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 Manga Studio For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. Whether you have the intro version of Manga Studio or the Pro version (EX), you will enjoy having this book handy. The cheat sheet alone is worth it..! ~8) As with all the Dummies volumes I possess the editorial staff has done a good job of helping the author outline and bring to clear focus the elements most needed to provide you with the answers to 'those mind numbing puzzles' we who enjoy such things as beating our heads into our keyboard at times, come across in our search to produce the 'COMIC of all comics'... I learned of this book on the Content Paradise Forum, having purchased a couple of e-frontiers products and desiring more input from fellow users of the Manga Studio software. It is only from those that have been working with the software for a bit that you get the nuances that are not normally shown face up,.. and thankfully, Doug had help from others like 'pencilkiller' as well with the main info. Get this book if you have Manga Studio (the debut version or the pro) or even if you are thinking of getting MS! Get this book, it will give you a HUGE head start. Good Job Doug!
   One P.S. This software is NOT just for comix! It can be used for book illustration, architectural illustration, and commercial graphics (even logo design!) in combination with other graphics softwares such as PhotoShop or the GIMP, etc., so this book is invaluable in unlocking the 'keys to the kingdom' (so-to-speak)!



2. If you are new to the Manga comic craze or an experienced Manga artist, this book by Doug Hills will show you how easy it is to go digital with Manga Studio. Hills started creating comics by traditional methods and converted to digital over the span of several years. After experimenting with different graphics programs, he finally decided that Manga Studio met his needs the most. He now shares his knowledge of the software as well as some hard-earned experiences gained along the way. He not only has written Manga Studio for Dummies as a training guide for Manga Studio Debut and EX but he also teaches more general information such as comic terminology and storytelling techniques.
   
   For the beginners, Hills starts with the basics of Manga Studio such as the workspace, toolbars and palettes and points out how they differ from their counterparts in other graphics programs. Next, he covers scanning methods for getting your hand-drawn roughs into Manga Studio and how a pen and tablet can be your best friend. The third chapter is a quick-start guide that covers just enough information for you to create your first page in Manga Studio. You learn the basics of the Pencil tool for digitally drawing your roughs and then move on to the Pen, Marker and Fill tools for inking your art. Finally, you learn the Airbrush and Pattern Brush tools and techniques for adding screentones.
   
   Once you are familiar with the basic techniques, Hills dedicates the next chapters to covering each major feature of the software in more detail. If you have used any graphics software, you will probably be familiar with most of the tools and their names. But Hills discusses how each digital tool takes on different characteristics specific to Manga Studio. For example, you have the usual raster, vector and masking layers in Manga Studio but Hills shows how to use layers for comic-specific tasks such as managing your individual comic-style panels. Also familiar are the digital selection tools such as the Marquee, Lasso, Magic Wand, Quick Selection and Quick Mask. But, Hills discusses why these selection tools are so important for tasks such as adding screentones to selected areas of your comics.
   
   I have mentioned screentones a few times. For those unfamiliar with these little gems, Hills covers this topic well with a discussion of just what they are and how screentones are used to add texture, color and detail to comics. The Text tool is next and Hills discusses the basics for this tool such as choosing fonts and formating, but he also covers comic-specific tasks such as word balloons. For those who have Manga Studio EX, Hills covers custom word balloon templates. Finally, he discusses more advanced techniques such as coloring your comics, special effects filters, and creating your own custom brushes and tone patterns.
   
   Once your artwork is finished, it's time to publish your work. Hills discusses the many flexible publishing features in Manga Studio, the best output settings for home and commercial printers, and exporting your artwork in digital formats.
   
   If I had one suggestion, it would be to include more visual examples in the book, for those just starting out in the Manga world. The CD does contain example images from the book and bonus chapters that cover using vectors, importing 2D and 3D objects and some general Manga background.
   
   Doug Hills is the author and artist of two webcomics, Place Name Here and Chibi Cheerleaders From Outer Space. He is also a member of Ten Ton Studios.



3. What the Boss wants the Boss gets. "Animation project has to go into print first," He says. Already had Moho/Anime Studio so went to Manga Studio EX. Debut wasn't going to handle it. Need to learn the software fast? This is the book. Not a lot of hokey gags throughout the book. Instead lots of good useful information about the software. How to try different ways for tasks so that you find the way the best works for you. So you can keep on drawing your Manag or ANY style with Manga Studio.



