5 comments about Digital Animation Bible: Creating Professional Animation with 3ds Max, Lightwave, and Maya.

1. I bought the 'Digital Animation Bible' in December 2003 and I've been reading and re-reading it ever since. I can honestly say that it is about the most useful book of its kind that I've ever come across. My background is in graphics and digital audio and I would describe my general knowledge of computing as strong...but you don't need that much computer experience to get major benefits from reading this.

   The book offers comprehensive overviews of the three leading animation programs (3ds Max, Lightwave and Maya) and also gives extensive coverage to general information about virtually every aspect of the field. If you're starting out with either no knowledge or just a general grasp, you should finish up with a very clear idea of what's going on and how you could get in on the action.

   Normally, I get bored with shelf-busters because they often don't tell you much you don't already know - or if they do, they take relatively straight forward ideas and pedal them out over so many pages that you either loose the thread, or fall asleep before you arrive at the meat of the issue.

   George Avgeraki's book is different. He's got a real knack for condensing key ideas into just a few pages or paragraphs in such a way as to make it possible for you to 'get it' with comparative ease. He also has a positive and enthusiastic 'can do' writing style that makes it easy to absorb what he's pitching you.

   There is a great intro to splines, an extremely revealing description of the use by professionals of 3rd party compositing programs for rendering, and lots excellent insights on how people actually approach their work on a day to day basis.

   The chapter on 'objects and surfaces' is particularly worth visiting - even if you think that you already have the basic idea.

   One of the unique things about this manual that sets it apart from the competition is that George Avgerakis has peppered it with lots of valuable little nuggets from his business experience in the field. He's done this in a way that's funny and entertaining - it never gets in the way of the the reason why you're reading the book - but it's illuminating, whether your coming to this field as freelancer or as potential (or actual) employee. If you want some insight into what your client or employer is looking for from you in the computer animation game then you can get that perspective courtesy of Mr Avgerakis.

   So, in summary, a great book and well worth your reading time.




2. After having read this book I questioned myself of what subject I have actually learned. Did I read a storybook on the business or did I actually learn to create professional animation with 3ds Max, Lightwave, and Maya? It seems that George Avgerakis is very savvy when it comes to the applications of business for Animation or he would not exist in his present position. As such he does very little in the terms of providing a good example of actually creating professional quality animation. He sells you a completely different book instead, which mind you, with a different cover could tell a better tale. I would like to caution those interested in the applications of this book, there is no technical basis that would categorize this book as a tool to help you produce better work. My conclusion: Money better spent elsewhere.



3. 'How to set up and run a video production studio' -- the main problem with this book is it cover so much it only gives the briefest coverage of anything. He covers subjects as basic as surge protectors and laptop computers, printers, scanners.
   While digital animation proper is reduced to a couple of chapters. Lets take storyboards for instance - four scribbled panels on half a page - a couple of meaningless 'flow charts' and that is all. The animation samples are from the tutorial that comes with max and reproduced in B/W.
   If you want an overview I suppose this will be a good choice, but if you want to learn 3D CG, find another book



4. This book is designed to give a broad discussion about breaking into the 3D animation industry (esp. in large media meccas like NYC and LA) as well as review three of the most popular and powerful 3D software packages currently available - 3ds max, LightWave, and Alias Maya.
   
   The author owns an animation production company in NYC so he has a lot of "real-world" advice to newbies looking to become digital animators. He talks a lot about the business aspects of the trade, and provides numerous humorous anecdotes about his own trials and tribulations in the past three decades in this deadline-intensive business. Most of the first half of the book is spent detailing the career path you should take to become a successful animator. The author also gives his opinions on the hardware needed to create digital animation on a desktop workstation.
   
   The second half of the book is devoted to comparing 3ds max, LightWave, and Alias Maya and their relative strengths and weaknesses. As someone who is totally new to 3D animation, I found this section to be most useful. The author explains in common terms all the tools and capabilities of these 3D applications. It's obvious he did his research on all three software products and he is careful not to promote one over any other.
   
