Digital animation Books

Book SynopsisThis book is written by a professional instructor and founder of CartoonSmart.com, a company specializing in new media tutorials for nearly a decade. The book is a start-to-finish guide for anyone looking to begin iOS development using Cocos2d and Xcode and submit their finished app to Apple. Even if you haven't read code before, you can begin with this book. This book is a handy reference guide, with easy to look-up sections of code snippets, pictures and links to video examples.Features: Code Video examples 5 hours of tutorial videos on Box2d, which can take the reader even further beyond what they learned in the book Table of ContentsChapter 1: The Hardest Part: StartingChapter 2: Objective-C BasicsChapter 3: Cocos2d BasicsChapter 4: Create Your Own ClassChapter 5: Collisions, Touches & GesturesChapter 6: Accelerometer and ActionsChapter 7: Animation & Particle FXChapter 8: Menus, Sounds, Scenes & TextChapter 9: Game StructureChapter 10: Extending Cocos2dChapter 11: The Back

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Book SynopsisWhy take months to learn every button in 3ds Max when you can create great visuals with just a few key tools? Utilize the tool of choice, 3ds Max 2014, for generating realistic environments, seamless CG effects, and jaw dropping games in a matter of hours. You can use the memory-hogging methods that choke your display and take forever to render, or you can get it done quickly and efficiently. Michael McCarthy offers a goldmine of artistic inspiration, timesaving tips & tricks, and step-by-step walkthroughsâyouâll wonder how you every got by without it! Start animating today with detailed tutorials, source files, bitmaps, and video demonstrationsâall featured on the companion website.This new edition has been completely revamped for 3ds Max 2014. You will find coverage on brand new features and tools such as Scene Management, iRay, Nitrous, Mass FX, and particles and physics. How to Cheat in 3ds Max 2014 features interviews with industry professionals thTrade ReviewPraise for How to cheatin 3dsMax 2010:"My first impression was 'WOW!' and my second impression was, 'This is what reference material should look like!' The balance between illustration and text is just right for visual people-aspiring 3D artists will love it. -Borislav "Bobo Petrov, Technical Director, Frantic Films VFX "This excellent book will inspire anyone to dig a little deeper into this incredible piece of software. -Stefan Vittori, Managing Director Tangram 3DS "Moving past what a tool does, Michele details various combinations of features in the application and their importance to completing commonly requested, real-world tasks for visual effects, games, and design visualization alike. -Gary M. Davis, 3ds Max Master 2007, autodesk Media & Entertainment "Michele is at it again with updated workflow techniques in a format that makes the tips and tricks readily accessible as an essential desktop companion. If working smartly can be called 'cheating,' then this is cheating at its best. There is a lot here for beginners and advanced users alike. Good luck and have fun. -Ted Boardman, independent 3ds Max instructor and author "This newly updated version conveys the fun and fast side of 3ds Max. Bousquet has packed the pages with colorful and quick tutorials that help you master all of 3ds Max's main concepts. -Jim lammers, President, Trinity animation inc. "In addition to the excellent tips and tricks uncovered in this book, I found the illustrations easy to follow, informative, and fun. I highly recommend this book to 3ds Max users of all levels. -Jeff Patton, Freelance Digital artist Table of ContentsIntroductionGraphite tools (ribbon) Modeling Character Modeling Materials & Mapping Lighting Shadows Reflection Glass Animation Character Animation Rendering Wiring & Scripting Special Effects AppendixIndex

