2 comments about SVG Programming: The Graphical Web.

1. Finally an SVG Bible for the Web. I have worked with SVG for just under 2 years and had to learn SVG from the W3C documents and lots of "experiments". I have only reviewed half of this book so far and found a wealth of knowledge on using SVG on the Web. It's examples are solid and well organized.

   This book can be used by the novice and the experienced to add the coolest vector graphics to their Website. This book is well balanced for all levels. It has earned a well respected slot next to my computer...




2. This book is head and shoulders above the Eissenberg book (O'Reilly). Kurt Cagle is a serious developer, and the book shows it, with advanced examples that explore all aspects of programming. It would have been nice to have a .zip file that had all the examples in it, but that's a minor nit.

3 comments about Animation: Master: A Complete Guide (Graphics Series).

1. A:M has been growing in size and power since it's first introduction a bit over twenty years ago. It's now a full blown 3D annimation package. Because it was first designed for pretty low powered systems (when other packages ran on workstations) it has a legacy of being easy to use.
   
   In terms of an annimation package easy is a relative term. In doing annimation you still have a lot creation to do. Unlike a simple picture, you have to program everything that you see on the screen. This includes not only the people and monsters but every blade of grass.
   
   The book is basically tutorial in nature. That is, it describes what you want to construct and then leads you through the process of making it appear on your screen. As with most software books this one starts out with very simple things, but by the time you finish you're worked with virtuality of the addresses. As far as I can tell, this is the one book available on the A:Mstucture
   
   A:M quite inexpensive for a full blown annimation software system. A:M has a suggested list price of $299 (Amazon's price is $229).



2. Yes, the lack of glossy photos & impressive models is a little disappointing but the accompanying CD makes up for it. The book is well written, easy to follow, & entertaining. It covers subjects not in the original 2002 book. I especially like the chapter on inorganic modelling - very useful.
   If you want to learn how to use Animation Master - you need this book.



3. Animation Master is an excellent and affordable entry into spline modeling. Unlike other, more expensive, animation programs, the Animation Master from Hash is fairly intuitive. This book is an excellent tool as an introduction and snapshot of the continuously refined Animation Master program. The next step is joining the community online, which I have yet to do.

5 comments about The Official GNOME 2 Developer's Guide.

1. I'm more of a command line kind of guy, but there are things better done in a graphical treatment. When this is true, I often resort to HTML, but that isn't always suitable either. Most of what I've read about GUI programming has left me feeling daunted by the learning curve, and the writing itself has mostly been difficult to read and unsatisfying

   This book was a delightful exception. As its introduction promises, the content "lies somewhere between a tutorial and a reference". The code examples are often just the kind of things you would write yourself to test-drive your understanding; no unnecessary fluff. There are complete programs also, and these are downloadable from the No Starch web site.

   Matthias Warkus has a real knack for explaining complex subjects. I particularly liked his way of explaining object inheritance, which is completely upside down from the way it is usually presented, and thereby makes a much more understandable case for using OO code.

   The first chapter is an overview of GLib capabilies. I was quite surprised at the things GLib includes: I come from the days when you needed to buy commercial libraries to get features like memory management, linked lists, B-trees, etc. The second chapter covers GObject, which adds Object Oriented capability to standard C programming. That's an important aspect of Gnome: it is plain vanilla C with the OO stuff added on through the GObject library. For those of us who have yet to be entranced by C++, that's important.

   Chapters three and four explain GTK+ and the Gnome libraries, the overlap between them, and hen you'd use either. Chapter five is a lucid introduction to Glade, the interactive development tool for Gnome. I was interested to note that Glade produces XML files that your programs references through calls to Glade libraries.

   The rest of the book is miscellaneous coverage that wasn't covered elsewhere; compiling issues, configuration helpers like Gconf. I had ben previously unaware of the GnomeVFS discussed in chapter eight which allows your program to transparently access remote web servers and archive formats like PKzipped files.

   All in all, this looks like a very good intro to Gnome GUI development.




2. As the author already states in the introduction the book doesn't cover all the aspects of gtk and gnome, because then the book would be over 1000 pages, but with what it covers it covers very well and you can have a great start with gnome programming.
   
   The rest you can probably find out from the online documentation or the author has to write a part II



3. This is a pretty heavy duty programming book. The opening words say you should have, "Firm Programming Experience in C, including pointers, dynamically allocated data structures, and pointers to functions, C macros and the C preprocessor, fundamental understanding of Unix: processes, libraries, search paths, and so on."
   
   Then the first chapter is on GLIB, a description of the more popular of the routines included in the library. The second chapter, GOBJECT has an opening note: "This chapter is dry and dense." -- Still, this chapter is one of the best descriptions of object oriented programming that I've ever read.
   
