Animation Books

As a well-versed member of the "Google Images & Clone Stamp" school of texturing, I know full well that knowing all the technical ins and outs of a program doesn't guarantee good results. A strong grounding in fundamental art principles is needed to make proper use of all the technical bells & whistles.

It can be said that Digital Texturing & Painting is too art-heavy, but it's such a critical aspect of good CG that's either glossed over or omitted in other books. Being able to break down & understand all the many elements of a texture so it can be recreated and controlled is of the utmost importance. And learning how to go beyond photos and start working with the infinitely unique number of real world textures you can find or create adds new levels to your texturing work.

The art-based sections as well as the more technical preparation section are geared toward making you think about every aspect of the work and how best to execute it, rather than creating bland textures that have been done a thousand time before.

Although the specific texturing examples are rather short, the author covers the basics of several texturing methods. NURBS, polygons, using projections, using 3D paint software, tiling textures, using Illustrator, using Photoshop, making & scanning in real world objects or just making things from scratch. And the included CD has the PSD files for you to poke around in a figure out how the maps are put together.

Digital Painting & Texturing has the breadth & depth to be a helpful book for texture artists of all levels.

This book really takes texturing to a new level. You'll never walk around looking at the things the same way you did.

It describes intensely how to dissect and evaluate a surface, with interesting practical methods to re-create it.

Must read for people who seriously wants to learn about texturing.

I loves this book. It has truly taight me how to see texture and how to bring digital painting to life. This book will help you in all areas of art which can be used in real life painting, digital painting, 3D art and more. I f you need help Understanding how to get your art to that realism point then this book is defintly for you 100%.

You can only gain and loose nothing by reading this book-

The book brought up some options that I didn't think of before. and help with some of my class work.

This is a useful book, written by an experienced artist. Most of the book was really about art itself, how to see and notice details in real life the way an artist would. Only the last chapter really got into specifics about painting textures in Photoshop or specific types of maps.

If you want a book where most of it tells you how to think like an artist, then this is for you. If you wanted a book that went into more detail about how to unwrap UVs on a model or specific texture painting techniques, you'd be dissapointed.

Ordered this book for my husband's class. Not only did Amazon have it in stock, it was $20 cheaper than Barnes & Noble (with member discount) and that's even after upgrading the shipping. Was a little worried at first that the book wouldn't come quickly cause the tracking was awful, but it arrived fast.
A note worth mentioning: this book comes with a CD as well even though it does not say so.

My husband has not used this book much for his class yet, so as for the material I am not sure. But we are very pleased with the product & Amazon (as usual) so far.

I picked up this book as a possible replacement for the book that is currently used in my 'Game Design' course. This book is very attractive and professionally put together. It covers the material that would be essential (hence the title) when discussing the elements of game design:
1. The history of the medium
I found some annoying factual errors in this part of the book. Which initially turned me off but I continued to read since errors seemed to be in the sidebars which may not get the same editorial review.
2. Who plays and why?
This contained very interesting material for students to discuss with respect to player motivation, personality and gender. The eye-opening part for me was the view of game playing from the perspective of generations. Baby boomers, Generation X and the Millennial Generation look for different things from the games they play. (This part made me examine my own choices for games and the characters I am most attracted to in them!)
3. The elements in a game - genres, platforms, player mode

Part II is where the real gems are for people who really want to design games:
4. The elements of storytelling
5. Creating the characters/roles
6. Creating the game experience, e.g. challenges
7. Creating the World and Atmosphere (anyone else listen to the audio CD to remember the delight in playing the game?)

The last part covers:
8. The key roles/titles in the game development process
9. The process of producing games
10. The future of gaming

The book ends with the following bonuses:
11. A list of resources for those who are serious about actually getting into the game business
12. List of books to read and learn more
13. A CD with tools

The key thing I value when spending time on a book is one - am I learning something new? This book offers many ideas central to designing video games. It is an excellent book for a course on the topic or for any budding game designer to pick up start the journey.

