modelling...like at school.......2007-07-30
I didn't want to use another 3d program as Carrara but I need it to build airplanes from drawn plans. This book gave me the possibility to understand how doing it! I have search around the web for tutorials on modelling airplanes or human figures But i never found something exaustive! This is a great book the only thing you need is to calm down your adventure spirit and follow step by step the author because sometimes result hard to understand even for novice like me.
A must have however !
A good book.......2006-06-14
This book covers a lot of modelling concepts for the beginner, and walks a person through the steps needed to model in a variety of ways (spline and vertex), and even has a chapter on modelling with Hexagon. Furthermore, the book briefly mentions the pro's and con's of UV, procedural, and projection mapping. Its tutorials are good for getting your feet wet, and a pretty thorough introduction to Carrara.
It may be missing some new Pro 5 features, so it might not be ideal for the seasoned Carrara veteran, however for beginners and intermediate people, its a fantastic resource.
I initially let some of the negative reviews persuade me from not buying the book, however with so few printed resources, I decided to get it. It was well worth the money spent, and I'm very glad I did buy it.
Much needed book!.......2006-06-05
Besides being the only Carrara book available besides the manual, this is still a great book. The author also wrote a Carrara 3 book, which has alot of the same wording, but the tutorials are different, so I recommend having both of them. The manual that comes with Carrara tells you what the program can do and the basic steps to do it, but this book tells you step by step how to do things. And sometimes you absolutely need to have two different views on things. Carrara is a low end 3D modeler, but it's still very hard to learn, not withstanding that even after two major patches, Carrara 5 is still a very buggy program!
Good Beginners Tutorial Book.......2006-03-16
This is a beginning/intermediate level book in tutorial format giving an introduction to 3D modelling using the Carrara 5 Pro software. 3D modelling is not simple, regardless of the software selected. And Carrara is no exception. This book though uses a step by step approach that introduces new terms like texturing, caustics and rendering with a combination of text and illustration that is as clear as any explanation that I've ever seen.
Throughout the book all kinds of images are used as illustrations. This includes fairly complex structures such as airplanes, cartoon characters, and human beings that get pretty close to photographic quality.
The book is supplied with a CD-ROM that includes a demonstration version of Carrara 5 Pro for Windows and Macintosh OS X. It also includes the modeler package Hexagon (Version 1.2). If you are thinking of a 3D package, this book with the demo software would clearly give you enough information to decide if Carrara is the package you want to use.
This book is the first one to come out that covers Carrera 5. Being the first, it isn't as complete as some of the other books will be. But once again, this is a book for beginners.
A solid book that is packed with useful tutorials.......2006-03-10
This a great book that really fills a void in the Carrara community. While there are many online resources for helping users learn this app, this is the only comprehensive project-based book available (other than the "Carrara 3 Handbook" by the same author). It is aimed primarily at the intermediate user; however, it contains some 3D basics available in the first few chapters to help beginners get up to speed, and some advanced tutorials in the last few chapters that advanced users can benefit from as well.
I could go into detail about the content of each chapter, but one of the reviewers above already does a great job at covering them.
The only reason I didn't give this book a full 5 stars (would have just gone with 4 and 1/2, if Amazon let me..) is because there are some cool new features of Carrara 5 that didn't make the book in time for its release. I will say that the upside to this is that we still have a huge book that was released within *just over a month* of the software's release.
Learning any 3D app is not easy. This book significantly cuts down on the learning curve with its project-based, easy-to-understand content. If you're looking for a glorified manual, then look elsewhere. If you want an informative, hands-on content-rich book that makes learning Carrara really fun and practical, then pick up this book. At around $30, you're absolutely getting your money's worth.
Book Description
Expanding on every aspect of Avid Xpress DVD except price, the next-generation editing dynamo Avid Xpress Pro ($1,695) delivers real-time video, film, and audio editing functionality to the masses (and their laptops!) by offering the revolutionary ability to send uncompressed video over standard FireWire cable (when paired with the Avid Mojo hardware accelerator). Big news for serious filmmakers—and when it's time to get up to speed on the most important product in your editing toolbox, there's just one place to start: Editing with Avid Xpress Pro, an entire self-paced course-in-a-book from Avid's own training experts.
