5 comments about Flash Video for Professionals: Expert Techniques for Integrating Video on the Web.

1. This is a very excellent book. It cures any intimidation someone might have dealing with video in flash. The chapters were very easy to understand, and the samples were very fun to do. This book does really well at showing the potential and creativity of working with video in flash.



2. As promised, this book offers a lot of food of thought, and provides an excellent framework for creating a professional-quality online video player.
   
   The authors offer a strong argument against using the stock FLVPlayback components of CS3, and if you adopt their methodology (even if you skip Chapter 5 at first), you'll get plenty out of this book. You're sure to find some useful information, even if you don't drink all the design-pattern Kool-Aid.



3. Very good book that covers all from the beginig to the deploying to better deploy your video content. I am pleased to have gotten this book



4. A lot of books focus on telling you what to do. This is great as it enables you to get the job done.
   
   Far too often people who write technical manuals think that is all the learner requires in order to retain knowledge.
   
   Thank goodness this book doesn't stop there. It tells you WHY things should be done this way in addition to the HOW. I've found this process much more reliable as a means to transmit information in a sticky format.
   
   I've been working with Flash video for years and have found through trial and error how to get videos to work properly.
   
   This book finally explains in plain english things like keyframes, interlacing for web, exactly how the new CODEC works.
   
   Ultimately, every new thing this book taught me was set in cement by the logical explanation of the why.



5. This book is a much-needed resource and road map to creating all kinds of Flash video for the web. Authors Larson and Constantini begin with a chapter on project archaeology and conclude with a chapter on live video. In between, they cover all the nooks and crannies from encoding, the big picture of Object Oriented Programming, dynamic playlists.....in others words: Flash Video from soup to nuts. Coming from a traditional non-web video background in editing and graphics, this book is quite simply the book I'd been hoping would appear once I began to dabble in Flash development. Up to this point, most Flash books usually have a standard chapter or two about video. This book is the whole enchilada and delivers a fantastic "forest for the trees" perspective on planning, creating and deploying Flash video websites. The text is very well-articulated on subject matter that is quite complex. Whether you're an advanced specialist ready to dip right into the Action Script and get your own Flash video ball rolling or you need a quick primer in order to talk the talk with a Flash colleague, this book is your pixel-perfect friend. From a technical standpoint, there is a lot here, but one can browse very easily for quick solutions. From a creative standpoint, there are many inspiring examples and recipes to apply everything from a simple YouTube interface to a more ambitious video wall a la Nam Jun Paik to a website. Ultimately, I enjoyed the book mostly in how it challenged me to approach Flash video as its own art and craft, however new. From cue points to video skins to custom players; the sky's the limit. Let this book be your breath of fresh FLV air.

5 comments about E-on Software's Vue 6 Revealed.

1. The book introduce you to the software by practical projects. All projects are easy to follow. After completing those projects, you will have a solid basis for Vue 6.



2. I was so excited to finally get this book in the post so I could begin some tutorials in Vue 6 Infinite. Unfortunately the book arrived and was printed in black and white, was on poor quality paper, and was not bound terribly well. In fact pages wanted to fall out before I had even read a page. This does not fair well for something I was hoping would be a useful regular resource. I have begun reading the content and feel it may have some useful material, just a shame the overall package does not match it. I would have returned this book, but sadly it would have cost me the price of my initial purchase to return it.



3. Book is excellent for anybody starting with Vue 6, hopefully the author will be following on more advanced tehniques and in color would help.
   I have been in Animation for over 18 years and use Vue for quick backgrounds for 3D Max. Excellent program



4. This book really sucks. It cuts too many corners in content and the graphics are too small and hard to see. The binding falls apart within 2 minutes of flipping through the pages. Save your money and just use the tutorials on Eons' website.



5. Very simple tutorials which do a great job of walking you step by step through most of the features of VUE. The manual that comes with Vue is rather scattered and all-around unhelpful. Better to ditch that and just start with this book. If you have some experience with 3d tools then you can zip through this book in a day or two. So, overall, a great book that most people would find very helpful.

