5 comments about Animation from Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for the Digital Animator.

1. Lacking an understanding of traditional 2D animation skills is a complaint many times heard when talking with CG Animation studio employers. They'll tell you that plenty would-be animators know how to click the right button in the software, but far fewer understand the foundational concepts and principles of WHAT they're doing and WHY. If you're looking for a well-written title on the subject of applying classic animation techniques and principles to the digital world, 'Pencils to Pixels' is an excellent resource. Covering story development, the rules of filmmaking, the principles of animation, and an overview of creating 2D animation from start to finish, the book should fill in many of the 'gaps' new 3D animators possess simply due to not coming from a 2D traditional animation background.



2. I have studied animation for the last several years. I am a Flash designer specializing in E-learning in the Seattle market. I am not just a casual reader of this topic.
   
   Why I like this book. When you go to school for animation you have a lot of stuff thrown at you and no matter how good your notes are you can not remember it all. You need to refresh your skills. This book was not only good at that but also much more. It is a fun read, an interesting read.
   
   This book covers the complete process from picking up the pencil to marketing/distribution. Tony knows his stuff, he should he has been a professional animator for many years and you have probably seen his works. If you have seen the Pink Panther Strikes Again ("does your dog bite?") you have, he did all the animation for the film.
   
   Traditional animation is an art form and it seems like it is finally getting some of the respect it deserves. 3D is the rage these days, Pixel does an excellent job and nobody does it better, unfortunately there are more bad 3D feature films than good. Even Disney is hiring back some traditional animators and creating some old school, that's cool.
   
   If you want to learn animation pick up this book and The Illusion of Life and you will learn so very much. But the learning process also requires doing. Like the saying goes, "A dream and a number 2 pencil will take you anywhere".
   
   Keith Johnson
   Manager of the Seattle Flash User Group
   Flash Animator/ E-Learning Specialist



3. I'm glad Mr Tony White wrote this book because in it he doesn't shy away from the fact that traditional 2D animation is an art superior to computer animation. He doesn't hit anyone over the head with that view. He doesn't have to; it makes itself known on nearly every page.
   
   As one who is utterly bored by the digital revolution I am glad there are still skilled men like Tony White out there showing us the fundamentals of an art that may (or may not) be on the verge of extinction. His first book, THE ANIMATOR'S WORKBOOK is a masterpiece, a work in a class by itself, and is one book that I wished I had had when I was still young. Had I had that book in my hands in my formative years I have little doubt that I would have made a career in animation. That fine book cannot be recommended too highly and every aspiring tradional animator should have it.
   
   This new book is excellent, too, in that it tries to keep the art of 2D alive while acknowledging the fundamentals of the current hot toy, 3D computer-based animation. For those in the 3D world who want to break away from the infantile and over-the-top productions currently in vogue and wish to bring back (if that is possible) some genuine art into this new animation realm this book will be a godsend. For many reasons this book is to be highly recommended. It shows again what a fine skill the author has, and it has inspired even me at this late stage in my life to begin to learn tradional animation. Buy it.
   
   If I have one gentle criticism to make regarding this excellent book, it would be that the authors and book editors need to know that the reading public is growing increasingly tired of reading "he or she" when simply "he" will do nicely. Have we not all now grown up enough to realize that women are not offended when the pronoun "he" is used only, and that it is totally unnecessary to include a "she" after every "he"? Gosh, I hope so.
   
   Lastly, the cd that was enclosed with the book included a delightful little production called "Endangered Species", Mr White's lament to an art being lost. On my copy the narration was recorded so low that I could not hear what was being spoken. Hopefully future editions will correct this problem.



4. Wonderful! A current and deep book! A book that shows the whole technique of the contemporary animation. Written by one of the great names of the animation. It is a wonderful reference for everybody that love animation. Pretty!



5. This book has a little bit of everything where animation is concerned. It has a lot of solid advice, though it can get wordy at times. This book touches on many concepts that other books go into with greater depth. You sort of follow the author through the production of his pet animated product, and the author teaches the principles of animation and animation production as we follow along, though the author himself admits many of the concepts he teaches on aren't even adhered to in his own production. If you are interested in animation and want to take a nosedive into this world, give this book a whirl. If you are truly seeking in-depth animation techniques, look elsewhere.

5 comments about GIS for the Urban Environment.

1. This excellent book covers new technology in Urban planning with a maximum of clarity and interest. It is
   in college textbook format.