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Book SynopsisActionScript 3.0 is an object-oriented language, whose code executes up to 10 times faster than code from other versions. This book offers solutions that enable ActionScript developers of all levels to work with the version right away. It concentrates on the practical application of ActionScript, with more than 300 solutions.Table of ContentsPreface 1. ActionScript Basics 1.1 Creating an ActionScript Project 1.2 Customizing the Properties of an Application 1.3 Where to Place ActionScript Code 1.4 How to Trace a Message 1.5 Handling Events 1.6 Responding to Mouse and Key Events 1.7 Using Mathematical Operators 1.8 Checking Equality or Comparing Values 1.9 Performing Actions Conditionally 1.10 Performing Complex Conditional Testing 1.11 Repeating an Operation Many Times 1.12 Repeating a Task over Time 1.13 Creating Reusable Code 1.14 Generalizing a Method to Enhance Reusability 1.15 Exiting a Method 1.16 Obtaining the Result of a Method 1.17 Handling Errors 2. Custom Classes 2.1 Creating a Custom Class 2.2 Determining Where to Save a Class 2.3 Creating Properties That Behave As Methods 2.4 Creating Static Methods and Properties 2.5 Creating Subclasses 2.6 Implementing Subclass Versions of Superclass Methods 2.7 Creating Constants 2.8 Dispatching Events 3. Runtime Environment 3.1 Detecting the Player Version 3.2 Detecting the Operating System 3.3 Checking the Player Type 3.4 Checking the System Language 3.5 Detecting Display Settings 3.6 Scaling the Movie 3.7 Changing the Alignment 3.8 Hiding the Flash Player's Menu Items 3.9 Detecting the Device's Audio Capabilities 3.10 Detecting the Device's Video Capabilities 3.11 Prompting the User to Change Player Settings 3.12 Dealing with System Security 4. Numbers and Math 4.1 Representing Numbers in Different Bases 4.2 Converting Between Different Number Systems 4.3 Rounding Numbers 4.4 Inserting Leading or Trailing Zeros or Spaces 4.5 Formatting Numbers for Display Without a Mask 4.6 Formatting Currency Amounts 4.7 Generating a Random Number 4.8 Simulating a Coin Toss 4.9 Simulating Dice 4.10 Simulating Playing Cards 4.11 Generating a Unique Number 4.12 Converting Angle Measurements 4.13 Calculating the Distance Between Two Points 4.14 Determining Points Along a Circle 4.15 Converting Between Units of Measurement5. Arrays 5.1 Adding Elements to the Start or End of an Array 5.2 Looping Through an Array 5.3 Searching for Matching Elements in an Array 5.4 Removing Elements 5.5 Inserting Elements in the Middle of an Array 5.6 Converting a String to an Array 5.7 Converting an Array to a String 5.8 Creating a Separate Copy of an Array 5.9 Storing Complex or Multidimensional Data 5.10 Sorting or Reversing an Array 5.11 Implementing a Custom Sort 5.12 Randomizing the Elements of an Array 5.13 Getting the Minimum or Maximum Element 5.14 Comparing Arrays 5.15 Creating an Associative Array 5.16 Reading Elements of an Associative Array 6. Display List 6.1 Adding an Item to the Display List 6.2 Removing an Item from the Display List 6.3 Moving Objects Forward and Backward 6.4 Creating Custom Visual Classes 6.5 Creating Simple Buttons 6.6 Loading External Images at Runtime 6.7 Loading and Interacting with External Movies 6.8 Creating Mouse Interactions 6.9 Dragging and Dropping Objects with the Mouse 7. Drawing and Masking 7.1 Setting a Line Style 7.2 Setting Gradient Line Styles 7.3 Drawing a Line 7.4 Drawing a Curve 7.5 Drawing an Arc 7.6 Drawing a Rectangle 7.7 Drawing a Circle 7.8 Drawing an Ellipse 7.9 Drawing a Triangle 7.10 Drawing Regular Polygons 7.11 Drawing a Star 7.12 Filling a Shape with a Solid or Translucent Color 7.13 Filling a Shape with a Gradient 7.14 Filling a Shape with a Bitmap 7.15 Scripting Masks 8. Bitmaps 8.1 Creating a BitmapData Object 8.2 Adding a Bitmap to the Display List 8.3 Drawing a Display Object to a Bitmap 8.4 Loading an External Image into a Bitmap 8.5 Manipulating Pixels 8.6 Creating Rectangular Fills 8.7 Creating a Flood Fill 8.8 Copying Pixels 8.9 Copying Channels 8.10 Creating Noise 8.11 Creating Perlin Noise 8.12 Using Threshold 8.13 Applying a Filter to a Bitmap 8.14 Dissolving Between Two Bitmaps 8.15 Scrolling a Bitmap 9. Text 9.1 Creating an Outline Around a Text Field 9.2 Creating a Background for a Text Field 9.3 Making a User Input Field 9.4 Making a Password Input Field 9.5 Filtering Text Input 9.6 Setting a Field's Maximum Length 9.7 Displaying Text 9.8 Displaying HTML-Formatted Text 9.9 Condensing Whitespace 9.10 Sizing Text Fields to Fit Contents 9.11 Scrolling Text Programmatically 9.12 Responding to Scroll Events 9.13 Formatting Text 9.14 Formatting User-Input Text 9.15 Formatting a Portion of Existing Text 9.16 Setting a Text Field's Font 9.17 Embedding Fonts 9.18 Creating Text That Can Be Rotated 9.19 Displaying Unicode Text 9.20 Assigning Focus to a Text Field 9.21 Selecting Text with ActionScript 9.22 Setting the Insertion Point in a Text Field 9.23 Responding When Text Is Selected or Deselected 9.24 Responding to User Text Entry 9.25 Adding a Hyperlink to Text 9.26 Calling ActionScript from Hyperlinks 9.27 Working with Advanced Text Layout 9.28 Applying Advanced Anti-Aliasing 9.29 Replacing Text 9.30 Retrieving a List of System Fonts 10. Filters and Transforms 10.1 Applying Color Changes 10.2 Applying Color Tints 10.3 Resetting Color 10.4 Shearing 10.5 Applying Basic Filters 10.6 Applying Advanced Filter Effects (Emboss, etc.) 10.7 Embossing 10.8 Detecting Edges 10.9 Sharpening 10.10 Making a Digital Negative 10.11 Applying Grayscale 10.12 Changing Saturation 10.13 Changing Brightness 10.14 Changing Contrast 11. Programmatic Animation 11.1 Moving an Object 11.2 Moving an Object in a Specific Direction 11.3 Easing 11.4 Acceleration 11.5 Springs 11.6 Using Trigonometry 11.7 Applying Animation Techniques to Other Properties 12. Strings 12.1 Joining Strings 12.2 Using Quotes and Apostrophes in Strings 12.3 Inserting Special Whitespace Characters 12.4 Searching for a Substring 12.5 Extracting a Substring 12.6 Parsing a String into Words 12.7 Removing and Replacing Characters and Words 12.8 Retrieving One Character at a Time 12.9 Converting Case 12.10 Trimming Whitespace 12.11 Reversing a String by Word or by Character 12.12 Converting Between Strings and Unicode or ASCII 13. Regular Expressions 13.1 Understanding Regular Expression Patterns 13.2 Testing Regular Expressions 13.3 Looking for Pattern Matches 13.4 Removing and Replacing Characters and Words Using Patterns 13.5 Creating a Nongreedy Pattern 13.6 Validating User Input with Common Patterns 14. Dates and Times 14.1 Finding the Current Date and Time 14.2 Retrieving the Date Values 14.3 Retrieving the Day or Month Name 14.4 Formatting the Date and Time 14.5 Formatting Seconds or 17. Storing Persistent Data 17.1 Creating and Opening a Local Shared Object 17.2 Writing Data to a Shared Object 17.3 Saving a Local Shared Object 17.4 Reading Data from a Shared Object 17.5 Removing Data from a Shared Object 17.6 Serializing Custom Classes 17.7 Sharing Data Between Flash Applications 17.8 Controlling the Size of Local Shared Objects 18. Communicating with Other Movies 18.1 Creating Local Connections 18.2 Sending Data 18.3 Validating Receipt of Communication over Local Connections 18.4 Accepting Local Communications from Other Domains 19. Sending and Loading Data 19.1 Loading Variables from a Text File 19.2 Loading Variables from a Server-Side Script 19.3 Loading a Block of Text (Including HTML and XML) 19.4 Checking Load Progress 19.5 Accessing Data Being Downloaded 19.6 Sending Data to a Server-Side Script 19.7 Sending Variables and Handling a Returned Result 20. XML 20.1 Understanding XML Structure (Reading and Writing XML) 20.2 Creating an XML Object 20.3 Adding Elements to an XML Object 20.4 Adding Text Nodes to an XML Object 20.5 Adding Attributes to an XML Element 20.6 Reading Elements in an XML Tree 20.7 Finding Elements by Name 20.8 Reading Text Nodes and Their Values 20.9 Reading an Element's Attributes 20.10 Removing Elements, Text Nodes, and Attributes 20.11 Loading XML 20.12 Loading XML from Different Domains 20.13 Sending XML 20.14 Searching XML 20.15 Using HTML and Special Characters in XML 21. Web Services and Flash Remoting 21.1 Calling Web Services Methods 21.2 Handling Web Services Responses 21.3 Handling Web Services Errors 21.4 Calling Flash Remoting Methods 21.5 Handling Flash Remoting Responses 22. Building Integrated Applications 22.1 Calling JavaScript Functions 22.2 Calling ActionScript Functions 22.3 Passing Parameters from HTML 23. File Management 23.1 Downloading Files 23.2 Detecting When a User Selects a File to Upload 23.3 Monitoring Download Progress 23.4 Browsing for Files 23.5 Filtering Files That Display in the Browser Window 23.6 Detecting When the User Has Selected a File to Upload 23.7 Uploading Files 23.8 Monitoring File Upload Progress 24. Socket Programming 24.1 Connecting to a Socket Server 24.2 Sending Data 24.3 Receiving Data 24.4 Handshaking with a Socket Server 24.5 Disconnecting from a Socket Server 24.6 Handling Socket Errors Appendix. Unicode Escape Sequences for Latin 1 Characters Index

