Killer Game Programming in Java

Book Description

Although the number of commercial Java games is still small compared to those written in C or C++, the market is expanding rapidly. Recent updates to Java make it faster and easier to create powerful gaming applications-particularly Java 3D-is fueling an explosive growth in Java games. Java games like Puzzle Pirates, Chrome, Star Wars Galaxies, Runescape, Alien Flux, Kingdom of Wars, Law and Order II, Roboforge, Tom Clancy's Politika, and scores of others have earned awards and become bestsellers. Java developers new to graphics and game programming, as well as game developers new to Java 3D, will find Killer Game Programming in Java invaluable. This new book is a practical introduction to the latest Java graphics and game programming technologies and techniques. It is the first book to thoroughly cover Java's 3D capabilities for all types of graphics and game development projects. Killer Game Programming in Java is a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know to program cool, testosterone-drenched Java games. It will give you reusable techniques to create everything from fast, full-screen action games to multiplayer 3D games. In addition to the most thorough coverage of Java 3D available, Killer Game Programming in Java also clearly details the older, better-known 2D APIs, 3D sprites, animated 3D sprites, first-person shooter programming, sound, fractals, and networked games. Killer Game Programming in Java is a must-have for anyone who wants to create adrenaline-fueled games in Java.

Customer Reviews:

Very good book. If you want to learn Java game programming, don't miss this one.......2007-10-03

2 months ago, I was completely new to Java. (I'm getting better now)
The book provides many concepts and technique in game programming.
You'll find it really useful. If you want to learn Java game programming, don't miss this one.

Read also:
Developing Games in Java

This one is easier. But I recommend you read both!

Excellent introduction to Java and Game Programming.......2007-09-18

Java has come a long way since books like "The Black Art of Java Game Development", and Killer Game Programming with Java is a great example of how far it's come. The book covers the basics of not only Java and the libraries relating to games, but also the basics of programming games. The book is quite complete, starting with the basics of 2D game programming and moving on to 3D games. The author conveys a genuine excitement in developing games with Java, and makes it simple enough to grasp and understand. The book is very well illustrated, with helpful class diagrams throughout the book.

Perfect Game Programming Book.......2007-05-13

This book is really worth you money to buy. It has detail explaintion of Java 2D and 3D gamming techniques. However this isn't for beinninger Java learners, it does not include basic syntax of Java language. I strongly recommand this book to all game lovers.

Good stuff.......2007-03-09

A good descriptive book about sound and graphics programming techniques that go into developing games. Significant number of references on the web mentioned for further research and to complement it. As a seasoned Java programmer other than games, I like that it's written quite clearly on the challenging topics of some chapters.

It's just amazing........2007-02-14

I am a java programmer who works by making web applications in Java using frameworks like Struts and databases like Oracle, and I am also student of computer science. I always researched and studied by myself how to program games, and even made my own Tetris for pc and cellphone (in Java). But this book puts together in one work just everything that I always wanted and needed to know about games programming: 2D graphics, 3D graphics, sound, network, 3D models and on, in a very didactic way, and it is still growing, since there is always new material available at it's site. I highly reccomend this book for any Java programmer who wants to make professional, complete and market competitive games in this wonderful language.

Average customer rating:

A very good book on computer graphics principles

Computer Graphics Using Java 2D and 3D
Y. Daniel Liang , and Hong Zhang
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0130351180

Book Description

This Java handbook makes a practical tutorial on Java 2D and Java 3D for computer professionals. It contains in-depth coverage of basic computer graphics concepts and techniques, and introduces advanced graphic features to an audience mostly trained in the Java language. Chapter topics include mathematical background for computer graphics, .geometric transformation, views, lighting and texturing, behavior and interaction, and animation. For computer programmers and engineers, data analysts, graphic designers/animators, and game developers.

