5 comments about 3D Game Textures: Create Professional Game Art Using Photoshop.

1. Unlike the rewiever who gave this book 1 star, I am giving 5. Because unlike him, I find this full-color book very well written and very useful. It goes beyond basic texture creation tutorials. The first half of the book explains theory behind good textures and texture creation as well as ways to take pictures for your own textures. It gives lot of examples to demonstrate various points. The second half of the book is the tutorial part. The tutorials are detailed and easy to follow. The only negative thing I find about this book is, that the tutorials give you exact values for everything without explaining why these values were actually chosen. However, it is up to the user to make his/her own tweeking and see, how changing these values effect the final result. Also, I would like to see how these textures are applied to a specific UV layout, which the book does not discuss. But then again, the book is about creating textures, not applying them to your model, so I do not hold it against it. After all, the textures that are created in the tutorials are nicely done and you certainly can find a good use for any of them. So, five stars it is.



2. This book is useful as a jumping-off point for using Photoshop to create textures, and covers most of the basic topics that someone new to both Photoshop and texturing would need to know. However, you'll need to search for additional resources to complete the journey that this book starts you on, since it's a pretty basic overview with a few confidence-building exercises that give you a taste of the possibilities.



3. I already know texturing and wanted to take my texturing to the next level. I compared textures before and after, and I noticed a difference. Its easier to make hand painted textures for me now.
   There are step by step examples of how to make bricks, windows, doors, etc.
   It even discusses how to take pictures of textures yourself, and how to make your 3d scenes seem more real by placing objects, breaking up plain parts, etc.
   The only thing missing is how to create history on textures and as far as I can tell, there are no books.
   I recommend going to cgsociety and check out the forums. Stephen Morrell has a good pdf on texturing somewhere.



4. There's a lot to like about a book like this for the beginning texture artist, such as myself. It gives you the fundamentals of how to recreate a texture from the ground up without actually having to paint hardly anything! Just use what Photoshop has to offer and you can follow this book all the way through.
   That would be the downside though, must have Photoshop! If you don't then I wouldn't see you getting much out of this book except the techniques, which may or may not be done in another paint program.
   This is just a beginner's book because it doesn't cover anything about skin or human painting and texturing, which is what I'm now looking for in another book. This just covers inanimate objects, but it just blows my mind how easy it now is using his techniques. I'm no longer intimidated by a blank white screen with no textures, and am now cranking stuff out a lot better looking (not professional yet, but getting there).
   Deffinantly worth getting for beginners or people apprehensive towards texturing.



5. the final textures are excellent. the only problem is sometimes the insructions are a little vague and the software in the book is outdated

5 comments about XNA 2.0 Game Programming Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (Books for Professionals by Professionals).

1. This is the best book on XNA.
   
   I like that the book is not focused on beginner topics but rather on intermediary concepts. This book will help you grow once you got the basics i.e. once you are able to create a simple 2D game or setup a basic 3D scene.
   
   The author is very focused and the recipie approach works great.
   I surely hope the author will publish other books on XNA.



2. If your an average to expert c# programmer trying to get into XNA or have a little experience already, this book is great for code refrence and XNA class information. However, I dont recommend this book to entry level programmers as it requires basic c# knowledge.



3. I'd never written a review in Amazon. But I cannot do that for this book! It's simply AWESOME! It almost answers every piece of my question mark in mind after going over several XNA fundamental books. In a nutshell, The book is perfect for those who already has some basic knowlodge of XNA.



4. This book is basically a series of tutorials (or "recipes"). The tutorials range from the very simple task of displaying an image on the screen to more complicated tasks such as terrain generation with HLSL.
   
   The tutorials are organised well, with a contents section that allows you to quickly scan through and look up the feature you wish to implement in your code. Each tutorial has in depth code in the book itself as well as downloadable code from the author's web page.
   