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Book SynopsisStart animating right away with this tutorial-based guide to Autodesk 3ds Max 2016 Autodesk 3ds Max 2016 Essentials is your perfect hands-on guide to start animating quickly. Using approachable, real-world exercises, you''ll master the fundamentals of this leading animation software by following full-color screen shots step by step. Each chapter opens with a quick discussion of concepts and learning objectives, and then launches into hands-on tutorials that give you firsthand experience and a good start on preparing for the 3ds Max certification exam. You''ll learn the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects as you create a retro-style alarm clock, animate a thrown knife, model a chair, and more. Whether you''re a complete beginner or migrating from another 3D application, this task-based book provides the solid grounding you need in Autodesk 3ds Max 2016. Model your character with polygons, meshes, and more Add motion with siTable of ContentsIntroduction xxi Chapter 1 The 3ds Max Interface 1 Navigating the Workspace 1 User-Interface Elements 1 Viewports 4 ViewCube 6 Mouse Buttons 6 Quad Menus 7 Displaying Objects in a Viewport 8 Viewport Navigation 10 Transforming Objects Using Gizmos 11 Graphite Modeling Tools Set 13 Command Panel 14 Object Parameters and Values 14 Modifier Stack 15 Objects and Sub-Objects 15 Time Slider and Track Bar 16 File Management 16 Setting a Project 16 Version Up! 18 Now You Know 18 Chapter 2 Your First 3ds Max Project 19 Setting Up a Project Workflow 19 Exercise 2.1: Setting Up a Project 20 The Secret to Accurate Modeling: Reference Material! 20 Exercise 2.2: Setting Up the Modeling Reference 21 Building a Simple Model 24 Exercise 2.3: Starting with a Primitive 24 Exercise 2.4: Modeling in Sub-Object Mode 25 Exercise 2.5: Bringing on the Bevel 29 Exercise 2.6: Chamfering Time 32 Creating Details Using Splines 38 Exercise 2.7: Building the Handle 38 Lathing, Extruding, and Beveling to Create 3D from 2D 45 Exercise 2.8: Lathing to Make a Whole 45 Exercise 2.9: Creating the Clock Numbers and Hands 48 Bringing It All Together 54 Exercise 2.10: Using Merge 54 Now You Know 56 Chapter 3 Modeling in 3ds Max: Architectural Model Part I 57 Setting Up the Scene 58 Exercise 3.1: Setting Up Units 58 Exercise 3.2: Importing a CAD Drawing 59 Building the Room 63 Exercise 3.3: Creating the Walls 63 Exercise 3.4: Creating the Doors 66 Exercise 3.5: Creating the Window 69 Exercise 3.6: Adding a Floor and a Ceiling 71 Adding Special Details to the Room 74 Exercise 3.7: Creating Baseboard Moldings 75 Now You Know 82 Chapter 4 Modeling in 3ds Max: Architectural Model Part II 83 Modeling the Couch 83 Exercise 4.1: Blocking Out the Couch Model 84 Exercise 4.2: Using NURMS to Add Softness 86 Exercise 4.3: Building Detail on the Couch Model 89 Exercise 4.4: Creating the Chaise Lounge 92 Exercise 4.5: Modeling the Couch Feet 95 Modeling the Lounge Chair 97 Exercise 4.6: Creating Image Planes 98 Exercise 4.7: Adding the Images 99 Exercise 4.8: Building the Splines for the Chair Frame 100 Exercise 4.9: Building the Chair Cushion 106 Exercise 4.10: Creating the Chair’s Base 108 Bringing It All Together 113 Now You Know 115 Chapter 5 Introduction to Animation 117 Animating the Ball 118 Exercise 5.1: Setting Keyframes 118 Exercise 5.2: Copying Keyframes 120 Exercise 5.3: Using the Track View - Curve Editor 121 Reading Animation Curves 124 Refining the Animation 126 Exercise 5.4: Editing Animation Curves 127 Exercise 5.5: Squash and Stretch 129 Exercise 5.6: Setting the Timing 131 Exercise 5.7: Moving the Ball Forward 132 Exercise 5.8: Using the XForm Modifier 135 Exercise 5.9: Animating the XForm Modifier 136 Exercise 5.10: Correcting the Rotation 137 Now You Know 138 Chapter 6 Animation Principles 139 Anticipation and Momentum in Knife Throwing 139 Exercise 6.1: Blocking Out the Animation 139 Exercise 6.2: Working with Trajectories 142 Exercise 6.3: Adding Rotation 144 Exercise 6.4: Adding Anticipation 146 Exercise 6.5: Following Through 148 Exercise 6.6: Transferring Momentum to the Target 149 Now You Know 152 Chapter 7 Character Modeling Part I 153 Setting Up the Scene 153 Exercise 7.1: Creating the Image Planes 154 Exercise 7.2: Adding the Images to the Planes 155 Blocking Out the Alien Model 156 Exercise 7.3: Forming the Torso 157 Exercise 7.4: Creating Symmetry 161 Exercise 7.5: Blocking Out the Arms 162 Exercise 7.6: Blocking Out the Leg 167 Exercise 7.7: Refining the Body 172 Exercise 7.8: Building the Neck 179 Now You Know 184 Chapter 8 Character Modeling Part II 185 Creating the Alien Head 185 Exercise 8.1: Blocking Out the Head 185 Exercise 8.2: Building the Nose and Eye 188 Building the Alien Hand 194 Exercise 8.3: Building the Palm of the Hand 194 Exercise 8.4: Beveling the Fingers 196 Building the Foot 203 Exercise 8.5: Blocking Out the Foot 203 Exercise 8.6: Beveling the Toes 205 Completing the Alien 208 Exercise 8.7: Attaching to the Body 208 Exercise 8.8: Using Symmetry 214 Exercise 8.9: Finishing the Head 215 Now You Know 220 Chapter 9 Introduction to Materials 221 Navigating the Slate Material Editor 221 Identifying the Standard Material 223 Standard Materials 223 Identifying the mental ray Material 224 Identifying Shaders 224 Building Materials for the Couch 225 Exercise 9.1: Creating a Standard Material 225 Exercise 9.2: Applying the Material to the Couch 226 Exercise 9.3: Adding a Bitmap 228 Exercise 9.4: Mapping Coordinates 230 Exercise 9.5: Adding Materials to the Feet 232 Exercise 9.6: Applying a Bump Map 234 Building Materials for the Lounge Chair 236 Exercise 9.7: Creating a Leather Material for the Chair Cushion 236 Exercise 9.8: Creating a Reflective Material 238 Building Materials for the Window 241 Exercise 9.9: Creating a Multi/Sub-Object Material 242 Now You Know 247 Chapter 10 Textures and UV Workflow: The Alien 249 Defining UVs on the Alien’s Body 250 Exercise 10.1: Seaming the Alien’s Body 250 Unwrapping UVs on the Alien’s Body 256 Exercise 10.2: Unwrapping the Alien’s Arm 257 Exercise 10.3: Unwrapping the Alien’s Body 261 Exercise 10.4: Arranging the Alien’s UVs 263 Building and Applying Material to the Alien 266 Exercise 10.5: Applying the Color Map 266 Exercise 10.6: Applying the Bump Map 267 Exercise 10.7: Applying the Specular Map 269 Now You Know 271 Chapter 11 Character Studio: Rigging 273 Character Studio Workflow 273 General Workflow 274 Associating a Biped with the Alien Model 276 Exercise 11.1: Creating and Modifying the Biped 276 Exercise 11.2: Adjusting the Torso and Arms 283 Exercise 11.3: Adjusting the Neck and Head 285 Skinning the Alien Model 287 Exercise 11.4: Applying the Skin Modifier 288 Exercise 11.5: Testing the Model 288 Exercise 11.6: Tweaking the Skin Modifier 290 Exercise 11.7: Testing the Alien Model Rig 294 Exercise 11.8: Controlling the View 296 Now You Know 298 Chapter 12 Character Studio: Animation 299 Animating the Alien 299 Exercise 12.1: Adding a Run-and-Jump Sequence 300 Freeform Animation 302 Exercise 12.2: Moving the Head 302 Exercise 12.3: Moving the Arms 305 Exercise 12.4: Completing the Motion Sequence 307 Modifying Animation in the Dope Sheet 308 Exercise 12.5: Adding Footsteps Manually 308 Exercise 10.6: Using the Dope Sheet 309 Now You Know 314 Chapter 13 Introduction to Lighting: Interior Lighting 315 Recognizing 3ds Max Lights 315 Standard Lights 316 Target Spotlight 316 Target Direct Light 318 Free Spot or Free Direct Light 319 Omni Light 320 Lighting a Still Life 321 Exercise 13.1: Setting Up the Basic Lights for the Scene 322 Exercise 13.2: Adding Shadows 325 Exercise 13.3: Adding a Fill Light 326 Exercise 13.4: Setting Up the Fill Light Attenuation 328 Selecting a Shadow Type 330 Atmospherics and Effects 332 Exercise 13.5: Creating a Volume Light 332 Volume Light Parameters 337 The Light Lister 338 Now You Know 339 Chapter 14 3ds Max Rendering 341 Navigating the Render Setup Dialog 341 Common Tab 342 Choosing a Filename 343 Rendered Frame Window 344 Render Processing 344 Assign Renderer 345 Rendering a Scene 346 Exercise 14.1: Rendering the Bouncing Ball 346 Working with Cameras 348 Exercise 14.2: Creating a Camera 350 Exercise 14.3: Animating a Camera 352 Exercise 14.4: Clarifying Safe Frames 354 Raytraced Reflections and Refractions 356 Exercise 14.5: Creating Reflections with Raytrace Material 357 Exercise 14.6: Raytrace Mapping 359 Exercise 14.7: Using the Raytrace Material to Create Refractions 360 Exercise 14.8: Using Raytrace Mapping to Create Refractions 363 Rendering the Interior and Furniture 365 Exercise 14.9: Adding Raytraced Reflections 365 Exercise 14.10: Outputting the Render 367 Now You Know 368 Chapter 15 mental ray 369 Navigating the mental ray Renderer 369 Exercise 15.1: Enabling the mental ray Renderer 369 mental ray Sampling Quality 370 Navigating the Final Gather Parameters 372 Basic Group 373 Advanced Group 374 The mental ray Rendered Frame Window 375 Navigating mental ray Materials 376 Exercise 15.2: Setting Up the Material Editor 376 Exercise 15.3: Using Arch & Design Material Templates 377 Exercise 15.4: Creating Arch & Design Materials 381 Exercise 15.5: Using the Multi/Sub-Object Material and Arch & Design 383 Using Photometric Lights with mental ray 385 Exercise 15.6: Using Photometric Lights in mental ray Renderings 385 Using the Daylight System 391 Exercise 15.7: Using the Daylight System in mental ray Renderings 391 Now You Know 396 Appendix Autodesk 3ds Max Certification 397 Index 401