4. Background:
   
   I have just recently acquired Manga Studio Debut, since I'm running Leopard on my Mac, I can't use Manga Studio EX. In attempting to learn the software more quickly, I picked up a copy of Manga Studio for Dummies. I've had really good luck with Dummies books in the past, so this book got my first try.
   
   First Impressions:
   
   My first impression of the book was that it felt rushed. It tries to cover a good number of topics about the software package, but doesn't really go into depth about any particular feature. In several cases, there is one paragraph that goes over several features, without a good demonstration of the features being covered. Given the fact that this book was a dummies book, I had expected a more grounds up approach. I didn't find that. The approach of the book is really more along the lines of: if you've worked with another graphics editing package, like Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. then use what you already know and here are some of the characteristics of this software that differs.
   
   It's not a bad book, it just did not fulfill the task that I had thought it would.
   
   Issues With The Book:
   
   The legends. Or more specifically, the differentiation between EX features and Debut features. The book is in black and white. The legend indicates that EX features are in grey. I went through the book and only with some effort, was I able to see where the feature sets and coverage for one package and another one began and end. For someone using Manga Studio EX, this isn't a problem. For someone who is using Debut... it downright sucks.
   
   Suggestions:
   
   If you are looking for a Manga Studio book for the copy of Manga Studio you just got, this is, at this time, the only English offering out there. If you can read Japanese, you can look for Comic Studio (debut / EX / Pro ) books, which are in Japanese, and of which there are many many such books out there.
   
   If you are the author, I would strongly suggest putting out a second revision with better division and/or visual isolation of what is a Debut feature and what is an EX feature. I would also suggest adding a start-to-finish on using Manga Studio (debut or Ex/pro) to sketch/draw and finish a whole page.
   
   The flow of the book really didn't feel smooth. I felt like I was switching from reading a list of features with quick summaries to a two page write up of how some of those features, but not all, could be used on a sketch... except the sketch was just a bunch of circles and lines. One single picture of circles and lines. This didn't really help with illustrating what a particular feature did and how it would impact the drawing/sketch.
   
   I'm a big fan of supporting authors and good books, but I'm sorry to say, I had to return this book. Instead, I picked up two other books on general manga sketch technique since this book, which I went to the stores to specifically find, just didn't provide the information I needed.



5. Not all features (I am EX user) are explained in depth, and some of them are only noticed. But this book is for beginners. Complete deep reference would be 1500 pages, not 400.
   So I just hope someday Doug will write "Manga Studio for Advanced Dummies" and would fill those gaps. I will buy it.

1 comments about Parametric Modeling with SolidWorks 2008.

1. I purchased a book from Randy a few years ago, "Parametric Modeling with Autodesk Inventor R11" when I was using Inventor. It was a good book. My company made the move to SolidWorks and I needed a book to learn and understand the command structure and interface.
   
   The book is a big disappointment. Randy does back and forward using Inventor and SolidWorks terms and terminology. This is confusing to a new SolidWorks user. Let me state what is wrong with this book vs. what is right. There is no 3D Sketching, little or no information on loft, sweep, and revolve features, no detail information on top-down or bottom-up assembly, no Smart mates or toolbox components, no mechanical mates or advance mates. The drawing / part sections do not address dimXpert, importing annotations, etc and does a very poor job on explaining anything except the simplest views. Randy, how do you even apply the 3D drawing view tool within a view? System and document property setting are mainly passed by. He uses the same models from his inventor book.
   
   I also noticed from the SolidWorks help screens, some of his pictures and commands are not updated for 2008. This is why I purchased the 2008 book, not the 2007 book.

5 comments about Filthy Rich Clients: Developing Animated and Graphical Effects for Desktop Java Applications (Java Series).

1. This book is fantastic - so many tips and tricks that I was unaware of. I want more!! I hope a sequel is in the making!! Check it out!! You won't be disappointed!!



2. I want client-side java very much to succeed, especially now that it is open source, but the java.com site itself uses flash instead of applets, and the first author of this book no longer even works for Sun on java stuff - he now works on Adobe Flex:
   http://graphics-geek.blogspot.com/2008/02/what-hello-world.html



3. To push java's ui capabilities has in the past been a bit of a struggle due to the many ways of dealing with Swing, repaints, events, animation etc. This book is an absolute life saver in terms of presenting a unified best practice strategy for everything a ui developer would wish to do in java. It creates very simple applications with solid explanations of what the code is doing, from the low level to the high level. It is also written in a very personable style and the book moves easily and logically through the related material. I wish I had read this book 4 years ago.