   This book is not intended for someone who is already familiar with 3D software and looking to improve their skill set. For that purpose, there are many good books that go into much greater detail over a product's toolset and capabilities. But for the beginner 3D animator wanna-bes, this is a good book to break the ice and introduce you to the exciting and rapidly-evolving field of digital 3D animation.



5. Read the review by "Bob - The guy from nowhere". It's the most accurate description of this book.
   
   Don't waste your time or money on this one. It does not do a good job of covering any of the primary points it claims to present. Granted, it would take several books to cover each topic, but even as a general overview it's really not that useful. Digital Animation Bible? I don't think so!
   
   At the beginning of the book, the author writes "I didn't want to open [this book] with a lot of boring stuff about how this book was organized or what you could expect to get out of it." There is a good reason for that. You will be asking yourself the same question by the end of the book.

1 comments about Game Production Handbook (Game Development Series).

1. Heather Chandler's THE GAME PRODUTION HANDBOOK adds to others in the 'Game Production' series and offers a range of methods and tips for producing more organized games. From voice over sessions and submission processes to brainstorming, developing concepts, and marketing them with publishers, THE GAME PRODUCTION HANDBOOK covers it all.

5 comments about Inside Solidworks.

1. This is the best of the Solidworks books I have used. My only major complaint with the book is that it will not sit flat on the desk while I am using it! A minor issue is that future lessons often depend on files created in earlier lessons. Be sure to save your earlier work!



2. Overall coverage of this book is better than most (SolidWorks for Dummies and Sham Tickoo's books). Coverage includes Sheetmetal, surfacing and SW 2006 material. Only negative, the book has few example problems. If your looking for a lot of example problems, I would recomment the Sham Tickoo books.



3. As a SolidWorks user with over 8,000 hours experience and a Sr. Mechanical/Structural designer this book helps you through some of the hurdels you encounter. As a designer I want to spend my time designing not trying to figure out the software and do what I want it to do. Solidworks is easy to use but sometimes you need some reference material to describe a particular problem. This book does just that. It has a good overall approach to almost every problem. It is not at a fine detail level because there is too much material to cover but I would highly recommend this book for anyone that needs help problem solving the software intent. I had puchased earlier versions of this book and this latest printing did not disappoint me.



4. I've used CAD programs for about 17 years starting with Autocad, and this is by far the best software book I've used. It's readable, concise, well organized, and user friendly. The author is very familiar with the program and shares his opinions in a useful manner. I'm hoping that Mr. Murray has a new revision to keep up with the SolidWorks releases.



5. This book help you think and has good excercise to improve your solidworks skills. It a good book to used when taking a class. I would not recommend to use if you never used solidworks before and are not in a class

5 comments about Robert Penner's Programming Macromedia Flash MX.

1. granted, anyone who doesn't have a basic hold of flash development (that means actionscript folks) will be lost. However, those who do have a little experience should read it >TWICE. I have found it to be enlightening and enjoyable. Penners methods will help you get a better handle on Actionscript, OOP and even regular daily life. he has developed some really interesting ideas not just about how to use actionscript, but how to approach any substantial task. The book will bring you up to speed on the math concepts you need to create dynamic graphics (2D&3D coordinate systems and trigonometry) and teach you good practices in code desing and project management.
   I hope he publishes a second edition (for ActionScript 2) soon, i'd love to see what he does with the language now that it has matured.



2. What happens when a math whiz turned philosophy major learns how to program in Flash? The answer is one of the most interesting Flash programming books ever written. Robert Penner, well known for his experimental site, wrote a brilliant book outlining how to combine math and programming to create stunning visual effects in Flash MX.
   
   This is not a programming reference. This book takes you beyond the world of simple ActionScript and introduces you to object oriented programming, motion in 2D, motion in 3D, physics, drawing/coloring, and his impressive array of case studies.
   
   Robert Penner's writing style is clear and concise. If you are familiar with Flash programming, the book is an easy read. Following along with his explanations is a breeze. He introduces a concept and goes in great detail explaining how the concept can be created in Flash. The code is not simple ActionScript syntax that is easily understandable at first glance. A lot of the code involves Penner's own groundbreaking work and research.
   