   Finally in chapter 3 you begin to get into the heart of the matter. GTK+ is the toolkit for programming the GUI. Chapter 4 is on the GNOME Libraries. These two chapters are really the heart of the book and runs for about forty percent of the entire book. After that there is just some odds and ends that are left over.
   
   This book, as clearly and succinctly as possible does what it sets out to do. It's not the simplest book on the shelf, but then again, neither is its subject.



4. This is a very clean and readable book introducing Gnome/Gtk2/GLib2 application developpement and can be also used for understanding GLib2 C utilities (strings, hashes, arrays, lists, trees...) and Gtk2 (treeview wigets, etc..). It also adds the Gconf stuff (an api for storing your app's configuration).
   
   But unfortunately, neither the Bonobo graphical components nor the Corba services are presented. So, after reading the book, you still cannot know how to make your program communicate and integrate with other Gnome de facto standard apps. I hope some people will add one chatper or two about that in the next version..



5. This book covers everything a professional Linux developer needs to know about GNOME development. While it may be unlikely that many developers will need to use GTK+ in C extensively, understanding the design at that level will allow you to understand the architecture of high level GTK bindings such as PyGTK.
   
   I strongly recommend anyone that intends to code against GNOME to read this book. It introduces concepts in a very succinct and natural way.
   
   Pros: The book covers everything you need to get started on OSS/GNOME development. Assuming you are already a skilled programmer... The book is very terse and to the point. Examples are useful and compile. Explanations are thorough and accurate. If you are a nerd you will find this book teaches you a lot.
   
   Cons: Book is somewhat terse, and in places hard to read. In it's defense, some of the material it covers is very complex (and if you find yourself bored to tears - skip a few pages and come back when you need it...). You need a very thorough understanding of the C language for this book to be useful to you - which is understandable as GTK+ makes very advanced use of the C language. If you are not a nerd you will find this book a cryptic list of nonsense.
   
   Another reviewer mentioned this was a very "jargon filled" book -- it is. On the other hand, this book is going to teach you GTK+ well enough that you could go read the source and potentially submit patches to the libraries. This level of detail requires accurate and specific terminology.
   
   The book is translated from German. It is a credit to the translator that this is completely unnoticeable while reading the text.

3 comments about Introduction to Textures, Animation Audio and Sculpting in Second Life.

1. His other books are quite good and worth buying the hard copy. This one is really short and not very substantive -- kind of like a long magazing article. You can learn most if not all the material covered in this by viewing free Torley tutorials on the net. Not worth the $20.



2. I was very disappointed by this book. I was hoping to get some insight into creating sculpties and thought I might get some inside info on textures and animations. I was wrong. This book is little more than a *very* brief overview of the simple fact that you *can do* the things in its title. While it provides some tutorial info, there is little, if anything, that could not be found out, for free, from a brief online Google.
   
   This is a book strictly for the newest of newbies, and lazy ones at that.



3. I was very disappointed in this book. It's little more than the original helps files from the SL forum and 3rd party applications for these excellent SL features, all stitched together into a book form. In fact the help files now contain even better material and more examples than this book does. Even the screen shots are not original. The author puts no thought and no new examples into the possibilities of the features he presents. And that is very sad, because his chosen topic could of been so much more richly filled out with new ideas and scripted how-to examples even I can dream up after being in SL for only a couple of months. It offered nothing new even to a beginner except to say it can be done. And the title already says that. A very good example of how NOT to write a book. Very surprised that this respected publisher would allow this book to even be published with their name on it in this condition.

5 comments about Graphics Gems I (Graphics Gems - IBM).

1. After looking through the book, I found this book not so structured. The diagrams are not enough to get the reader easily understood. The description of how the algorithms work in the book is unclear. The book just listed out some basis without further looking. And the 'see also' reference in the book makes the readers jump from page to page without giving the titles of the pages. The material covered by this book is ok, but it has the potential to improve.



2. this has got to be on every desk, near every programmers computer. This is the BIBLE of graphics and 3-d related programming. If you are a programmer and your application is visualizing you need this book. a must.



3. I'm the archivist for the free Graphics Gems code base on the web. I do it for free, because this code is so valuable. Others think so, too: there is an average of 100 hits a day on the site. Go look at the online list of what's in this volume to see if it's for you.

   This first volume of Gems started it all, and has a lot of great basic articles, like geometry and trig identity cheat sheets. There is much to like here, much of which cannot be found elsewhere, or at least not easily. If a book saves you an hour in your job, it's just paid for itself. If you do computer graphics, this book is likely to save you hours, if not days.




4. I own all of the "Graphics Gems" Series. This one is probably the best. It really truly is a classic. I'll get to the reason for only 4 out of 5 stars in a moment.

   As the description says, it's a collection of articles that cover solutions related to geometric problems and graphics techniques. It is wonderful for browsing and becoming exposed to little tricks and tips, or just seing the types of problems that people have solved that you never even knew existed. The way I learned to appreciate this book was browsing through it in a bookstore. I didn't have the money at the time to buy it (in college). Later, at work, I needed to solve a geometric problem, and I remembered that this book has an article on the problem I was solving. I went out and bought it, and have since refered to it on many occasions, including writing my own geometry-related book, "3D Math Primer for Graphics and Games Development."

   My four-star rating is based on a buyer in today's market. As I mentioned, I own the entire series and have worn the pages to bits. At the time it was first published, I would have given it 5 stars without a doubt. However, some of the material is related to problems that are not important problems for many programmers anymore, such as software rasterization. At the time, some of the material was very new and this book was one of the few places to find it. However, since then, most of it has been well covered in more up-to-date graphics or "geometry toolbox" books that offer better diagrams and clearer explanations. Also, the sample code is old-school style C code and a bit messy in my opinion. It's probably not a good book for learning, either.

   In summary, this book, like any "Gem" book, is great for browsing and becoming exposed to concepts. However, for today's buyer, I think there are better alternatives that should be purchased before this book. Real-Time Rendering is a good survey of graphics techniques. Eberly has written some good books for geometry toolbox. For learning, I'd recommend my book of course! But this still is a great classic and many experienced programmers have it on their shelf.




5. I picked up this book with making a software rendered game engine in mind. It covers essential math, and 3d techniques needed. Its not the type of book you read from cover to cover, but its definitely an essential. I hope they don't stop publishing it, I'm having a mighty difficult time getting a new copy of Gems III new.

5 comments about Flash MX Design for TV and Video.

1. Its just a mater time before more quality content shifts from the workstations to the living rooms of the world. This is the definitive guide on bridging Flash content for the Web to Television. A truly indespensible reference for any Flash professional wanting to make the transition.
   Janet Galore and Todd Kelsey lay it all out clearly and write in an easy to read style that doesn't skimp on details. The entire book is laden with terrific artwork and helpful screen grabs that support the text. Very undaunting for the visually inclined.
   The sections on video exporting, and postproduction effects was particularly eye opening. this section alone cleared a lot uncertainty for me.
   While this book won't make the reader a better Flash animator/designer, it most definately will make any level Animator or designer a more informed artist. It will open a lot of doors personaly and in the hands of a talented, creative person, change the ever evolving face of the Flash community indelibly.



2. If you're a traditional animator or a web-based flash animator (all levels), "Flash MX Design for TV and Video" IS the definitive guide to taking your flash animation to video, television and DVD. Not only is this book chock full of animation techniques, it also explores working with sound, flash video capabilities and limitations, visual storytelling and cross-purposing, the process of designing your project with a variety of delivery options in mind. This book is a must-have for every serious Flash Animator seeking to take their flash stories to the next level. We are proud to recommend it to our FlashTV members.

   Nicholas Da Silva, ...




3. An excellent Flash book. It goes through every aspect of the production process, from writing the script to exporting to videotape. It tells you how to prepare your Flash animations the right way, and provides information on the correct project size, frame rate, title & action safe guides, etc. for broadcast. This information is invaluable if you ever intend to submit your Flash animation to a festival or studio, and you have to export your movie out to videotape. I also found the interviews with seasoned Flash animators to be very insightful. You will not regret buying this book.



4. In order to use the examples in this book you will need a MacIntosh. You will also have buy quite a number of third-party plugins. If you own a Mac and have money for plugins than this is a very helpful book.
   
   But look elsewhere if you only have a Windows computer and want to use only Flash for video work.



5. This book has helped me a lot for the TV commercial to be created in Flash..I thank the author of the book for this wonderfull help..

5 comments about Flash Cartoon Animation: Learn from the Pros.

1. Though the artwork throughout the book isn't that entertaining, the sheer amount of information presented is amazing! The chronological skill set they present to the reader starts you at the beginner's level and ends with you creating flash cartoons. I enjoyed the way it was written as well, the two guys who wrote it obviously enjoy using flash more than correct grammar (or spellcheck for that matter haha). Despite the occasional misspelled word, I recommend this book to anyone just starting to use Flash. It is an excellent resource for future reference as well!



2. This book covers how to create pans, walk cycles, storyboards, perform squash and stretch, etc. This book is an excellent price! Much cheaper than going to animation school. This book coupled with "How to Cheat in Flash CS3" by Chris Georgenes will teach you everything that you need to know about flash cartooning. I bought this book a while ago and returned it because it couldn't really appreciate it the first time. I bought the book again and realized that it's really a very good book. I hope to finally sit down one weekend and start creating my 2nd cartoon. I have no excuse now since I have both "Flash Cartoon Animation: Learn from the Pros" and "How to Cheat in Flash CS3".



