Game Programming Books - Page 23

Visual Basic Game Programming with DirectX (The Premier Press Game Development Series)

Jonathan S. Harbour

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Needs to be updated to VB .Net 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This book was written about the time VB .Net was coming out and the author even mentions that he considered writing some of the code in .Net. I bought the book, realizing it was dated, thinking that it would be a good learning experience to convert the examples to VB .Net. Of course, it's proving to be very frustrating.

This is a good book and well written and if you are determined to stick with VB6 and want to learn game programming. However, if you're moving on to .Net I would suggest looking for a different title. (If you find a good one let me know.)

I really wish they would publish a new edition with re-written examples. That would be ideal.

Editorial Review:

Think Visual Basic is just to slow to write a decent game? Think again! Microsoft Visual Basic Game Programming with DirectX gives you all of the tricks and techniques that you need to create awesome games using Visual Basic. Offering equal parts theory and hands-on exercises, the chapters in this book begin with a discussion of completing a task using Visual Basic then move on to enhancing the code with the Windows API. When applicable, the chapters conclude by delving into the details of how DirectX fits in. The final section of the book is devoted wholly to developing a variety of complete games: role playing, strategy, scrolling arcade games, and more. Whether you are new to game programming or new to Visual Basic, this book gives you everything you need to create amazing games by combining the hidden power of Visual Basic with DirectX.

Learning 3ds Max 2008 Foundation

Autodesk

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Learning Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2008 | Foundation is your shortcut to learning 3ds Max quickly and effectively. You'll get hands-on experience with the key tools and techniques through easy-to-follow, step-by-step project-based lessons, while learning to model, animate, apply materials and render in both the games & design visualization pipelines. By the end of the book you'll have a sense of the entire production process as you work on real-life production examples.

Whether you're a game artist or a graphic artist, Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2008 has the tools you need to succeed.

Game Artists will gain in-depth knowledge of the world-class Biped character animation toolset, unparalleled polygon modeling and texturing workflow.

Design Visualization Specialists such as architects, designers, and graphic artists, will gain the power to visually inform the design process through conceptual exploration, design validation and visual communication.

Bonus features included on DVD:
. Link to a 30-day trial of Autodesk® 3ds Max® software
. Bonus short films and new software feature demos
. Autodesk 3ds Max hotkeys reference guide
. Free models from Turbo Squid worth $160
. Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2008

* An all-access pass to the production and teaching experience of Autodesk's training experts

* Concept-driven lessons, fully illustrated in color, teach you the essentials of using 3ds Max 2008 so you can master the techniques of animation, modeling, materials, lighting and rendering

* DVD includes instructor led videos, support files and movies as well as interviews with contributing artists and FREE models from Turbo Squid worth US $160!

With this official Autodesk training guide, you will also:
. Learn about the user interface (UI) and work in 3D space
. Learn about animation basics and key frame animation
. Character modeling with editable poly
. Create rigs with biped
. Make morph targets with paint tools
. Learn about unwrapping UVs
. Learn about motion mixer workflow
. Understand & animate cameras
. Learn about light types and advanced lighting techniques
. Rendering Techniques & Tools (mental ray & Render Effect)

Illustrator CS2 Bible

Ted Alspach, Brian Underdahl

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Graphic Design -> Adobe Illustrator
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If Illustrator CS2 can do it, you can do it too ...

With its array of enhancements, Adobe Illustrator CS2 has made this quintessential artist's tool even more indispensable. This comprehensive guidebook has been updated to help you take advantage of every one. Part 1 introduces each new element and walks you through Illustrator basics. Parts 2 and 3 take you deeper into mastery of Illustrator, while Part 4 tells you all you need to know about outputting your work.

