Animation Books

Its hard for me to treat the books of this series separately (ShaderX 3, ShaderX 4, ShaderX 5). They are all very good books of GPU-Gems level or higher. In comparison with GPU Gems, they are more academic, i. e. they are rather short and more applicable to wide range of applications then GPU Gems ones (while GPU Gems series is more scientific, state of the art, considering one particular research) and the accompanying CD is much more better (lots of working examples, most with source code).
Sections (Image-Space, Shadows) are also very helpful to figure out what is useful for you.
This series is not for beginners anyway, so please, go Cg Tutorial or DX SDK Tutorial and don't put 2 or 3 marks for these books because you can't cope with them.

Whilst the content is quite good it probably isn't on par with some other books by say Matt Pharr, books from ACM or Academic Press I think the biggest issue with the book is that the quality of the paper is a bit below par and all images are black and white.

Normally black and white isn't a problem, but when the book is about graphics and there is a statement in the book like (e.g.) "...notice the unique HLSL effect on the blue ball compared to the green..." it makes it a bit difficult. Even a color plate section would have been nice.

Wolfgang Engel edits SHADER X4: ADVANCED RENDERING TECHNIQUES, a toolbox of advanced graphics hardware and software techniques for any student of graphics programming. SHADER X4 especially lends to classroom use, with its articles covering everything from interlaced rendering and fog volume issues to real-time environment mapping and Shader subsystems. While the coverage can help novices, it's especially noted for advanced graphics programmers who will relish the equations, charts, and more technical discussions.

This book is the best than previous editions.
Each article is a source of ideas for developing your engine or demo.

If you want to know where the state of art is arrived, buy this book.

I was disappointed not to find any code - only demos of applications on a few of the chapters (e.g radiosity tool, gpu terrain). IMHO it is better to have fewer topics/chapters and better coverage of each topic, with source code etc. As M. Severino 's review correctly states 'Each article is a source of ideas ', so don't expect to learn how to implement all the techniques in the book.
Some authors have included lots of code, others have included none.
I vote against the "*gems-style" books, more attention to the educational side of these books is needed. Flashy programmers who want to show off please go elsewhere.

Unfiltered: The Complete Ralph Bakshi is one of the best animator/animation books I have read in the last 10 yrs. It is not only full of information on Ralph Bakshi, but also with tons and tons of his artwork. This ranges from cells to ink drawings to roughs and at the end they have put a bunch of his paintings. This book has really inspired me and is an easy read.
Before reading this book I had only seen Fritz the Cat and some of the Mighty Mouse series. I knew I liked Ralph Bakshi, but after this book I have such a stronger love of his work, and how he changed the Animation industry. His films were real, and based on his experience growing up in New York. They might be vulgar and push the line of decency, but his works reflect who he is and how he grew up. They were vulgar for a reason, not just to be vulgar for vulgar's sake. The movies reflect the man.

I've been an animation fan my entire life. Yet, there has always been a wierd thing about Ralph Bakshi I could not understand. The rotoscoping, the crazy backgrounds and somewhat unfinished quality to the work. After reading this book I understand clearly now who the man is behind the work and I appreciate his work even more so. This isn't a book about animation, this a book about a man's soul thrown onto the silverscreen and dares you to watch with an open mind. I sat and read this book straight through without stopping. A very awesome and unique book!

Very pleased to report that my copy of Bakshi's new book "Unfiltered" arrived yesterday via Amazon.com. The pre-order price was $25 which was a amazing for a $40 list hardcover book from Amazon.

The book is insane! Everything you could ask for about his life, history, artistic phases from early cartooning straight through Harlem Shuffle and Spicy City. So pleased to have my Bakshi fix in one "huge" book!

Mostly enjoyed understanding his life and the doodles and art that is sprinkled throughout. Also enjoyed the dedicated sections tied to his movies. Heavy Traffic and American Pop are my favs here.

If you don't have it...get it. What a blessing...

This book took you behind the scenes to Bakshi's creative & imaginative mind while featuring some great, colorful pictures of his "ahead-of-the-curve" animation. I personally liked how each of his feature films had a section of their own summarizing Bakshi's story-line and how his direction to the artists resulted in some excellent art. I loved the last section of the book showing how Bakshi changed from animator to serious painter. Art lovers and film lovers will enjoy viewing throughout this book.

If all you know about Bakshi is his rotoscope pictures, you're in for a surprise. Ralph is one of the most innovative and wildly creative geniuses of recent times. His influence on animation is immense. On the back cover, Frank Frazetta is quoted as saying, 'Ralph Bakshi is one of the finest artists I've ever met.' He isn't exaggerating a bit.

If you are an artist working in animation, whether you know it or not, Ralph Bakshi is the reason you're here. Don't believe me? Throw your mind back to 1970. Look at what the animation business had turned into... Disney was cranking out Robin Hood, a film without a single new idea. On TV, Filmation was lowering the bar so Hanna Barbera could play 'quality limbo' with them. Animation was dying, animators were choosing retirement over flogging the dead carcass of the art form they loved, and it looked like it the situation would never get any better.