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Book SynopsisWolfgang Engel's GPU Pro 360 Guide to GPGPU gathers all the cutting-edge information from his previous seven GPU Pro volumes into a convenient single source anthology that covers general purpose GPU. This volume is complete with 19 articles by leading programmers that focus on the techniques that go beyond the normal pixel and triangle scope of GPUs and take advantage of the parallelism of modern graphics processors to accomplish such tasks. GPU Pro 360 Guide to GPGPU is comprised of ready-to-use ideas and efficient procedures that can help solve many computer graphics programming challenges that may arise. Key Features: Presents tips & tricks on real-time rendering of special effects and visualization data on common consumer software platforms such as PCs, video consoles, mobile devices Covers specific challenges involved in creating games on various platforms Explores the latest developmenTable of ContentsCh 1 2D Distance Field Generation with the GPU; Ch 2 Order-Independant Transparency uing Per-Pixel Linked Lists; Ch 3 Simple and Fast Fluids; Ch 4 A fast Poison Solver for OpenCL using Multigrid Methods; Ch 5 Volumetric Transparency with Per-Pixel Fragment Lists; Ch 6 Practical Binary Surface and Solid Voxelization with Direct3D 11; Ch 7 Interactive Ray Tracing Using the Compute Shader in DirectX 11; Ch 8 Bit-Trail Traversal for Stackless LBVH on DirectCompute; Ch 9 Real-Time JPEG Compression Using Direct Compute; Ch 10 Gair Simulation in TressFX; Ch 11 Object-Order Ray Tracing for Fully Dynamic Scenes; Ch 12 Quad Trees on the GPU; Ch 13 Two-Level Constraint Solver and Pipelined Local Batching for Rigid Body Simulation on GPUs; Ch 14 Non-separable 2D, 3D, and 4D Filtering with CUDA; Ch 15 Compute-Based Tiled Culling; Ch 16 Rendering Vector Displacement-Mapped Surfaces in a GPU Ray Tracer; Ch 17 Smooth Probabistic Ambient Occlusion for Volume Rendedring. Ch 18 Octree Mapping from a Depth Camera. Ch 19 Interactive Sparse Eulerian Fluid

