5 comments about Macromedia(R) Flash(TM) MX Hands-On-Training (Hands-On Training).

1. This book stands out from other books dealing with Flash because it makes you get your hands dirty by actually USING the program. It comes with a CD that contains trial software and movies that demonstrate exacly how to perform certain tasks. It's easy to read and while the first few chapters are perfect for beginners, by the time you get to the end of the book, you'll be creating Flash presentations at an expert level.



2. Install the included 30 day trial of FLASH MX.

   Copy the CD-ROM exercise files from the book to a directory on your hard drive, turn off your phones, grab a cup of coffee, open FLASH MX, put this book on your lap and start feeding your brain.

   Comprehensive tool descriptions (Bezier is always a pain), big helpings of ActionScript basics, sound and video.

   Excellent beta testing for technical precision.




3. I tried to learn flash first by reading the 'straight from the source' book. This didn't work very well. That book seemed to have been written for people who alredy know a lot about actionscript and html offering no apologies for the confusion to 'newbies'. So I picked up the H.O.T book and have learned twice as much in half the amount of time.. The author of this book is a true teacher and knows how to put an idea across in an easy to understand method. Thanks, I'm finally on my way to building great websites.. Mikeg



4. I got my book in about 10 days, this was ok but the CD in the book was broken.



5. I have tried the lessions in Flash - I read Flash Quick Start - I played in Flash - but taking this book chapter to chapter - doing the lessions - it was like lights going off and now I get it!
   
   I have not found any errors in the book - I am on page 439 out 765 for lessions and I enjoy the lessions.
   
   So far the lessions are about things I would use on the web. I am a developer on the web 40 hours a week. I work with SQL, ASP and Photoshop along with some other programs like Corel.
   
   I have read alot about Flash and for years I thought it was just a program that was used for animation, but it has come a long way - it now can be use to access a database - now I got some use for it - I plan on using it for charting and dynamic buttons. I bought this book after reading the reviews - I am gald I did - worth the money - worth the time - it is a keeper...
   
   Started working on the web for a living in 95. I work for a LARGE Company on their internet. The applications I create use databases.

3 comments about K Is For Keystone: A Pennsylvania Alphabet Edition 1. (Discover America State By State. Alphabet Series).

1. We are in the process of moving from PA to CT. I friend bought my 5 year old son this book as a going away gift. My son loves it. The pictures are great and text is written in rhyme. It made a wonderful gift.



2. This review will cover all these books since I have bought for every state for each andchild and friend's children wherever they live. They are the greatest for all ages to know about the various states. The pictures are exceptional.



3. I bought the book about Pennsylvania for the grandchildren they enjoyed looking at the pictures, and as they get older the information will be helpful in teaching them about their state.

5 comments about The Art and Science of Digital Compositing (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics).

1. This book is a in depth study of the techniques and technologies involved in the art of compositing. Not sooo technical that no one will understand it, but technical enough that it even explains in detail the algorithms and math used for antialiasing, blurs, the transfer operators like multiply, screen overlay., etc... I am a professional cg artist and highly recommend this book.



2. That can I say about Mr Brinkman. Well he's one of the God's of compositing and VFX. Mad about the math behind Node based compositing software, which incidentally is a good thing. This is not meant to be a 'Shake' bible as it is supposed to be non software specific. However it uses 'Shake' language and node naming. This is not a criticism as 'Shake' is the meccano kit of compositing. Understand the mode and the math behind it and you can do anything. I would also assume that this will still be relevant when shake is 'reborn'.
   
   This is also essential for other composing software where the math is hidden. If you've ever considered what happens inside that 'magic button' after you've clicked.
   
   I also think that Steve Wright's 'Digital Compositing for Film and Video, Second Edition' is a must too. Another great book from a great man of VFX.
   
   Having not been personally taught by Mr. Brinkman and Mr Wright these books prove to be the next best thing.



3. This book is exceptional and a must for anyone pursuing this area of interest. The only disappointment I had in purchasing this item is that it is supposed to come with a CD, and the CD was never shipped to me. What's up, Amazon?