Customer Reviews:

A very good book on computer graphics principles.......2006-12-09

One of the authors has written several books on Java that were very good, so I was expecting something more than I have been seeing with academic-oriented computer graphics textbooks. So far, I have been quite pleased. The book does a good job of combining the teaching of computer graphics principles with enough of the fundamentals of programming in the Java 2D and Java 3D APIs to make the reader competent in being able to transfer his/her knowledge to other graphics APIs. However, there is just enough of the Java graphical APIs shown to establish basic competency in programming with them, so if what you are really seeking is great ability in Java 2D or Java 3D you should look for other sources of information. There are lots of Java programs demonstrating graphics principles included, just not a detailed explanation of the APIs involved. The only chapter that is a little off is the last one on additional 3D topics. I'm not sure why a section on sound was included in a text on graphics, other than because Java 3D has a sound engine, although it has always proved somewhat unreliable. The table of contents is as follows:

Chapter 1. Overview of Computer Graphics
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Computer Graphics Systems and Related Fields
1.3 Java Programming Language
1.4 Java 2D and Java 3D
Chapter 2. 2D Graphics: Basics
2.1 Introduction
2.1 Introduction
2.2 2D Rendering Process
2.3 2D Geometry and Coordinate Systems
2.4 The Graphics2D Class
2.5 Graphing Equations
2.6 Geometric Models
2.7 Constructive Area Geometry
2.8 General Path
Chapter 3. 2D Graphics: Rendering Details
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Colors and Paints
3.3 Strokes
3.4 Affine Transformation
3.5 Compositions of Transformations
3.6 Transparency and Compositing Rules
3.7 Clipping
3.8 Text and Font
Chapter 4. 2D Graphics: Advanced Topics
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Spline Curves
4.3 Custom Primitives
4.4 Image Processing
4.5 Creating Fractal Images
4.6 Animation
4.7 Printing
Chapter 5. Basic 3D Graphics
5.1 Introduction
5.2 3D Rendering Process
5.3 Java 3D API Overview
5.4 Java 3D Scene Graphs
5.5 The Superstructure
5.6 The Nodes
5.7 The Node Components
5.8 The Structure of a Java 3D Program
5.9 Backgrounds and Bounds
5.10 Compiling Scene Graphs and Capacity Bits
Chapter 6. Graphics Contents
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Points and Vectors
6.3 Geometry
6.4 GeometryInfo
6.5 Primitives
6.6 Fonts and Texts
6.7 Appearance and Attributes
Chapter 7. Geometric Transformation
7.1 Introduction
7.2 3D Affine Transformations
7.3 Transformations in Scene Graphs
7.4 Composite Transforms
7.5 Constructing Geometries with Transformations
Chapter 8. Views
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Projections
8.3 Specification of a View
8.4 Java 3D View Model
8.5 Picking
8.6 Head Tracking
Chapter 9. Lighting and Texturing
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Lights
9.3 Illumination Models
9.4 Material
9.5 Atmospheric Attenuation and Depth Cueing
9.6 Texture Mapping
9.7 Texture Coordinates Generation
Chapter 10. Behavior and Interaction
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Behavior
10.3 Interaction
10.4 Behavior and Picking
Chapter 11. Animation
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Alpha Objects
11.3 Interpolators
11.4 Morphing
11.5 LOD
11.6 Billboard
Chapter 12. Additional 3D Topics
12.1 Introduction
12.2 3D Curves
12.3 Surfaces
12.4 Sound
12.5 Shadows
12.6 Geometry Change
12.7 Off Screen Rendering
12.8 3D Textures

Building Imaging Applications with Java(TM) Technology: Using AWT Imaging, Java 2D(TM), and Java(TM) Advanced Imaging (JAI)

Average customer rating:

Indispensable
Worth it more for the examples than the tutorial
Don't buy this book!
Excellent Resource
Should be good, but it isn't

Building Imaging Applications with Java(TM) Technology: Using AWT Imaging, Java 2D(TM), and Java(TM) Advanced Imaging (JAI)
Lawrence H. Rodrigues
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0201700743

Customer Reviews:

Indispensable.......2006-06-02

I love this book; I was tempted to write this review since I saw a few negative comments by others that might put a potential purchaser off, and I would not want that.