2. This book was sent to me brand new, and in great condition. I am really satisfied with my purchase and the time it took to recieve it. Thanks.



3. I purchased the book in January and I have yet to recieve it! I want my damn money back. School's almost over!



4. For years I have been looking for the perfect text book for GIS and Urban Planning and I have finally found it. This text book creates a solid foundation for Urban Planners who want to learn GIS.



5. The book is chocked full of great reference material a text book that will make the transition to reference book as soon as your class ends. I purchased it for a class and plan to keep it. It is not a book that teaches you how to use ArcMap, but helps you to think through things like themes, setting scales, deciding projection systems, etc.

2 comments about Exploring Typography (Design Exploration Series).

1. 
   Thomson Delmar Learning just sent me the book Exploring Typography to review for use in my classroom. I think it is one of the best on the subject and know it will be adopted for use in my classes. I teach at an independent high school in Vermont and also at the state college near by. The book is well organized and the illustrations are great. It must have taken a lot of effort and time to write; I am always in awe of someone that can bring light to a difficult and confusing subject such as typography....great book!!!



2. I teach at a 4 year university and had been unhappy for a while at the textbook we were using; but like any big ship, it takes a while to steer in another direction. In the meantime, I had a lot of time given to checking out possible exchanges and I was so glad that I found this book. It is everything many of the others in its genre are not.
   
   One issue from a previously used textbook was the layout and the amount of material being presented. It was not only clumsy for a book on typography, but tragically full of errors; in spelling, grammar and facts. This book, "Exploring Typography," covers all of the important information for a first introduction into the subject. It gives a nice overview of the history of written communication starting with pre-historic man, up to the present digital era we are in. It also challenges us to think outside of where we are now and to grasp typography's place in the future.
   
   The thing I enjoy perhaps most about the book is its easy layout. Students often have so much to read in their studies, and sadly many only skim the surface for the relevent information to get by. The layout is broken into bite-sized paragraphs, lots of images and consequently keeps their interest longer. A number of chapters highlight a present-day typographer or designer, which gives students a look at their upcoming peers as they look toward graduation.
   
   For those interested in using the book as a textbook, I would certainly recommend having a look at it. It is a very easy-to-follow book for any age level and is definitely worth exploring. Tova Rabinowitz has done a very nice job in supplying future and current designers with something they can tangibly use and apply into their design.

5 comments about The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Effects, Third Edition.

1. I've only glanced through the book so far but it looks amazing, I can tell this'll be a great compliment to my studies at the Academy of Art in San Francisco! Thanks!



2. This book was a required textbook for my begining Maya class, but be warned, it's more a book about concepts and 3D animation history than it is about instruction. If you need this book for a 3D animation class, I highly recomend getting another book with instuction specifically for whichever program you're using, because you're not going to find it in this one.



3. This book is very cool and good ilustrated overall look at 3D computer graphics. I found usefull to step out of one 3d package and take a wide overall look at this amazing animation craft (I myself use 3ds max). Book is systematically organized and ilustrated good, there are many "behind the scenes", production type pictures. Why not 5 stars? This is subjective - there was sometimes strange confusion about author's selection of movies to take pictures from to show 3d graphics evolution
   4 stars - I like it! Time from time look for references, review terminalogy. Worth buying
   What not expect from book - application specific tutorials, book originaly isn't intendet to cover this stuff



4. Reading this before getting immersed in a specific software package will give the reader much deeper insight and understanding of whats going on under the hood of any 3D tool set.
   
   This book is plain and simple, the best resource I have found to teach beginning students the overall concepts of 3D and the history behind them. I purchased the first edition years ago when I began my journey as an FX artist and it has served me many times beyond its cover price. Remember, this is not a software manual. If you are looking for application specific info look to the myriad of specialized titles.
   
   However, f you're interested in learning how CG works as a concept, an art form, a craft and as an industry this book is aces. It starts with 3D basics and history, moves though all the major concepts used in modern CG and Effects. Deeply complex and abstract concepts, paradigms and theory are boiled down and made simple and relevant with friendly illustrations and real world examples from productions you'll recognize from movies, games and pop culture.



5. Very instructive and well laid out. I'm using this book in an animation class and we aren't reading it cover to cover. But what I have read for class has impressed me enough that I will give this thing a thorough read-through before the class is over with.

3 comments about Painting the Web.

1. In spite of the huge number of graphics on the Web, the practice is surprisingly underserved in terms of the literature. Of course, there are design books, books on software, but these focus on best use of a product. The nuances and requirements for the Web are harder to find.
   