It's an excellent book. The fact that she included my incredibly detailed game design document in no way influenced my rating.

Just wanted to let people know there is a later version if you missed it, and you should check with instructors before buying this book and be sure it is the dated version needed!

I find this book to be well rounded in the history and in the aspect to the gaming and simulation world. It was not what I originally expected to read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and now can look at the gaming world a lot differently with more respect.

I purchased this book because it was required for the class I am taking at DeVry University Online, but now that I have read it, I am interested in purchasing a few of the other books in this series by Jeannie Novak.

Inside Flash MX by Jody Keating of Fig Leaf Software provides an advancing bell curve of information to users. Beginners to Flash will be overwhelmed with the information provided but will also discover the incredible power that is carried within Flash MX. Good at Flash programming but not necessarily a mathematics wizard? This book is for you. The intermediate and advanced users of Flash MX will find this book a valued learning tool and resource with a plethora of examples and help in the appendices.

Lets face it, if you do any programming at all, you know how the cost of reference material can add up. So I take book purchases very seriously almost fanatically and try to research like crazy before I make a purchase.

I was on the fence about this book and it took me a while before I decided to get Inside Flash MX. I'm not sorry I did. It's quite different than the majority of the other books I have concerning Flash. It goes into topics that a lot of other books don't delve into. The Drawing API for one, printing in Flash, using Named anchors, scriptable masks, Flash Remoting, and some App. Development to name a few. Some Component stuff also. This is not the book to buy to learn Actionscript. Its really not the book to learn the basics of Flash either. The book really focuses on the more "hidden" or less traveled aspects of the program. It's certainly well written and organized well. It will really help round out your flash reference library. Sometimes I am even surprised myself at how often I use it. It's neither advanced or beginner _level. I give it a 3 1/2 really because it just is.

(this review is for the first edition of the book dated June 2002)
I enjoyed reading this book, but didn't find it to be the reference I was looking for. I found the first chapters too focused on explaining differences from earlier versions of Flash: These chapters are probably excellent for users upgrading to Flash MX rather than people entirely new to Flash.

Also, the authors sometimes are a little too happy with Flash MX, which indeed had many improvements over previous versions but still was lacking in many areas that are now partially fixed in MX 2004. Although other languages are mentioned throughout the book, the authors are very positive about even minor OO improvements in Actionscript that really don't warrant such enthusiasm.

Although the authors mention different kinds of application servers, it is clear that their background is mostly with ColdFusion and ASP rather than JSP/Java (which is what we use). Some of the comments on choosing between server technologies don't sound as informed as could be and is very biased towards traditional Macromedia/Allaire-related technologies.

In all, I think the book is easily readable, offers good insight into specific features for current Flash developers, and contains some chapters with very useful techniques and knowledge for making effects, animation effects, and even emulating natural world object and their physical behavior. I wasn't looking for such information, however, as I am creating a foundation of Flash ActionScript knowledge to create forms-based business applications.

Finally, the authors do a decent job of including references to the Mac authoring platform, but the book is really focused on Windows and uses Windows screenshots exclusively.

For the overall purpose of this book, I liked "Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Advanced for Windows & Macintosh" better. It has better screenshots, a nicer format, is more platform-agnostic, and is easier to use as a reference. Chapters 4 through 22 do offer valuable information on specific subjects, however. So I recommend looking at the table of contents and determining from that whether this book is valuable for your specific purpose.

Inside Flash MX is a great book if your looking for a quick and engaging way to learn about the finer points of Flash, or simply want to brush up on your basics.

This book is so easy to understand. The language is encouraging and clear without being patronising, and Flash features that I've found confusing in the past (shared library) are made perfectly simple.
Each chapter explains the basic principles behind the topic and then goes on to explore them using practical projects. It's obvious that these projects are written by someone with a lot of experience in Flash because they are constantly dropping hints that you wouldn't otherwise know.
There is also a useful actionScript reference (if this is all you're after you will find a more thorough one elsewhere), and a handy little resource CD that contains all the source material you need for the projects, demo versions of Flash-related Software, and royalty-free sound files.