4. Ron goes over the very concepts of compositing that are essential to know in the computer graphics feild. I have bought several copies of this book as the disappear from my desk (no longer kept in public view)



5. Even if I'm not working in vfx, so I haven't a great experience, I think this book should be in every comps shelf: very simple, well written, it deals with the math under every (even the simplest) operation you can do in your compositing package (it's quite software-indipendent). It explains several wonderful tricks too.
   Globally, very useful in my opinion.

2 comments about Getting Started with Flex 3: An Adobe Developer Library Pocket Guide for Developers (Adobe Developer Library).

1. I am new to Adobe Flex development, but I have been a Microsoft web programmer for many years. I really enjoyed this book; it's an excellent intro to the world of Flex development. I love the length of the chapters they are just long enough to finish in a quick 20 min break during the day. The authors do an excellent job demonstrating what can be done with the technology. The examples are simple but well thought out and well written. They start off by showing the reader real world applications already in place on the web. In the following chapters he provides examples that introduce some of the controls available in Flex. The examples are labels, buttons, checkboxes and datagrids just to highlight a few. One chapter walks the reader through creating a Runner's Calculator. The last chapter contains a nice list of websites, blogs and community resources to get you into the developer community.
   
   If you are new to Flex this is an excellent book to start with it's both informative and a quick read.



2. I'm sure most of you have had the experience of having a smart friend try to teach you how to do something only to wind up feeling frustrated, stupid or both. This was my experience with this book. Often an expert too easily forgets what it's like to be an absolute beginner and either moves too quickly or leaves out important steps. I admit I wasn't expecting a thorough exploration of Flex in this tiny guide. This was my first 'pocket guide', so perhaps I'm being unfair or expecting too much. But I felt the author just leapt from one thing to the next without offering enough in the way of explanation or context. What the book IS good for, in my opinion, is giving you some idea of the things Flex can do. But you can get a very good idea of what Flex can do at Adobe's website- for free. To anyone new to Flex, I would suggest finding a free way of checking out what Flex can do. Then, if you're interested, go and find a different book to really get a proper start.

5 comments about Animation Writing and Development, : From Script Development to Pitch (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation).

1. Jean Ann Wright's "Animation Writing and Development : From Script Development to Pitch", is a comprehensive and well written book, on the subject.
   
   I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in writing for animation.



2. This book is abit of a bore and turnoff with all it tips and trixs to create scripts that will please the "buyer". It is colored with a tone of a moral panic that is typical for experts that clame to know what people want and don't want. I think it is safe to say that if the creators of "South Park" or "The Simpson" would have read this book and followed it, thoose series would have never been made - maybe not even Bambi with its horrid shooting of bambis mother?
   
   It also deals with animation at its simplest blocks, it tries to show the steps to a finished product - poorly. It does contain a good hint here and there but as a hole it is a complete waist of time, and a poor candidate for a book to understand the teqnical aspects of animation. If you have some basic knowleadge of character, animation and storyboarding and want to learn how to write for animation, buy books about writing instead.
   >RS



3. The book covers tons and tons of topics, which is good for a person with no background in animation writing. But the topics written about, from dialogue to outlining, come with no context, no examples to back up what the author is talking about. Wright writes "Keep your characters consistent. They must be true to their core traits and to what has made them who they are." An example from a current or classic cartoon is direly needed. This happens throughout the book. Under the subheading Conflict Can Reveal Information in the dialogue chapter, she writes "conflict in dialogue...is a good way to get information out and keep it interesting." How? Once again this book screams for examples.
   The book trys to explain every thing and any thing about animation. A daunting task. But in the process, every thing seems trite. The chapter on writing features, aka movies, is skimmed, and after reading it, will not make your more apt at writing animation films. Scriptwriting for film is different, in many aspects, from tv animation, and in this book it's made to sound that it's the same.
   Overall the book is informative, but for someone who grew up with Scooby Doo, He-Man, Thundercats and saw every Disney film and could write endless thesis on Scooby Doo's tremendous appetite, this book lacks substance.



4. An excellent book that covers all aspects of writing for animation, and I do mean ALL aspects. Nothing is left out. Jean Ann Wright really knows her stuff. And buying the book from Amazon was easy and painless. That's why I use them and why I will continue to use them.



5. I teach an animation writing class and have used Wright's book for the past two or three years. It not only contains useful insights into animation writing but also provides perspective through such topics as the history of animation and understanding the tastes of various audiences according to age group. I've also used her chapter on pitching a script for an oral communications course. However, I often find that her paragraphs aren't all that coherent in that she jumps from idea to idea. It sometimes seems as though a lot of this is first-draft material. Perhaps the next edition will be more readable. Overall, this is a useful supplement to other materials. I haven't found a perfect animation writing book yet, so this one will do for now.

5 comments about Practical C# Charts and Graphics.

1. Pratical C# Charts and Graphics is an excellent book for those who are interested in learning and using graphic plotting and charting skills. The various problems (examples)introduced require a fair level of mental dexterity and previously learned C# programming skills. Some examples require a good understanding of Trigonometry and Geometry.
   
   I would recommend that it be used both as a learning and reference tool.



2. This is a book very suitable for a c# beginner and it provides a set of code that can be applied in real life. I really learned a lot from it.



3. Hi,
   
   I am learning lot from this book. This is really helpful.
   
   Thank you
   
   Sri



4. This is a great resource. Like other have said, it fills in a blank space in NOT JUST the C# world, but programming in general. 3-D Charts are usually just sold by those who know how to make them - very little exists for those who want to know the best algorithms for making them. This book (and accompanying code) is a fairly comprehensive resource on efficient algorithms in that area.
   
   The accompanying code (Chart3d / 2d lib) is very nice. There are a few dohs! in the Chart3Dlib that I've noticed, that are easily fixed (modifying the original data while performing graphing computations). Comments are present, and the code is well written and understandable.



5. The title says it all: this book is about teaching you how to do charting in C# and it does it very well. From 2D to 3D, most typical charts are covered. The math transforms and data-structures are gradually introduced to give you a fully working charting library that you'll know in and out. Very valuable.
   
   Note: I initially had trouble finding the code for download. An email to the author quickly resolved the issue. Thanks for the support.

5 comments about AI for Game Developers.

1. Is good book to initiate within world of AI, brings very good examples on fuzzy logic and genetic algorithms, in my opinion would have to bring CD-ROM with more examples but even so I recommend them for people that is initiating within development of video games, have a simple way to explains concepts that in other books can that are abstract and until moments very confused, explain it of direct and very simple way, are a book not very extensive you will be able to read it in a pair of days, and thus to begin to apply it within any application or game, the code comes very simple manageable and easy to use, it comes in c++, I hope enjoy so much as I.



2. AI for Game Developers is a book aimed at beginner game programmers that want to apply AI techniques in their games. The range of topics covered is vast, chasing, flocking, pathfinding, state machines, bayesian networks, neutal networks, genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic and more.
   
   The authors spend time to explain these AI concepts from the ground up, with numerous code samples and accompanied by full programs including GUIs & simulations, downloadable form the book's website.
   
   So far all good, but not really so if you look a little closer. For a programmer with more experience than the complete novice, many problems become apparent quickly:
   
   The code listings ("examples", as the authors uncommonly call them) are lacking in many aspects. The code is of low quality. C++-- some call it, and it's an appropriate name for the code of this book (take a big program with a bunch of globals and void foo(void) operating on them, wrap it all (public) in a class, and call it Object Oriented). The principal author is a scientific programmer, which shows well since the code looks sometimes like a port from Fortran. The code is also poorly typeset, in a font almost identical to the text, which makes samples hard to spot and follow. The authors also paste huge amounts of code in the book that sometimes fill whole pages, without any apparent reason. Another little deficiency is the typesetting / overall formatting quality of the book - some diagrams are simply missing, fonts are uncomfortable (especially the mix of code & text)...
   
   It seems that most of this book's problems are about the code, though. On the conceptual level, the book is not bad. As far as I can judge, the explanations are clear and even novices should have no trouble understanding how the algorithms work. Just look away from the code, please !!



3. Terrible and useless even for a book on AI for budding game developers. The theory and explanations in this book are sometimes decent but more often than not quite lacking. (es: in one of the first chapter the author uses Bresenham algorithm without taking the time to explain it). The use of tile based examples introduce unnecessary overhead, and the continuos attempts to introduce physics related code and references to the author's other book on game physics are just plain annoying. The range of subjects covered is very broad (chasing and evading, pathfinding, emergent behaviours, rule based reasoning, bayesian networks, neural networks, fuzzy logic, finite state machines, genetic algorithms), definitely too broad to treat each of these subject in decent depth and with clarity. Example code is of low quality and just superficially object-oriented. If you are looking for a decent introduction to game AI I recommend Matt Buckland "Programming Game AI by Example" and "AI Techniques for Game Programming".



4. This book gives people that are new to AI in game programming a quick start in that area. If you are interested in looking at the broad fields of AI with direct application to game programming, this will show you a bit of everything. The text is clear and doesn't require any higher understanding of mathematics than some basic trigonometry. I think that the problem most people have with this book is that none of the chapters covers its subject in depth. Thus, people looking to learn AI from this book that ignor the "Game" part of the title will be disappointed. Full C++ sample programs are available on the books web site-the book is all in C++, and you should have no problems understanding the code with moderate C skills. Bresenham's line algorithm, line-of-sight-chasing and intercepting are all explained in a pretty simple way. My biggest complaint is that, even within the construct of game programming, the presentation of Bayesian systems and probability was too short for my taste. The following is a description of the book from the context of the table of contents:
   
   Chapter 1, Introduction to Game AI - Defines game AI and discusses the current state of the art as well as the future of this technology.
   
   Chapter 2, Chasing and Evading - Covers basic techniques for chasing and evading as well as more advanced techniques for intercepting. It also cover techniques applicable to both tile-based and continuous game environments.
   
   Chapter 3, Pattern Movement - Pattern movement techniques are common to many video games and developers have been using them since the early days of gaming. You can use these techniques to preprogram certain behaviors such as the patrolling of a guard or the swooping in of a spacecraft.
   
   Chapter 4, Flocking - The flocking method examined in this chapter is an example of an A-life algorithm. In addition to creating genuine looking flocking behavior, A-life algorithms form the basis of more advanced group movement.
   
   Chapter 5, Potential Function Based Movement - Potential-based movement is relatively new in game AI applications. It can handle chasing, evading, swarming, and collision avoidance simultaneously.
   
   Chapter 6, Basic Pathfinding and Waypoints - Game developers use many techniques to find paths in and around game environments. This chapter covers several of these methods, including waypoints.
   
   Chapter 7, A* Pathfinding - No treatment of pathfinding is complete without addressing the workhorse algorithm of pathfinding; therefore, this whole chapter is devoted to the A* algorithm.
   
   Chapter 8, Scripted AI and Scripting Engines - Programmers today often write scripting engines and hand off the tools to level designers who are responsible for creating the content and defining the AI. In this chapter, you'll explore some of the techniques developers use to apply a scripting system in their games.
   
   Chapter 9, Finite State Machines - Finite state machines are the nuts and bolts of game AI. This chapter discusses the fundamentals of finite state machines and how to implement them.
   
   Chapter 10, Fuzzy Logic - Developers use fuzzy logic in conjunction with or as a replacement for finite state machines. In this chapter, you'll learn the advantages fuzzy techniques offer over traditional logic techniques.
   
   Chapter 11, Rule-Based AI - Technically, fuzzy logic and finite state machines fall under the general heading of rules-based methods. This chapter covers these methods as well as other variants.
   
   Chapter 12, Basic Probability - Game developers commonly use basic probability to make their games less predictable. Such cheap unpredictability enables developers to maintain substantial control over their games. Here, basic probability is covered for this purpose as well as lay the groundwork for more advanced methods.
   
   Chapter 13, Decisions Under Uncertainty--Bayesian Techniques - Bayesian techniques are probabilistic techniques, and in this chapter you learn how you can use them for decision making and for adaptation in games.
   
   Chapter 14, Neural Networks - Game developers use neural networks for learning and adaptation in games for anything from making decisions to predicting the behavior of players.The most widely used neural network architecture is covered here.
   
   Chapter 15, Genetic Algorithms - Genetic algorithms offer opportunities for evolving game AI. Although developers don't often use genetic algorithms in games, their potential for specific applications is promising, particularly if they are combined with other methods.
   
   Appendix, Vector Operations - How to implement a C++ class that captures all of the vector operations that you'll need when writing 2D or 3D simulations.
   
   All the chapters in this book are fairly independent of each other. Therefore, you generally can read the chapters in any order you want, without worrying about missing material in earlier chapters. The only exception to this rule is Chapter 12, on basic probability. If you don't have a background in probability, you should read this chapter before reading Chapter 13, on Bayesian methods. I would recommend this book if you are looking to implement AI into a game without wanting a complete explanation of the theory. If a complete explanation of the concepts is what you require, you will be disappointed.



5. I bought this book because of the chapter O'Riley had on its site (Flocking) and the general experience I have had with O"Riley in the past. While there is plenty to learn from this text, its not for the faint of heart or new programer. There is a lot that needs to be done to get set up for this.
   
   My first issue is that some of the code seems just a little too complex for a beginner. While I respect the features hes trying to put in, it can clutter up the main point of what is happening, and makes learning the basic principles harder.
   
   It seem the writter assumes you read his other book 'Physics for game programer' since he refers to it several times.Download the sample code for the book and you will see what I mean.
   
   Then there is no discussion of the graphic package being used. I tried to do the stuff with GDI+ and ended up switching to DirectX because the flickering was so bad. Some discussion on setting up a test and development enviroment to run these projects on would have been helpful.
   
   Oh and it was written in C+. Okay, no big deal, but a warning would have been nice. I can handle C+, but I do my work now in C#. Since it was written in an OO language, a little back ground on system design would have been helpful too.
   
   Asking too much? While the info there is good, there are a lot of obstacles for a 'beginner' to handle. I'm motivated though, and bought his phyiscs book just to see if it helps out any.

5 comments about Engineering Design with SolidWorks 2007 & MultiMedia CD.

1. I bought this book based on the prior reviews and was so frustrated with it, I almost gave it up. I found that the Planchard's wrote their text with a lot of detail information and if you have experience with Solidworks, it would be a useful manual to have, however if you are new to Solidworks, this is the type of manual that is best bought AFTER using another manual first and gaining confidence. I made an adjustment manual wise and found my enthusiam for this software returned almost instanteously. Learn the basics from someone such as Scott Hansen's book then graduate to this text and beware of the reviewers. One reviewer made the statement that he did not know how somebody could write a bad review about a well written book. For a beginner, the Planchard book gets into too much orgin of the commands. Keep it simple. The two stars are for the reviewers moreso than the authors. That's my view.



2. I passed my CSWA Certification process partly due to the Planchards. I had a SolidWorks issue a few weeks ago, I contacted David Planchard, and he helped me out to resolve the problem, and it turned out that it was a design issue, not even a SolidWorks issue.
   
   The Planchards have been writing great SolidWorks books for over 10 years. The books are targeted for the beginner to intermediate user using a large bold command structure format and a simple but effect step-by-step procedure.
   
   I hired three new designers in the past two weeks. They are relatively new to SolidWorks. I purchase this book and arranged SolidWorks VAR classes to bring them up to speed quickly.
   
   The book provides an excellent foundation of the user interface, menus, toolbars and Feature and Sketch tools. The Multi-media CD does a great job in providing a visual presentation of the first five chapters. The step-by-step procedure moves at a good pace, while each new section reflex's on the previous section. There are great design tips and notes thought-out the book.
   
   One reviewer wrote that the book from Scott Hanson is a better book for the beginner. Scott does not write a book for 2007! You can not believe all reviews...



3. This is a great starter book which has step by step instructions. Also this book came witha CD to show how to do the different excercises if you cannot figure from the book.



4. Excellent book for a person who wants a solid foundation in SolidWorks. Ideas very well explained.



5. I'm a PhD phycisist that has just started a new start-up. We need to prototype parts and make assembly and test fixtures. While the new class of CNC machines can make parts much better and faster than when I first learned how to mill, going to a machine shop with hand drawn sketches turns out to be an expensive proposition indeed! So I decided to learn the design tools used by the CNC shop we use for machined parts, and this was the text book for a class at a local Jr College. The book doesn't always teach you the fastest way to get any task done, but that's OK, it does a very good job of showing you all the different ways to get a specific job done. The instructions are very detailed, and every time I thought there was a problem with the instructions, it was me screwing up.
   