Through step-by-step instructions, real-world examples, loads of screen shots, and an accompanying DVD that includes all of the professionally produced footage used in the exercises, you'll learn how to input and organize source footage, edit sync and non-sync material, trim sequences, adjust audio, create titles, output work, and more. Along the way you'll unlock the power of all of Xpress Pro's new features as well: automatic expert color correction (which allows single-click correction of entire sequences), advanced filtering and effects, powerful film support, high-quality output, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Big Disappointment.......2007-06-11
This book is suprisingly bad, considering that it's put out by Avid. I agree completely with the other reviewer who compared this book unfavorably with the Final Cut Pro books put out by Apple's Training Series. Those books have clear exercises and go through the processes you're learning in a thorough step-by-step way. This book doesn't even explain the interface clearly. Then, suddenly you are instructed to hit keys that have never been mentioned before. The writer doesn't even tell you what footage he's working with most of the time. A real disaster.
No-Nonsense Guide Delivers.......2006-09-13
Editing with Avid Xpress Pro and Avid Xpress DV is a terrific book for beginners and for intermediate editors as well. It doesn't waste time trying to interject "personality" into the text, it dives straight into teaching the Avid interface, buttons and basic editing techniques. It's organized well and can be used for quick reference, but it also contains exercises and short quizzes at the end of each chapter. The exercises contain real world footage that ranges from a PSA on the rainforest to an emergency room drama. The book gives you two ways to go through the exercises as well: 1. with detailed step-by-step instructions perfect for beginners or 2. with an outline of basic instructions that allows an intermediate editor to hone his/her skills when those step-by-steps plod you into a state of hypnosis.
It's a terrific guide with good sample footage and clear, concise explanations.
Average at Best.......2006-02-19
This book is put out by peachpit and frankly I'm surprised at the mediocre quality of it. I also purchased the Visual Quickbooks Xpress Pro book (also put out by Peachpit) and found it to be superior in every way but one. The single area in which the official Avid book stands out is the inclusion of a dvd of source material to be used in exercises. I consider this to be an absolute necessity when learning any complicated piece of software. However, the Avid book disappoints in its implementation. The Apple pro training series Final Cut Pro book incorporates the exercises directly into the chapters, meaning that you follow along as you learn. The Avid book on the other hand is laid out so that you read a chapter on how to do something, quiz yourself on your knowledge retention and then are provided an excersise section in which to practice what you have learned. Personally, I find it extremely difficult to read about a software interface without using it simultaneously. For this reason I greatly prefer Apple's layout. If this book didn't come with the DVD, I would have given it 2 stars.
Well written....very practical........2005-08-31
Few books are written by *educational* departments. Most software books are written by people who managed to land a book deal.
Avid's own books is focused on *how to make the software work*. Editing aethetics come from you...not this book.
When finished you'll know what's important - soup to nuts how the software works. You should also pick up the Intro effects and the color correcting book.
In other words, each book of the series goes into how to make the tool work - having consulted with editors, Avid presents the materials in a logical, concise method to learn how the software works in the most efficient manner.
Like an onion, in layers, the difficulty increases throughout each of their books.
Not a very good introduction.......2005-04-09
This is not a good introduction to Avid editing software. All sorts of important little details are left out of the explanations and examples, making a sophisticated interface fairly incomprehensible. I have begun the tutorial several times, and have not been able to go through even the "basic editing" sections.
I suggest looking elsewhere.
This is a great disappointment.
Book Description
You never thought you'd be shooting a corporate training video as part of your job as HR manager, but, well here you are--with a camcorder, a directive, and not a clue how to begin! You--and the many people who find themselves in similar situations--need this volume! Realizing that you're expected to provide professional results regardless, the authors of this volume dig deep into every phase of the DV production process: from capturing images and sound to editing, post-processing, adding special effects, and distributing the final product. Special emphasis is placed on the industrial-strength techniques that will get you up to speed quickly on the hardware and software advances that have occurred since the last edition. You'll find new sections on shooting and post-processing film-look (24p) and HDTV video, as well as special coverage of the latest eye-popping special effects. A companion DVD includes demo video clips, award-winning short films, interviews with DV pros, and lots more goodies.