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Book SynopsisIn 1995 Chinese animated filmmaking ceased to be a state-run enterprise and was plunged into the free market. Using key animated films as his case studies, Shaopeng Chen examines new generation Chinese animation in its aesthetic and industrial contexts. He argues that, unlike its predecessors, this new generation does not have a distinctive national identity, but represents an important stage of diversity and exploration in the history of Chinese animation. Chen identifies distinct characteristics of new generation filmmaking, including an orientation towards young audiences and the recurring figure of the immortal monkey-like Sun Wukong. He explores how films such as Lotus Lantern/Baolian Deng (1999) responded to competition from American imports such as The Lion King (1994), retaining Chinese iconography while at the same time adopting Hollywood aesthetics and techniques. Addressing the series Boonie Bears/Xiong Chumo (2014-5), Chen focuses on the films'Trade ReviewThis is the first book that systematically discusses animated feature film in China after 1995, unraveling the challenges and innovations in its transition to a market-oriented economy. It is an original and timely contribution to Chinese animation studies. A must read for anyone who wants to know contemporary Chinese animation. -- Daisy Yan Du, author of Animated Encounters: Transnational Movements of Chinese Animation 1940s-1970sTable of Contents1. Introduction: Passing the Torch of Chinese Cinema Animation to a New Generation 2. The Chinese Animation Blockbuster at the Turn of the Century: Lotus Lantern and Beyond 3. Cross-Generational Appeal, Social Supervision and Media Convergence: The Derivative Films and Boonie Bears Series 4. Original Chinese Cinema Animation and Kuiba series: Commerciality, Originality and Cultural Hybridity 5. Monkey King: Hero is Back and the New Direction of Chinese Cinema Animation 6. Conclusion Glossary Bibliography Filmography