I like this book because it's fun and it inspires me to explore areas of Flash MX that I don't otherwise get the chance to dive into, while at the same teaching me solid methods for designing and developing in Flash MX.

Hands down an awesome collection of data that is extremely well laid out and well written. I use this book in all of my intermediate level Flash classes that I teach. I would recommend this book to anyone in the industry looking to further themselves in their trade.

Reality ColdFusion MX: Flash MX Integration was one of the first books to look at integrating two of the main MX products and did it from a different approach. Typically tech books walk you through code and act as a good tutorial and reference. This book presents 4 applications in case study fashion, which will disappoint some and please others. I recommend Reality ColdFusion MX: Flash MX Integration for those that have a good grasp of ColdFusion MX and an intermediate level of skill working within Flash MX's IDE. You may find the project methodology useful and if you are new to Rich Internet Applications, the sample applications will make a great starting point.

With the myraid of new features available to Web developers who link together the Flash MX, ColdFusion MX, and Flash Communication Server MX products from Macromedia, there's a lot to be learned in very little time. I purchased this book to get a jump on both Flash Remoting and working with the Flash Communication server product. The book excells in its first two thirds, covering the construction of real-world applications which use Flash MX at their core. Some may be annoyed by the focus on the entire application development lifecycle and not merely on code, but I find this approach to be useful and refreshing. We all talk about use cases and requirements gathering, but very few of us working in small teams actually do it.

The book rapidly loses its way when it comes time to discuss interaction with the Flash Communication Server. Huge chunks of code go unexplained, and the text itself suffers from poor editing. My guess is that the book was written before the 1.0 version of FlashComm was released, and the desire to not discuss code that may have changed between draft submission of the book and release of the FlashComm server is painfully evident. If you're interested in FlashComm, take a look at his book on the Flash Communication Server instead.

good content for those who already know flash and coldfusion. however, that said, still has some holes and seems somewhat rushed to print. not sure if will answer many of the questions those new to remoting (everyone!) will have. quite mediocre.

This book provides an acceptable introduction to Flash Remoting with CF, but there isn't enough code or explanation to allow you to start on your own until after you've learned both CF and Flash well independently. Also, at least 80% of the book talks about methodology, fake meetings, requirements gathering, and stuff like that--not the stated purpose of the book.

If you have extra time, I think it's worth a read, but if you can't read everything you want to, you're better off concentrating on Flash and ColdFusion specific books.

This book is not written for everyone. Even if you know your CFML and ActionScript it is best that you have developed a couple of projects first (before trying this book).

I personally like the layout of the book. Yes it takes a little getting use to. I did not realize some people disliked the unimaginative way most computer books are written. Having notes pasted in at odd angles gives the book a "real world" feel.

I have only looked at the mail client example, but from that I am very impressed with the book. The code provided in the book was straight forward and easy to follow.

I am a CF programmer by trade. While I know some Flash, I would not consider myself an expert. The Flash coding was what slowed me down the most. However, after completing the mail client I must say my Falsh skills have improved (but I am still no Hillman Curtis).

If you are an advanced CF user who knows Flash, this is the book you have been waiting for. Even though this book is beyond the beginner-intermediate level, I would encourage them to read the book lightly. There are many concepts that are explained in this book that could shed some light on CFMX and Flash.

As an animation student I found this book very helpfull. Not too heavy, just enough facts and examples to get the point across. If you are an animator or a student, you should own this book.

Timing for Animation is the best choice for those who would like to have a clear view of animation-timing. It delineates the basics very concisely, which are long enough to understand, but short enough to run through anytime when needed. Has a good partition, right examples and illustrations, contains only practicable things which makes it very easy to read and highly practical. John Halas has made a good job, happy to be his compatriot :)
Would recommend to anyone.

