2 comments about Digital Color Management: Encoding Solutions.

1. I am the author of eight books, and my latest one is on digital imaging. In a word, I find Digital Color Management astounding - both in scope and in clarity. The writing is superb and the material is beautifully illustrated. I believe this book clearly reaffirms Kodak researchers as a prescient within the imaging industry. My only criticism is that this book was not available while I conducted my latest research. If you are involved in any aspect of contemporary imaging technology, not having this book places you at a distinct disadvantage. Thank goodness not too many books like this come along - it is enough to give any author pause, if not despair, as to what a technical book should be.



2. I have attended several of Mr. Giorgianni's tutorials on color management in recent years and have found him to be an outstanding instructor. His book brings into focus the complex issues in color management and explains them all with unparalled insight. I'm sure that this was a very difficult book to write and produce. The authors and the publisher deserve the thanks of the digital imaging community.

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself DirectX 7 in 24 Hours (Teach Yourself -- Hours).

1. This book has a lot of negitive reviews, I would like to point out some things. Unlike many of the other "beginner" books on DirectX (take Windows Game Programming for Dummies as an example). This book does make a great effort to attempt to cover all aspects of DirectX, and devotes much of it's text to Direct3D. Nost books only cover select topics, most are broken up to: DirectDraw, DirectSound and DirectPlay.. or just Direct3D, this book attempts to do all this in 24 hours.

   The 24 hour bit can be a bit misunderstood. One can take it to mean a cover to cover read knowing nothing about topic or related topics in 24 hours (and this is very unrealistic) or one can assume the total reading time of the book will be 24 hours, this doesn't account for personal research and experimenting on the topics discussed.

   The book does only touch on many of it's topics, it could not be part of the "24 hour" book series if it did not, and you can read this book in 24 hours, providing you also add in at least 4 hours of further research (though the DirectX SDK documentation and samples) and personal experimenting for each hour of read time, you CAN walk away learning quite a bit.

   Learning DirectX takes effort and hard work, if you want a hand-holding book the ..for Dummies book I mention above is fantastic, if you want a good over-view of DirectX 7 that assumes you know what a computer is, what a compiler is, how to program in C++, etc... get this or some other more specialized book on DirectDraw or Direct3D.

   Only 3 stars because there are some errors in the text and samples and it can be a bit misleading as most readers of the "24 hour" books may be expecting something a lot more stright-forward.




2. I usually work my own code from the examples in the text, and don't even bother with the author's code on the CD. But after comparing my non-running code to the code in the book, and finding no difference, I resorted to grabbing the code from the CD just to compare it. Imagine my shock to find that the samples in the book didn't match the CD! He's got DirectX 4 code on the CD! So I changed his DirectX 4 calls with the DirectX 7 calls he gives in the text, and it didn't work! His own examples don't work! This guy should be told to compile and run his code before he releases it. And Sams should insist that the code on the CD matches the code in the book!

   And to make matters worse, each chapter builds on the last, so now how am I supposed to continue?

   Don't bother with this book. Find another book, a class or just read the documentation that comes with DirectX.




3. There were many things wrong with this book. From a lack of Windows programming (which in my opinion is very important if you are programming in windows) to incorrect code on the included CD-ROM, this book was a great letdown. Many of the examples pull code from previous chapters and do not let you know what you have to modify, which can cause a lot of confusion. The examples on the CD-ROM which are supposed to match the code in the book, are incorrect. Instead, they are writting in DirectX4, which makes things even more confusing.



4. I bought this book mainly for it's 3D section, but also to learn about DirectX in general. I had hopes of writing a simple 3D game (maybe even a 2D one), however it quickly became apparent that the Author has probably never used DirectX for that purpose!! I honestly found myself wondering, "Why else would you use DirectX if not for programming games?"

   I worked through a few of the lessons (attempting the 24 hour goal), however after the first few lessons, I just couldn't continue. The lessons were so damm boring. I mean - the whole point of DirectX is to bring games to life, if not games, then at least bring the screen to life! This Author killed any spirit I had to create a "laser gun battle while driving to a fight scene in my Hover-Ferrari dodging laser fire from monsters with laser-cannons grafted to their chests!"