As someone who both develops and specifies medical imaging applications in Java and other languages, I buy every book that has anything to do with the subject, and this is the one that I find most helpful and the one that I refer to most, even after all these years of using it.

This is NOT a book dedicated to JAI, however, and it pre-dates the JIIO stuff, so you will still need the Sun material for that, as others have pointed out.

It is also very elegantly presented and produced, for those who appreciate the aesthetics of a book as well as its content.

David

Worth it more for the examples than the tutorial.......2006-04-19

This book is an OK tutorial on Java imaging technologies, even though the book is 5 years old. Some things have changed, particularly with the Java Advanced Imaging API, but not enough to invalidate the book's tutorial. I would say if you are a complete novice to imaging in Java, you should read "Java 2D Graphics" by Knudsen. Also, the chapters on Swing in "Core Java Volume 1" by Cornell are essential. For the Java advanced imaging API, go to the JAI API website and download the "Java Advanced Imaging Programming Guide" that is freely available online from Sun Microsystems.
After you know the essentials, this book is good for specific problems you'll encounter in the AWT, Java2D, and JAI. For example this book talks about how to load images from Jar files, how to build region-of-interest (ROI) applications in Java 2D, the use of Java Beans and imaging, interactive graphics, and curves.
Finally, this book is good because it goes into details - including code - on how to perform certain common but often difficult imaging utilities in Java such as pie charting, image histograms, viewing very large images using JAI tiles, image processing with JAI, and performing Internet imaging by using the JAI with servlets.
If you are serious about imaging in Java it is an essential reference, but don't use it as your primary source for a tutorial.

Don't buy this book!.......2004-10-07

I bought this book with the intention of learning the JAI API for dealing with imagery. I have read the book from cover to cover three times, and all I have learned is how wonderful a developer the author believes he is.

This book does not go into enough detail on any of the API's, but it is especially lacking with regards to JAI. He has some sample code in the book, but all of the sample code is wrappers he has written around the Sun API's. Instead of explaining the API's one would like to learn, we are given a full detailed explanation of the wrapper code he has written, and leaves the API explanation details to the reader to figure out for themselves.

This book is a complete waste of time, and has to be the worst book I have ever read relating to Java. Next time, save your development skill advertising to your resume.

Excellent Resource.......2004-02-13

This is an excellent resource for imaging development with Java and an altogther beautiful book complete with glossy, color pages. The only downside to this text is that there seems to be a new imaging API every week in the Java world. Even still, this is a great source to help you get started.

Should be good, but it isn't.......2001-12-30

This book suffers from tacit knowledge oversight, a situation where the author assumes that the reader already knows the subject matter. Reading this book didn't help me understand the design behind Java 2D API or how to use it effectively

The concept of the Alpha channel is not discussed at all. How do you use Java 2D with ARGB data? This book does not tell you.

An example of a simple problem that I couldn't solve after reading this book is how do you use Java 2D when your data is ordered BGR instead of RGB? You would think that interchanging the values in the BandOffsets would do it, but Java 2D throws an Exception. In general his short examples seem too contrived to be useful, and the examples that use random numbers as images are not useful because you can't tell if the image is displayed correctly.

On the positive side the region of interest example included looks very interesting (though I haven't tried it).

Amazon.com

In his beautifully written and designed Java 2D API Graphics, Vincent Hardy introduces Java programmers to the contents and capabilities of this exciting addition to the set of standard Java classes.

The Java 2-D API counts among the most significant recent additions to the Java platform. The API makes it relatively easy for the programmer to treat hardware devices (including video displays and printers) as abstractions, and simplifies the process of conceiving, manipulating, and displaying geometric figures. It also incorporates a sophisticated color model (with support for transparency) and allows programmers to manipulate styled characters with a far greater degree of precision (and with greater ease) than before.

The book coverage is thorough, and is sure to save developers time that would have been spent in figuring out details through experimentation. Hardy has earned special praise by including sequences of steps that illustrate how jobs get done in the Java 2-D API. For example, he summarizes the process of rendering to a printer with eight steps, compactly stating which classes need to be used, which interfaces you need to implement, and which methods you need to call.