Inside, you'll find complete coverage of Illustrator CS2
* Explore the flexibility and intuitive functionality of the new Live Paint tool
* Convert bitmap images into vector-based artwork with amazing ease and accuracy using Live Trace
* Use the Control palette to easily locate common settings for selected objects
* Work with Photoshop(r) layer comps directly inside Illustrator CS2
* Become more efficient by setting up and saving custom desktop layouts for the way you work
* Browse and select files in all Adobe-supported formats using the Bridge application
* Generate more accurate vector graphics and spot-color separations with spot-color raster and SVG 1.1 support
* Achieve greater control over text handling and the use of paths

The Complete Guide to Game Audio, Second Edition: For Composers, Musicians, Sound Designers, Game Developers (Gama Network Series)

Aaron Marks

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Music -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Music -> General AAS
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Graphic Design -> General

Editorial Review:

Turn your musical passion into a profitable career with this exhaustive, indispensable resource for game audio. Develop the business and technical skills you need to succeed in the multibillion dollar games industry. Step-by-step instructions lead you through the entire music and sound effects process-from developing the essential skills and purchasing the right equipment to keeping your clients happy.

Create music and sound effects for games. Master the exacting specifications for composing music and creating sound effects on the various gaming platforms and systems. Technical considerations are explained in detail so that game audio professionals can make sense of complicated systems, learn about the highly involved programming elements, and create high quality audio without a hitch.

This new edition includes:

* Information on hot new next-generation game consoles - Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS, and Sony PSP.

* The companion DVD features audio and cinematic examples and sample business contracts.

--Aaron Marks is a highly influential industry leader who remains active in all aspects of game audio. Marks won Best Game Audio Article, Publication or Broadcast - Game Audio Network Guild Awards - 2002; and he is also an award-winning composer and sound designer (2004 Game Tunnel - Best Sound in an Independent Game of the Year Award - I of the Enemy). His knowledge is sought after and can help any game audio specialist grow in his/her field.

--Exhaustive, Indispensable resource for Game Audio - so that game audio professionals can do things like learn how to set up a studio, make a demo reel, find the work, bid on contracts, negotiate deals with clients and win the contracts.

--Technical considerations explained in detail so that game audio professionals can make sense of complicated systems, learn about the highly involved programming elements, and create high quality audio without a hitch.

--DVD includes audio samples, demos, interviews, and Dolby's latest Sound Development Kit so that game composers and sound designers can benefit quickly and easily by porting to their own work.

Advanced RenderMan: Creating CGI for Motion Pictures (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics)

Anthony A. Apodaca, Larry Gritz

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Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design -> Animation
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Graphic Design -> Rendering & Ray Tracing
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Advanced RenderMan: Creating CGI for Motion Pictures is precisely what you and other RenderMan users are dying for. Written by the world's foremost RenderMan experts, it offers thoroughly updated coverage of the standard while moving beyond the scope of the original RenderMan Companion to provide in-depth information on dozens of advanced topics. Both a reference and a tutorial, this book will quickly prove indispensable, whether you're a technical director, graphics programmer, modeler, animator, or hobbyist.

Explore the Power of RenderMan
* Use the entire range of geometric primitives supported by RenderMan.
* Understand how and when to use procedural primitives and level of detail.
* Master every nuance of the Shading Language.
* Write detailed procedural shaders using texture, displacement, pattern generation, and custom reflection models.
* Write shaders for special effects relating to volumes, custom lighting, and non-photorealistic media.
* Use antialiasing to ensure that your shaders are free of artifacts.
* Minimize the expense of rendering scenes by optimizing input.

Other Features from Advanced RenderMan
* Offers expert advice and instruction applicable to any RenderMan-compliant renderer.
* Filled with technical illustrations and many full-color representations of effects supported by the RenderMan standard.
* Includes a chapter reviewing key math and computer graphics concepts.

Adobe Acrobat 7 PDF Bible

Ted Padova

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

My Bible 5 out of 5 stars.
19 of 21 people found this review helpful.

Having had no experience with Acrobat except for the reader, this book is on my desk whenever I use my program. It is my bible, I look up everything I can't figure out and it helps me every time. Very thick heavy book, I didn't read the book through, I just look up things as I need them and have found everything I have needed so far.

Editorial Review:

* Adobe Acrobat and its file format, PDF, have become the standard for portable documents, including everything from high-resolution color files destined for print to Internet and e-book content
* This critically acclaimed, authoritative reference has now been completely updated and enhanced to cover the powerful new release of Adobe Acrobat
* Written by Acrobat/PDF guru Ted Padova, the book is packed with real-world insights and techniques gained from the author's use of Acrobat and PDF under deadline situations
* Covers everything there is to know about using Acrobat and PDF for print prepress, the Internet, CD-ROMs and all manner of new media
* The companion Web site includes links to plug-ins, utilities, and a training video

ShaderX7: Advanced Rendering Techniques

Wolfgang Engel

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Editorial Review:

Welcome to "ShaderX7," the latest volume in the cutting-edge, indispensable series for game and graphics programmers. This all-new volume is packed with a collection of insightful techniques, innovative approaches to common problems, and practical tools and tricks that provide you with a complete shader programming toolbox. Every article was developed from the research and experiences of industry pros and edited by shader experts, resulting in unbiased coverage of all hardware and developer tools.