   Instead we get a [bad] picture of a two dimensional, badly drawn taxi, moving to the left of the screen slowly (but smoothly), while the background moved a little bit and a sound moved from one speaker to the other. I mean really!!!! I have not seen a game like that EVER in my life - except for something designed for toddlers whilst learning to tell the difference between a horsy and a cow! Granted, this particular topic was only a demonstration of some DirectX techniques, but I had to wonder in what kind of game I would use these techniques? It just wasn't interesting at all - completely boring beyond belief!

   The most complex example in the book involved several textured buildings, with a single stationary car and a moving helicopter that you got to fly, except fly is the wrong word! It quickly became apparent that the Author doesn't know how to program the DirectX 3D stuff. When the helicopter rotated, the buildings changed shape! I was absolutely dumbfounded!

   SAMS put their name to this book, but instead of that being a good thing, it's now a warning label when I go shopping. Obviously SAMS do not require a high standard for their books, or their Authors.




5. i borrowed this book from a friend, and must note that there are SEVERAL SEVERE errors in Hour 5 (i havent got past it now)

   for instance, they modify the bitmap_surface function, yet do not disclose the new one, or how to modify the existing one to handle the RECT they've added... im not a new programmer, and i STILL cant get this working via the book...

5 comments about Reality Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX: Strategic Solutions for Online Interaction (Reality).

1. I researched a few books online covering FCS and was sold on this one after reading the high reviews. I purchased the book and went through the entire thing in about an hour and gained nothing more than what I have learned from the Macromedia documentation and online resource center. NOTE: I was going into this expecting to learn more about how Flash and Flash Comm Server work together to better code applications between them. This book shows a few simple examples of how to use the built-in components. I strongly recommend NOT buying this book. I was was surprised to see all the high ratings when I came back to add my review, so be sure to read those as I am one of the few that is dissatisfied with this book.



2. Maybe I'm not a typical FlashCom user as far a programming background is concerned. I'm a Java programmer with a little experience in Flash. I don't write reviews because I don't believe most of the ones I read anyway and this one is simply in response to one of this book that was factually inaccurate.

   I've looked at 2 or 3 books that have some information about FlashCom, and this is the best by far. The reason I like this book is because it is pure programming. It contains no FlashCom components at all. Period. I have no idea why a reviewer would say otherwise. (Maybe he's confused this book with another book.)

   Coming from Java, I thought FlashCom would be a piece of cake. It is not (despite what a favorable review claims). You need to coordinate ActionScript, Client-side ActionScript and Server-side ActionScript. I liked the real-world examples in this book and each of the five applications brought together the different versions of ActionScript. The authors used procedural programming rather than OOP. However, in going over the code (and adding my own changes)it is not poorly structured.

   I am not a big fan of this book's format. It goes through the details of dealing with clients, which in my work, I avoid. (We have reps that do that.) I wish that space had been used for more scripts and apps. However, the processes described are real and people who like that kind of stuff will like the book.

   Like I said, THIS BOOKS CONTAINS NO FlashCom components, and I'd hate to see it passed over because of a wildly inaccurate review.




3. i have a few points that may be valuable for those who are looking for really professional flashcom books:
   
   1. the example files that come from this book's website work very poorly due to lack of programming considerations within the book itself. some applications fail to run on the second run because something is wrong with the programming used on the flashcom side or client-side, and the applications simply won't start unless u reload the applications from the server.
   
   2. the book does not go thoroughly enough with flashcom applications such as user management in a video conference, and server-side scripts that are required for handling issues such as user log on/off, userid, etc.
   
   3. although the book goes to teach real life solutions, but it barely touches the core concept of flashcom applications. i can only comment that this book is on the rim of a glass.
   
   i hope my points will be helpful for those who are looking for a really good flashcom books...



4. Yeah, that's right, CTO only need to know what the FlashComm can do, how they do, but doesn't really need to get dirty like all the programmers out there. So if you are CTO go and get this book, if you want to get dirty with FlashComm then stay away from this book. If you want to buy this book in "mint" condition, please contact me (vht@rocketmail.com), I will place this book on ebay for just 10USD.



5. Got this book for free from a friend.Hmm..I wondered why he gave me the book for free.Didn't know until one of my current research's requirements is Flash Comm Server MX.Flipped through the book and I'd have to say:Ewwww..programmers...stay away from this book!!!!It's not worth your money.

5 comments about Introducing Maya 6: 3D for Beginners.

1. This book is an introduction to the 3D software Maya. The format was split between general discussion and step-by-step exercises. There is also a CD that included the exercise files and a copy of Maya Personal Learning Edition (PLE).
   