There's plenty of example code here (and on the companion CD-ROM), but Hardy doesn't make you decode an example in situations in which a quick statement of procedure will work. He also makes great use of illustrations (to show how such phenomena as joins and end caps are calculated, for example) and mathematical formulas (to show how AffineTransforms work). Many of the illustrations are in color, a valuable feature. --David Wall

Topics covered: The Java 2-D API for programmers with experience elsewhere in the Java language. The author pays attention to the basics--such as manipulating and rendering shapes--but also goes into detail on the Graphics Layer Framework (GLF) and the advanced rendering capabilities of the Java 2-D API (including text layout, fancy light effects, photo manipulation, and the simulation of 3-D objects with light and shadow).

Customer Reviews:

Great for programming graphic effects with Java2D.......2005-11-23

It is unfortunate that this excellent book is out of print. If you are an individual who wants to learn how to implement Photoshop-like effects and use Java2D doing it, this is the book for you. Pay any price to get your hands on it. However, this is not a tutorial on the general theory of computer graphics or image processing, and to understand this book you should already be familiar with both.
Part one is an adequate tutorial on the Java 2D API itself. It does not spend any time acquainting you with Java, as the author assumes you know this already. There is plenty of example code and instructive diagrams, plus the text is very accessible. However, some readers might also want to read "Java 2D Graphics" by Knudsen if they need more information strictly on the Java 2D API.
Parts two and three are about the author's own GLF (Graphics Layer Framework), which provides a foundation for the easy creation of rendering effects. This is what makes the book so valuable to programmers who want to implement interesting visual effects. The book describes how the framework is put together and how it can be used and extended by the reader's own code to produce Photoshop-like effects. The author starts out with very simple examples, such as "Hello Layers" in chapter six, and works up to more complex features. The author shows how to work with text, how to combine text and images, add patterns, and how to show transparency using alpha blending all using the GLF. The author has also built into his application a lighting studio of effects that he explains in great detail in chapter nine. The effects include directional light, spotlights, and elevation maps. By the conclusion of chapter nine, the author has described his framework as a set of tools that enable the reader to enhance the Java 2D platform capabilities.
Part three is about specific effects that can be built using these tools. Chapter 11 is about creating realistic effects and shadows. Effects discussed are all accompanied by code and include drop shadow, cast shadow, recessed shadow, embossing with directional light, tinting an image, and border embossing. Chapter 12 is about various text effects. Effects discussed include creating a glow behind objects backlit by a neon light, building a background texture from scratch, and using an image as a background texture. Chapter 13, "Sculpting with Light", is about creating realistic lighting conditions. Topics covered include carving with light, embossing with a spotlight, surface extrusion, and creating color contrast between text and its background. Chapter 14, "Fancy Text Layouts", covers unusual text layouts. Topics include how to lay out text in a circle or triangle, using strokes of various sizes and colors to make decoration elements stand out, and combining layer compositions. Chapter 15, "Tinting Photographs", uses the GLF ToneAdjustmentOp to tint or antique a photograph. Fast blur is also covered. Chapter 16, "Creating a Sense of Volume", covers using various gradient paints to create realistic 3D effects and give a sense of volume and depth. Topics include using transforms, shapes, and gradient paints to build cylinders, spheres, and bars. Also covered is the creative use of gradients for giving a sense of texture to objects. Finally, more sophisticated combinations and compositions are covered using the GLF's CompositionProxyLayer and CompositionFactory beans. There are code snippets throughout these chapters, and examples of what kind of effects the code produces. The entire framework source code is well laid out and commented and on the accompanying CD.
Chapter 17, the final chapter of the book, consists of a gallery of eleven sample visual effects created with the GLF. Each effect includes a verbal description of how it was produced, a figure illustrating the effect, and the name of the program on the CD that produces the effect.
In summary, this book is a masterpiece dealing with producing professional looking effects and graphics using Java2D and the author's framework. It is highly recommended for any programmer that looks at Photoshop's catalog of filters and asks "How?".