3. if you're thinking about learning flash animation, this is a good place to start. You will learn the basics and essentials to get you started to making your own cartoons. Great book for beginners but not so much anyone else



4. The content of the book is without equal. Very in-depth and very readable, but it looks like their editor fell asleep on the job. Multiple spelling errors and editing mistakes throughout the book become irritating in an otherwise spectacular book. If you're looking for a "how-to" for animating in flash, get this book.



5. Having dabbled with attempts at animation for a while now, my efforts were improved by purchasing a book on "Animation" prior to the book in question. This fired me up and made me really think about what I was trying to do. However THIS book dealt with animating in FLASH which puts a different spin on the process as it dealt with LIMITED animation besides FULL animation, the latter being more difficult for obvious reasons. whichever way you want to go, this book as heaps of tricks to use that only flash can provide which will make your animating more convincing.
   The best bit is being able to pull apart and see how the animation created in the book is done by downloading it from the authors website, plus there is also another website with the authors work and others with numerous short LIMITED animations which will inspire you I am sure ....it did me.

No comments about Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition (Beginning from Novice to Professional).

2 comments about Quantum Methods with Mathematica.

1. 
   Quantum methods with Mathematica is one of these concept books that combine a traditional subject with a new and powerfull way of presenting and analysing it. Quantum mechanics due to its mathematical nature is particuarly well suited for a Mathematica face-lift. I think the book is well suited for teaching undergraduate QM since you do things instead of just reading about them and that usually works with students. On a proffesional basis, it is not particularky well suited for heavy duty work but having said that to do such a thing would destroy its usefullness as a textbook. It can act as the starting point for more serious work with Mathematica and QM, and I would recommend it as a reference book or teaching aid with no hesitation.



2. The previous review was for the 1994 edition of the book. I bought the 2002 version of the book. This edition does not have the disk packaged with the book. Instead a broken link to the TELOS web page is given. After much searching on the internet I did find some of the notebooks for the book. But not the notebooks and ASCII text for each chapter. Without the chapter notebooks the 2002 version is just about worthless. It has only been four years since this edition was published and TELOS does not support the book. So I give the book two stars.

5 comments about OpenGL Game Programming w/CD (Prima Tech's Game Development).

1. If your new to open gl and know your C and arent up all night and awake. The book doesnt get bogged down and treads lightly on most topics. I hate books that write too much on topics that you just want to work and move on. At my uni this book is constantly on loan and then it went missing. So i bought it. As with most things. One book is never enough.



2. Well, this book, in it's first part is a simple poor copy of the OpenGL reference manual. The second part is simply copies from what we can get from Nehe and other OpenGL tutorials.
   It's not said the authors knew what they wrote: they simply always avoid descriptions about 'hard' stuffs.
   Don't buy it.



3. I have this book somewhere around my house and it explained things in good detail - I read this book when I was 14. I understood a lot of the concepts from knowing a bit of Windows programming. It helps you to create things in an order. First set everything up - use that and build objects, make them 3d, rotate, translate, blend, light them, texture, build textured fonts, create lists to create multiple objects, particles - but some how a lot of what I read on this book is very closely similar to http://nehe.gamedev.net's tutorials, but the book is straight forward working through unlike NeHe's is what people have requested after Lesson 19. Buy this book over Beginning Direct3D Game Programming by Prima Tech - that book is the worst, its not even a programming book in my opinioin, now this book teaches you what you should know about programming using a brand new Graphics API, and even how to setup and make a game- but you do most of the work.



4. I saw another FullSail sudent from three years ago write a 5-star review for this book, and I am updating him. I just learned C++ and I can easily understand this book. I understand the theory, so this book, for $5 was an excellent buy. I need to get the new version Astle was talking about but for now, this is great. Thank you for writing such a clear and concise book.



5. Like many others say, the part specific to windows application programming is not necessary, nor do people want to learn about windows application programming when they buy an OpenGL specific book.
   
   If however, you haven't done windows application programming before, their introduction to it is not helpful whatsoever, reading through chapter 2 did not teach me a single thing.
   
   You could probably do a google search for the "windows.h" header, find some random source code that is part of a windows application and learn more about it from there.
   
   The "On Your Own" exercises portion of this book is laughable. After much horribly explained code which fills half a chapter, this "exercise" section is nothing more than something like 'Take this application I just made for you, and change the background color to white (1, 1, 1) and change the triangle's color to red (1, 0, 0)'.
   
   Having spent money on this will make you feel stupid.
   Having spent time reading this will make you feel like crap.