   What separates this book from the other Flash books is that he applies the concepts he teaches in case studies and example animations. What use is learning how to move objects in a three-dimensional space if there is no way to apply in the real world? The downloadable files for this book are filled with source files and example animations referred to throughout the book.
   
   After reading this book, you will definitely gain a better understanding of Flash and programming. It delves into the complex Flash programming concepts that many other books shy away from. Even if you think you know all there is to know about ActionScript, this book will teach you a few interesting tricks you might not have known. Sure, ActionScript 3.0 is now out, and the book could use an update, but it is not that difficult to modernize the code. A big bonus to me was to actually have the algorithms on the four fascinating case studies - aurora borealis, snowstorm, fractal dancer, and cyclone. That information for a multimedia programmer is timeless and transcends implementation language.



3. Knowledge directly from the man who we can thank for the easing equations used in many of the tweening classes out there. This book is great. The topics are somewhat diverse, and all very intriguing. The examples are written for AS1 however that doesn't matter that much unless you are concerned with applying the code in an OO manner, anyway it's kinda fun trying to re-write the code in AS2. This and Moock's books have been the most helpful in getting to understand what actionscript is all about.
   
   Thank You Robert Penner!



4. Ok. Every body knows that Flash 8/9 has now a better OOP than MX. Also, every body knows that Flash no longer use structures like movieClip.prototype etc.
   
   But what Robert Penner's books offers is a great explanation about Math and its possibilities in Flash. Vectors, 2D and 3D simulation with an elegant and well formed codes. This book opens a great land to be explored. With a important difference: now you have a brilliant GPS! :-)
   
   
   If you do not know how the stunning flash effects are made, get it. Every thing will be, after all, clear like water.



5. This is a must have book for experienced actionscript programmers who want to learn actionscripting in depth. This book has been a fountain of knowledge for me. Truly inspirational.
   
   If you are new to actionscrip, this book is not for you.
   
   Thanks.

3 comments about The Science of Fractal Images.

1. In my opinion, the best work ever written in the category not-for-beginner-but-available-to-non-specialist (such as Beauty of Fractals, by the same authors). An easy answer to question "How can I generate a fractal image with my PC?", from brownian motion to Julia sets. A must for reader interested in fractals (a bit out-of-fashion but still very interesting field).



2. You cant go past this book,

   This book reads at any level, Great introduction to the field as well as an indespencible reference. Shows easy to implement code examples, and has lots of pictures showing what can be acheived.

   This has been a main reference for a theisis I am currently working on. The question is, why is it out of print. If you can find it it's worth it's wheight in gold.




3. This old book is a timeless gem. It goes into the details of the mathematics of fractals and also shows well-commented C code for producing fractal imagery along with good color illustrations.
   Chapter 1, "Fractals in Nature", uses computer generated images to build a visual intuition for fractal as opposed to Euclidian shapes. There is also a mathematical characterization with Brownian motion as the prototype.
   In chapter 2, "Random Fractal Algorithms", randomness is introduced into the algorithms discussed in chapter one as a way of simulating natural phenomena. Ideas are extended to higher dimensions. C programs that produce mountain ranges using these ideas are presented, along with the resulting imagery.
   Chapter 3, "Fractal Patterns Arising in Chaotic Dynamical Systems", turns to the topic of dynamical systems and is less mathematical than the first two chapters. There is some mathematics and some illustrations in 2D and black and white that should be familiar to any student of dynamical systems.
   Chapter 4, "Fantastic Deterministic Fractals", demonstrates how genuine mathematical research experiments open a door to a new reservoir of fantastic shapes and images. Programs are shown that extend the ideas of chapter 3 into truly beautiful fractals. Ideas here stay mainly in 2D.
   The final chapter, "Fractal Modelling of Real World Images", draws from the material of the previous chapters to present C programs that produce clouds, vegetation, smoke, and mountain ranges, all by altering a few of the parameters in the sample code presented by the authors.
   This book is much better than more recent titles that bury their algorithms in complex high level languages or "toy books" on the subject that provide dumbed-down applications and in which the simplest possible explanation of fractals is given with no insight. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding fractal mathematics and in using that mathematics to produce stunning visual effects.

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4 comments about Audio Anecdotes: Tools, Tips, and Techniques for Digital Audio.

