Animation Books

The book is very useful not just for game developers, but also for programmers that are looking to some C++ optimization. I have to admit, that most of ideas are somewhat new to me (and I'm a C++ programmer for several years now). Looking forward to read next part of GPG.

I have been trying to get into game development for a while, and finding books that are truly helpful has been difficult. Within the first hour of ownership I actually began to 'feel good' about game development.

The format of the book is very unorthodox - it reads more like a very detailed "quick tip guide" than a book on programming - which was very refreshing. And the sections I have read have all been very personable, cut-and-dry suggestions:

1. This is what you should do...
2. This is why you should do it...

I am a bit short of cash at the moment, but I guarantee I will be purchasing more of the series.

I've found this book to be very useful in game programming. The variety of articles an concepts covered is very vast. In fact, that is probably the cause for its only (in my opinion) shortcomming - that many of the articles aren't long or complete enough. An excellent book if you're looking for an introduction to many different concepts.

I have been reading this series since this first book. I am about to purchase Game Programming Gems 5 because each book has given me so much incite to the many elements of game programming. You could easily take every one of these tips and gems and implement them not only in games but many systems that require optimization, graphics or sound programming.

Hands down this series is the best format I have seen with regards to engineering books. The many authors contributing are industry experts and the hands on people who are doing the work. Even if you do not program games this is some great information for all software developers.

I swear, this series is like programming crack. Succinct, no extra "learning how to program" garbage, no extra commentary. Code. That works. Well. Quickly.

The book successfully demonstrates practical use of frequently used tools in addition to showing how to approach projects. It is great for beginners trying to learn the nuances of Lightwave. Although Dan could have saved a lot of trees by omitting the first chapter, the rest of the book has proved useful in learning the program. I would recommend it to everyone starting from ground zero as I did.

This was another great resource for me, both as far as learning new things, as well as for quick references in times of need =)

The only thing is.. this book is huge....and I mean BIG and HEAVY. Not the book you would carry around in a backpack.

I have a very good job because of this book. Dan... You are the man.

I have spent a lot of money on 3d books in the past but this is the best by a distance, that I have bought. The head modeling tutorial in particular is just fantastic, I defy anyone to find a better modeling tutorial than this, its just brilliant. The really great thing is that the methods taught are easily transferable to other software packages and not just relevant to Lightwave. The only thing I would say is that if you are a beginner, prepare to work very hard, learning to make good 3d is tough, but if you are really prepared to do the hard work this book can take you a long way down the road. I would give it six out of five if I could !

This is probably the most comprehensive text I've used on LightWave. Very modeling intensive. It has rigging(bones)tutorials, but the "LW Applied 6.5/7" rigging tuorial is better. A must buy for the LW artist.

This is a 5 stars book, but is outdated now.

Still have some very interesting hints about lighting in general way.

This book does teach the reader how to do certain things that come in handy, but you have to know how to get around in MAX to understand it. I found it useful, but only because I had spent the last month figuring out MAX by myself. Some ideas in the book are not particularly helpful, but there are many others that will enhance your pictures, and the CD comes with some useful plugins.

When I bought this book a year ago, I was a newbie to 3D Studio Max, but not to animation and design. I agree that this book is not for the someone trying to learn animation, there are other books for that. This book has proven to be an invaluable resource in going to that next step in creation of realistic and exceptional animations. The lessons I learned about applying textures to my models alone justify the purchase of this book. Highly recommended!!!

Bell is an incredible author. Fantastic tutorials that were easy to understand and implement. There are better books out there for beginners, but for all you intermediate max users, you should have this book.

I bought this book, a newbie, thinking It would greatly increase my MAX skills. Unfortunately, it turned out this book is NOT a beginner's book, although it is intended to be. I found it hard to use and somewhat frustrating. The CD has bugs in it, and some of the tutorials were hard to understand.

This book has the information you need for lightwave. Very informative here.However my only complaint with Lightwave books is that they are all in Black and White. I do not understand why they cannot make these books with full color gloss pages like the Maya books.I love to read computer books that have lots of graphic explainations.

Black and white books are for programmers, not artist.

Otherwise than that this book will give you what you need for lightwave

The book, Inside Light Wave 8, has straightforward techniques approach to Learning LightWave Skills and Knowledge.

I was a professional Graphic Designer who wanted to move over to the 3D world, I desired to be a power-user at 3D animation. So I purchased Dan Alban's "LightWave [8]," extremely good learning tool. Dan's book got my doing just about anything I could imagine.