   This book is a practitioner's book. And, it's a quite personal work. Written in a conversational style, it's easy to read. The author covers a wide range of tools which she uses on a regular basis. That includes a variety of less-familiar open source tools.
   
   There is a great deal of HTML, CSS and JS code related specifically to graphic representation. It's really convenient to have this foundation in one place.
   
   At first glance, one might be surprised at the detail given to techniques of Photoshop and other tools. But again, as a practitioner's book, it reflects the techniques useful for specifically Web design. It's handy to have these in one place for reference.
   
   Because it is a rather personal work, there will be emphases that one might change. There is a significant amount of space spent on SVG -- which, although a standard, I think is problematic because of the lack of inherent support in IE and Adobe's discontinuation of the plug-in. In any case, weighing in at 638 pages, there's a lot of good information, regardless of one's personal opinion.
   
   The focus is on traditional and standards-based HTML programming. The author does broach the canvas object -- a part of the HTML 5 standard which provides another route to animation on the desktop. However, IE8, at the time of the book's writing, didn't support this object. There is no coverage of Flash, and Silverlight is mentioned simply to identify another non-standard MS approach. Indeed, both Adobe and MS focus their energies on Flex/Flash/AIR and Silverlight technologies respectively to provide a richer Internet experience.
   
   As fits a book on graphics, illustrations are in color. This adds a lot to the vitality of the read, and helps portray information in a useful way.
   
   As the author notes, no one book can address the many issues related to web graphics. This book is of a different character than Weinman's Designing Web Graphics.4. Though in need of an update, that volume presents a more structured and a complementary perspective to the present.
   
   In any case, it's a good addition to the Web designer's bookshelf.



2. 'Painting the Web' by many-time author Ms. Powers is a look at graphical design and layout of said data on the web. Focus is on how things should/can/will look on the internet, specific graphics tools and approaches and a detailed look at the SVG file format. SVG is a standard image format for displaying vector-based images instead of point based output like JPEGs and GIFs. SVG is an XML-type format that can be read in and edited in any text editor. The book is full color which I always appreciate and it written by a seasoned pro.
   
   This is a nice companion book for any and all that do graphics programming on the web and is easy to recommend. Jam packed with 600+ pages of content this is a massive text that probably could have been reduced in size but what is there is a positive effort for sure.
   
   **** RECOMMENDED



3. Painting the Web by Shelly Powers is not the type of book I would normally pick up. Having 14 years web design experience means that you tend to have absorbed something in the way of use of graphics on the web, from raster images, to Scalar Vector Graphics (SVG), which is what this book is all about.
   
   Looking at this book from its title alone, I first thought, Painting the Web was a book on SVG. But I was wrong, well partly wrong.
   
   Shelly, takes you through what makes up the graphics on the web now and into the future in a chatty friendly manner, however this book can be a touch dry when it comes to technical explanations.
   
   Raster to Start, Plus a little SVG
   
   It moves through image and colour theory onto a review of professional to budget applications both desktop and online. The book presents a no nonsense explanation of the software. It also supplies a few how to recipes on the building of raster graphics for the web.
   
   A good third of the book is dedicated to the use of vector graphics on the web. Dealing with X3D, VRML (now that brings back memories), VML, SVG (noting it's restrictive browser implementation). I was expecting maybe a little discussion on desktop vector applications, but instead there is comprehensive introduction on SVG. It's not just a few pages folks, this goes from the simple to complex examples. There is also a good overview of the SVG tools and editors in the marketplace to round it off.
   
   Web Design Basics
   
   There is a small section looking at CSS. Now this is not meant to be a primer, it assumes you know your CSS, and I'll assume you do. The book looks at the more advanced elements of CSS 2, not bad if you're not using all the browser compliant elements already. It runs us through concepts such as pseudo-elements, specificity and styling microformats. Like with Raster graphics there are a number of CSS recipes as well.
   
   For me this is where the book slips up a little; if we are uber CSS designers then we should know all the basics that she explains such as layered background, conditional statements, font unit resets, unordered list menus.
   
   There is a section on the principles of good design, as well, detailing how to layout a good semantic web page, be that static or via a flexible layout grid.
   
   One small point on the microformats front, a footnote reference to the microformats wiki would have been a nicety, it's not a biggie, something to consider for the 2nd edition. There is also no explanation what microformats are and how they are used. Slap on the wrist to the technical editor.
   
