2 comments about Flash 8: Graphics, Animation & Interactivity.

1. I had the misfortune to buy this book for an online class on VR. We were supposed to work our way through the book chapter by chapter, as we took the class online. Admittedly, the online class did not support the flash part of the instruction in any way.
   
   Having said that, I found this book to be the worst book ever for learning a software. The progression of the lessons was clunky and the files that were included as a support for each lesson were hard to use and sometimes impossible to understand. Instead of giving projects to work on, the book focused on explaining each and every button and menu item. One problem with this was a button or pallett or menu item would be mentioned in the text with no graphic to show where to find it. Often you could get lost in trying to find what the heck was being discussed. In fact, the book was very short on graphics, period, which is bad since the program itself is very visual.
   
   I would never recommned this book to anyone who wants to learn flash.



2. After working through many "do something right now" tutorials - I felt like I could butcher my way through simple Flash projects and action script, but wasn't really using the software the way it was designed to be used.
   
   I think this book is an ideal read if you've been through Flash tutorials that show you how to use the program, but don't walk you through an overview from top to bottom, explaining the idiosyncrasies, gotchas and tips along the way. While the lessons are not particularly project oriented (like Classroom in a book style), you get a framework for continued learning.
   
   For a programmer / experienced software user who wants to learn Flash, I would recommend reading this book and finding tutorials online to go in deep on areas relevant to your specific project.

1 comments about Infinite Game Universe, Volume 2: Level Design, Terrain, and Sound (Advances in Computer Graphics and Game Development Series).

1. Ok, this book is a little outdated but I just plowed through this and thought I should do a review while my recollection is fresh.
   
   It gets old real fast to read "But now is not the time or place to cover that topic in any detail" on nearly every other page.
   
   Guy, if you're going to do a third book, please actually make some non-trivial working examples. That's what we're looking for.
   
   I mean, how about create a super-simple Starflight type game with random planets, solar systems, naming scheme? Nothing fancy. I hope your third book in the series will have some, any, meat.
   
   This is such an interesting topic I hope it gets a proper treatment someday.
   
   Asides: Why use the messy realloc/malloc in your examples when stl methods would be so much cleaner?
   
   Why have hard-coded constant numbers littered everywhere, and then spend 5 lines of comments explaining "a real app would never do this". Wouldn't it be easier to just add a #define?
   
   Example bins from the CD do not run on Vista64. Perhaps need to include some support libraries?
   
   Was unable to find an errata section for this book with google, but I know there should be one as I found series errors on the first few pages...

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.

2 comments about Introduction to Flash Media Server 2.

1. Nice to be able to watch someone else develop using FMS but nothing shown here is anything i haven't already figured out or done for myself using the FMS manuals. It's low-fi in terms of complexity so don't think this is the answer to all your development questions.



2. I found this training DVD one of the best ways to learn how to use Flash Media Server. It's one thing to read an example in a book, and something totally different to watch it on video. Bill Sanders methodically covers all the different methods and properties of all the classes associated with Flash Media Server. Then he built real-world applications using the various classes that are available. It's great product, and the fastest way to learn Media Server. In about 8 hours I was building my own applications.

2 comments about Cross-Platform Game Programming (Game Development) (Game Development).

1. With the development costs of a modern graphics intensive game reaching something like $15 million, you can't afford to ignore any sizable market, so if for another million or so you can make your game work on one machine like say a PC, but also on others like an X-Box, a Mac, a ... well you get the picture.
   
   In this book Mr. Goodwin, who has "been there, done that" talks about designing a game from the ground up so that it will perform identically on multiple platforms. By including good design practices from the beginning, the programming team can greatly reduce the effort required to produce the different variations of the game, in many cases using the same code to handle the different machines.
   
   The CD that comes with this book contains far more original material than most. It includes code for a memory manager, filesystem, and network driver developed using the principles shown in the book. In addition other code provides cross platform implementation of the major areas of game development.
   
   This is the only book I know of that handles cross platform development in a manner anywhere near so completely.



2. In "Cross Platform Game Programming," Steven Goodwin describes the major challenges developers face when building a cross-platform game or engine. Published by Charles River Media (ISBN 1584503793) for $49.95, the book spans eleven chapters through 460 pages and includes a CDROM containing the book's sample code and several useful toolkit libraries.
   
   As publishers continue to release titles simultaneously on multiple platforms, developers must contend with two or more console architectures during development. In order to isolate the high level changes and streamline development efficiency, games usually sit on top of an engine designed to abstract away hardware details to common API calls. The first chapter describes the typical problems encountered when attempting to write a cross-platform engine and how to design low level systems to prevent cross-platform issues.
   
   A key goal in writing cross-platform software is to reduce fundamental differences between target environments. The book's second chapter highlights code design methods and nuances that are critical to consider and adopt. Some of the subtle points discussed include language implementation differences between compilers, deterministic mathematic calculations, and different debugging environments. Goodwin describes common pitfalls to avoid and design considerations to adopt.
   