Customer Reviews:
Great introductory course on how to make real world video.......2005-01-05
I bought the first edition 2 years ago and then the second edition to keep up with new changes because this book is a very good and complete introductory course on making real world video (i.e. starting from choosing DV camcorders to final production and delivery to the world depending on your budget).
It starts from current DV technology (like CCD and DV formats) and then introduces various DV camcorder types depending whether you are normal consumer or pro-sumer or professional users. (It even shows you the approximate price range for various camcorder class.)
It then introduces how scripts planning should be like for making different scenes of video (newscast or documentary or movie). It teaches different techniques of shooting pictures/video by cameras/comcorders (angles, views, lighting and audio control). I likes the book giving you various examples of lighting equipments and audio equipments required for making good video.
For movie pre-production process, it tells what kind of production crews and things you will need and do for different stages (including cost ranges). For movie post-production process, it shows how to edit all movie and audio footages into final movies and how to fix video/audio problems. It also describes what types of movie editing systems (computers, hardware equipments and software video applications) available in the market depending on high-end, mid-range, or low-end production and budgets. It also describes how the final process of movie copies are generated and delivered to the world.
I like the book because it gives me pretty good ideas how DV movies are made with real equipments that are availalbe in the current market. This book is highly recommended especially for serious beginning DV/movie producers.
Digital Dynamite!.......2003-05-23
This book took me into a whole new World. I sure could have used it before I bought my used BetaCam! Now I can work quicker, cleaner, look like a pro and save $$$. The furture of film making is here. Thanks guys!
a crash course in how to make your DV production easier.......2003-04-15
This book should be required reading for anyone making a digital movie with more ambition than experience. This book will be worth its cost in just the first project by eliminating many of the learning mistakes we all make. I wish someone would have sat down with me and given me this advice when I started and yet, even with many projects behind me, this book offers me new ideas. Reading the book and the watching the DVD are like having real work experience - both in production and post-production. In one memorable section of the DVD, Pete Shaner sits down with you and gives you lots of advice on how to shoot and things to consider in shooting and editing.
All of the detail hurdles in making a movie.......2003-03-23
As the prices of digital data capture and storage have dropped, new avenues of artistic creation have opened up. One of these areas is in the realm of digital video, where it is possible to make movies using simple and relatively inexpensive digital equipment. However, the fact that the equipment is now cheap does not make it any easier to make movies that people would want to watch. There is an enormous amount of subtle technique involved in making a movie, and until I read this book, I had absolutely no idea how complex a simple shot can be. This is a book that will show you how to make a digitally recorded movie, and should be the first thing you read if that is your aspiration.
It all starts with planning, from the initial idea, on to budgeting, clearing all legal hurdles, organizing and shooting the scenes, editing and cleaning the stored scenes, and ending with publicizing and distributing the finished product. All are so complex, that you do not make a movie, you survive its' creation. The fact that the movie can now be stored on digital devices only significantly affects one of these steps.
Written primarily for those who are interested in making DV projects for entertainment, this is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. The number of detail hurdles that need to be cleared to make a movie are astounding, and kudos to the authors for explaining all of those hurdles in great detail.
Digital Video Reference Book and DVD for All Earthlings!.......2003-01-08
Highly recommended reading...for the home hobbyist...the USC film student...the software geek... or AV professional.
The authors approach the Digital Video Universe in a real world, common sense and entertaining prose...allowing the reader to apply their level of interest, budget, technical background, project objectives and pace to a surprisingly current and comprehensively deep offering of digital video material.
The supportive DVD is awesome!
Books:
- Steven Spielberg: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies)
- Surf Movie Tonite!: Surf Movie Poster Art, 1957-2004
- Sweethearts: The Timeless Love Affair - On-screen and Off - Between Jeanette MacDonald
- Tao of Jeet Kune Do
- Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album by Album, Song by Song, the Sixties and After
- That Sweet Enemy: The French and the British from the Sun King to the Present
- The Alfred Hitchcock Story
- The Art of Expressing the Human Body
- The Art of Serenity: The Path to a Joyful Life in the Best and Worst of Times
- The Audrey Hepburn Treasures
Books Index
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