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Book SynopsisIn this new era of computing, where the iPhone, iPad, Xbox Kinect, and similar devices have changed the way to interact with computers, many questions have risen about how modern input devices can be used for a more intuitive user interaction. Interaction Design for 3D User Interfaces: The World of Modern Input Devices for Research, Applications, and Game Development addresses this paradigm shift by looking at user interfaces from an input perspective.The book is divided into four parts: Theory of input devices and user interfaces, with an emphasis on multi-touch interaction Advanced topics on reducing noise on input devices using Kalman Filters A collection of hands-on approaches that allows the reader to gain experience with some devices A case study examining speech as input Most of the chapters contain exercises that provide practical experience to enhance knowledge of the material in the related chapter. With its handTable of ContentsTHEORY. Introduction. Input Interfaces. Output Interfaces and Displays. Computer Graphics. 3D Interaction. 3D Navigation. Descriptive and Predictive Models. Multi-Touch. Multi-Touch for Stereoscopic Displays. Pen and Multi-Touch Modeling and Recognition. Using Multi-Touch with PetriNets. Eye Gaze Tracking as Input in Human–Computer Interaction. Brain–Computer Interfaces: Considerations for the Next Frontier in Interactive Graphics and Games. ADVANCED TOPICS. 3D Input Math Basics. Introduction to Digital Signal Processing. Three Dimensional Rotations. MEMS Inertial Sensors and Magnetic Sensors. Kalman Filters. Quaternions and Sensor Fusion. HANDS-ON. Hands-On: Inertial Sensors for 3D Input. Simple Hands-On Project with Unity3D and Oculus Rift. Hands-On Approach with Leap Motion. Hands-On Approach with Kinect Sensor v2. Creating Home-Brew Devices with Arduino Microcontrollers. Autonomous Bicycle with Gyroscope Sensor. Input Implementation Details. CASE STUDY: SPEECH AS INPUT. Multimodal Human-Like Conversational Interfaces. Adaptive Dialogue Systems for Health. CONTENTS OF ONLINE SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL. The World of Gesture Recognition. Input Frameworks and Development Considerations for Input Technologies. Hands-On: Multi-Touch and Pen Using Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows 10 with Microsoft Surface Pro. Hands-on: Intel RealSense SDK. APPENDICES. Displays. Creating Your Own Virtual Reality Headset.

