Best Rendering & Ray Tracing
It also presents a solid theoretical framework and relevant mathematics for the field of interactive computer graphics, all in an approachable style. This latest edition is as relevant as ever, covering topics from essential mathematical foundations to advanced techniques used by today’s cutting edge games.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Make no mistake, there is a lot of math in this book. All in all I think it was a great read, and I feel a lot more comfortable with the basic concepts of rendering after reading the book."
"DON'T get the kindle version, it is just pdf images (table of content links don't work, page takes up only half of the phone screen, cannot zoom in)."
"Their intention is always to describe the best up-to-date techniques to implement solutions to every aspect of real-time 3D graphics, with only enough general or historical discussion of each topic to provide a foundation to understand the current state-of-the-art. It is a perfect complement to special-purpose books on specific APIs (OpenGL or DirectX) or GPU shading languages (GLSL or CG or HLSL) that describe the specific graphics environment and software tools you need to implement your 3D applications."
"It gives a really good description of just about everything, I was happy to see how it has a section to go over the GPU architecture, and uses the Playstation 3 and XBox 360 as examples."
"It's the best book I've found for up-to-date information about GPU rendering."
"If you understand the basics of rendering already this book will give you detailed coverage of rendering theory, its not an implementation example book."
"Amazing overview of real-time rendering techniques."
"This is a must have book for everyone who wants to dig deeper into real-time rendering and games."
Learn the fine art and craft of digital lighting and rendering from an experienced pro whose lighting work you’ve seen in blockbuster films such as Monsters University, Toy Story 3, Up, WALL-E, Ratatouille, and The Incredibles. • Understand production pipelines at visual effects and animation studios, and prepare for collaborative work on large lighting teams. • Get the latest insights into industry trends, and how to develop your lighting reel and get a job in an increasingly competitive industry. He also has taught advanced lighting and rendering at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and the California Institute of the Arts, and has taught master classes in Maya at Autodesk.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Jeremy Birn’s Digital Lighting and Rendering is a masterful treatise on digital lighting and, in my opinion, a must have on your bookshelf if you’re a 3d artist. Though there are lots of books that cover specific topics or software packages (such as modeling in Maya), it’s more difficult to find higher-level books that focus on the fundamentals."
"I bought the 2nd edition of this, and even if it doesn't really feel that outdated when it comes to methodology this 3rd edition is improved in every regard."
"The 2nd edition was already an outstanding book."
"The Book is superbly presented in glossy paper format with excellently reproduced colour images that generously fill the book as examples of how to achieve the right lighting for that perfect shot you were trying to setup but till now had no idea of how to achieve it."
"If only all the documentation for 3D software were written like this clear and concise book."
"great book."
The sure way for design professionals to learn SketchUp modeling and rendering techniques Rendering In SketchUp provides instructions for creating 3D photoreal graphics for SketchUp models using integrated rendering programs. Render settings: Use specific settings for various rendering programs to quickly set texture character, image quality, and graphic output. Given the ever-changing nature of technology, free, online accompanying chapters detail settings for additional integrated rendering programs including SU Podium, Twilight Render, and more. Rendering process: Learn a step-by-step process focused on workflow within SketchUp's familiar workspace Universal method: Understand how the process can be used to work with a variety of different integrated rendering programs, including Shaderlight and Twilight Render*, which are easy to learn and function in SketchUp Textures and materials: Discover how to obtain, apply, and edit texture images representing surfaces Component details: Learn how to acquire and organize model details to allow for rich, expressive settings while maintaining computer and SketchUp performance Exterior and simulated lighting: Learn to set exterior lighting with the SketchUp's Shadow menu or illuminate a scene with simulated lights, lamps, and bulbs Render settings: Use specific settings for various rendering programs to quickly set texture character, image quality, and graphic output Computer specifications: Find out how computers produce renders and the type of computer hardware required to streamline the process Photoshop post-processing: Discover how to further refine rendered images in Photoshop.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Yes, you can skip from one part to another, but the book is designed to provide a continuous learning curve that is easy to achieve with just a bit of effort and some necessary repetition. Having great textures and knowing how to use them is the secret of every ArchViz rendering Star, It separates the men from the boys, so to speak. Daniel takes you through the necessary resources you will need, he even shows you how to manipulate these texture with Image editing software that again adds greater variety and quality to ones renders. Organization is something that Sketchup enables and Daniel Tal methods if they are followed carefully will allow one to create sophisticated articulate and expressive models and subsequent renders. Not so- the future online chapters will go a long way in keeping its readers informed and updated with all things new in the rendering world. More importantly, however much easier it gets in the future what you will learn here will always help you and provide a better and richer understanding of all that is involved in the rich tapestry of rendering work."