Enter Bakshi. With his first three films, he turned animation upside down. He showed that it wasn't just a medium for big bears with Phil Harris's voice and crappy sitcom characters in outer space. His films shocked and terrified people... they were crass and sloppy. They were made on a shoestring, and sometimes it showed. But they had something honest to say, and that got noticed. Ralph showed that animation- the most collaborative art form ever- could be an intensely personal medium.

Ralph's first three films- Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic, and Coonskin- came totally out of the blue. They are the animation equivalent of Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives. Great old time animators like Irv Spence, Ambi Paliwoda and Virgil Ross were offered the opportunity to cut loose and make films that weren't just cats chasing mice and dogs chasing cats. These films dealt with what it meant to be an artist, the battle of the sexes, race relations, and the unsenimentalized realities of urban life. They were improvisational and had no rules.

These three films, made in the darkest of the dark ages of animation, offered a glint of hope for what animation could become. If all you've seen of Ralph's work is Lord of the Rings and Fire and Ice you don't know what I'm talking about here. All of the adult targeted animation you see in the US today has its roots in Ralph's example in these three films. They stirred up controversy and caused riots at screenings back in the day, but now they seem to us like they could have been made yesterday, not three decades ago- except for the fact that today's world has trouble accepting brutal honesty when it comes to politically charged topics. Ralph has never been one to pull punches.

In the 1980s, Ralph did for television animation what he did for theatrical features, blowing the lid off of CBS's Saturday morning schedule with Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures. Ralph took a chance on the ideas of a kid named John Kricfalusi, and set up the studio after the unit structure model used at Warners. Artists were cut loose to create cartoons. Without Mighty Mouse, there never would have been Ren & Stimpy or The Simpsons. The artists who worked on Mighty Mouse have gone on to lead the TV animation industry. Ralph is an absolute genius when it comes to spotting raw talent. He can take a kid straight out of school and turn him into a pro faster than anyone else. Every film had its 'graduating class' of kids. Those kids now populate the animation business on every level, from the top Producer at Disney feature to the creative sparks at Warners. I know of Bakshi alumni who are top dogs at Dreamworks and the CGI companies too.

As a filmmaker, Ralph is one-of-a-kind. He doesn't make films for executives... he doesn't even make films for a specific audience. He makes them for himself. You can count the number of animators capable of using this unweildy medium for personal expression on one hand and still have fingers left. Ralph is one of them. But Ralph is not only the greatest living animation artist. He is the catylist that has more than once pulled the industry out of a hole so deep people had just about given up on cartoons. For that alone, he deserves the respect of any and all animators, whether they like his work or not.

If the animation business needs anything right now, it's another go round with Bakshi. The era of shi-shi 'distressed' animation desks complete with faux wormholes, and middle management producers driving Jaguars paid for by their bonus checks is over. That was great for the people lucky enough to hook up to the gravy train while it lasted. But times have changed. The people left standing will be the ones who REALLY CARE about the medium of animation.

You can take my word for the fact that no one loves cartoons more than Ralph. Read this book and hear him talk about Jim Tyer. (Ralph was Tyer's assistant...) Listen to what he has to say about Spence or Maltese or any of the other old timers he brought in to work on his films. Ralph lives and breathes animation. His drawings are imbued with the whole history of the medium. He announces his retirement every once in a while, and swears off cartoons forever, but it's in his blood. Just count the days till the bellowing voice out of the blue hollers 'BAKSHI'S BACK, YOU BASTUHDS!' over the studio intercom again.

It's time for Ralph to rent a warehouse, fill it full of kids with big dreams, raw talent and lots of ideas and crank out a film. It doesn't even matter if it turns out crappy. It'll be a shot in the arm to the whole business, and it just might lead to something even better. I know I'd love to be a part of it.

UNFILTERED: The Complete Ralph Bakshi isn't one of those 'art books' with postage stamp sized pictures floating in oceans of tasteful white space and huge text blocks of scholarly blather that crowds out the images. It's just pictures, pictures and more pictures... along with just enough text to put them in context. Artwork by Frank Frazetta, John Kricfalusi, Barry Jackson, Louise Zingarelli, Michael Ploog, Ian Miller, Irv Spence, Robert Dranko, Mark Kausler and Ambi Paliwoda. The book is organized to show Ralph's career from his earliest days at Terry-Toons, to his groundbreaking features, to his revolutionary TV work, to his most recent fine art paintings. BUY THIS BOOK!

Stephen Worth
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive

Would that this book were still in print. It is a marvelous collection that made a fabulous gift for anyone enamored with Mickey and his friends.

are you planing a new ediction of that book?I got one, but it is writen in spanish and it isfrom 1995 - I need an updated one - best way:in german. Please inform me, where I can get thelatest version as soon as possible. Thanxs!