4. I have also enjoyed this book very much. Many of these techniques, such as using of intermediate images, were known to me, but numerous details escaped my attention. For example, using of 'compatible images.' I had no idea that this notion exists. I also enjoyed the timing experiments with wait and disclosure of its granularity. Their description of Animators is probably the best and most comprehensive of everything what I saw so far, its a real value-add for me.
   
   I will not repeat the positive accolade summarized here by others, I have one very substantial objection, which is really well summarized in the title used by someone else's comment:
   
   "Practice what you preach."
   
   The book preaches performance, efficiency and style, and yet the authors implement some enormous convoluted scheme around their own code sniplets!
   
   Of course, interested in all the timings and performance of the examples, I wanted to run and watch them. And... I failed at first. I have spend, or wasted rather if you so want, a lot of time in an attempt to achieve this goal.
   
   This sounds so easy nowadays to provide Webstart Java, or merely to deliver some *.java or *.class files, separate or in a *.jar archive.
   
   Not so for Chet and Romain: Their own web page claims that you can download a plugin for Net-Beans and run the examples. Net Beans has proven to be a product, a specific development environment, with which you may or may not be familiar. I never used it and I cannot operate it. Nor am I interested in learning it, being perfectly happy with my own Java setup. But be it as it may, I installed it in the hope to run these demos. It flooded my disk with some 125Mbytes and thousands of files, the usual mayhem, but we have now Terabytes at home, don't we? I also downloaded the plugin, and started to click around to get anything running. Lost in unfamiliar windows and menus I found nothing, no way to start any demo.
   
   I must be getting old. My rusty PhD Dr.Evil brain is too stubborn to crack usage of NetBeans, I failed the IQ test. All right than, I give up. Lets download the source code, run javac and be happy. What can be so difficult, wouldn't you think Minime?
   
   Nope! The adventure has just begun!!
   
   Click on Chapter 2, Swing Rendering Fundamentals. You will get an archive frc-chapter2.zip, in which root directory is no Java code at all. I see merely two folders and two empty files with the same name. On a hunch, step down into the directory SwingRenderingFundamentals, only to find another set of folders and a set of empty files, each with the same name like one of the directories. On a hunch lets step down into HighlightedButton, where we find a bunch of alien looking files and 3 more directories, with you guessed it, 3 more empty files carrying the names of these directories.
   
   Among them is build.xml. XML eh? Hmm... what do I do with that? None of my systems can do anything with XML, this book is not about XML, I do not need to use XML, do I? It's a practitioners book about a specific aspect of Java. I would be happy to stay with "javac" and "java" only, please.
   
   On several places I see a directory called CVS, this may or may not be a name of some source code managing tool. For example, a CVS directory (accompanied again by an empty file with the same name) contains 3 files. Each seem to have some generated content, like this file called Entries: /HighlightedButton.java/1.1/Tue May 01 22:48:46 2007/-ko/
   Hm... It most probably serves a project tool of a sort. But how this relate to the book and to the task at hand?
   
   But one directory name is "src". Source, hurray, the treasury hunt might be close to an end! Indeed, this is how you can 'fish' for Java files, best done with a script of a sort to copy all java files into one single place. You will be fine, most of them do not has any package specification corresponding to the directory they were found in. Once you get these files filtered out, you will even find among them Java files containing mere 2-3 lines of code, accompanied by the monster 30-lines Sun copyright node. Vive la lawyers!
   
   Equally convoluted is the way to access these files on Java.net. In a hope for an easy one-click demo, boy I am a lazy spoiled individual, and not willing to give up just yet, I registered an account with Java.net and dived into filthyrichclients.dev.java.net, only to find the same convoluted way of keeping here and there a Java file among a forest of directories and sidecar files. Here however, I got finally educated that CVS is a repository system, and the web pages provide some comprehensive help in its use.
   
   Please do not take me wrong: I do not want dismiss usability of any tool, like NetBeans or CVS, but pardon me, I was happy with my setup. "If it isn't broken, do not fix it," I do not need to get hundreds of megabytes of some unrelated software in order to find a few demo lines of Java, do I?
   