   First of all, I did find the step-by-step exercises to be quite frustrating. The steps could have benefited from more detail or even a few more images. I just found myself getting lost to easily. Sometimes experimentation or trial and error were the only ways to get through a particular step. I did spot a few errors - most related to entering values. Sometimes depending on the view (or perspective) the required values would be different. As a beginner, minor errors made things even more difficult then they already were. Surprisingly, the book's use of grayscale images didn't create any problems except on a few occasions. Ultimately, it took me a lot longer to finish the exercises and the book than I would have wanted.
   
   One of the reasons I got this book is that it included a copy of Maya PLE. But, the included version is only 5.0. Which is strange since the book is supposed to be an introduction to Maya 6. I couldn't get it to install anyways so I ended up just buying Maya PLE 6.0 from Alias.
   
   With the problems aside you will still learn plenty just by reading through the material. I found the general discussion to be excellent. There was plenty of good information about the animation production process and great insight about each topic. I was surprised to find out that one of my favorite animated comedies was created with Maya.
   
   Maya is a large and complicated program. The frustrating exercises just complicated things further. Especially since this is supposed to be an introduction to the topic. The exercises just needed to be a little clearer or more specific at times. The book may have been intended to be used with a formal class. In the end, and not without some struggles, I was still fairly introduced to Maya and 3D.



2. After reading the reviews of this book I was a little apprehensive but my fears proved baseless.
   I can confidently say that this book has enabled me to graduate to an intermediate level Maya user.
   The trick is to actually read the entire book in sequence and not just jump straight into the tutorials. I found the language used to be straight forward and easy to understand.
   
   If you are new to Maya, or 3D visualisation, then I would highly recommend this book.



3. I come from the computers/engineering field into 3D computer graphics. This was the first book that I read. The book delivers what it promises - it is a good first step for 3D newcomers. It is easy to follow - exercises are explained step-to-step wise and it covers the most basic features of Maya. The book prepares you well for the Alias-book Maya Foundations, which gives you enough background to start making small animated films.



4. Some people may find this book a bit difficult because of its style. The way this book works (besides for explaining the concepts very well,) is it teaches you how to do something and after taking you through it a few times, the author will tell you to do something based on what you just learned and you will have to do it on your own. So you really end up with first hand experience.



5. I am nearly done with this book and I must say that it has been a rather grueling experience at times. The author needs to improve how he writes his instructions. He'll tell you to do something but won't tell you HOW to go about doing it. And this book is for beginners? It has nothing to do with the software. Maya may have a high learning curve, but if you are willing to work hard at it everyday you will get through it. That said, it seems that the author was in a hurry to write this, and at times rambles on about nothing.

5 comments about Digital Color Correction.

1. Reasonable introduction to digital retouching. A freshman course. The equipment shown is old and the reproduction does not show good color correction for reproduction. Not to say it is a useless book only that it is not for professionals. Professionals or serious students should look at Dan Margulis' books for advanced study.



2. Rivard approaches this text book with a refreshing voice... the wealth of technical information is nicely balanced by a "friendly" tone and interesting examples. The author clearly understands the technology, and he clearly has a passion for sharing what he knows in practical, real world terms.



3. This is a must read for anyone pursuing a career in preparing images for reproduction.
   Rivard will take the reader through a complete and concise understanding of the tools and techniques to make images look great with todays imaging technology. It will provide a solid foundation of skills and enable the reader to better understand some of the more in-depth books written on color. Every student should study this book and seasoned pros should read it to know how well prepared graduates are entering the workforce.



4. If you are looking for an advanced book, this is not the one. But if you are looking for an excellent introductory text, this is a suitable choice. The author does an excellent job of breaking down the theory and practice of color correction in the digital environment.



5. Rivard provides practical advice for those who earn a living dealing with color correction as well as for novices who want to make their digital photos pop! Rivard has the gift of being able to explain complex subjects such as color theory in an easy to understand manner. In no time you'll be applying Rivard's Pyramid principle and saving time, while increasing productivity and output. This book is not a Photoshop tutorial, rather it focuses on the key fundamentals of what makes an image look good and then shows you how to accomplish that task in the least amount of time. The book is a must for print service providers who are constantly challenged with fixing problems with customer files.

No comments about The Magic of Macintosh: Programming Graphics and Sound.

5 comments about 3ds max 4 Media Animation.