(In Depth book cover almost everything. Big pictures illustrations and nicely written make learn easier. Ya gotta get this one.)

This is an excellent book it is a most get. Although I got it for advanced how tos; there is beginner level help here as well. A lot of the dudes and dudettes that I've learned from through downloading Internet QuickTime movies from the Newtek website and other places, these movies are excellent show and tell ways to learn. But with expressions and certain dynamic it is good to have it in a book form as well.

This is a great text for beginners in Lightwave. However, there are myriad typographic errors and there are references to keystrokes and panels that are incorrect. This content was released during the beta for Lightwave 8. As a result, there are changes in the software that are not reflected in the content.

I contacted Dan Ablan and he provided me with the correct information. It is not often that authors are so accessible. I'll be looking forward to the next edition.

I got this great book as part of a training class that I took, and it really does provide a solid entry-intermediate level course in Lightwave. The book comes with a ton of extras on the DVD, projects, objects, scenes, textures, etc. My one complaint after working through the book for about a week is that some of the steps in the tutorials are wrong. Things like "you should have 9 polygons selected at this point..." when you really only have seven, the measurements and settings for the corvette backdrop image are off, etc. Nothing major, but it's a little frustrating when you're a newbie, and trying to wrap your head around the concepts.

This book is great for beginners. As I am a beginner, I learned a great deal with this book. There is a lot of tidbit of information in this book and a lot of good examples and tutorials to learn how to go about it. This is setup with the easier tutorials first and then it gets deeper into the program. It also starts with the basics in the beginning for those that are not familiar with Lightwave.
Another thing I like about it is that it actually shows you how to model starting with a box. Most show you how to trace and model from the tracing/and or splines.
I would definitely recommend this book for a beginner and a person that knows some about Lightwave. It has a lot of information and tips that are very useful. I still use it often and refer to it also for information.

I'm always apprehensive about purchasing tech books so I normally go to the library and check them out for a few days before the purchase. With this book I didn't do that and I must say I am pleasantly surprised. The exercises are interesting and easy to follow. The tutorial CD is also quite good.

I wanted to add some dynamics to my web pages and I got Flash 8.
I needed a book so I bought this book. I found the book very helpful
and useful

If you are farmiliar with other Adobe/Macromedia software (like PhotoShop, Illustrator, etc.) the transition to Flash using this book should be realitively easy. I learned some new tricks/shortcuts and the sample files included on the CD are helpful. I am very pleased with this book and would recommend it if you know enough to get around in Flash but aren't comfortable.

If you are completely new to image/animation or web design software I don't believe this book will help you.

I bought this product for another person and they loved it. It helped them in their understanding with Macro media flash professional hands on training. I can recommend this book to someone who needs a better understanding of how this works.

This is a great book. It gives an introduction to learning flash for beginners. Easy to learn step by step instructions along with the CD exercises.

The Rankin/Bass animagic Holiday specials are as much a part of my childhood memories as putting up the tree, hanging the stockings and painting the eggs.

It is nice to see Rick Goldschmidt drag them from the foggy haze of my nostalgia and bring them back into the light. I never new that there was so much information on Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass. "The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass" has it all, from the most obscure cel animated cartoon to the classic animagic of Rudolph and Santa.

Everything you could want is here: Behind the scenes photographs, a complete list of Rankin/Bass works, well-written articles and a jumble of Rankin/Bass memorabilia. This book is even more relevant, now that the Rankin/Bass filmography is being released on DVD. It will make you chomp at the bit for each new release.

If Peter Cottontail, The Snow Miser and Heat Miser, Frosty the Snowman and Happy the Christmas Baby ("those ears!") ring any bells for you, then you will enjoy "The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass."

I think the other reviewers here have just about covered it BUT I wanted to add that this is the way a book should be done on a classic HOLIDAY TV SPECIAL. It is loaded with information and gives background on everything from the voice actors to the Stop-motion animation. In Rick's other book he covered the entire body of RANKIN/BASS work, which was quite an undertaking, considering there were many reference books out there with incorrect info. In this book, he covered the process. The two book collection cover the history of RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS very nicely! A Perfect Holiday gift set!

The 2nd printing is WONDERFUL! So glad to see this book come back! Make your HOLIDAYS HOLLY & Of Course JOLLY! This book is it!