5 comments about The Game Producer's Handbook.

1. This a great resource book that gives you the insight into the game industry. The best part about this book is that its easy to pick up and hard to put down. The breath of information in this book is invalueable. It has chapter devoted to the commonly used tools and software that are used in today's game industry.
   
   If you are looking to start your own company, this book should be next to your business plan.



2. This is the book that de-mystifies video game production. What a fantastic handbook!



3. The book is very insightful of the anonymous role that bares the title "Producer." Producers ARE the backbone of development. They have to set the ground rules on game design and what actually gets developed for the consumer release. Without a good producer the development process will either never end or the game would fall apart to garbage, literally in one day. Producers seem to be the understated person in the development team. Many coworkers have snickered and have said things like "Of course he has a stupid big smile on his face. He's getting paid well to do nothing but order pizza." The obscure, daunting task of keeping together a big developing team, the assets, the budget, marketing, etc. all in line is an under appreciated feat. But somebody has to do it!
   
   I recommend this book to all people working on a team, and all the hopeful talents who want to partake in the videogame industry. Videogame development is a physical and mentally tasking process. Producers do carry the burden of easing the shell-shock of how a "cool" job is actually hard work by planning and organizing the development schedule. I feel the book gives a good recap of what is expected from producers. If it feels like something is missing (was that piece copyrighted) this is a good book to check, hence the name The Game Producers Handbook. Good producers could very well become great producer after reading this book. Leadership skills are essential. The book covers quality traits of a good producer briefly, which I appreciate, very to the point. If a person needs more self-help material on leadership I recommend a purchase of a Forbes magazine. But my favorite tip from Handbook, and it just common sense: when having a meeting have a written agenda and mind the allotted time because dev-time is a lot of money. Finally it has been written, thanks Dan.
   
   Another section of the book worth reading and following is the process of how to deliver, or pitch a game idea to get the production green light. It would have been nice to see the initial documents. I think everyone that has purchased this book was hoping to find the answer to how to get "my" game into development. For example, what exactly does the proposal document look like? Is it typed in formal-unbound report format? How much written is enough for a game proposal? What is too much and too confusing to read?
   
   Lastly, developers who are uncertain of the role of a producer may benefit by understanding the producer is your work-friend, not the pizza boy. Or the guy that cuts out your work because he (hates) you:-P Understanding the various roles in a game team makes better teams. Your producer already knows this. This book is sure-fire recommend to all my coworkers. I believe the more your aware of the process of making a video game, makes you a more valuable employee. Many work blindly to the task at hand, and do a great job. But I like to see the big picture. But hey that me.



4. After shipping over 50 different titles in 15 years (working in various capacities), I thought I knew it all. However, after seeing Dan's common-sense approach and mastery of the production cycle beautifully laid out, I suddenly found myself an aspiring student in several areas. In the others, it was an affirmation of what I know, believe, and have personally experienced.
   
   If you are an Assistant / Associate / Full-Fledged Producer--this book is for you. If you are someone who is striving to break into the games industry, again, this book is for you.
   
   Dan is currently the CEO of Threewave Software in Vancouver B.C. (if anyone is keeping tabs), and his knowledge and personality resonates throughout the book.
   
   Major kudos, a great read, and like the subject line says it's an invaluable resource for now and years to come.



5. This book is basically just a long list of platitudes, like "strive for excellence", "plan ahead" and "be nice to people". It contains very little of substance and is incredibly superficial.
   
   Apart from that, it is poorly organised (apparently every single paragraf deserves to get its own header!), extremely repetitive, and also contains annoying small mistakes (like referring to a reading list which doesn't exist).

5 comments about I, Avatar: The Culture and Consequences of Having a Second Life (New Riders).

1. Mark Meadows, known to his friends and admirers as "Pighed", has set the bar for chronicling the culture of virtual worlds. The book which peppers a history of online communities with deeply honest personal tales, is both beautifully written and deeply insightful. Meadow's observations about the importance of online identifies and the psychology of avatars is a must-read for anyone interested in what the next decade will look like.