1. This book is a fantastic example of how all computer text books should be structured - Step-by-step tutorials that demonstrate experienced solutions to real-world projects. I know I speak for many people when I say that I learn by DOING, not by reading paragraphs upon paragraphs of text and lengthy descriptions of "what this app can do for you". No one likes to attempt to digest a "features description" manual and try to piece together the various complexities of a high-end application like 3DS MAX from various disjointed sources. I need a seasoned, talented professional, with years of industry experience, to step me through exactly how an application performs various industry tasks, e.g. how to make a 30-second TV spot from scratch, how to make a highly-professional News program opener, or how to make robotic-looking voting machines animated together in a 3-camera shoot. John Chrismar performs this tasks with a detail and finesse that is extremely hard to find in the computer textbook industry. I look for this style in every computer book I pick up, but don't often find it, if at all. The industry giants on the programming side of the industry, like Wrox Press, should use John's book as an example of how to write an effective computer textbook. Don't waste my time with information overload, stuffed together losely by a quasi-team of 6 geeks. SHOW ME how you solved a problem with the application or programming language, from start to finish, while I follow along, bit by bit, line by line, click by click. Show me how to build a genuine and valuable creation using the tool you are teaching me to use. This is exactly what John does.

   I started with the last of three tutorials and worked backward through the book, because the News Program Opener tutorial looked the most intriguing. I learned more about 3DS MAX after that one tutorial then I had by reading the documentation or from any of the other three 3DS MAX books I own. I saw someone else mention that there were some small mistakes and missed "figure" numbers on the screenshots here and there, but this did not detract from completing the tutorials in the slightest. Two extra seconds of thought got me passed these minor editing oversights very easily, and they were very minor in comparison to most computer textbooks.

   It was beyond refreshing to witness and practice along with a professional at work from beginning to end: from importing your vectors from Illustrator, to cleaning up the splines, to extruding, modelling each piece, assembling, naming conventions, creating materials, shortcuts, to animating, adding a soundtrack, right down to post-production and final render. I absolutely can not stand books where Step 1 is "Import our half-finished Design #643.2 from our accompanying CD-ROM". Not the case with this book. You are stepped through the process, end to end. When you are done with each tutorial, you have a finished work of media art THAT YOU CREATED and a head full of usable, retainable 3DS MAX knowledge that can be carried into any job or hobby.

   Excellent job, John. You have gained a new fan. I will purchase your other books, regardless of topic. :D

   Thank you.




2. Overall, it is a good book with clear instruction for intermediate user.

   I give it 4 stars since it doesn't tell you the detailed procedures to reproduce the cool special effect described in the Part 4 (Real World Case Stuides).




3. The most important feature of this book is the lengthy step by step tutorials. This is the first thing I look for in a computer book - to see that the tutorials are long. to me this indicates that the writer is very thorough with all steps in the project and does not leave out important steps along the way.

   If you buy used make sure the disk is included.




4. I am a beginner user of Viz and Max and will be using it for architectural 3D rendering. What I look for in a text book are lengthy tutorial exercises. I want to know step by step everything that I have to do to reproduce what the author is showing. This book is great for that. There are three main excercises that go the full length of the 550 pages of this book. As an example the 2002 voting machine tutorial goes from pages 182 to 315, covering each step of the construction. Chismar even includes alternate means of construction to show why one method works better than other methods.

   I am looking forward to an updated book by Chismar on the lastest release of Max. I have not heard if one is being made.

   One slight drawback...Chismar does not deal with the possiblities of drawing and rendering for architecture. If the new release of Max does include the architectural functions of Viz, then there will be a need for tutorials on those items. None the less the command structure of the software for Viz and Max is virtually the same, so learning that part from Chismar's book is still very important.




5. This book is the best tutorial for learning 3ds Max that I've read. It is not for novices, in that it assumes you know the 3ds Max interface. However, it is a step-by-step guide for creating professional quality animations for broadcast media. The author works for MSNBC. He breaks down 3 real-world projects in an easy-to-understand way, from storyboards to final output. This single book jump-started my understanding of complex modeling and animation techniques using 3ds Max. Although this book was made for version 4 of the program (the program is currently in version 9), the interface has not changed significantly in that it would make this book obsolete. I used it using version 6 and returned to it in version 8 with no difficulties. Well worth your time.

No comments about Modern Nations of the World - Lebanon (Modern Nations of the World).

No comments about Visual Programming for HP-VEE (2nd Edition).

No comments about The Dictionary of Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality.