Game Programming Books - Page 6

Introducing Maya 2008

Dariush Derakhshani

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

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Much reading at the beginning, fun as reward 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book just ROCKS! written in a telling style, with a bit of humor and generally easy to follow. I am happy that Dariush Derakshani explaines why he uses certain settings on functions, and what the results are if you don't do it that way.

only but a few small errors now and than, but nothing more than a wrong option button mentioned or so wich had more books about 3D programs I own so that is not realy a minus.

The first two chapter are nothing more but general information(naturally), wich may be boring and of point to some people, but thereafter the fun starts with especially chapter four in wich you will make a complicateted object of wich you can be proud of when you are finished.In that chapter also, you can find out that there is more than one manner to accomplish something. One time I could not find a function Dariush explained, and ended up using a differend approach, with the same result:P.

I am not yet finished with the book but sofar, I love it... I can see my understanding of 3D and Skills growing everyday.

Editorial Review:

The new edition of this perennial bestseller is the ideal initiation to 3D and Maya. Starting with the basics, it builds from the ground up, combining straightforward text with practical examples that make it fun and easy to learn Maya's core tools while introducing the latest Maya 2008 features. Follow clear-cut, step-by-step lessons while you learn by doing using a wealth of hands-on files provided on the CD. You'll also find compelling examples in the full-color insert.

Game Sound: An Introduction to the History, Theory, and Practice of Video Game Music and Sound Design

Karen Collins

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Computer Science -> Software Engineering -> Information Systems
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Music -> General

Editorial Review:

A distinguishing feature of video games is their interactivity, and sound plays an important role in this: a player's actions can trigger dialogue, sound effects, ambient sound, and music. And yet game sound has been neglected in the growing literature on game studies. This book fills that gap, introducing readers to the many complex aspects of game audio, from its development in early games to theoretical discussions of immersion and realism. In Game Sound, Karen Collins draws on a range of sources—including composers, sound designers, voice-over actors and other industry professionals, Internet articles, fan sites, industry conferences, magazines, patent documents, and, of course, the games themselves—to offer a broad overview of the history, theory, and production practice of video game audio.

Game Sound has two underlying themes: how and why games are different from or similar to film or other linear audiovisual media; and technology and the constraints it has placed on the production of game audio. Collins focuses first on the historical development of game audio, from penny arcades through the rise of home games and the recent rapid developments in the industry. She then examines the production process for a contemporary game at a large game company, discussing the roles of composers, sound designers, voice talent, and audio programmers; considers the growing presence of licensed intellectual property (particularly popular music and films) in games; and explores the function of audio in games in theoretical terms. Finally, she discusses the difficulties posed by nonlinearity and interactivity for the composer of game music.

Teaching by Design: Using Your Computer to Create Materials for Students With Learning Differences

Kimberly S. Voss

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Features:

• high quality
• Special outlet purchase.
• Classic design.

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Educational -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> General AAS
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Teaching by Design shows readers how to use the computer to design meaningful educational materials for children and adults with special needs. A synthesis of computer graphics, education, and crafting, this book represents the authors considerable expertise in customizing educational materials for her daughter with multiple disabilities as well as teaching other parents and teachers to create them too. \n\nFull of instructions for designing and adapting materials and strategies for using them--including a time-saving CD-rom of templates--Teaching by Design is useful to parents and teachers of students of all ages with a wide range of disabilities. Design and customize lotto boards, interactive spelling cards, game pieces, playing cards, matching games, menus, fill-in-the-blank decals, handwriting transparencies, and more, to teach visual perception, math, language, communication, reading, handwriting, and self-help skills. \n\nThis book is loaded with illustrations and supportive anecdotal information and is divided into three parts:\n\nControlling Variables explains how presentation (media, text, images, and layout) affects learning and how to make appropriate design choices based on your child's needs and preferences \nGraphic Skills provides a mini-tutorial on computer graphics programs including Free-Hand, Illustrator, AppleWorks, Paint Shop Pro, CorelDraw, and Microsoft PowerPoint \nThe Recipes include over thirty sets of step-by-step instructions for creating projects, from Interactive Books to Coloring Within the Lines and from Restaurant Menus to Telling-Time Worksheet. The CD-rom of graphic templates gives users a headstart in the design process.\nWith this book, and access to a computer, printer, and office and craft supplies, you can make learning for a child with special needs immeasurably easier, richer, and fun for both of you as you make and use custom adaptive materials for home and school.

Illustrator CS for Dummies

Ted Alspach

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Good Book Illustrator CS for Dummies 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I have found that this book is a great place for a beginner or someone trying to improve on their graphic abilities to start. This book can be a very good tool to help review and remind you of some thing that my have slipped your mind. If you need to rate this book on the 5 star scale then I would give it a 4 ý. The reason it fails for the full 5 stars is that it only had a few full color pages(16) and in some small areas, it is hard to find some things it asked you to process. You have to changed a few things (setup view), then they are where they say they are. One more little bit of info, if you are looking to buy this software and use this book, buy the book only and download the try me version of the "Illustrator CS". This way if you don't like the software then your only out the cost of the book.



Wil Bailey

LaGrange, GA
WGCFUG.org

Editorial Review:

Includes companion Web site with bonus chapters and more!

Here's how to make friends with the top graphics software for both Mac® and Windows®

So you thought Illustrator should really be called "Intimidator"? Not so! Let this book draw you a map through the jungle of pages, paths, pixels, and Pen tools, and before you know it, you'll have your creations in print, on the Web, or even on a PDA. Then, just smile mysteriously when folks say "Wow!"

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

XNA Game Studio Express: Developing Games for Windows and the Xbox 360

Joseph B Hall

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

XNA Game Studio Express: Developing Games for Windows and the Xbox 360 is the ultimate resource for hobbyists and students who want to write games for Windows and the Xbox 360 game console. Learn how you can create your own games using the amazing tools of XNA and Game Studio Express, the free game development tools and APIs from Microsoft, based on the incredibly popular Visual Studio IDE. You'll begin with an introduction to the XNA platform and the Game Studio Express development environment. From there, you'll examine many different game genres and will develop your own working games. You'll also cover writing components and libraries and will develop reusable code that can be plugged into your game projects. Wrap things up with a collection of more advanced topics. To get the most out of this unique guide you will need a working knowledge of programming, but readers with a variety of backgrounds will still benefit from the comprehensive coverage found inside. XNA will turn players into developers, doing for game creation what YouTube and myspace have done for music and video.

Challenges for Game Designers

Brenda Brathwaite, Ian Schreiber

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Welcome to a book written to challenge you, improve your brainstorming abilities, and sharpen your game design skills! Challenges for Game Designers: Non-Digital Exercises for Video Game Designers is filled with enjoyable, interesting, and challenging exercises to help you become a better video game designer, whether you are a professional or aspire to be. Each chapter covers a different topic important to game designers, and was taken from actual industry experience. After a brief overview of the topic, there are five challenges that each take less than two hours and allow you to apply the material, explore the topic, and expand your knowledge in that area. Each chapter also includes 10 “non-digital shorts” to further hone your skills. None of the challenges in the book require any programming or a computer, but many of the topics feature challenges that can be made into fully functioning games. The book is useful for professional designers, aspiring designers, and instructors who teach game design courses, and the challenges are great for both practice and homework assignments. The book can be worked through chapter by chapter, or you can skip around and do only the challenges that interest you. As with anything else, making great games takes practice and Challenges for Game Designers provides you with a collection of fun, thoughtprovoking, and of course, challenging activities that will help you hone vital skills and become the best game designer you can be.

Mathematics for 3D Game Programming and Computer Graphics, Second Edition (Game Development Series)

Eric Lengyel

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This completely updated second edition illustrates the mathematical concepts that a game programmer would need to develop a professional-quality 3D engine. Although the book is geared toward applications in game development, many of the topics appeal to general interests in 3D graphics. It starts at a fairly basic level in areas such as vector geometry and linear algebra, and then progresses to more advanced topics in 3D game programming such as illumination and visibility determination. Particular attention is given to derivations of key results, ensuring that the reader is not forced to endure gaps in the theory. The book assumes a working knowledge of trigonometry and calculus, but also includes sections that review the important tools used from these disciplines, such as trigonometric identities, differential equations, and Taylor series.