excellent book on java 2d api.......2004-10-29

i don't understand what the previous reviewer is ranting about giving this book a 1 star. disorganized? nothing could be further from the truth. chapter 1 is an introduction to the api, chapter 2 is an overview of the rendering pipeline, chapters 3,4,5 describe the api in detail, and the remaining chapters dealing with customized extensions to the api that any advanced programmer can do, showcasing the versatility of the api. there's code examples and walkthroughs on how to do complicated effects such as lighting, shadows, circular text, etc. text is interspersed with code and images of the code output so you know what the author is talking about. this book is for anyone who wants to do more than just draw circles and rectangles on the screen. if you want to write sophisticated 2d graphics code that looks like flash, pick this book up, it will give you valuable hints and examples.

Disorganized, Imprecise, and Incomplete.......2004-02-17

Unfortunately this was a big disappointment. If you are at all used to the succinctness and clarity of O'Reilly books, this is not for you. It seems at times that he is writing on-the-fly and just jotting down what he knows about Java graphics. The sequencing alone is enough of a reason not to buy it; in the examples there are routinely concepts and API elements used in key positions that haven't even been mentioned yet. I wouldn't say this is even appropriate for advanced graphics programmers (although you would have to be advanced to understand it) as it is just the manifestation of a lack of clear and organized thinking. I have read dozens of computer books and I would honestly recommend that you do yourself a favor and choose another one.

If you don't have it, get it now........2002-10-31

This book is absolutely great. No words can describe how well the author tackles the problems. Newbies beware: This book does not have copy&paste type of code and you are much better off with some other book that describes the basics. You have to know how to use Java docs and other stuff like that. Since the book heavily depends bufferedImage, its not a good book for fast paced programming, such as games, but nontheless, all the examples can be modified to work on accelerated images.

If the bufferedImage becomes accelerated some day, the value of this book will sky rocket. If you want to know how to use 2D api, get it. There is no better way to learn it.

Worth its asking price 10x over.......2002-05-29

Not only is this book well-written, accurate and comprehensive, it also features an incredible example of how extensible the Java2D API is: the Graphics Layers Framework. This Photoshop-like image effects and compositing library alone is worth buying this book for. And last but not least, this book is printed in full, glorious colour to really show off before and after screenshots of the example programs. If only more books were made to this standard...

Average customer rating:

Great book on the foundations of Java 2D
Excellent starter for using java 2D graphics
Not worth buying!
An excellent choice
Examples have lots of ugly/nasty inner classes - yuck!

Java 2D Graphics
Jonathan Knudsen
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1565924843

Amazon.com

Java 2D Graphics is a remarkably accessible guide to graphics programming using Sun's new Java 2D API. Besides the basic navigation of the API, this title delivers plenty of useful advanced material for extending Java 2D's capabilities.

After a simple introductory example, the book focuses on the graphics architecture of Java 2D and its rendering pipeline. Support classes in Java 2D receive ample coverage as well, with sections outlining topics like storing points, shapes, and paths. For basic graphics output, the book demonstrates the simple--which can be found in the process of drawing common shapes like lines, ellipses, and rectangles--as well as the complex seen in modifying graphics output through translating, rescaling, rotating, or shearing.

Text output in Java 2D receives its due as well, since the book acknowledges Java 2D's advanced font capabilities that allow it to handle right-to-left languages such as Arabic. Further sections delve into Java 2D color models (including support for the CIEXYZ and sRGB color standards). Concerning the display of images, the book covers the built-in support for image filtering in Java 2D, which allows programmers to build toggles and fades into their code that alter brightness, contrast, blurring, and sharpening.

For advanced readers, Java 2D Graphics presents techniques like double buffering and matrix operations for custom image effects. Another expert section on the internal storage classes for image data will be useful for those who want to write image decoders. (A sample PNG decoder shows off the basics here.) Final sections look at printing, animation, and performance issues.