   Authors of a book teaching practitioners in minimality of algorithmic and best application of a graphical API, claiming to provide code examples of merit, should be focussed strictly on the implementation of just such philosophy, and not on their tools. A use of a language like Java can be explained and demo'ed using strictly the Java compiler and its own Java Virtual Machine. Compare this convoluted delivery with other Sun Java tutorials and their one-click demos. I hope that the authors would use "find" of their vast repositories of files to make a tiny set of *.java files, maybe even of class files. That would be all what a reader would need.



5. This book will save you hours of trouble shooting the little things that don't work as intuitively as they should in Java.
   I have not found an un-useful idea here.
   It also shows you how to make your application more efficient (faster).
   The author has already done the timing tests and offer you the results and the routes you should take.
   All in all, a fantastic find.

5 comments about Cross-Platform GUI Programming with wxWidgets (Bruce Perens' Open Source Series).

1. Good reference books seem to be hard to come by lately. Good reference books give you insight and a fuller understanding of the inner workings of whatever their subject matter might be. This is not the case of this book.
   
   You need "Cross-Platform GUI Programming with wxWidgets" only because the standard wxWidgets documentation is so very crude (no one to blame there, except each and every one of us for not contributing better documentation) and because its source code (as well as part of the core development team, I dare add) is so unfriendly to tools like Doxygen. Smart's book is what the wxWidgets online documentation would have been in a perfect world. No more and no less. The author has done a good job compiling and explaining with sample code the basic usage of most wxWidgets components, but you will not emerge a wxWidgets guru after reading this book. For example, just half a page is dedicated to explaining the by no means trivial wxObject class.
   
   You will be disappointed if you are expecting a mind-opening book, the likes of Petzold's classic "Programming Windows", or Prosise's "Programming MFC", or Wall's "Programming Perl" (just to name a few excellent books from a time when the pace of technology was slower and authors still had time to put together great tutorial/reference works), but having a book like this is probably better than no book at all and buying it is a way to support the project, after all.



2. The definitive book on wxWindows (now wxWidgets). This can be found online but I do like the printed books better.
   
   Covers mostly everything a novice (to wxWidgets) needs to get started on multi-platform applications.



3. This book is very complete.
   It explains the basics and all the way through the most complex capabilities of the wxWidgets library.
   The CD included contains tons of useful code and additional utilities.
   Very good product - I recommend it.



4. The book itself is the only one on this matter. It is well written with tons of examples. I would consider this book as a must for those who are writing the
   Cross-Platform GUI using open source libs. The book came very fast and in a perfect condition. I would highly recommend buying books from this seller.



5. As a book for learning a topic, this one is wanting. It doesn't develop the numerous code snippets into whole programs, leaving the reader uncertain how they actually work. It states much, explains little. As others have pointed out, there are many books on related programming topics that do a good job of bringing a novice or modestly experienced programmer up to speed - one must be a well versed programmer to benefit from this book.

5 comments about OpenGL: A Primer (3rd Edition).

1. While this book does have a decent number of code samples (though it could certainly use both more samples and more detailed samples), the book seems to just be a rehash of the well-known OpenGL red book (OpenGL Programming Guide). I've been reading them simultaneously, and I've yet to find anything of use in Angel's book that is not in the red book. So, do yourself a favor and don't waste the time/money reading this book--your time would be better spent delving further into the code samples and online resources associated with the OpenGL Programming Guide.



2. This book provides a very good introduction to programming in OpenGL. However it might help to have some theoretical background in computer graphics for some of the concepts. I read it in conjunction with a computer graphics course and it was very useful and complementary to what was covered in that course.
   
   However I also found a lot of typos and bugs in this book. They may have been fixed in the second edition but were very annoying. I almost feel like they added these typos/bugs in on purpose to challenge the reader.



3. I am taking a Computer Graphics 3D class at a Dutch University, and this book is part of our teaching method.
   
   The book is a great intro on OpenGL (with a lot of C++ examples).
   It's a perfect start for beginners in 3D graphics. You'll get an basic understanding of all aspects of OpenGL and its capabilities.
   Along with the Redbook (free online OpenGL documentation) you should be able to learn OpenGL quickly in a matter of weeks.