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Book SynopsisDigital characters are a driving force in the entertainment industry today. Every animated film and video game production spends a large percentage of its resources and time on advancing the quality of the digital characters inhabiting the world being created. This book presents the theory and practice behind the creation of digital characters for film and games using software-agnostic descriptions that apply to any animation application. It provides insight from a real production environment and the requirements that such an environment imposes.Digital Character Development: Theory and Practice, Second Edition covers the following key topics that are valuable to professionals across a wide spectrum of disciplines: Evolution and history of digital characters, which is critical to understanding the theory and techniques behind how characters are developed Contemporary issues, such as the Uncanny Valley phenomenon, that affect charaTable of ContentsAn Introduction to Digital Characters. Overview. Contemporary Issues Related to Digital Characters. Interview: Josh Carey, Rigging Supervisor, Reel FX Creative Studio. History of Digital Characters. Interview: Tim McLaughlin, Associate Professor and Department Head Department of Visualization, College of Architecture, Texas A&M University. Character Technology and Code. Interview: Daniel Dawson, Lead Character Technical Director, DreamWorks Animation. Character Technology. Introduction To Character Technology. Interview: Wade Ryer, Character Technical Director. Anatomy for Character Setup. Interview: Lee Wolland, Character Technical Director, Consultant. Motion Systems. Interview: Cara Malek, Character Technology Body Lead, DreamWorks Animation. Deformation Systems. Interview: Robert Helms, Lead Character Technical Director, DreamWorks Animation. Face Setup. Interview: Nico Scapel, Creative Director, Faceshift. Rig Synthesis. Interview: Stephen Mann, CG Supervisor, Shade VFX. Rig Construction. Animation Technology. Introduction to Animation Technology. Interview: Javier Solsona, Senior Character Technical Director, Sony Imageworks. Traditional Animation Techniques. Interview: Stephen Candell, Lead Character Technical Director, DreamWorks Animation. Motion Capture. Interview: Brad Clark, Character Technical Director, Consultant. Procedural Animation. Interview: Terran Boylan, Lead Character Technical Director, DreamWorks Animation. Case Studies in Character Interactivity. Interview: David Hunt-Bosch, Rigging Tech Art Lead, Bungie. Conclusions. The Frontiers of Digital Character Development. Interview: Ken Perlin, Professor, Media Research Laboratory, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University.

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Book SynopsisDriven by consumer-market applications that enjoy steadily increasing economic importance, graphics hardware and rendering algorithms are a central focus of computer graphics research. Video-based rendering is an approach that aims to overcome the current bottleneck in the time-consuming modeling process and has applications in areas such as computer games, special effects, and interactive TV. This book offers an in-depth introduction to video-based rendering, a rapidly developing new interdisciplinary topic employing techniques from computer graphics, computer vision, and telecommunication engineering. Providing an overview of the state-of-the-art of video-based rendering and details of the fundamental VBR algorithms, the author discusses the advantages, the potential, as well as the limitations of the approach in the context of different application scenarios.Trade Review"VBR technology poses important scientific questions and technological challenges; breakthroughs could put one company ahead of another in the realms of interactive television, 3D TV, and free-point video." -SciTech Book News, December 2005Table of ContentsVideo-Based Rendering

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the development of the video game as a new form of interactive media and a template for future modes of entertainment. While television programs and movies are predominantly passive enterprises, video games engage the audience and provide not only audio-visual stimulation but also an enriching interaction that creates a heightened sense of immersion. Through a detailed discussion of gameplay and game design principles, Natkin explores the nature of this interaction and its impact on the entertainment industry. He explains the developmental process behind game design and the new concepts of narration and entertainment it has introduced. He then considers the future of gameplay with its potential for developing new means of artistic expression and its liability to be abused as an outlet for propaganda and coercion.Trade Review" "". . . highly informative and a great foundation for understanding video game genres and development."" -PJ Hruschak, CIN Weekly, August 2006 ""A straightforward introduction to what video games and interactive media are, and the impact that their increasing popularity has had on modern culture... accessible to non-specialist general readers of all backgrounds, whether they are familiar with games or not... the perfect primer for any serious student, scholar, or parent needing the straight facts about interactive computer games."" -John Burroughs, Midwest Book Review, August 2006"

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Book SynopsisUlead DVD Workshop is DVD-authoring software designed for video professionals and enthusiasts working on the Windows platform. It permits users to import video from digital or analog sources with sophisticated MPEG capture and conversion tools and build professional looking still or motion menus using an extensive set of design tools. Instant DVD Workshop 2.0 presents carefully detailed screen shots and step-by-step directions illustrating how to use DVD Workshop software. Beginning with the proper installation of the application, it covers the full scope of functions, including managing media, importing stills and graphics, editing video, inserting audio files, creating menus, and finish authoring, with professional tips and techniques covering workflow and other topics provided along the way.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Getting Started in DVD Workshop 2.0; Chapter 2 Editing Video in DVD Workshop 2.0; Chapter 3 What's on the Menu?; Chapter 4 Advanced Authoring Tools (DVD Projects Only); Chapter 5 Finish Authoring; Chapter 6 Makin’ It Great!;