1. Audio Anecdotes: Tools, Tips, And Techniques For Digital Audio is an anthology of essays by a wide variety of expert authors concerning the exciting field of digital audio, lessons that can be learned from its past, discoveries directly applicable in the present, and anticipation of new changes in the future. Cutting-edge, practical, advice-filled instructionals include "Timbre Trees: Integrating Sounds and Images", "RampTest: Quantifying Audio Performance", "Designing a Movie for Sound", "Perceivable Auditory Latencies" and much more. A highly recommended supplementary educational text for anyone pursuing or involved in a career in the digital audio field, Audio Anecdotes is clearly an excellent addition to career-themed professional libraries as well as audio technology and technical reference shelves.



2. This book is a great book for anyone that works with digital audio. Audio Anecdotes introduces us to the practical side of audio. Just take a look at the Table Of Contents to see that there are papers on a wide variety of topics. Each of the 25 papers are written by experts in their respective fields, and each provides practical tips for creating great sounding audio. These tips aren't ideas that are obvious even to those with years of experience in the field- many of them come from years of research. In addition to the tips and techniques, Audio Anecdotes is filled with example code so you can play around and hear exactly what the authors are writing about. The CD-ROM comes with demos and explanations for most of the topics as well as the software to compile and run each demo. The software includes Caliper (a custom, text-based program used for controlling demo parameters), Flavor (a language, based on C++ and Java, great for multimedia applications), Octave (a language similar to MatLab), the PortAudio Library (a C library for audio I/O), and STK (Synthesis Toolkit- a set of C++ classes used for audio synthesis and processing). Whether you're going to use all this software or if you're simply looking for some practical mixing tips, I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the practical side of digital audio.



3. Ken Greenebaum, who co-edited this book with Ronen Barzel, and wrote some of the articles, indicates in the preface that his motivation for putting Audio Anecdote together was to get the book he had wished for when he was starting out in digital audio. What he came up with is a wide-ranging collection of 25 articles on various aspects of sound--what it is, how we hear it, how it affects us, how it can be produced and altered, and how it can fool us. Some of the articles are rigorously scientific and technical, while others really are anecdotal and personal. Most significantly there is a wealth of information about the manipulation of sound, and there is some history of the development of our understanding of sound.
   
   Most of the material is aimed at people who have an intense interest in audio, and audio reproduction and development, and who already have some knowledge. However this book also works well for a rank beginner (such as myself). The articles are clear and well-presented with many black and white illustrations, tables, diagrams, and mathematical formulas, not to mention programming code! There is a glossary and there is some overlap in the "anecdotes." For example, after a brief overview of the book, Greenebaum begins with an introductory-like article on what sound is and how we measure it. This is followed by a more technical article by Hesham Fouad entitled "Understanding the Decibel." This in turn is followed by Greenebaum's essay on "Sound Propagation." His exploration of the physics involved is clear and easy to read.
   
   One of the many things that I discovered is that "When we speak on the telephone, a portion of our voice output is intentionally played back to us through the earpiece." Derek DiFilippo and Greenebaum explain in their article, "Perceivable Auditory Latencies" that "If we didn't have a clear sense of hearing ourselves speak, we would tend to talk louder and louder because we [would] assume that the listener on the other end...[wouldn't be able to] hear us either." (pp. 74-75)
   
   I also learned (from Oscar-winning sound director Randy Thom in his article, "Designing a Movie for Sound") that the wise film maker should make his movie with sound in mind pre-production, not as something added on afterward. As Thom points out, in the great cinematic experiences, "the visual and aural elements are working together so well that it is nearly impossible to distinguish them." (p. 406) He mentions the opening of Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979) and the bird attack scene in Hitchcock's The Birds (1963), and the opening of David Fincher's Seven (1995) as examples. And I can't help adding the striking opening sequence from Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter (1973) as another preeminent example of how sound can be as important, or even more important, than visuals in making a scene a lasting experience.
   
   Included with the book is a CD that you can listen to with examples of sounds keyed to the discussions in the articles. The effect of latency ("the time between human input to a system...and system output," p. 65) and many other sound phenomena are demonstrated in the most effective way possible--by hearing them.
   