4. The book is good, it's written in simple english.



5. Has too much of a pedantic and formal tone to be helpful to someone who really wants to dig in and write code. OpenGL has gone through a lot of growth, and I was hoping to find something that would zero in on modern OpenGL. This book did not meet that need. You'll still need the OpenGL Red Book, and this primer will not make it any easier to do that, nor will it tell you which parts of the Red Book can be safely ignored. I'd like to see more practical programming advice and less of a formal treatment of the theory.

5 comments about OpenGL(R) Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL(R), Version 2 (5th Edition) (OpenGL).

1. OpenGL isn't a beginner's topic. It is a (seemingly) complex world of graphics processing at the lowest levels. It is not for the timid or mathematically illiterate. This book addresses the topic in a very logical manner. When you know and understand OpenGL, it is easy to understand that some elements of a logical progression do not necessarily make the best sense to a newcomer to the technology. When first embracing OpenGL, there is a relatively steep on-ramp for some kinds of thinkers. So what's new? Everyone thinks a bit differently.
   
   This book will point your thinking in the direction of OpenGL. It takes a very steady, but fundamental course toward that objective. It is not full of fluff, nor does it attempt to overwhelm the uninitiated with superfluous content. It does a really good job at combining elements of the nitty-gritty of OpenGL code with the practices and underlying architecture of the OpenGL system as implemented by the standards-conformant graphics hardware/drivers. It has a very comprehensive expose of the OpenGL pipeline and every reasonable aspect of using OpenGL at the fundamental level and with the GLUT.
   
   My copy of this book is well-worn from countless flippings back-n-forth of pages and chapters as I continue to extract useful information about OpenGL from it. Perhaps it deserves 5 stars, but I have no frame of reference nor am I a gift to OpenGL programmers, so I rate it conservatively at 4.5 stars.
   
   The book reads very easily. It is not wordy or overly terse. It does assume that you've had at least fundamental mathematics representative of college-level computer science majors. Even if your math skills are not so well-developed, this book doesn't try to drown you in such things, rather, it directs you toward the practices of accomplishing OpenGL programming assuming that you will learn that math that is necessary for the work you intend to do. It also assumes that you have strong fundamentals in C programming. It also assumes that you're able to read and comprehend English. I don't find any of these to be worthy of a disclaimer as might another reviewer.
   
   The book is presented very well. I can not say enough how straight-forward and logically it proceeds through the topics necessary to get up-to-speed with OpenGL programming. It reads well, too. That is, you don't necessarily need to be sitting at your computer in order to enjoy elements of this book while learning about OpenGL.
   
   The included examples are well-chosen to illustate the points made during the course of the text where they are found. I had absolutely no problem compiling and executing them on my GNU/Linux-based system using Mesa and GCC.
   
   I would suggest that you plan to spend some quality time with this book if you're serious about learning OpenGL. Some of the topics take more than a brief reading to fully sink-in...at least they did for me! There are a few sections that I spent several hours on and re-read several times, which I credit to the technical-aspects of the content rather than reduce to an "issue" with the authors' presentation skills. OpenGL isn't going to be easy if you're relatively new to 2D and 3D programming. It is probably an "advanced" topic for all but the most severe.
   
   The book is thoroughly enjoyable and when completed and you're banging away OpenGL code with style and grace, there is a notable sense of accomplishment. I had a lot of fun dissecting this book until my brain finally decided to learn its contents.



2. I've recieved my product without problems. Good book, fast ship. I'm satisfied.



3. When we migrated from DirectX to OpenGL and from Microsoft to Linux this book was a constant reference during those weeks of hard work. It is concise, clear and documents well OpenGL. You have to know what you are looking for, but... that's the purpose of a reference guide, right?.
   Great job on compiling the material !!!!
   Gabriel



4. Recently I had my first experience in programming computer graphics with OpenGL. After considering many sources I would recommend the Official Guide to Learning OpenGL the best option for beginner in the computer graphics area with mathematical background. Besides, book is very helpful for use as a reference during the entire programming process with OpenGL.
   
   It provides the necessary level of detail, not going too deep in underlying mathematical concepts explanations unlike many other books. For anyone interested in more detail each subchapter has "Advanced" section providing in depth explanations. It also contains working sample programs written in C/C++ (which could easily be integrated to other programming languages) being really helpful during learning process.
   
   The complete reading of book not required once started, as after having understanding of how main concepts of OpenGL works, it could be used as search convenient reference manual. One can easily find the subject of interest and gain rather complete understanding of topic after reading corresponding section.