In all, Java 2D Graphics provides a fine introduction to the latest in 2-D graphics programming from Sun, in a title that will be useful to both beginning and advanced Java developers. --Richard Dragan

Book Description

One weakness of Java has been its graphics capabilities. Java 1.0 and 1.1 only included simple primitives for line drawing: lines could only be one pixel wide, they could only be solid, and there wasn't any good way to draw curves. Font management and color management were also weak. Java 2D (collectively called the "2D API") signals a major improvement in Java's graphics capabilities. It covers many of the classes in Java 1.2 that address graphics handling and improves on many weaknesses that were present in the previous versions of Java. The 2D API allows you to produce high-quality, professional images on a screen or printer. Java 2D Graphics describes the 2D API from top to bottom, demonstrating how to set line styles and pattern fills as well as more advanced techniques of image processing and font handling. You'll see how to create and manipulate the three types of graphics objects: shapes, text, and images. Other topics include image data storage, color management, font glyphs, and printing. Java 2D Graphics assumes no prior knowledge of graphics. Chock full of detailed explanations and examples, this book provides beginning Java programmers with a solid foundation in 2D graphics and helps more advanced programmers create and use high-quality images in their applications. Topics covered in the book include:

The rendering pipeline
Shapes and paths
Geometry
Painting with solid colors, gradients, and textures
Stroking paths, including dashed lines
Transformations: translation, rotation, shearing, and scaling
Alpha compositing
Clipping
Rasterizing and antialiasing
Fonts and text
Font metrics
Glyphs
Colors and color spaces
sRGB and CIEXYZ
ICC color profiles
Images, image color models, and image data
Image processing
Image data storage
Graphics devices
Printing

Customer Reviews:

Great book on the foundations of Java 2D.......2006-06-20

In computing, Java 2D is an API for drawing two-dimensional graphics using the Java programming language. Every Java 2D drawing operation can ultimately be treated as filling a shape using a paint and compositing the result onto the screen.

This book, although seven years old, is the best in print on learning the basics of Java 2D. Several other reviewers have said that the Java docs for the API from Sun are just as good, but I disagree. This book does a good job of taking a complex API and laying out what it takes to produce graphics using it.

It starts out explaining the architecture of the Java 2D API, and includes a very long "Hello Java 2D" example showcasing what the API can do. The author admits at the time it is presented that it is likely the reader will not understand the code until the book has been read.

Next, the author introduces the drawing of shapes, and then adds painting, stroking, transforming, compositing, and clipping to the equation, one by one, while explaining the nuances of each feature being added. Next, the author goes into adding text to your figures and also explains how to do simple image processing with the Java 2D API, even explaining how to "roll your own" image transform operations.

The book concludes with a discussion of printing, animation, and measuring performance with Java 2D. The author includes a flexible framework for performing animations using Java 2D. There is example code throughout the book that can be downloaded from the publisher's website. If you are looking for a book of image processing tricks and recipes in Java, this is not the book that you want. In that case you might want to read Hardy's excellent but out-of-print work, "Java 2D API Graphics", after you read this book. However, if you want a good foundation in programming with the Java 2D API and understanding its architecture, this is a very good source. I highly recommend it.

Excellent starter for using java 2D graphics.......2004-10-08

The book gives a very good introduction to java 2D graphics programming. I bought in in order to come up to speed in a new project involving display and analysis of dicom images. It did not fail me! Highly recommended.

Not worth buying!.......2004-04-02

This is a not worthy buying book. I bought it in Amazon, so, without flipping pages. The author expends much of the time showing things you can find in Sun's javadoc, with tiny examples. For example, I read on and on looking how to create a BufferedImage and came to nothing! If I wanted only commands, I could look in at Sun's javadoc. I bought the book expecting to find out how to stuff, not bla bla bla.

An excellent choice.......2003-08-09

I really enjoyed this book. It covers two dimensional graphics very well. The code will challenge you. I like all books by Jonathan Knudsen. I think he is a good writer. If you a beginner, you might want to buy a primer on JAVA first before buying this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn JAVA Graphics2D

Examples have lots of ugly/nasty inner classes - yuck!.......2000-09-29

This book's content is great even though it spends a lot of ink regurgitating the doc (symptomatic of O'Reilly). Even with this it touches on everything within 230 pages while showing many examples.