LightWave v9 Lighting (Wordware Game and Graphics Library)

Nicholas Boughen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Old book 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

If you have previous version of this book, save your money and skip this one, they are basically the same book with different front cover page..

Awesome resource from a CGI lighting master 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

If you're new to LightWave (or 3D in general) Nick Boughen's lighting book is a must-have. Nick skillfully teaches you to see the various qualities of light in the real world and how to reproduce them in 3D. You'll learn how lights work in LightWave, how color and shadow affect your scene, how to create specialized light rigs, and how to light objects to match background plates. Nicks is an industry veteran with a wealth of film and television credits to his name. When you purchase this book, you're not getting a rehash of LightWave manual. You're getting proven tips and techniques from someone who works as a lighting artist day in and day out.

Some have noted that this book is similar to past versions. If you already own a previous copy of Nick's lighting book you should look through this new edition to determine if the update is for you. For everyone else, you need this book. No other reference can provide you with such a thorough and complete understanding of lighting in LightWave.

Editorial Review:

LightWave v9 Lighting is the only book on the market from a professional artist explaining the theory and application of lighting with LightWave 3D. The book has the following key features: Describes step-by-step everything you need to know about the qualities of light; Clearly explains modern lighting concepts; Steps through LightWave's impressive toolset, describing the qualities and uses of each tool and feature; Addresses lighting design issues, dealing with everything from the motivation of a light source to the emotional impact of color on the scene; Companion CD is packed with images and plugins, and includes a demo version of LightWave 3D version 9; Includes a 16 page color insert of lighting examples.

Java ME Game Programming, 2E

Martin J. Wells, John P Flynt

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Get ready to create your own J2ME game! This updated edition to the popular J2ME Game Programming provides updated sofware coverage as well as updates to the programming approaches specific to Java ME software. It also covers the recent innovations in mobile games with relations to iPods and cell phones. You will learn the essentials of J2ME game development from the ground up. Throughout the book you will discover the issues involved in developing for multiple target devices and how to work through the jungle of device-specific libraries and device capabilities. Working on a limited platform it is important to squeeze as much as you can out of those precious bytes, so in this book you will find the tools and source code you need to get the most out of the constrained resources. You will also learn how to structure your code and classes to achieve as small an application footprint as possible. As you work toward developing your own J2ME game, you'll examine the game lifecycle, how to handle resources, various methods of drawing to the screen, optimizing memory usage, handling the users input, and even sharing high-scores online! Previous experience in programming object-oriented languages and a basic level of math skills is recommended.

Mastering Unreal Technology: Bringing Worlds to Life in Unreal Engine 3

Jason Busby, Zak Parrish, Jeff Wilson

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Games & Strategy Guides -> Strategy Guides -> Unreal
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Editorial Review:

This book will enable game developers and modders to take their abilities to the next level, showing how to create more in-depth and interactive levels. It covers the creation of advanced materials, showing the true power of UnrealEd's Material Editor, along with how to employ the use of volumes, which allow you to control and alter the physics and effects of certain areas of your level. Also discussed is the creation and use of physically interactive objects, allowing your levels to come to life with objects that are affected by gravity, collisions, and player influence, after which there is a thorough discussion of Unreal Engine 3's particle effects system, enabling you to create such effects as fire, smoke, sparks, and much more! From there this book moves into much more advanced and technical features of the engine, including the creation of your own custom user interfaces, how to work with your own sound effects, and how to produce your own post processing effects, enabling you to create a variety of real time camera based effects such as depth of field, motion blur, color adjustment, and more. This book also includes complete coverage of UnrealEd's animation system, as well as an introduction to how you can create your own in-game cinematics - also known as Machnima - allowing you to become a virtual film director!