5. If you're a serious OpenGL programmer like I am, this book is basically a bible. Unlike DirectX, there aren't a ton of decent places to find documentation for OpenGL. I've had to do some pretty complex programming and every single time the "Red Book" helped me accomplish the goal.
   
   Honestly though, I think a lot of this material should be online. This is not a book you read cover to cover. It's something you need if you're having trouble with blending operations in your scene and you need to know more about how OpenGL works (not for novices). I would suggest buying the "Blue Book" along with this (The OpenGL reference manual). The blue book goes over each API call in detail (similar to what you would expect from MSDN).

5 comments about The Usability Engineering Lifecycle: A Practitioner's Handbook for User Interface Design (Interactive Technologies).

1. This book gives concrete data on the "how-to" of usability engineering and realistic data regarding the *selling process* of these concepts to management. Additionally, it can function as a "how-to" handbook with its many examples. To name a few, the examples include: pre-evaluation, evaluation and post-evaluation questionnaries, data collection sheets and data analysis and report sheets.

   The book has a fantastic index for quick reference and is organized well.




2. This book is great ! Really ! I pratice OO development especially following RUP. This book describe a full Usability process, with activities, guidelines, workload estimation and artifacts. You can directly put it at work, because you naturally see why an activity leads to another. All the book is good, even if it seems heavy (500+ pp), there is no waste of space. As a RUP practitioner, it's very easy to integrate this approach into the RUP and it naturally fits with Use Cases. Believe me: get it !



3. I have never written a review before, but I am so impressed with this book - it is indispensable. I particularly like the way the information is presented - very readable. Also valuable are the sections that address shortcuts and alternatives for applying techniques in the real world. I often am called to get involved during and after development and have to adapt "perfect world" techniques into very short cycles. This is a must have for people in our profession.



4. Or do other people think there is a need for creativity in user interface design? This book, while very helpful in providing a set of procedures to follow when evaluating users and their particular needs, leaves out the very important concept of the ART of user interface design. I see plenty of recommends for Tufte's trilogy of user oriented design books and for the book "Don't Make Me Think". These books are much more readable, and none of them are nearly so formulaic in their approach to user interface design.
   
   Another problem I have with this book, and with many other computer books, is the size. Why does it take so much to say so little? Is there an editor in the house? There is definitely some good content in this book. I happens to be buried in a mountain of text.



5. This book is very well written, content-rich and provides a plethora of examples that I can use on the job immediately. What more can a software developer ask for? I would give it 10 stars if the option was available.

5 comments about Cinema 4D 10 Handbook (Graphics Series).

1. I've been gone for a few months from working in C4D and this book has really helped me to jump back into modeling and animation. This book has coverage on new additions and changes from C4D R9 that I've found extremely helpful. The layout makes it easy to sift through the book and discover these new updates according to what you're working with currently. The tutorials are easy to follow and some graphics have additional bold text and arrows to help clarify what is being attempted in the tutorials, a really great idea for beginners who may not know all the terminology and layouts! I highly recommend the book to beginners and experts, especially, if you're attempting to learn on your own, rediscover old skills, or update your knowledge of C4D.



2. The material covered in this book is fair and plentiful, but the writing is poor and it seriously lacks any explanation. Why am I doing this step? Figure it out on your own if you buy this book.



3. Very well explained. Good examples and example files to illustrate concepts. Very highly recommended.



4. I bought this book because I am coming from Maya and want to learn C4D's Mograph features- the biggest reason I was interested in Cinema 4D. This book doesn't even MENTION the Mograph features let alone help, which is a huge disappointment. In addition, I've turned to this book 8 times so far for help with specific tools and 6 of those times I couldn't find the tool listed in the index.
   
   I gave this 2 stars because what portions of the software the book does cover seems helpful so far.



5. I recommend this book especially for a beginner. The way it was written is really kind to a beginner and the book tries to cover most but some serious animators may be disappointed for some important animation techniques are missing. I have purchased some books I had to spend hours and hours to figure out the directions to complete the tutorials, but the tutorials from this book are easy to follow and user-friendly. This is a good book!

1 comments about Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007: Introductory Concepts and Techniques (Shelly Cashman).

1. As I use Powerpoint extensively in my business, I found Susan Sebok's instruction clear and concise...very easy to follow with great examples and suggestions...I have recommended this series of books to many of my colleagues who have had great success implementing the tutorials into their classes and seminars...