   This book makes a fantastic complement to the XNA documentation. Things that are explained abstractly or are hidden within the XNA documentation are explained in greater practical detail in this book; you'll save a lot of time and hassle. Highly recommended.



5. This is my first review in almost 10 years of using Amazon. Never have I felt this compelled to share how great a product is. Riemer is, very simply, that rare author who not only fundamentally knows his subject, but understands how to communicate it in ways that make the learning process both intuitive and nearly effortless.
   
   I've been reading software books since I was a kid, and I can say with confidence that most of them fall short in the effective communication department. Sure, there are stacks of books out there packed with useful information, but all the knowledge in the world is useless if you can't understand it. Riemer not only gets the knowledge right, he helps you rightly get at the knowledge. (And this is doubly astounding when you consider that English isn't even the author's first language!)
   
   If you're new to XNA, Managed DirectX, or HLSL shader programming, this book will get you up and running fast. If, like me, you've already had some experience, the tips you'll pick up in this book are a great investment in your programming future. At Amazon's price, this book is a steal.
   
   On a side note, I first came across Riemer's work through his website. (Google for it.) His XNA and DirectX tutorials were the first that actually made sense to me, and I highly recommend them as supplemental material to this book.

5 comments about The Physics of Star Trek.

1. I really enjoyed this book, it really went in depth on how or if certain technologies of Trek work or don't. Be warned, that it can get very scientific, and to the untrained eye may appear to use more techno-babble then trek itself. However, it is laid out in a very concise manner, with several diagrams as well.



2. Some things in the 'Startrek Physics' are possible..
   
   Maybe not as denoted in the series/movies but in some fashion.
   Let me list items that could be considered TREK technology.
   
   
   1. Cellphones (though more in style/form that fact).
   2. Visor (the visor used in STNG) is real today.
   Certain kinds of blindness can see 2d B&W with this visor.
   ITs been around for years.
   3. Pc's ... in a way the original STartrek could have had todays pc's or similar ...
   
   4. Some of our medical technology is a direct cause from the original startrek in that the major inventor of much of our medical stuff in ER is from a person who watched startrek as a kid and grewup specifically to invent as much ST stuff as he could.
   
   Yes many things in SCIFI are not possible, but much of it is in some fashion.
   
   Besides, often what is impossible today, is often possible tomorrow.
   
   Remember these comments:
   1. We wont need more than 5 computers in the whole world.
   IBM (I think).
   2. We will never need more than 640k (BILL Gates, confirmed).
   3. We might as well shutdown the office, everything that can
   be invented, has been invented. (Patent office I belive).
   
   AMong others,
   Myself, I bet my best friend in 1976, that some variation of computers like starttrek would be around in less than 5 years.
   Two years later, he paid up, as I began using computers that could be linked up to be exactly that. (Slower obviously but there).



3. This a not-so technical book that many Star Trek fans will love. Of course it requires a previous knowledge of general physics but it is very good. I enjoyed reading it and of course I have to have a college physics book by my side to get the most of it.



4. Chances are that if you consider a complicated and thought-provoking series like Star Trek to be entertaining, then you'll find Lawrence Krauss's discussions of scientific realities and almost realities to be similarly enthralling, especially when he throws some good discourse on ethics into the mix. I am not a science person by any stretch of the imagination. Math hurts my brain, 10th grade Chemistry bored me silly, and I'm relatively comfortable in trusting that Geordi LaForge knows what he's talking about when he reels off explanations of matter/anti-matter mixing, force field frequencies, and inertial dampeners. Yet Krauss masters a balance between complexity and accessibility in his book, making everything easily understandable even while helping you to comprehend the basics of cutting edge physical laws and theories. This guy should be everyone's first science teacher.
   