This book is my favorite book I have ordered from AMAZON.COM! The color pages have tons of pictures and they are the most vibrant I have seen! There is tons of incredible material in here! RANKIN/BASS Rules! Josh

If you LOVE Rankin/Bass, holiday specials, or childhood memories, then this is a MUST have book! Mr. Goldschmidt's love for the R/B TV specials & movies, shines through on EVERY page! VERY informative & detailed!I was lucky enough to get a hardcover version, but thank goodness they've released a 2nd printing for the people who missed out on his book the 1st time! Purchase this book, you WON'T be sorry!I can't wait for his upcoming; Making of R/B classic- Rudolph the red nosed reindeer! I'm sure it's gonna rock! Let's hope he follows it up w/another of my ALL-TIME favorite R/B productions; Mad Monster Party! Have some HOLLY JOLLY holidays! ;-)

This is full of great inormation however why these book publishers only use back and white imagaes confuses me. This is an artist book ususally meaning we are VISUAL people. So why every image is on flat black and white is horrible for a Graphic computer book. HUGE TURN OFF!

Other than that the text is informative but thats it!

I hink most people read Maya books because they are on nice Glossy Full Colored pages. When you pay 35.00-75.00 for a book you expect some colored imgaes if not all.

Wait for the next revision that might cover LW9's nodal texture system.
Apparently someone with talent and an understanding beyond the newbie basics will be taking over that version so just wait until then.

Despite "Dan Blocker's" conspiracy theory, I found this book to be just what I needed for Lightwave texturing. The LW manual is of limited help and several other books, while great in their own ways (sorry, Dan and Tim), left me wanting a bit more info dressing up my models (especially with regards to UV mapping).
For the record, I have been to the boards Leigh moderates but I have never spoken or otherwise corresponded with her. I don't always agree with her views but I can say that this book delivered for me.
I also encourage you to visit her web site. Leigh is one of those people who give and give to the 3D community and for her efforts sometimes gets bashed in the process.

I got this book because I was very impressed by Leighs texturing tutorial she has on her website. On the positive side she does cover the basic concepts of shader settings and does so in a way that you can apply it to any 3D app youre using (Lightwave is old and obsolete 3D app, infact Leigh doesnt use Lightwave anymore). But I was a tad bit disappointed that it didnt go more into photoshop painting technics for creating textures (that might be an unfair critisism since this book is part of a Lightwave series). But the thing that really annoyed me about the book is that it was that the pics were all in B&W, and so color copys of the pics are included on the CD to be viewed on a computer. I mean why not just make this book an ebook and eliminate passing between a book and computer altogether? That is pretty cheap of the publisher to not print this book in color.

I really have mixed emotions about this book. I ordered this online but wish I had the opportunity to see it before making the decision to buy it. It does a good job covering basics but a good web search will yield as good or superior tutorials. The included files are quite mediocre and and just reinforces the impression that the author possesses an adequate level of skills in the 2DCG realm.
After reading through the other reviews here it is quite apparent the author has enlisted her industry and web friends to blast anyone who presents an honest review. This book will work for beginners just fine so I give it an honest 2 stars with one of those stars for effort, not execution. For the intermediate and above crowd, look elsewhere for help.

John Jordan's review is an good example of the market segment that this book might help, the 3D newbie. Leigh's weak abilities in the artistic department are far eclipsed by the magnitude of her shameless self promotional plugs and pathetic attempts to appear selfless. CGTalk has turned into a shell of its former self thanks to the efforts of book promoters such as Leigh Van duh Bile and her ilk.

I got my book in about 10 days, this was ok but the CD in the book was broken.

I have tried the lessions in Flash - I read Flash Quick Start - I played in Flash - but taking this book chapter to chapter - doing the lessions - it was like lights going off and now I get it!

I have not found any errors in the book - I am on page 439 out 765 for lessions and I enjoy the lessions.

So far the lessions are about things I would use on the web. I am a developer on the web 40 hours a week. I work with SQL, ASP and Photoshop along with some other programs like Corel.

I have read alot about Flash and for years I thought it was just a program that was used for animation, but it has come a long way - it now can be use to access a database - now I got some use for it - I plan on using it for charting and dynamic buttons. I bought this book after reading the reviews - I am gald I did - worth the money - worth the time - it is a keeper...

Started working on the web for a living in 95. I work for a LARGE Company on their internet. The applications I create use databases.

Install the included 30 day trial of FLASH MX.