2. I agree with all of the comments already made about this book. Anyone who follows virtual worlds has seen far too many superficial, sensationalized, and often factually incorrect media reports about who goes on in them. This book is the complete opposite of that. It's a deep and thoughtful discussion of how they can affect people for better and for worse. It gets beneath the caricatures to examine the whole concept of identity in physical spaces, virtual spaces, and the gray area between the two.
   
   Anyone who has spent time in virtual worlds will be able to relate to much of what is said from their own experiences and observations, and those who have not spent time in virtual worlds would benefit from reading this book before dismissing them.
   
   The content alone would make the book well worth reading, but as others have already mentioned, it's also beautifully presented. In fact, the book itself is analogous to the phenomena it describes: an attractive setting with a lot of interesting things happening inside.



3. This is a memoir of a lot of time the author spent in role-playing sites, especially Second Life, interspersed with meditations on the meaning of these activities and of avatars in particular. This is not a how-to book and won't teach you how to do anything in Second Life, but it gives you a good idea of what the Second Life experience is.
   
   Avatar is a Sanskrit word and in Hindu philosophy refers to an incarnation of a divine being. The term was adopted by a number of computer gaming systems to mean a character in the game, and was popularized by Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash (Bantam Spectra Book) where it means a computer simulation of a human form. Stephenson's novel appears to have been a major influence on the structure of Second Life.
   
   Second Life has its own monetary system, the Linden Dollar, which can be converted to and from real-world currencies in an exchange operated by Linden Labs, the Second Life creator. The author is primarily an artist, and he found himself being drawn strongly into Second Life where he created artistic objects. He sold these for Linden Dollars, but his primary motivation seemed to be the fascination of creating things in a new medium and a new culture. As he spent more time there, Second Life gradually came to seem more real than real life.
   
   There are numerous subcultures in Second Life, such as the Goreans (admirers of John Norman's Gor novels such as Tarnsman of Gor), who act out dominance fantasies, and Furry Nation, whose avatars are humanoid with animal heads. Each subculture has its own location in Second Life and its own rituals.
   
   The book's style is impressionistic, but it frequently cites statistics without giving sources. It's often difficult to know how seriously to take them. For example, on p. 36 we read an unsourced statement that "Over 75 percent of Internet users feel safer speaking their mind when they use an avatar." Is this plausible? It implies that over 75 percent of Internet users use avatars, which is hard to believe. Maybe it means that of those who use avatars, 75% feel safer. It would be nice to know the source of this data. On p. 67 we read that "approximately one million companies ... rely on the Internet for over 50 percent of their revenues." This one is plausible: there are many tiny companies that get all their business from the Internet, just as there used to be many tiny companies that got all their business from mail order. How would you measure this, and who did measure it?
   
   The book is most interesting as a study of the subcultures that have sprung up in Second Life. It also has striking artwork of the avatars themselves. But the discussion is very diffuse and wandering and it's hard to draw any firm conclusions about avatars or anything else.



4. I started reading about virtual worlds after having been in Second Life for six monthes. "I, Avatar" is a great read, with wonderful photos of the avatars from Second Life. I've read other books in a similar vein, but without good photos, you really can't understand the appeal of virtual worlds. I also learned things which were very helpful. Read the chapter entitled "Fur vs. Gor." When I met my first slaves and their master in a Gorean community, I at least had a clue of what was going on, having just read about Gorean rituals. Virtual worlds are here to stay, and many say they are where our future is going. Check this book out!



5. I like the way he describes and explains the avatar experience from a non-academic or overly technical perspective. Only 37 pages in and I've noticed at least 3 serious typos. Forgiving I am in the digital realm but if you're going to make me pay for print, it be nice if all the sentences made sense.

3 comments about InDesign CS2 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. This book sits next to me all day. I read it front to back and am now using it as a reference during my projects. This book is worth it if you have or plan to purchase CS2.