   Lets Go Dynamic
   
   Dynamic Web Page Graphics is also gets a look in. I was expecting a section on Silverlight, Flash, a little AIR and maybe a some Ajaxian animation. What the book presents is DHTML (shudder - does anyone still use that term anymore). This book steps through the DOM and the usual manipulation of the CSS styling moving onto lightbox and accordion functionality using the standard unobtrusive Javascript implementation. Again this is a quick visit into the ajaxian world.
   Paint the Canvas
   
   There is a interesting exploration into the realm of the canvas and it's extension into the use with SVG. This book explains the creation of simple objects and their comparison to SVG, to the use of canvas effects and transformations. The canvas element is one of those under used elements that I can see getting a greater use in the near future.
   
   The section ends with an extensive bringing together of SVG and the canvas with a little Javascript and manipulation of the DOM. It is the use of this type of animation techniques demonstrated in the book, that make me really question the need for implementation of like functionality in traditional animation rendering platforms like Flash.
   
   Overall
   
   Overall it's not a bad book, like I said previously, not something I would pick up, but I'm a little jaded on the subject and looking for the edge. Still the sections on SVG and the canvas where informative.
   
   These sections on SVG and canvas to some may seem to be worthless. Well I have the feeling that we are going to see a greater use of these to with the development of various dynamic canvas libraries as with have with Javascript. This book has just seeded the ground for this with a good primer in the subject. With the increasing compliance of browsers with SVG, it will not be long before this is another standard technique for front end developers..
   
   However, the book could do with the gleam of a good technical editor, there are sections of the book that I was wincing over, not that they are technically wrong. It was just the sequence of the chapters and the information therein, a little too much on digital imagery and photographic aspects for my liking for instance.
   
   This with some of the disjointed sections it tended to give me the impression that the book was all over the place not really knowing what it wanted to be, graphics, CSS, AJAX, SVG, Canvas or design overview; it does it all. A little streamlining and this could have been a better book.
   
   That said if you want a good comprehensive overview on the graphical elements of the web, especially SVG at 600+ pages, Painting the Web, by Shelly Powers is a good place to start.
   
   Side note
   
   There is no way Shelly could have know about Javascript dynamo Dmitry Baranovskiy's awesome Raphaël JavaScript Library that provides cross browser support for browser generated vector graphics such as SVG. Considering the book was published in April 2008, I sure, if she had known this would have been included.

3 comments about Teach Yourself VISUALLY Flash CS3 Professional (Teach Yourself VISUALLY (Tech)).

1. Where to start? For openers, this line from the above product description is a lie:
   
   "* Demonstrates what readers need to know about Flash to build animation sequences as well as more advanced features like using ActionScript to create an interactive Web experience"
   
   Why? Allow me to spoil the ending for you by typing in the only reference to Actionscript in the book. Ready?
   
   "Actions and Actionscript
   Flash actions are built on a programming language called Actionscript. This scripting language allows you to write instructions that control a movie. If you know how to write scripting programming code, you can certainly write your own actions in Flash. However, you do not need to know a scripting language to create actions. Flash includes hundreds of prewritten scripts, or actions, you can assign."
   
   I kid you not, that is the entire section on Actionscript, taken from the bottom left corner of page 238. To be fair to Amazon and the publisher (who puts out great books), the book itself does not boast Actionscript! It is a fabrication created by the person who put it here on Amazon-a place I trust less and less to describe books here accurately.
   
   Sorry, but its the truth.
   
   This book gets 2 stars because it is a good first glance at flash for someone who has never heard of, or seen, flash before.



2. 'Teach Yourself VISUALLY Flash CS3 Professional' is a good guide with full color throughout its ~350 pages spread over 15 chapters. If you are looking to do BASIC Flash development this is a great resource to have by your side. If you are looking to do advanced Flash development with ActionScript this book isn't for you. AS is barely discussed and is just glossed over. Good for the beginners, not for people looking to become experts. You have been warned.
   
   Still not a bad book though!!
   
   **** RECOMMENDED



3. I found this book to be the perfect tool for starting out trying to learn the Flash program. It's simple, easy to understand, and straight to the point. I needed some help in a hurry, and didn't have time to wade through a bunch of text. If you're visually inclined, then this book may appeal to you. I'm not ready to start writing my own scripts in Flash yet, but that's best suited for another book anyway (gotta crawl before you walk).

5 comments about Photoshop LAB Color: The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace.