"My comments for this book can be summarized as follow: Comprehensive: First of all, this book does not only cover things specific for creating renderings, but also topics like how to create your SketchUp model in a more organized way to facilitate your rendering process. Organized: To gain the most from this book, you should read from cover to cover and not skipping any chapters."
"While the focus is on rendering, it also includes information on advanced modeling techniques and builds upon what was presented in his previous book, Google SketchUp for Site Design. If you are a practicing landscape archtitect/designer/technician and use SketchUp in the office, then you must own this book."
"Lots of good tips, tricks, and resources."
Best 3D Printing Books
The 3D Printing Handbook provides practical advice on selecting the right technology and how-to design for 3D printing, based upon first-hand experience from the industry's leading experts. "3D Hubs draw on the thousands of 3D printing hours they have clocked up and bring this experience to the reader" - Michael Petch, 3dprintingindustry.com.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Like others have said, if you are a beginner hoping to learn the basics of 3D printing then this book will be great for you. But if you REALLY want to learn about 3D printing, skip the book, save up and buy an actual 3D printer."
"It is written with cohesive understanding of the entire 3D printing landscape, thus it functions as a manual providing surface to semi-advanced information on all 3D printing technologies, including lesser-known types."
"Amazing book, it has everything about the 3D printer process and all the details wroten by experts."
"very nice survey of 3d printing."
"But if you're interested in FDM printing (which the book terms FFF), that is, printers that work by laying down a thin layer of semi-molten plastic through a heated print head, i.e., the process used by probably 90+% of the printers sold, you will find precious little to assist you. It would more accurately be titled "3D Printing Technologies Review", because its main strength is describing the various 3D printing technologies, and comparing them for the types of parts they produce."
Best Computer Modelling
Getting to Know ArcGIS , fourth edition, is a comprehensive introduction to the features and tools of ArcGIS for Desktop. He has worked for Rand McNally Canada and for Esri, where he developed cartography for books, and edited and tested GIS workbooks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is designed for even the least GIS inclined person."
"Book includes a six month license for ArcGIS."
"Awesome book with code to use on computer."
"I thought the the old ARGIS 9 Version was more readerr friendly."
"Great book with exercises."
"Good Book."
"Excellent workbook to get anyone started in ArcGIS."
Best User Experience & Website Usability
If you’ve read it before, you’ll rediscover what made Don’t Make Me Think so essential to Web designers and developers around the world. Steve Krug (pronounced "kroog") is best known as the author of Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability , now in its second edition with over 350,000 copies in print.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As the subtitle, "A Common Sense Approach", and Krug's consultancy's name, "Advanced Common Sense" ([...]) convey, many great design considerations today involve some simple approaches to dramatically improve your web user experiences."
"This should be required reading by ALL marketing execs, ALL web designers and developers, ALL graphic designers, ALL product designers and inventors, and ALL copywriters."
"Krug breaks the issues of usable web design into simple, digestible form for anyone who depends on a website for promotion or income."
"That fact makes this book a good read for anybody who is involved in any aspect of a websites operation, Web Developer, Marketing, Sales and Management (from mid level to upper level)."
"Many of the ideas and resources in the book have been incredibly valuable to me in my work, and it's almost always the first book I recommend to anyone asking questions about User Experience related topics."
"Unlike a boring text book, Krug makes the book really fun with helpful (yet obvious) examples that bring some concepts to life."
"This book was on the "suggested" reading lists for an interface design class that I took in college."
"But how is though to follow common sense when building a website! I use it on my daily work, to guide my business partners in the construction of the websites for my B2B Clients, and after reading it, is quirte amazing how you can immediatelly spot in the web the websites that follow its principles and those that don't."
Best Desktop Publishing
With 500 pages of full color photos and illustrations, the book delivers all the basics that a novice grower needs, as well as scientific research for the experienced gardener. All aspects of cultivation are covered, from the selection of varieties, setting up of the garden, and through each stage of plant growth all the way to harvesting. Ed Rosenthal has been teaching for more than 30 years.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is like a 100 or 200 level college course book."
"Even if you dont grow, This book is an interesting read... lots of pictures with good information on several aspects of this fascinating subject."