2. While this book has helped me to get up and running in Adobe InDesign, I am not overwhelmed by it as a resource. For one thing, it needs more screen pictures and clearer screen pictures. I also found several instances where knowlege was assumed - the editors has skipped to the conclusion of a task, without really explaining it. I guess that they assume most layout designers will know how, but for those more familiar with Microsoft products, that is not the case. Finally, the index at the back of the book is sorely lacking. I could not find many basic elements of the program listed there, so the index is not always much of a resource for jumping right to the area you need.



3. I started a new job in January and wasn't told that part of it would involve working with InDesign. Knowing nothing about that program, I immediately ordered my trusty "Dummies series" book - it's taught me everything from raising a Golden Retriever to Tarot Cards! Needless to say, the InDesign book didn't fail me. All the basics were there. The only problem was that sometimes I didn't know what to look up in the index because I wasn't sure what the process was called. Other than that, it was and continues to be a great resource!

5 comments about Flash 8 ActionScript Bible.

1. If you don't know anything of Action, I recommend this book. Who knows a little bit, half of the book is great for you. That's it.



2. The book covers all of the bases. buttons, interactivity, sound and websites, more importantly, it is easy to comprehend and get the gist of actionscript 2 which will make it easier to pick up actionscript 3.



3. I've just opened the book for the first time to try to get a handle on XML and ActionScript by coding the examples on page 698. The comments attached to the code don't tell the real story of what is actually returned from the XML object/variables (my own trace commands displaying what each variable contained were more accurate) and there are a number of coding errors that I had to work out myself. It taught me something, sure, but I shouldn't have to be correcting the code along the way. It wasted time I didn't have.



4. Recently I had to do a project for work involving ActionScript 2.0.
   I have a technical background and am quite knowledgeable in a multitude of programming languages and programming paradigms. This book got me to where I needed to be fast. I cannot say enough good things about it and the author. Well done!



5. This is a very easy-reading book (Not that easy-reading, of course, as everybody would expect from a computer language book, but you know what I mean). It is not dull to remember you that you should be familiar with the Flash 8 environment before buying this book.
   The first part of the book, the Getting Started, has many useful details. Maybe there are more details than the needed at the beginnig. But, when you are starting to miss the practical issues, the book gives you simple exercises that became more complex in a nice way. And you realize that the details were just there because the authors don't want to save words on good explanations and examples.
   In the second part, "Using Core Classes", the authors start to complement the contents of the different chapters, what means that they did a lot of work of re-writing and polishing prior to publishing. Also, after each exercise, there is a description telling you why you wrote that specific code. This is an achievement not always found in other books of this kind.
   Not all the contents were crystal clear for me and there are more errata than I'd like, but they are not big problems actually.
   The book is organized very well, from easy to hard, always remembering the previous issues. I have reached part three: "Working with Display Objects". I am enthusiastic.
   In short, it is a great book, very powerful and useful if your aim is to learn ActionScript 2.0. I am enjoying each page, and it is very hard for me not to keep on reading and practicing with this nice guide. BUY IT

5 comments about The RenderMan Shading Language Guide.

1. I'm quite pleased with the depth of this book. So many of the CGI titles I've bought that claim to be intermediate or advanced aren't. While the RenderMan Shading Language Guide assumes that you have no starting knowledge of RSL, it immediately dives into technical details without overwhelming the novice. For someone wishing to learn RSL (or even just shader theory), this book is wonderfully paced, containing a great depth of information, very well explained.
   
   At the same time, this isn't a book for dabblers. To get much out of the RenderMan Shading Language Guide, you need to be willing to put some effort and practice into it. This is a textbook and needs to be treated as a subject of study, rather than a casual enhancement for playing with CGI. If RenderMan intrigues you, but you don't want to get too deep into the technical (and programing/scripting) aspects, you'd be better off getting Pixar's RenderMan for Maya and a Digital Tutors or similar training DVD. You'll learn more of the simple, day-to-day things and get started making renderings faster.
   