Copy the CD-ROM exercise files from the book to a directory on your hard drive, turn off your phones, grab a cup of coffee, open FLASH MX, put this book on your lap and start feeding your brain.

Comprehensive tool descriptions (Bezier is always a pain), big helpings of ActionScript basics, sound and video.

Excellent beta testing for technical precision.

This book stands out from other books dealing with Flash because it makes you get your hands dirty by actually USING the program. It comes with a CD that contains trial software and movies that demonstrate exacly how to perform certain tasks. It's easy to read and while the first few chapters are perfect for beginners, by the time you get to the end of the book, you'll be creating Flash presentations at an expert level.

I tried to learn flash first by reading the 'straight from the source' book. This didn't work very well. That book seemed to have been written for people who alredy know a lot about actionscript and html offering no apologies for the confusion to 'newbies'. So I picked up the H.O.T book and have learned twice as much in half the amount of time.. The author of this book is a true teacher and knows how to put an idea across in an easy to understand method. Thanks, I'm finally on my way to building great websites.. Mikeg

The primarily reason to buy that book was reviews. There is no CD and no examples. So if you are a developer and want to see some code or examples, do not waste money on it. I think I am the only one who gave this book 1 star. This makes this book absolutely meaningless.

Real-time rendering is a perfect resource to bring always :) with you and read something about this world.

I find it really useful and elegant and complete

This is not a book of algorithms on computer graphics methods. Instead, it is a comprehensive high-level survey of rendering techniques for making the graphics appear to occur in real time. This book has a very academic tone to it, and with the exception of chapter 3 which is on matrix transforms, it has precious few implementation details. Some reviewers have called it a successor to Foley and Van Dam's classic text, but I find this misleading. That book is primarily about computer graphics techniques, and is not that concerned with real-time issues. The bibliography of this book is extensive and impressive, and if you are doing research on the subject it is probably essential, especially if you are interested in the subject of virtual reality where real-time presentation is a must. However, if you are just looking for pseudocode or more "cool effects" to insert into a game or graphics program you are writing/programming you would do best to look elsewhere.

I acually read this book cover to cover theres alot of information in the book and its a great book to refer back to. Its really good as a companion with OpenGL. theres some directx stuff in it too but there seems to be more with OpenGL references.

I was greatly disappointed with the first edition of this book. There is nothing new herein that cannot be culled from the latest presentations/whitepapers posted on NVIDIA/ATI websites, from the standpoint of real time graphics.

That being said, the book in conjunction with the book's online resources site is pretty much a stand alone reference on the state of the art in rendering techniques today.

Foundation ActionScript Animation: Making Things Move! is a surprisingly well-written book. I started with Flash 3, moved to server-side languages with Flash MX, and now, years later getting back into Flash has been a journey to say the least. This book, more than the five or six others I have purchased, has made the transition fairly easy.
The author has done an excellent job in breaking down Flash math for those of us old school, tellTarget, gotoAndPlay, motion tween people. The best part of this book... the examples are error free. Which should go without saying, but in this day and age it is surprising how many tech books out there (their authors in a rush to publish) have irrelevant or incorrect example code. Highly recommended.

I was tasked with producing eight Flash simulations for an engineering dynamics course this past summer. I programmed the simulations using ActionScript with algebra and calculus introduced to control the behavior of a variety of objects -- no small task if you consider that I am an English teacher and not a programmer or engineer.

By doing and redoing the problems posed by Peters, I could eventually understand them well enough to be able to program similar modules for my project. No idea seems too difficult for him to explain in a manner a beginner can understand, particularly with the working models at the FriendsofED.

I purchased nine books on the subject at the beginning of the project. I ended up using this one more than all of the others combined.

I also recommend his ActionScript 3.0. Being the same book written for two different versions of ActionScript, the two books give us a really good opportunity to compare and contrast the two languages.

I will atest that this is a great book IF you are an actionscript junkie, but if your not you will hate this book. I was looking for a book to help my students with thier Flash animations and this book was way beyond where I wanted to take my students.

I bought this book along w/ about 4 others that I needed. This one was the splurge... I was simply going to browse through it and see what I could pick up from it - not really thinking I could fully grasp the advanced concepts.

To my suprise, this book brought you all the way back to those good ole Trig classes and explained what you'd need to recall (or re-learn) and why. Every concept was very well explained and one concept builds upon the next.

It's definitely no light read, but if you really do have a desire to learn, this is the book.

I was looking for a script animation book and I finally found the one that cater to my needs.