1. I've been an avid advanced amateur photographer for years and a Photoshop enthusiast almost since the inception of the program. I have not however read too many Photoshop books in the past since I concluded early on that I could get what I needed from experimentation and the occasional magazine article.
   
   This book, Photoshop LAB color is, however, a must read for anyone using Photoshop who wants to take their photo editing to another level. This is not an easy read, as the author acknowledges. On the other hand it is worth it. The techniques described in the book are revolutionary, and will change the way any reader uses Photoshop -- whether they are advanced users or rank beginners.
   
   I not only recommend this book -- I think it should be required reading for anyone using Photoshop.



2. A fellow flickr member pointed me toward this title, when I asked him how he got such beautifully, vivid colors. The author is, prior commentaries notwithstanding, a master of words, using them to make a fairly complex and potentially dry subject quite palatable. As I am not an expert in photography or color management, I will most likely not use most of what he lays out in the latter chapters, however, it is not hard to understand, merely hard to keep in working memory. This book certainly does far more toward getting stunning pictures than any 10 volumes of 'Photoshop for ' and is worth the 30+ bucks I paid for it.



3. Yes, the use of the LAB space is not so easy to learn, and it has many uses. Margulis shows these uses, but he is not the teacher who will make it easy to learn. Sometimes he dwells on the obvious (it is a great color space), sometimes he jumps over some practical issues.
   The fun part is that Mr. Margulis' classes in [...] are really great. So, he definitely knows what he is talking about, but maybe a book is not the ultimate best tool.



4. Um excelente livro para quem quer se aprofundar no modo LAB para fazer correções de cor. Como diz a chamada da capa: "This book will radically change how we do color correction". Recomendo.



5. I just don't know about the low reviews on this book and fully get the high reviews! This is one of those books that comes along once in a while with such valuable information that after reading it, it will leave you feeling crippled in the digital darkroom without using the techniques contained within. The final output of my photos have improved dramatically by using the LAB color workspace and my understanding of the LAB color workspace would be very elementory indeed if not for this book. Understanding and implementing the LAB color workspace is in my opinion a higher level of education, and as such will require putting more effort and thought into mastering it. With this book, Margulis gives you the ability to not only understand LAB, but implement it very effectively and masterfully. Good work Margulis and thanks for writing it!

5 comments about SolidWorks For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. I love the dummies series, so I was greatly dissapointed by this book. I needed a solidworks tutorial because I found the help files and "basic" tutorials that come with solidworks to be too advanced. When this book is not tooting its own horn on how great solidworks is, then it is way too technical for the beginner. I am a designer, not an engineer. I am hired for the look of a product, not for how it is molded. This book assumes too much. I had to look up chamfer and fillet on Wikipedia, as this books skips the basics and launches into a thou-shalt-sketch-like-this. (again, I am NOT AN ENGINEER) I understand that engineers out there would find this book too basic because it takes half the book outlining anal-retentive ways of structuring workload before launching into actually making anything. [...].



2. This book is written by the Solidworks Customer Satisfaction Manager.
   
   He rehashes the same stuff as in the Solidworks Essentials manual that comes with the software.
   
   I found it virtually useless.
   I was seeking a different viewpoint in the hopes of gaining a better grasp of the many vague issues in the manual.



3. I am still busy with the book but have already started enjoying it. As for Amazone the book arrived one day after their estemated day of delivery Very good



4. This is a good task-based, issues-based overview of SolidWorks. Suitable for today's attention-deficit, info-overloaded, multi-tasked-maxed-out student or working stooge who wants to get a solid beginner's feel for this complex, cool 3D engineering tool--jus' the facts and not a heck of a lot of incomprehensible theorizing. (Of course a committed engineer will need to go somewhere else for the math & other CAD ideas). I'd venture a bold statement and say that this is THE starting point for people considering a career change to this field, and what I liked especially is that the book is pretty clear about being a starting point only. Near the end are the "Ten Tips" for new SW engineers; they make a lot of practical sense. I recommmend pairing this with another task-based product, a video tutorial by VTN, which is also good for the busy beginner who just needs to figure out how to become quickly productive with this tool. Learn SolidWorks by Video - Volume 1 and Learn SolidWorks by Video - Volume 2.



5. I bought this book hoping to learn some little known shortcuts, secrets, etc., but all I got from the book was a different writing of the help file.
   This might be a great book for someone just starting out.

No comments about Introduction to 3D Game Programming with Direct 3D 10: A Shader Approach.

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