   As another poster mentioned, the text mentions an included disk which isn't. The website doesn't have downloads either. That omission would knock the book down to 4.5 stars, but since I can't rate with half-stars, 5 stars more accurately reflects the value of the book than 4.



2. I have read many technical manuals relating to the 3D Animation and Visual Effects industries, and I can honestly say that this is easily one of the best available.
   
   Given the limited library of Renderman books, I'd call this an absolute must have for any Lighting/Rendering/Shader TD, or any artist or technical director involved in the look development and shot finaling pipelines.
   
   Even if you haven't yet worked within a Renderman pipeline, this is the perfect publication to introduce you to, and bring you up to speed in, the Renderman Shading Language (RSL).
   
   I've found that the majority of technical manuals suffer from a number of common flaws:
   
   1. The information is presented chaotically, and with minimal use of examples or descriptions, resulting in a publication that would readable only by those that already know everything it has to teach.
   
   2. The information is presented so laboriously that what should take a paragraph instead takes up three chapters.
   
   The Renderman Shading Language Guide is perfectly paced for beginners and intermediate users alike, and indeed when I showed the book to a couple of highly experienced Renderman TDs, they were surprised by the sheer volume of information and ordered copies for themselves.
   
   Everything is presented in short blocks with an easily readable description, examples, shortcuts and conclusions. There is no unecessarily complicated geek speek, and neither is the reader treated like a 4 year old.
   
   Even though I barely remember my high school math, and in the most flattering estimation I'd be considered a competent beginner when it comes to the math involved in RSL, I found the examples relatively easy to follow for the most part. And in those parts where the math went well over my head, I found the simple descriptions and concise, well explained instructions to be all I needed to quickly understand the topic.
   
   From cover to cover this book is crammed full of useful information. There is no wastage of space in these pages. It seems that every conceivable question is answered - every possible topic covered from introduction to an advanced level of understanding and a practical and immmediately useful conclusion.
   
   And at the price? This book is a steal.
   
   One very minor complaint I would make is in regards to the occasional typographical error. An equation or two is printed with "?" in place of "*" or another symbol, and there are a few spelling and grammatical errors. But as I said, it is a minor complaint.
   
   Also, I would have liked to have seen more complete shader examples demonstrated in a step-by-step process, as while this book is overflowing with informative mini-tutorials, it all seems a little incongruous. It would have been good to see a few more examples where the information was brought together in real-world ways to create some amazing completed shaders. Perhaps in a sequel? ;)
   
   All in all, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, from an industry Lead Lighting TD.
   
   9.5/10



3. I caught wind that this book was coming out well before it actually came out and could hardly contain my excitement. I had it ordered before it was even off the press.
   
   Let's face it, trying to learn Renderman online is like trying to ride a bike with a flat tire. You can go, but not very fast or very far. I own several other renderman books but found them to be a bit out of date and lacking in areas. Since leaving school and entering into the industry I had actually been considering writing a Renderman book myself. I am glad to say that now I don't have to!
   
   I have been enjoying my copy of the book since december of last year. I admit that I was thrown off by all the refrences to the accompanying cd, as well as a few typos throughout. I was overjoyed however to find the website today! This is the book that I have needed for a long time. It is well worth what you pay for it.



4. The RenderMan Shading Language Guide is an excellent resource. It contains numerous examples of shader code, to help get you started with writing your own shaders. I was happy to see the robust section on illumination models, with some sl code provided for most of them. I found the section that had common functions (like gamma() and remap()) very helpful, and appreciated the disscussion on more sophisticated components of the shading language (like subsurface scattering and global illumination). In addition, for the user who is new to the process of writing and compiling shaders, a number of pages are devoted to explaining how to achieve these goals. All in all, I would highly recommend this book to any user who wants to learn how to write his/her own RenderMan shaders.



5. I have all RenderMan books on the market.
   This one is impressed me!
   The authors explain step by step and that make readers understand RenderMan more.
   