This book is simply a must have for animators. It's very clear written and has great examples, I consider it a must just as the two masterpieces "Illusion of Life" and "Animation Survival Kit". Being about the timing I think it works great not only for traditional animators but also for CGI one (like I am).

I have referred to this book for nearly ten years, and it is still my favorite with regards to the fundamentals of creating naturalistic movement.

More concise, less self-indulgent, and less bulky than either Richard Williams' "Animator's Survival Kit" or Frank and Ollie's "Illusion of Life", Whitaker and Halas' "Timing for Animation" allowed me to advance in my knowledge of timing charts and the creation of believable, naturalistic movement more efficiently than either of those two venerable books. While I tend to agree with reviewers who question the book's price, the no-nonsense explanations it contains provide a solid base from which an animator can embark upon further exploration without being too tied to a particular guru's insights.

My instructor recommended this book for my special effects animation class. It was such a life savor.

It covers all the basic animation topics like Squash and Stretch, Anticipation, Slow In and Slow Out, Exaggeration, etc...

If you are an aspiring artist (with a copy of 3d max), interested in divulging further into the world of 3D, but don't know much about it...
THIS IS FOR YOU!

With very good wording and layout, this book sets out to teach and enlighten you in a number of different subjects, not just 3ds max. I found Duane Loose's collection of quotes and tips from other artistic professionals invaluable. And among other things, his advice on storytelling and pre-visualizing soon to be eye-candy for YOUR viewers is also invaluable. Not to mention, the hands on training is typically as easy and rewarding as pie.

I worship this book even though I am a max v5 user and this book was written during the v4 period. Although I am not through it all yet, so far there hasn't been much confusion due to missing/changed layouts or options.

The only reason I neglected this book of a single star is because I wished for further detail during some of the beginning chapters, like the ones which detail the process which a true artist takes in order to appeal to his audience. Colored pictorials would be nice too, by the way. But then again, what IS a 5 star book?

BUY THIS BOOK AND LET IT OWN YOU. Because remember: THE THINGS YOU OWN END UP OWNING YOU...
But sometimes, this is what you want, and this is one of those times.

Any questions?

Before i started this book all i could do is use the basic shapes in max and map them with plan boring tax maps. After i was done i learned how to use video post alot of was to model i learn the bacis of animating and the cd has other stuff on it that have nothing to do with the book telling you how to make and animate fire this book is just awesome. I really enjoyed working with this book it was easy to understand and i learned alot. A Must get for MaxNoobs

Before i started this book all i could do is use the basic shapes in max and map them with plan boring tax maps. After i was done i learned how to use video post alot of was to model i learn the bacis of animating and the cd has other stuff on it that have nothing to do with the book telling you how to make and animate fire this book is just awesome. I really enjoyed working with this book it was easy to understand and i learned alot. A Must get for MaxNoobs

This book provides a lot of useful info for learning 3DS MAX 4 but while reading it I felt that the book was only explaining to me how to use 3DS MAX 4 for the purpose of modeling the 6 scene short film in the book. There are also many typos in the book and I find that for people learning to use 3DS it is hard to follow the authors instructions.

What this book lacks for the advance max user, it more than compensates for the begining user. The layout of the book is based on the completion of a single production, outlining pre-production, storyboarding, modeling, texturing, rendering and post-production along the way. Duane Loose does an excellent job of not only explaining the animation process involved with using 3DS Max but also takes the time to explain the why, the story. After all if a picture is worth a thousand words at 30fps that adds up to a lot of words really fast.

I am impressed. I didn't expect this book to be so detailed. My son is just getting interested in animation and I got this for him for xmas, I am sure he will love it! My hubby, who is a pro, has voiced an interest in his own copy.

I was really looking forward to this book. It appeared to be the ideal book designed with assignments to increase knowledge of methods of animation. Twenty years ago, this was probably a good book. Does ANYONE animate using acetate cels anymore? Does anyone want to? Maybe if I had been looking for a history of animation, I wouldn't have been as disappointed as I am.