   Special mention might be made of writer Adrienne Ross's personal contribution, "Understanding Hearing Losses and Hearing Gains...," which truly is an anecdote, beautifully written about her discovery of a hearing defect that she had lived with most of her life without realizing it. The fact that she had compensated for the defect by using her other senses, dramatically demonstrates how our experience of sound is not isolated from our other sensual experiences.



4. This book brings together articles from all aspects of digital audio from a multitude of authors into one volume. To find the same information you would have to dig through countless journals and troll the web, thus this book's first service is saving time for the researcher. Most books on digital audio focus on one particular audience - the programmer, the signal processing professional, or the recording professional. This book has a variety of articles from all of these fields. Thus it is likely that not every article will be interesting and useful to everyone, but the book should have enough articles of value to make it worthwhile to anyone interested in this fascinating field. The author himself cites Andrew Glassner's "Graphic Gems" series as an inspiration, and you could indeed rename this series "Audio Gems" and not lose any meaning by the retitling.
   
   Of course, there are articles on the basic science of sound that should be of interest to anyone starting out in the field such as "Understanding the Decibel" and "Sound Propagation". Those interested in signal processing and programming of algorithms will enjoy Perry Cook's "Introduction to Physical Modeling" which condenses much of the material in his book "Real Sound Synthesis for Interactive Applications" into one digestible introductory article. Included are some of Cook's programs that assist in physical modeling, but he saves his real contribution to this field, his Synthesis Toolkit in C++, for volume two of this series. Likewise Albert Bregman's extensive research on the subject of auditory scene analysis is condensed nicely in the article "Perceptual Organization of Sound" and acts as an accessible introduction. My personal interest is in synthesis and signal processing, thus from my perspective I found the article "Timbre Trees: Integrating Sounds and Images" to be the most interesting article of the bunch. It explained a fascinating concept I had never heard of before involving an integrated approach to motion and sound. The entire concept is not explained in this one article, but there are references to other sources of information if you want to learn more details. This is the whole purpose of this book and its series - to introduce the reader to a topic in digital audio via a clear article, and then refer the reader to more in depth material outside the scope of the book should you need to know more. I highly recommend this book to anyone involved in the field of digital audio.

5 comments about Game Design: Theory and Practice (With CD-ROM).

1. This is a great walk through for a beginner. I would recommend it for its overview and insight into games and making games. I played a few more games because of it and was able to hone my eye to know why I enjoy and what I look for in games. Great first book; if only for the interviews.



2. Being an avid gamer, and dreaming of working in the video game industry, I pretty much knew everyhing there was in this book. However, if you're not like me, then I think you will find this book useful.
   The book goes from the beginning stages of video game design up to the completion of a video game. It gives really good information about what makes a game good and not tired and done before.
   The interviews of the game designers are kinda helpful; it really depends on if you already know the designers work and are familiar with it.
   This is a non-technical book though, so it won't tell you how to code a game or make models. It basically tells you all of the intangibles you can't learn in a class or really anywhere.
   
   It's worth the read.



3. I got this book to help in a class since it was a course requirement. It has alot of good info and intangibles about game design that is very helpful to anybody that would want to know.



4. I am currently using this as my Game Design textbook. As a student, it provides not only mere theory, but valuable interviews with upstanding designers. It is clear, and a joy to read.



5. The editorial review is kinda deceiving, so I'll just write what's missing on it: The book tries to balance between theory, practical examples and interviews.
   
   Which may be great to some, but not that great to others.
   
   The book is basicaly structured in this way:
   30-50 pages of Theory
   5-15 pages of a practical example (something about the theory on an actual game)
   15-40 pages of Interview (with some famous game designer... which might be good if the reader knows their games, and might be bad if the reader doesn't, since not much of it is exactly "game designer" content).
   
   That structure is repeated through over and over the book's 677 pages.
   But don't get me wrong, the content is still very good. Cover lots of stuff from developing the game concept, to more technical stuff like AI, Multi-playing, Level design and playtesting.
   
   So, a good book that covers lots of stuff on game design without going too deep in specific stuff.

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.

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