Key Features
* Includes four new chapters: the graphics pipeline, the stencil shadow rendering technique, curves & surfaces, and numerical methods
* Concentrates on key mathematical topics for programming 3D game engines
* Discusses applications in the context of the OpenGL architecture due to its cross-platform nature and long-standing industry acceptance. Sample rendering code is presented using ARB vertex programs and fragment programs
* Selected topics include quaternions, homogeneous coordinates, ray tracing, bump mapping, portal systems, polygonal techniques, shadows, and physics
* Includes exercise sets for use as a textbook

New to This Edition
The following are selected revisions in the second edition:
* A new preliminary chapter that provides a review of the 3D rendering pipeline
* A new chapter containing an advanced discussion of the stencil shadow rendering technique
* A new chapter covering various numerical methods pertinent to 3D graphics programming, including numerical solutions to linear systems, numerical eigenvalue determination, and numerical integration
* A new chapter covering curves and surfaces, including Bézier curves and B-splines
* New discussions of texture filtering, mipmapping, and infinite projection matrices
* Updated lighting method implementations and collision detection techniques
* Additional exercises in all chapters

Mastering Unreal 3 Technology: A Beginner's Guide to Level Design in Unreal Engine 3

Jason Busby, Zak Parrish

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

Unreal Engine 3 is the gaming platform for today's hottest games, period. It is the primary development platform for the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, and a massive force in the PC gaming world. Unreal Engine 3 is the technology that works behind the scenes to actually put the video game on the screen. It handles all of the visuals, sounds, and takes in everything the user does (such as push buttons or move a mouse) in order to deliver the final gaming experience to the player. It is the core of the actual game, without which the game could not exist. The creators of Unreal, Epic Games, have extended their full cooperation in the writing of the book. The authors are widely known in the industry, through the previous edition and through the specialized training mods they supplied as part of the hit game Unreal Tournament 2004. Starting from the very basics, this book walks you through the entire process of level design, covering Unreal's level editing application, UnrealEd, and many key topics you'll need to create your own gaming environments. This book will bring you into the world of game development and modding with thorough and easy-to-understand explanations, in-depth tutorials, and all the information you need to start creating your own Unreal environments.

Introduction to 3D Game Programming with Direct X 9.0c: A Shader Approach (Wordware Game and Graphics Library)

Frank Luna

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9.0c: A Shader Approach presents an introduction to programming interactive computer graphics, with an emphasis on game development, using real-time shaders with DirectX 9.0. The book is divided into three parts that explain basic mathematical and 3D concepts, show how to describe 3D worlds and implement fundamental 3D rendering techniques, and demonstrate the application of Direct3D to create a variety of special effects.

With this book: * Understand basic mathematical tools used in video game creation such as vectors, matrices, and transformations. * Discover how to describe and draw interactive 3D scenes using Direct3D and the D3DX library. * Learn how to implement lighting, texture mapping, alpha blending, and stenciling using shaders and the high-level shading language (HLSL). * Explore a variety of techniques for creating special effects, including vertex blending, character animation, terrain rendering, multi-texturing, particle systems, reflections, shadows, and normal mapping. * Find out how to work with meshes, load and render .X files, program terrain/camera collision detection, and implement 3D object picking. * Review key ideas, gain programming experience, and explore new topics with the end-of-chapter exercises.

Real-Time Collision Detection (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive 3-D Technology)

Christer Ericson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Written by an expert in the game industry, Christer Ericson's new book is a comprehensive guide to the components of efficient real-time collision detection systems. The book provides the tools and know-how needed to implement industrial-strength collision detection for the highly detailed dynamic environments of applications such as 3D games, virtual reality applications, and physical simulators.

Of the many topics covered, a key focus is on spatial and object partitioning through a wide variety of grids, trees, and sorting methods. The author also presents a large collection of intersection and distance tests for both simple and complex geometric shapes. Sections on vector and matrix algebra provide the background for advanced topics such as Voronoi regions, Minkowski sums, and linear and quadratic programming.

Of utmost importance to programmers but rarely discussed in this much detail in other books are the chapters covering numerical and geometric robustness, both essential topics for collision detection systems. Also unique are the chapters discussing how graphics hardware can assist in collision detection computations and on advanced optimization for modern computer architectures. All in all, this comprehensive book will become the industry standard for years to come.

*Presents algorithms and data structures with wide applications to the fields of game development, virtual reality, physically based simulation, CAD/CAM, architectural and scientific visualization, molecular modeling, engineering simulation, GIS, ray tracing, and more.
*Describes tested, real-world methods, liberally illustrated by C & C++ code.
*Reviews necessary concepts from mathematics and computational geometry, and includes extensive references to other sources and research literature.