   The book covers all the basics of making parts and assemblies, and passable drawings as well. One of the chapters works through the creation of a plastic part and it's injection mold, and this level of training has allowed me to create items for submission to rapid prototype houses like ProtoMold. This is really, really good. It shows the basics of what FEA can do, but the exposure isn't sufficient to really do meaningful FEA, these parts are more of a tease. Because it's an introductory book, it only gives a small exposure to the sheet metal tools and doesn't go into surfacing much at all. If you are careful as you work through the tasks and excersizes, you will learn lots of ways to use the software in a fast and efficient manner. If you're looking for advanced concepts, other books may be better. For me, I found it a very good introduction to the power of solidworks, and I'm happy reccomending this book to anyone who wants to learn the basics.

5 comments about Game Design Workshop: Designing, Prototyping, and Playtesting Games (Gama Network Series) (Gama Network Series).

1. Few people realize just how big a business digital gaming has become. Think of it this way: It's bigger than the domestic box office of the film industry. The amount of time spent playing games by young people now exceeds everything but television in time spent on entertainment. The main factor driving the development of the new extremely powerful computers is gaming, slower machines are capable of handling almost all office tasks.
   
   The authors of this book have a great deal of experience in both designing games and teaching how to design games. This has given them an understanding of how beginning designers grasp the structured elements of games, common traps they fall into, and certain developmental exercises that help the student learn to make better games.
   
   Note that this is not a programming manual, nor is it a graphics design manual. It is on game design. What are the characteristics that make a game, how can you prototype and play test the game without a horrendous programming expense, and finally some input on the game industry and how to decide on how you might like to be employeed in that industry.



2. This might be a good book for teachers looking for material in their classes gamedesign or gamedevelopment. It may also be a good book for selfstudy, if you have the discipline to do the exercises. You need to have played a lot of the classic videogames though, otherwise you might not be able to do the exercises, which are mostly about thinking about gamedesigns and making little designs or design alterations on existing games.



3. I consider this an excellent book on game design. As an amatuer board game and basic computer game designer, I found a lot of the material extremely useful in the *process* of coming up with a game from start to finish.
   
   The chapter on prototyping did a great job in showing how to go ahead and create a prototype from a game idea, while keeping it simple and concentrating on the "core gameplay mechanism."
   
   The chapter on "Playtesting" and "Functionality, Completeness, and Balance" builds on the prototype chapter by emphasizing the iterative nature of design where one go aheads and evaluates, tries new things, identify problems and keep evolving.
   
   The next chapter following is maybe the most important chapter that discusses whether you game is fun, goes in to some theory of what makes a game fun, and relates various techniques of improving player's choices so as to make the game fun.
   
   This is a great book that gives you the necessary tools to go ahead and be able to at the very least create a viable prototype of a game that is possibly fun and playable.



4. Although I personally disagree with some parts of what this book teaches, it this game design book is one of the most comprehensive I've seen. Well-recommended.



5. I like this book so much, I've purchased it 3 times! (My first copy was "borrowed" by one of my designer/producers, my second copy was left at Ubisoft SF, and this is my 3rd copy for myself.)
   
   Great mixture of theories, old-school practices, and new-school techniques.

5 comments about The Web Collection, Revealed: Macromedia Dreamweaver 8, Flash 8, and Fireworks 8, Deluxe Education Edition (Revealed).

1. I needed this book for a class i was taking. Got to me fast and was in perfect condition.



2. Very easy to understand and it guides you step by step. Great for intermediate users.



3. This book I have used in two courses so far and it has helped me quite a bit.It has also been easy to look back and find what to do if I have forgotten a process.



4. If you want to learn Dreamweaver do not buy this book. This is the required book for a college class I am taking on Dreamweaver- it is an awful book. No explanations, just lots of click here, do this, do that. They don't tell you why you are doing what you are doing. The instructions are unclear- I often cannot find what button or command they are referring to. Everyone in the class is having these problems. The instructor is having to walk us through all of the exercises that we should be able to do on our own with the book. I have learned nothing from this book.



5. As another reviewer had stated, this book just tells someone to do things without explanations as to WHY it is being done. The most critical component for any instructional writing in the technical realm must show the user what the purpose is for the actions. Screenshots are rare and instructions are not comprehensive. Find another book if you actually want to learn skills that you can remember and use later.