   Krauss' exploration is just fascinating, whether in discussing how transporters might work (do you actually transmit the atoms or simply destroy the original person and clone them on the other end? How are consciousness, memory, and the soul transmitted?), or the problems involved with faster than light speed travel and time relativity. Krauss isn't just some holier than thou critic who seeks to tear apart the science of Star Trek, either. Instead, he offers possible explanations for how much of the technology might actually be able to work, all while pointing out that, a decade and a half later, many of the imaginary scientific concepts used in these shows have turned out to be more accurate than not.
   
   This is a book written for those of us that enjoy the scientific and ethical aspects of Star Trek (and this book focuses primarily on Next Generation). If that's the case for you, then "The Physics of Star Trek" is the logical next step. It's far more accessible than the Next Generation Technical Manual, and it's far more rewarding, as well.
   
   **Note: This review was based upon the original 1995 printing of "The Physics of Star Trek." Amazon is selling a version that was last revised in 2007. Twelve years of cutting edge science have, no doubt, had a transforming impact upon the book since then.



5. Need a crash course in how to create your own warp drive (hint, bend spacetime behind so that it moves away and in front so that they move closer)? Or perhaps want to know what Star Trek writers got right (and horribly wrong)? Well then this is a book for you. Not terribly technical, Krauss does an excellent job of explaining complicated theories so a dummy like me can comprehend them and with a joke.

4 comments about Silent Hill Origins Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames Strategy Guides) (Bradygames Strategy Guides) (Bradygames Strategy Guides).

1. I found this guide a little more confusing than guides for the previous games, but it is a must for people who are new to the Silent Hill series. The thing I found most confusing with this guide was how items were identified on the maps. I didn't like the system the author used. It made finding some items difficult.



2. The only complaint is that this (like all other SH strat guides) is DARK. When using it while playing the game you can easily lose your place because of the backgrounds on the page. That being said, its a well written, step-by-step walkthrough that doesnt have too many "reveals" but still gets you through with minimum damage. Recommended.



3. This is a really well-written book about the game, Silent Hill: Origins, for PSP. It has step by step instructions about the mystical world. Where can I find this? Can I go through this door? All these questions and many more can be answered in this handy manual. It even has battle plans for destroying bosses! Don't hesitate! Buy this incredible book right now!
   :D



4. I bought this walkthrough after already beating Origins, but I wanted it for the extra information it contained about such things as the weapons for a Silent Hill Wiki I edit. I used the walkthrough on my second play through to try and unlock bonuses. It does a very thorough job on everything. The maps are nicely detailed, the directions are clear, and it gives directions on how to get all the items. This is the walkthrough for the PSP, but I went ahead and bought it for my PS2 version and everything was fine. The only thing that was off was a few times it would tell you you would find a health drink, and it would be an energy drink. No biggie at all. There are a couple typo/mistakes that can confuse you, so you may need to look online for what there really meant. Overall, a very good book.

3 comments about Saints Row 2 Signature Series Guide.

1. This is one of the worst game guides I have ever tried to use. For the collectibles, there is just a map with no description of where or how to find what you are looking for. On top of that, the maps aren't even complete. There are 32 secret areas but the guide only has 19 on the map. The map only shows 65 of the 80 stunt jumps. The barnstorming map shows 33 of the 35 events but has eight crosshairs scattered around the map for no reason. I think only the CD's map has the correct number of markers. When you start a new game and bring the map up on the screen, everything except for the area where you start is grayed out and lacks detail. This is the screen shot they used in the guide for all of these maps. The prison where you start the game is bright and has some detail but everything else is not.
   
   Other parts of the guide are equally deficient. The weapons section just has a picture and a name but not stats or information about the weapon or how to get it. The Hitman sections often give no more information about the target than what shows in the game.
   
   I could go on and on but you get the idea. This is a total amateur job and not worth the money. There will be much better maps and guides available online for free before long, if they aren't available already. Wait for them.



2. I was more than pleased with previous Brady Games books for Grand Theft Auto IV, and GTA: San Andreas. Past experience set high expectations, so I purchased this guide site unseen.
   