"The overall theory was very informative, but for the beginner, like myself, would have liked to have more day to day care, especially related to hydroponic management."
"I recommend other books for specifics breeders and growers bible, lets grow a pound, and some others for specific topics, but this one is definently jam packed with info on all aspects."
"A very necessary addition to furthering knowledge."
"Ed’s got it all covered, from first seed all the way to enjoying your finished product...and everything in between!"
"Just started reading the book but it seems to have all the information needed to grow your own healthy plants."
Best 3D Graphic Design
Reflecting both academic and in-the-trenches practical experience, the authors teach you how to describe objects and their positions, orientations, and trajectories in 3D using mathematics. He was a technical director for the Walt Disney Company at Wideload Games in Chicago, where he was the lead programmer for Disney Guilty Party , which won IGN's Family Game of the Year at E3 2010.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I hadn't seen much math or geometry since high school, but this book does a great job at easing you into the underlying concepts of some pretty heavy stuff. I tried to wade through the CG "bibles" ("Real Time Rendering", "Principles of Computer Graphics in C") and quickly realized that if you're not either a CG major in college or an experienced CG pro, those books are like being in heavy seas without a life vest."
"I had a quick browse through the book, I don't have the time to work through it now I bought it for next year but from what I could digest from the sample pages I read it is very good."
"This was a great book."
"A lot of times the explanation does not translate to directly explain the provided example code, but this was an invaluable starting point for programming 3D maths."
"I have tried to learn 3d programming from reading other books on this topic and found myself getting confused before finishing the first couple of pages. This book came to my house and I began reading chapter 1, before I knew it I was on chapter 5 (2 hours later) and knew a good bit about Vectors, Matrices, 3d Coordinate systems and the such."
"Unfortunately, the later chapters look (Starting from the chapter on Quaternions/Euler angles and going until the end of the book) like they were quite rushed which was disappointing considering the nice flow of the previous chapters."
Best Electronic Documents
Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Animate choose Adobe Animate CC Classroom in a Book (2017 release) from Adobe Press. He has taught at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and at the University of California at Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and was the Department Head of the Illustration program at Sessions College for Professional Design.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"good book, didn't know much about animation but the book made it easier but still takes over and over again sometimes."
"On line courses are good .....a book seems to be an easier method for me."
"I love that it is also available off line, in case i'm on the road without internet connection."
"Love these books!"
"Bought this as a supplement to the book required for my class."
"I bought this book at Barnes and Noble and it has been so helpful!"
"Its okay if you are into designing cartoons."
Best CAD Graphic Design Guides
Used in hundreds of educational institutions around the world as the primary text for CNC courses, and used daily by many in-field CNC programmers and machine operators, this book literally defines CNC programming. This powerful software includes an amazing array of features, including those not found in competitive products. Support for many advanced features is standard, and the included macro interpreter can simulate Fanuc and compatible macro toolpath programs Detailed section on CNC lathes with live tooling, including examples Image files of many actual parts, used as examples More programming examples (both in printed text and on the CD-ROM) Optimized for the latest Fanuc and related control systems Additional formulas, calculations and handy reference material Fourth axis programming (indexing and rotary) CD-ROM based projects, including several as interactive PDF forms Improved index for better search of topics.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The z coordinate moves along the axis of rotation of the shaft or workpiece with the x coordinate being the radial distance (signed) of the cutter from the axis of rotation. The distance advanced in one revolution is then (1/t) inches per thread or revolution.The rate the cutter must travel along the z direction is then (1/t)xRPM where RPM is the rotation rate of the shaft in revolutions per minute. Next for the review: You're assumed to know how to read prints and mainly how to picture in your mind or sketch the object from a standard 3 view orthographic projection drawing (front view, right side view, and top view). The front view actually gives y and z coordinates of the points of your object, right side view gives x and z, top gives x and y. For a lathe a 2 view or even single view will suffice."
"Machining and want to be great at programming this has it all, great examples."
"So it spent half its trip within 5 miles of my house without coming to my house."
"I have not finished this book but it is obvious that this is one book that everyone who wants to learn anything about CNC needs to read."
"Very detailed, well written, all the information you need and then some I can see this becoming a reference book after i finish my first read through it,"
"I used this text initially for course study, now for refining my programs."
"I have been walking through the programs with the help of this book and it has been really helpful in learning the programs."
"Otherwise an acceptable book however as a beginner to CNC, the CD-Rom was the reason I chose this particular book."