In general, I've gotten great books from Amazon, and this book isn't their fault. It just proves that sometimes, being able to browse through the book in a real bookstore will give you a better idea of whether the book is what you're looking for. Being able to search inside the book (as is possible in this case) doesn't always give you enough of the book to really see.

I just don't understand all the 5-star reviews that don't mention any of this. Are they not drawing with computers or Wacom drawing pads? I honestly don't need to know the methods they used on Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willy. If I buy a book on printing, I'm not presented with a description of Gutenberg's press. Sigh.

Bought for my 19 year old. This book is awesome and really brings out the artist in the person drawing/sketching/using the book. You will love it too and it's suitable for most ages.

I bought this book a while ago, but recently got my hands on Richard Williams' "The Animator's Survival Kit" and it is astonishingly stronger in every way. I just bought that one tonight actually. Skip this one and go straight to Williams' book, it is strong for beginners, and even stronger for people like myself who need something more detailed and insightful than "The Animator's Workbook." I didn't know there was more that I could learn about the basics and subtleties for a great foundation until I read "Survival Kit." Please learn from my mistake and do yourself a favor by buying that one. You'll be way ahead of the curve.

I just ordered this book. Many flash animators have recommended "The Animator's Workbook", "Cartoon Animation", "Cartooning: Animation 1 with Preston Blair (HT26)" or "The Animator's Survival Kit" in order to create flash cartoons.
I also have "Cartooning: Animation 1 with Preston Blair (HT26)". I have browsed through Richard Williams' "The Animator's Survival Kit" and that seemed too much for me to handle. I'm not an animator by trade but a wannabe. I look forward to improving my animation skills with this book! I also got this book for an excellent price!

6/14/05 - I just received my book. I will be using flash to create web based cartoons! This book is very appealing to me and doesn't intimidate me. I need a book like this because I'm not an animator by trade. You must pick this book, "Cartooning: Animation 1 with Preston Blair (HT26)" or "Cartoon Animation" if you are a beginner. All three books are excellent choices if you want to create flash cartoons! I prefer "Cartooning: Animation 1 with Preston Blair (HT26)" more than the other books.

The book gives you a good insight into Maya programming. The MEL part seems to be quite good, but the C++ part is organized by a couple of examples. Altough they are useful lots of things are missing. A short reference, I would say, 10-20 pages of the API would be perfect.

I search the information about programming in Maya for weeks. This book is essential for maya programming (MEL and C++ API) and I only find it about this theme.

I recommend buy the volume II (Complete Maya Programming, Vol. II: An In-Depth Guide to 3D Fundamentals, Geometry, and Modeling ) and is great book too. If you going to buy this book, read after the second volume.

Excuse my english.

I was looking for a book that starts from basic stuff and easy to understand.
this book is a big help

You can indeed learn more by pressing F1 on Maya itself. The C++ API part (the one I was interested in) is really short and the examples rather simple (you can read it all in few hours).

The book is ok, but should be called "Very Basic Introduction to MEL and C++ API" and not "An extensive guide to MEL and C++ API" at all.

Good book. The only book I know of that explains everything in a way that's easily understood, especially if you don't have any programming experience. This book isn't the only book you'd need to get proficient at programming, but it definately is the first one you should buy to get yourself started.

Its a bit thick at points, so I recommend not sitting down to read a large chunk at once, cause it'll likely not stick with you that way. Take your time, and have your computer nearby so that you can type in his examples and see how they work. Kinda wish it came with a CD but he gives you a website to download his examples.

In short, buy this book if MEL scripting intimidates you like it did me. It'll make the whole process less daunting, and you'll be scripting before you know it.

Though this book series was written for After effects 6.5, I used it as a supplement to CS3. I am very glad that I did, the authors answered the question - Why do you use an effect or tool? The other "teach" books demonstrated what After Effects can do, but not how other than enter the number required in the exercise. A must read for anyone new to After Effects. I hope I can find such in depth books on the other Adobe Suite software. Kudos to the authors - thanks, thanks, thanks.