My issue with this book is the way that the examples are written. It uses inner classes left and right requiring more careful reading of the code. I know this is a philosophical issue; but in general inner classes are a lazy programmer's tool which tends to confuse code and make it harder to read/maintain. It is bad enough that they are used in documented public APIs - in a didactic text, there's no need to exacerbate this.

Book Description

Pure JFC 2D Graphics and Imaging is a premium reference for experienced Java(TM) developers. It contains an accelerated introduction to the Java 2D concepts and implementations, as well as a concise reference to the interfaces, classes, fields, methods, and constructors from the Java 2D API packages. But the heart of this book is the code. In addition to the usual snippets, there are many complete, well-commented, commercial-quality programs that demonstrate key 2D graphics and imaging implementation techniques. All this code is meticulously commented to limit page flipping and accelerate your understanding. Download any of this code from www.samspublishing.com/product_support/ and you are well on your way to creating sophisticated 2D graphics and working with images.

Customer Reviews:

Not for Novices.......2005-05-11

If you're new to graphics and Java, this is not a useful book. The first example did not work as displayed in the text and I could not figure out why. Lots of code, very little explanation. I skipped to chapter 3 and discovered the author had switched to applets, but without the required start and stop methods. That example wouldn't run. After a few hours it was clear why the book is not very thick. There is very little explanation. Very frustrating for someone just getting started. Pick another book. (Fortunately this one was cheap.)

Excellent to learn Java 2D API.......2003-12-06

I knew Java and I wanted a book about Java 2D API.
This book is excellent:
- easy to read
- lot of smal programs (with comments) to illustrate chapters
(compile/work with SDK 1.4)

If you are fed up about Java books with more than 1000 pages or
if you want (like me) to learn quickly the 2D API, this one is for you.

Great very clear examples.......2003-08-01

This book is excellent. It has very clear examples. I was able to do a stock charting application very quickly by using the examples in this book.

Lots of example.......2000-05-16

I use this book along with the 2D API O'Reilly book. While the O'Reilly book comprehensively covers the whole API, this book does not cover the whole API, but goes in depth to the basics of 2D API with lots of sample code. I would recommend the book to any beginner trying to learn the 2D API.

Introduction to Computer Graphics: Using Java 2D and 3D (Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science)

Average customer rating:

Introduction to Computer Graphics: Using Java 2D and 3D (Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science)
Frank Klawonn
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1846288479

Book Description

Computer graphics comprises the creation and representation of simple graphical elements and images, as well as modern techniques for rendering a virtual reality. To apply these techniques correctly, one requires a basic understanding of the fundamental concepts in graphics.

This book introduces the most important basic concepts of computer graphics, coupling the technical background and theory with practical examples and applications throughout. Its user-friendly approach enables the reader to gain understanding through the theory at work, via the many example programs provided. With only elementary knowledge of the programming language Java, the reader will be able to create their own images and animations immediately, using Java 2D and/or Java 3D.

Features:

• Presents computer graphics theory and practice in integrated combination

• Focuses on the increasingly used Java 3D (and 2D in the first section of the book)

• Uses many pedagogical tools, including numerous easy-to-understand example programs and end-of-chapter exercises

• Offers Internet support for students and instructors (found at http://public.rz.fh-wolfenbuettel.de/~klawonn/computergraphics), such as additional exercises, solutions, program examples, slides for lecturers and links to useful websites

• Provides an ideal, self-contained introduction to computer graphics

Written for second year undergraduates and above, this reader-friendly, clear and concise textbook will be an essential tool for those studying Computer Science and Computer Engineering.

Frank Klawonn has many years of experience teaching computer graphics and coordinating application projects with companies.

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JAVA 2D API GRAPHICS

Manufacturer: Sun Microsystems USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IA5BFG

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