   Same as other reviews, lacking of CD is the shame.
   However, overall still be very good to me.
   And if you consider the price is very worth for money.
   That's why I think this book should be given 5 stars.
   Hopefully, There will be more good RenderMan books available soon.
   
   Tee

3 comments about SolidWorks 2008 Tutorial with MultiMedia CD.

1. I'm relatively new to SolidWorks. I've been using SolidWorks for approximately three months. I used AutoCAD and a little PRO/E for ten years. I worked in the Automotive industry; Educational department, and now teach technology / engineering classes for a living.
   
   From the sounds of most reviews, you either are a beginner or an expert using SolidWorks. I'm no expert with 3D CAD, but I do know text books, students, and the way they learn.
   
   I'm teaching a SolidWorks evening class at a Community College this Spring. I purchased this book to better understand SolidWorks and to learn additional features, commands, and design techniques. I was also looking for a text book which would be useful to my students.
   
   The book provides clear and concise procedures in a Project base approach with an incorporated CD to view the actual User Interfaces, and features which are used in the book. The CD also contains additional useful models.
   
   The illustrations are large, clear with bolded step by step procedures. This is essential in a classroom environment when you have 15 or more students at various skill levels.
   
   I look forward in using this book in my classroom. This is a great text book for learning SolidWorks at a beginner to intermediate level.



2. The disc is merely them running through the tutorials at a rather fast speed. I need to look again for hands-on usage, have seen none so far. The book seems detailed, may be a bit tedious, but good for reference.



3. This is the second SolidWorks book which I purchased from Amazon.com in the past month. As a new SolidWorks user, I'm looking for a book / books that provide insight and a general exposure to the User Interface and how to use, apply, edit and learn the software in context to an Engineering approach. This book does a great job in doing this.
   
   The book spends time in describing the functions, features, and tools which are available in SolidWorks whiling creating useful models. The book also provides a systematic approach in teaching the user how to use the software. Throughout the chapters, the authors reiterate what was stated in the previous chapter. This is very helpful to the new user.
   
   The book CD contains movie and model files to view and use. I highly recommend this book for any new SolidWorks user.

5 comments about Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice in C (2nd Edition) (Systems Programming Series).

1. It's an all-time classic in computer graphics world. I bought this in 1997 and i could learn a lot from it. Though it hasn't been updated, one can gain all the fundamentals about CG.



2. This book is a great book for general knowledge but all of the chapters that deal with talking about hardware is badly outdated. I got this book mostly for algorithms. I got much more then what I expected but most of everything I needed was there. Its a very good book for learning about line drawing, and polygon rasteration algorithms. Don't expect anything up to date like shaders though.



3. Except for the chapters on raster algorithms, this book is just an extended bibliography. It has no material on texturing, for example, just a reference to the original paper on it. The math isn't that mature either, and the chapter on Perspective Projections is a pedagogical atrocity. Instead of buying this book, just go to your local univ. library and xerox the bibliography; then, lookup the articles on topics you're interested in.



4. If you're a beginner looking for a book which has example code you can test out and try, either forget it or be prepared for some headache.
   
   I can speak on my experience, I have a GNU/Linux system, the SRGP library which is used by this book only supports a display depth of 8bpp, which means you'll most likely need to reconfigure your X server to some extent - the examples/library will crash at higher display depths.
   
   But there is no doubt that the techniques and principles explained throughout can be applied using other toolkits, as the book explicitly says that the facilities contained in the example libraries are common to many other graphics libraries.
   
   A quick note on the quality of the library code, it appears to be pre-ANSI C and contains a few modern no-nos, which can lead to crashes.
   
   If you're looking for a book to merely use as a reference or for theory then this is what this book is, and as one other reviewer said, you could probably just borrow a copy of the book and xerox the bibliography to refer to the papers it sources information from.



5. This is a bible for computer graphics. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn computer graphics knowledge base.

No comments about SolidWorks 2008 for Designers.