There are a billion ways you can go when you start up After Effects. It's wonderful to know that once I generate the ideas of what I want to do but don't know how to pull them off, all I have to do is find the tutorial for it and "Genius!" I've learned them and am able to modify them in any direction I want to go. Trish and Chris Meyer have a good handle on teaching, sometimes complex VFX maneuvers, in such easy to follow and understand terms. I highly recommend any of their books on this subject.

los Meyer ya saben como darnos la informacion, afortunadamente son libros muy faciles de leer aun si tu nivel de ingles es limitado.
Este libro en especial tiene una serie de ejercicios que refuerzan lo basico y nos expican lo avanzado.
Si ya has comprado libros de ellos, puede que te parezcan repetitivos, pero no te dejes llevar por eso. hay ajustes pequeños que te hacen ver diferente el proceso.
Adobe After effects es un programa en crecimiento, por ello, no subestimes en la informacion de estos libros.

This is another excellent After Effects guide that deserves to be in the library of any AE professional. However I was a little dissapointed with the contents. Being titled: Advanced Techniques, I expected to learn a lot of new techniques, but found most of the content was already well known by myself. I also found quite a lot of content was repeated in the other two After Effects books by the Meyers.

This is still an excellent book to have as a reference, and there are some great topics covered. It's very well written like the other books, and I don't regret the purchase at all. My complaints are probably mostly due to the fact I have learnt quite a bit since finishing the first book, for people who have finished the first book and want to learn more this would be perfect. But advanced users should perhaps look at After Effects 7 Studio Techniques which has more advanced content.

This book only to find out it's for version 5.5... Not a cheap book, as I already have purchased it.

I have been looking for quite some time for an artist who can explain his works in words that are understandable. This is harder than it seems. After researching Don Seegmiller's art work from his website I decided to give this book a go. I have to say this is a must buy for anyone who is serious about digital painting. The first half of the book goes over all the basics you learn in your first year of art school, as well as some very interesting ideas to help you with character design. After learning the basic the book takes a turn for the better, and offers numerous walkthrough tutorials on how to create texture as well as convincing painting techniques. I cannot explain how helpful this book has been. BUY IT NOW!!! www.seegmillerart.com

This book is not bad but, The lessons seem to have a lot of steps left out of almost every lesson. I found it hard to follow a long. One minute the page has a sort of ugly sketch to follow a long with. Tun the page and that sketch has been turned into a very realistic painting with no real explanation as to how it got that way. I think this book is better if you already know what your doing when it comes to painting realistic characters and designing them, but then one could argue whats the point in getting this book also seeing as it cost a bit munch.

This book is totally out of this world on the topic of character design. Very detailed and well thought out. I will definatly recommend it to designers and artists.

Not only is this book excellent because of what you will learn from a master, but the physical book itself is of the highest quality, which of course is very important because you will no doubt turn to it repeatedly for guidance and inspiration. A beautifuly crafted book. The cd is most helpful. Enjoy!

Dear Mr. Seegmiller:

I've long been an admirer of your fantastic creations. You kinda became who I wanted to grow up to be ;-), so when I found you had published a book, I ran to get a copy.

Just wanted to let you know that this is the first of hundreds of art books in my library that is everything I'd hoped, and much more. I've had some
art training (mostly with folks who were better artists than teachers) and have learned a lot from books, as well as lots of drawing and painting on my own. I've participated in numerous exhibitions and group shows. Never have I had the pleasure of "sitting" in the company of such a fine, generous, exacting and specific educator, who is also one of my most admired artists.

The quicktime movies, so unselfishly revealing of your methods and creative processes, would have been worth twice the cost of the book. I'm studying them on a frame-by-frame basis, and gaining so much insight into what was heretofore theory alone. A weekend seminar could easily be developed from any one of these.

So thanks mightily from a very enthusiastic student at a distance.

Regards,
Bob Goldberg

www.bobbogoldberg.com