   It's so disappointing I almost feel cheated. Most of the book is little more than a recitation of the instruction manual and readily available in-game information with a few common sense tips that you can easily figure out by yourself.
   
   In previous Brady books, collectible locations were usually described with overview maps, a sentence or two description on how to find them, and pictures to make collecting an easy, albeit often tedious, task. The Saints Row 2 book only provides a map, making elevation and exact location of collectibles much harder to pin-point.
   
   Instructions on completing hit lists and car jacking give you no more information that what the game itself already gives you when you get the car and hit lists. No new advice, and no detailed location instructions.
   
   The sections on vehicles and weapons is a major waste of space. All you get are pictures. No details and no statistics.
   
   Brady had no business releasing this book. It is far, far below their usual standards.



3. The guide is as expected from Brady. The book is complete and well organized as expected from the company. A complete walkthtough is included and very well explained. A good buy for anyone who would purchase the game.

No comments about Codes & Cheats Winter 2009: Prima Official Code Book.

3 comments about God of War II Signature Series Guide (Bradygames Signature Series) (Bradygames Signature Series).

1. My son loved the book. It arrived in a very timely manner and has been very helpful for his video game.



2. This Book is Great for me and my son we are having a great time with the hint to use when we both get stuck



3. This is a great strategy guide to have if you do not log in as many hours playing like you would like to and tend to get lost where you are at once you start to play again. The maps and the written walk through is absolutely needed for a fan of this series.

3 comments about Extreme NXT: Extending the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT to the Next Level (Technology in Action).

1. I bought this book to get a better idea of how to safely interface my own circuits to the Lego Mindstorms NXT. In my opinion, you can't find a better book for this purpose. "Extreme NXT" contains the pinouts and proper usage of the NXT motor and sensor ports. It also provides a large number of the most useful homebrew sensor implementations, right down to parts lists containing part numbers for common component suppliers like Digikey and Radio Shack.
   
   My background is in engineering, with an emphasis in control systems. The first book I read in the field of hobbiest robotics was "Mobile Robots: Inspiration to Implementation" (Jones and Flynn). In those days, the 6811's were king for these sorts of projects. I spent many a happy day with my MIT Handyboard (a simple 6811 robot controller board). Things have come a long way. Nowadays NXT is available, and this book is the modern day equivalent to that excellent text for those who want to dig in and find out what the NXT is capable of. The book is written in a format that is easy to understand for the novice, but also supplies plenty of content to allow the more advanced user to be able to push the NXT envelope. The organization is superb, commonly used charts and tables are easily found. I have been finding myself referring most often to the pinout tables for the NXT connectors, and these are very conveniently found towards the front of the book.
   
   Chapters are broke down into sensor and output types, starting with the more basic and easily contructed passive sensors up to more advanced and expandable I2C sensors. Motor control, h-bridges, etc are also covered in detail. Both the construction of the circuits, and the NXT code to run them, are covered. Code is provided in it's most basic form first, NXT-G, which every NXT user will be familiar with. Examples proceed to more complex compilers, such as NBC, for sensors or circuits that are better suited to those implementations.
   
   The appendix provides complete source code listings, useful websites and links categorized by chapter. There is also a great tutorial on prototyping with breadboards and perfboard for the uninitiated. With this book, any skill level in electronics should be enough to do some cool things with the NXT kit.
   
   This book will become a very useful addition to any hobby robotics library. For me, it will be the goto book for designing circuits to safely interface to the Lego NXT. Highly recommended!



2. Reviewer J. Doubek, said it best - "I bought this book to get a better idea of how to safely interface my own circuits to the Lego Mindstorms NXT. In my opinion, you can't find a better book for this purpose."
   
   And that is very true! I cannot add much more to his review... This book is the 'Make' book for the NXT. The authors have explained everything so any builder of any age or skill level can understand the processes. It teaches several techniques that can be developed into viable career skills. Including soldering, electronics knowledge and usage, and handy-tech projects that will also get one's mind flowing with other ideas. If you are a 'Maker' or tinkerer or would like to learn some inside knowledge of the NXT and how to build outside of the box you will find no better starter book.
   