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Book SynopsisBuild your own video chat application - but that's just the beginning. With WebRTC, you'll create real-time applications to stream any kind of user media and data directly from one browser to another, all built on familiar HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Power real-time activities like text-based chats, secure peer-to-peer file transfers, collaborative brainstorming sessions - even multiplayer gaming. And you're not limited to two connected users: an entire chapter of the book is devoted to engineering multipeer WebRTC apps that let groups of people communicate in real time. You'll create your own video conferencing app. It's all here. WebRTC is an API exposed in all modern web browsers. After almost a decade of development, the WebRTC specification was finalized, and this book provides faithful coverage of that finalized specification. You'll start by building a basic but complete WebRTC application for video chatting. Chapter by chapter, you'll refine that app and its core logic to spin up new and exciting WebRTC-powered apps that will have your users sharing all manner of data with one another, all in real time. No third-party libraries or heavy downloads are required for you or your users: you'll be writing and strengthening your knowledge of vanilla JavaScript and native browser APIs. You'll learn how to directly connect multiple browsers over the open internet using a signaling channel. You will gain familiarity with a whole set of Web APIs whose features bring WebRTC to life: requesting access to users' cameras and microphones; accessing and manipulating arbitrary user files, right in the browser; and web storage for persisting shared data over the life of a WebRTC call. Like any Web API, WebRTC doesn't enjoy a perfect implementation in any browser. But this book will guide you in writing elegant code to the specification, with backward-compatible fallback code for use in almost all modern browsers. Use WebRTC to build the next generation of web applications that stream media and data in real time, directly from one user to another - all by working in the browser. What You Need: Readers need a text editor, an up-to-date copy of Chrome or Firefox, and a POSIX-style command-line shell. They'll also need to install a little bit of open-source software, especially Node.js. All necessary setup is covered in full in the book's introductory chapter.

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Book SynopsisThis book shows how the web-based PhysGL programming environment (http://physgl.org) can be used to teach and learn elementary mechanics (physics) using simple coding exercises. The book's theme is that the lessons encountered in such a course can be used to generate physics-based animations, providing students with compelling and self-made visuals to aid their learning. Topics presented are parallel to those found in a traditional physics text, making for straightforward integration into a typical lecture-based physics course. Users will appreciate the ease at which compelling OpenGL-based graphics and animations can be produced using PhysGL, as well as its clean, simple language constructs. The author argues that coding should be a standard part of lower-division STEM courses, and provides many anecdotal experiences and observations, that include observed benefits of the coding work.

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Book SynopsisLearning Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 Design Essentials is a superb end-to-end reference that provides users with complete info on all of the features and options available in the latest version of 3ds Max Design, so that users can learn how to use 3ds Max Design confidently in a production environment. Each chapter offers a series of lessons - which introduce the functional areas of Max Design and go over all associated features (with examples), and then a lab (which demonstrates a practical application of the lesson). Together, all of the lessons deliver and sound and complete approach to revealing the functions, features, and principles of 3ds Max 2010 Design. New Bonus section on MaxScript covering techniques for automating repetitive tasks and customizing 3ds Max Design to make you more productive. The DVD includes project Scene & support files, 3 bonus chapters and 4 bonus labs (an additional 370 pages of 3ds Max Design techniques) with free models & texture maps from Turbo Squid (a $188 value), and a link to a trial version of Sketchbook Pro.

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Book SynopsisDrawing on an impressive roster of experts in the field, Fundamentals of Computer Graphics, Fifth Edition offers an ideal resource for computer course curricula as well as a user-friendly personal or professional reference.Focusing on geometric intuition, this book gives the necessary information for understanding how images get onto the screen by using the complementary approaches of ray tracing and rasterization. It covers topics common to an introductory course, such as sampling theory, texture mapping, spatial data structure, and splines. It also includes a number of contributed chapters from authors known for their expertise and clear way of explaining concepts.HIGHLIGHTS Major updates and improvements to numerous chapters, including shading, ray tracing, physics-based rendering, math, and sampling Updated coverage of existing topics The absorption and reworking of several chapters to create a morTable of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Miscellaneous Math 3 Raster Images 4 Ray Tracing 5 Surface Shading 6 Linear Algebra 7 Transformation Matrices 8 Viewing 9 The Graphics Pipeline 10 Signal Processing 11 Texture Mapping 12 Data Structures for Graphics 13 Sampling 14 Physics-Based Rendering 15 Curves Michael Gleicher 16 Computer Animation Michael Ashikhmin 17 Using Graphics Hardware Peter Willemsen 18 Color Erik Reinhard and Garrett Johnson 19 Visual Perception William B. Thompson 20 Tone Reproduction Erik Reinhard 21 Implicit Modeling Brian Wyvill 22 Computer Graphics in Games Naty Hoffman 23 Visualization Tamara Munzner

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Book SynopsisCommunication Technology Update and Fundamentals has set the standard as the single best resource for students and professionals looking to brush up on how communication technologies have developed, grown, and converged, as well as whatâs in store for the future. The 15th edition is completely updated, reflecting the changes that have swept the communication industries. The first five chapters offer the communication technology fundamentals, including the ecosystem, the history, and structureâthen delves into each of about two dozen technologies, including mass media, computers, consumer electronics, and networking technologies. Each chapter is written by experts who provide snapshots of the state of each individual field. Together, these updates provide a broad overview of these industries, as well as the role communication technologies play in our everyday lives. In addition to substantial updates to each chapter, the 15th edition includes: First-ever chapters on Big Data and the Internet of Things Updated user data in every chapter Projections of what each technology will become by 2031 Suggestions on how to get a job working with the technologies discussed The companion website, www.tfi.com/ctu, offers updated information on the technologies covered in this text, as well as links to other resources

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Book SynopsisPresents information on various principles and practices of 3-D computer animation, character animation, pictorial background illustration, time-based design, interactive media, kinetic typography, film design, and television graphic design. This volume is suitable for those involved with various aspects of design, animation and computer art.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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