   Each of the subsequent chapters focus on a specific hardware difference: memory, CPU, storage, and input devices. The memory chapter describes issues associated with alignment, basic type sizes, and designing a memory management layer to create a common allocation scheme. The CPU chapter considers hardware timers, multi-threading, and various time management strategies. The storage chapter discusses creating cross-platform data file formats, endian issues, safe serialization, and creating a custom file system. Lastly, the input device chapter considers treatment controllers and platform specific interface devices.
   
   Without going into specific detail regarding today's console hardware, the book does a good job describing typical pitfalls and troubles one will encounter writing an engine to abstract the hardware of all three major systems. In particular, Goodwin addresses game specific problems like resource construction, the art asset pipeline, and video playback. Sample code is sprinkled throughout the book to help highlight topics discussed in the text. I was a little surprised the book didn't allude to any specs of the upcoming consoles, however, but instead stuck with the PS2, X-Box, and Game Cube.
   
   In the later chapters, the book tackles cross platform problems found higher-level systems like audio, graphics, networking with mixed success. For example, the audio chapter emphasizes various resource compression algorithms (MP3, Ogg, etc.) as a mechanism for data homogeneity across multiple platforms but the audio engine itself seemed rather shallow and contrived compared to the previous chapters on hardware abstraction.
   
   The text comes with a CDROM that contains the book source code and figures, as well as several freely available SDK and toolkit packages like DirectX, Lua, and Ogg Vorbis. The CD is nice but unspectacular given the book is relatively light on sample code and examples and considering the most developers probably already have the other packages.
   
   Overall, Goodwin does a good job presenting the challenges facing game developers who undertake writing a cross platform engine. In reading the text, I've encountered and had to cope with almost every issue he presented and found the writing to be credible. However given the book's length, I wished the discussion involved creating such an engine more than talking about it generically with some partial implementation of specific subsystems.

5 comments about GUI Bloopers: Don'ts and Do's for Software Developers and Web Designers (Interactive Technologies).

1. I am a professor of computer science who offers a two-semester, senior capstone project experience in GUI programming. I have taught this course using a variety of languages and tools, and I have always found that the programming gets in the way of the principles. I have long sought a book that focuses just on the principles and around which I could sequence my lectures. GUI Bloopers fits that requirement like a glove. I use this as the primary text in my classes and supplement it with various books that supply the information needed to implement actual programs in Java and Swing. (We look at .NET, too, but the main programming environment at this time is Java.)
   
   Contrary to some other reviewers, I find GUI Bloopers very enjoyable to read. In addition, I find that it is not at all too elementary for my students, even the first few chapters. It's amazing how many senior computer science majors don't really understand, for example, the difference between radio buttons and checkboxes, even though they use them all the time. One can't take such understanding for granted. Familiarity with a component is not the same as true knowledge of how that component is intended to be used and what users expect to happen when they interact with it. Johnson's constant reminders to test user interfaces on real users, and his discussion of the various levels of usability testing in simple terms, are invaluable lessons. The illustrations and tales from the author's consulting practice bring the principles down to earth and drive home their points effectively.
   
   I highly recommend GUI Bloopers as a college text.



2. Don't buy this book, it refers to applications written in early '90. Today it is completely a different story.



3. The author of this book does a very good job of describing and illustrating common GUI design mistakes. He has categorized the problems in broad topics such as "GUI Component Bloopers" and "Interaction Bloopers", then gives concrete examples of the bloopers that occur within each broad topic. The individual bloopers are well illustrated, and examples of better approaches are given.
   
   Even though the applications used in the book are from the nineties, they are still very applicable, since the advice given frequently transcends the tools used to build the screens. It is applicable to web applications as well.
   
   I read through this book once, and now use it as a reference.



4. This was my first book on user interface design, and it was a great choice. It gives good information on principles and also provides specific usable information for how to use controls, etc. I found the organization of the book easy to use and enjoyed reading it.



5. If you are a designer who has to explain to developers what they are doing wrong, get this book (or maybe the next edition, out soon). I loved this book for how well it explained every bad interface design blooper I had ever seen at that point & helped me understand why developers created many of these problems. It helped me explain to developers why there were better solutions & how to design them. It also contains an excellent introduction to user-centered design. It's a very well organized and valuable reference for interface designers & a great gift for any open-minded developer interested in good UI design. I'm looking forward to his next edition.

No comments about Flex 3 in Action.

5 comments about Game Programming In C++: Start To Finish (Game Development Series).

1. Erik Yuzwa's GAME PROGRAMMING IN C++: START TO FINISH will lend particularly well to prior C++ programmers and users who want to learn game programming. Chapters use current game programming information and take a lesson plan graded learning approach to building an entire course in C++ game programming, from the basics to creating a complete game.



2. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who is trying to start out in game programming. I am a grad student engineer and have been programming for over 5 years. I just recently got into game and graphics programming and this book is really terrible compared to some others I've seen. The only reason I gave it two stars is because the chapter on graphics mathematics is fairly complete, and the book provides a good high level picture of how a game is structured. However, the code specifics are downright horrible, the listings seem to be randomly thrown in without any clue as to where they should go in an actual program, the writing is boring, the directions are sparse and inchoerent, and much of the source code provided on the CD is incredibly difficult to get running (if it runs at all). Also, there is a discussion board on wazoo, but don't excpect much help. Many of the forums end with unanswered questions including many that I had. For an intro book to programming games, save your money for another book, because this book just isn't worth the cost in wasted time and money.



3. It's ironic that a programmer would be so terrible at giving directions. To start out with, the directions for setting up SDL (a necessary programming toolkit) were almost non-existant. Just this small task took me 8+ hours, and I had to resort to browsing web-forums!
   
   Often the directions were so terrible that it wasn't even clear whether or not he'd just given directions for a procedure or was just providing an example. As a programmer, the author should be able to give sequential, succinct, and easily-followable directions. At this,the author, unfortunately, fails miserably.



4. This programming book was just what my son was wanting. He thinks it will really help refine his gaming progams.



5. I saw the Thomson logo at the top left on the front cover and thought it was textbook quality. I was dead wrong!! As the engineer said, the directions are incoherent and you don't even know when he has given instructions or just an example. I had to search the web for help answers just to do the "Hello World" application. There is no troubleshooting guide in case you get stuck. If you get stuck you better clear up your schedule cause you will be searching for answers for a while. Why not spend that time and buy a good book on programming. I would expect more from a programmer than this garbled mess of words.

2 comments about Complete Guide to Anime Techniques: Create Mesmerizing Manga-style Animation with Pencils, Paint, and Pixels.

1. Japanese animation is an influential media style with bright colors and dramatic entertainment value, and any who would draw or create anime characters would do well to begin with The Complete Guide to Anime Techniques, which surveys the basics of artwork, working with 3-D graphics, and more. From creating the script to storyboarding to distributing a finished movie, this moves beyond the usual focus on drawing to embrace the whole of anime, and is a top pick for any library where patrons favor anime discussions.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. Pros:
   This is a beautifully illustrated guide to the terminology with examples of the production and techniques of Anime in the Japanese/Asian style. It is 'complete' in the sense it covers the vast majority of terms, forms of style and applications. It even includes a section on various softwares available (2006) and what to expect to pay for them by the 'free - $$$$$' rating. That is it in a nutshell. If you are expecting the essentials (ONLY) of how-to this is it.
   Cons:
   IF you are however looking for a guide to help you produce on desktop computer and are a beginner, and looking to do a barebones small studio production... There are better places for the fleshing out of 'How-To' in detail.
   Overall:
   The book is a tease, a pleasing tease, but just a tease. Keep it for referencing terms. And face facts, to do really professional Anime, you are going to have to PAY PAY PAY! SO save your dollars for the software for editing compositing and production... and sound recording and editing needs you will have. And if you have the money for that, you can then consider writing your own 'how-to'.
   P.S. Really didn't like the comment on page 41, "where a western artist may have a darker, grungier look for the clothes and expressions." I really felt that was uncalled for! Their main audience is future 'western artists'... just a thought.

5 comments about How to Wow: Photoshop for the Web (How to Wow).

1. This book does a great job of covering a complex topic in a clear, concise, and beautifully illustrated way. It teaches by step-by-step example, and it distills what could be pages of background info into short "Insight" explanations that appear on the page to answer your questions exactly when they occur to you. "Tips" and "Cautions" help you work more efficiently and avoid pitfalls. In just 200 pages the book covers the use of Photoshop and ImageReady for designing and producing interactive navigation elements, animations, individual web pages, and entire web sites. The beautiful book design (by Jill Davis) helps make all of this information accessible. And all the pieces you need for the examples are provided on the CD-ROM that comes with the book. This book is a winner!



2. Corrupt and missing project files for Chapter 4 got me off on a bad foot with this book. The integration of the book with its CD contents also strikes me as having been very poorly done, definitely inferior to what I have come to expect from the many Book/CD combos that I have purchased, especially for books dealing with Photoshop. On the plus side, the book is well illustrated and the textual instructions are reasonably clear. The projects tend to be cookie-cutter in their approach - which could be a plus or a minus depending on what you are looking for.
   
   The one thing missing from this book that would have been of real benefit is one or more examples of creating a complete web page design from scratch.



3. Pros: Great examples and information. Learned a lot in the week that it took to go through it. Will use it as a photoshop reference for a long time.
   
   Cons: A few typos or missed steps that left me hanging and needed to play around with various options to get the desired result.



4. The title says it all. I think that this website provides a service for all type of readers.
   
   The book is an excellent book for graphic ideas. It is especially useful for beginners who suffer from "Designers Block". However, the title may give people the idea that this Book will show you step by step Photoshop techniques which it does not.



5. http://www.peachpit.com/title/032130330X#info2
   
   I stumbled around the publishers website after being annoyed at the missing Chapter 4 files, and I found the above link to download the files.
   
   Overall it was a decent book, but as a newb I was looking for a whole lot more information on building from scratch.