   Grab it, read it, and use it to expand your NXT knowledge!
   
   Chris
   MDP, MCP
   USA - NASA



3. This book is excellent -- clear, detailed, and well-organized. And it always seems to have just the information I need.
   
   To give a specific example: I was recently trying to prepare a robot for a local fire-fighting contest, and was counting on using a HiTechnic interface board to connect up one or more Sharp analog distance sensors. But the HiTechnic board didn't work for me, and the deadline was looming. I flipped through Extreme NXT, and there in Chapter 8 was the solution: a simple circuit for that does exactly what I need.
   
   The NXT is a great robot controller, and this book effectively converts it from a closed to an open platform. I can't recommend it highly enough.

5 comments about The Entrepreneur's Guide to Second Life: Making Money in the Metaverse.

1. Entrepreneur's Guide to Second Life: Making Money in the Metaverse
   
   I figured this would be a useful book because when I was interviewed for it the questions were in-depth, thoughtful, and non-fluffy. And it turns out that the book is even better than I expected. This is a GREAT book for anyone who wants to start an in-world Second Life business, or for someone who wants to improve their existing business. I would have turned a profit quicker if I'd had it when I was a newbie!



2. This book is a great way to learn about the many financial opportunities that await you in Second Life. The layout is clean and colorful, the examples shown are interesting and inspiring, and it is a good examination of Second Life overall. The lessons ignite the imagination...where would I like to concentrate my efforts as an entrepreneur? What does it really take to make a business successful? How have others done it, and what can I learn from their experiences? Terdiman did his homework on this project and the guide provides a realistic look at what it would take to create your dream career.



3. outstanding. this step-by-step guide is well-written, informative, and easy to navigate. the structure of the book allowed me to get straight to the topics i was interested in - it's clearly laid out and having first-hand advice from residents/experts was extremely useful and gave me confidence - there's a great chapter on Setting Up Shop, for example. It's a comprehensive how-to that makes the metaverse accessible to everyone.



4. This book gave me a lot of great ideas for the Second Life platform. I had no idea of the type of businesses that were in Second Life. Now that I have an idea of how to purchase land and have seen the various software applications being used to create product, I plan on experimenting with it for the next 90 days or so. From there, I'm going to continue using the platform to launch my Second Life business. This Book is fabulous!
   
   Lanesa Stubbs



5. The Entrepreneur's Guide to Second Life: Making Money in the Metaverse
   This book covers the entire range of financial systems and possibilities in Second Life. The information offered here is accurate but, I found it to be rather generalized. As is always the case the data can be gotten from other sources but, the organization that this author imposes on it makes it accessible to the neophyte. My only complaint was the huge mass of subjects prevents any detailed discussion of MY specific interests. Great for that initial think-tanking process and full of really great advice.

2 comments about THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. I love having lists of items for RPGs and this guide provides plenty. Details for clothing and buttons are very well laid out. The guide also provides a walkthrough for hte game but I have not used that enough to give a good opinion. If you like having details for items in RPGs then this is a great accessory to a terrific game.



2. The guide is decent and helps you get through the game The World Ends With You. Includes an easy to follow walk-through as well as appendices to useful information about Threads, Noise database, Pin guide. Gives you information about the extra missions after you clear the game. I found the Pin guide most useful.
   
   This guide is not with out a few flaws such as incorrect information about pin evolutions and stating repeatedly that certain pins come from "big" noise when it should have said "pig". Not a big deal though the guide in it's entirety is helpful and the flaws are easily spotted and don't affect your ability to play the game well.
   
   I should also mention that the walk-through is only partially spoiler free. There are a few times when reading the walk-through will spoil a few story elements but it does keep some of the more important spoilers a secret.