Most of the illustrations are rather weak interpretations of the mouse. There are, however, several excellent ones especially "Vincent Van Goghs to Disneyland" by Bob Buccella

un libro straordinario, che mostra l'immortale fascino del personaggio disneyano che dai cartoon ha invaso - come icona globale - il mondo intero. ironia, sarcasmo, un pizzico di delirio nelle opere riprodotte, che rivisitano luoghi altri della Cultura, dalla politica (Ronald Reagan) alla pittura (van Gogh) alla psicoanalisi (Sigmund Freud), in un caleidoscopio poliedrico ed irresistibile.

This is a delightful little tome that every artist and wanna be artist would enjoy. Only about the size of a small paperback, but the book is chucky jam full of wonderful art. Mickey, that ever loving mouse as portrayed by the world's best artists. My favorite is Andy Warhol's painting. I like Mark Newgarden's drawing of Mickey on line paper and I also like Ben Verkaaik's oil on wood of Mickey. Heck I like 'em all. I'm a huge Mickey and Disney fan and if that description fits you, you'll enjoy this book.

I love flipping through this book once in a while just to be in awe of Disney animators all over again, but I agree w/ some of the other reviewers who say that there isn't enough about the actual people behind this artwork. I'd like to find out more about how the artists & voices influenced different aspects of the story, reacted to deadlines, etc. too--but the art almost makes up for it. The book also provides some more insight into the personalities of the characters in "Pocahontas," which I found enlightening. Overall, it's a beautiful accompaniment to the movie, and very inspiring as well--makes me want to learn how to draw a little better.

The art of Pocahontas is, to my mind, one of the most beautiful books about animation art. Its composition following the making of the film step by step helps the reader to understand how a huge production such as Pocahontas is made and all the production aeras are represented. The pictures taken from the film and the artist's sketches shown in it are so great they could make anyone that did not like the design of Pocahontas ( and god knows they are a lot in France ) loves it. The only thing that could be improved is about photos of the artists in their work environment, there should be more.

The only thing holding this book together is the easy way it flows. In the tradition of other Disney "Making of..." books, it follows the format of each animation process from concept to script to storyboard to animation. Its interesting, but at times bogs down some nice visuals. Not all the visuals are great, though. The pre-production art seems weak and cliche like the drawings of pilgrims and Indians you remember as a kid. Only in the animation chapters does it pick up, particularly the work of Glen Keane. As chief animator of the title character, his storyboards and animation seem the most inspired and studied. Other character designs seem less bold against Disney's first eco-feminist heroine who paved the way for post-feminist heroines like Esmeralda from Hunchback and Meg from Hercules. The book not unnique in its execution or format, but its worth taking a look at to compare with other films and books and to see the evolution of the thought process of great Disney animators like Keane and Ruben Aquino. And of course it has its share of Disney we-are-doing-this-and-no-one-else-can attitude.

First of all, I assume that these reviews are supposed to refer to the large hardcover edition, which was published in 1995, and not the smaller 1996 edition. The large one is gorgeous, allowing a look into the world of how the artists develop a film from start to finish. Some of the concept art is so beautiful that you wonder why it didn't make it into the film. My only gripe with this book is that, like Rebello's other books, it deals almost entirely with the visual aspect of the films and, although it talks about how songs developed the movie (the Colors of the Wind section is especially well done), what about the voices? In The Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Beauty and the Beast, descriptions and photos are included of the actors who voiced the characters. While you might say that this sort of thing doesn't belong in an "Art of" book, I think it does, because the actor who voices a character often has a tremendous influence on the visual development of that character. For example, Belle in Beauty and the Beast would not have had the lock of hair that kept falling into her face - an endearing gesture that helped make her more real to the audience - if Paige O'Hara, her voice, had not had it first. The Art of Pocahontas would be perfect if it offered similar insights. But it's definitely worth reading or just looking at, to bask in the sheer beauty of the artwork.

Don't let the small size of "The Art of Pocahontas"fool you; the authors have crammed the 5.5" by 4.5" book with loads of colorful artwork and interesting insights into the recent Disney masterpiece.

"The Art of Pocahontas" traces the creation of the film from conception to completion, including wonderful reproductions of concept sketches, background paintings, layout drawings and final animation art. The 189 pages of this small volume contain over 400 color and black-and-white illustrations.

The text was written by Stephen Rebello, an editor of "Movieline" and author of "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of 'Psycho.'" He provides many insights into the collaborative and creative process behind the making of "Pocahontas."

Even though "The Art of Pocahontas" is an easy read--it takes less than an hour or two to read from cover to cover--the book provides plenty for fans of animation to contemplate. Much of the "behind the scene

As a teacher, student and system Engineer, I am very busy with no much time to waist. I came across this book few months ago when I needed to get a rapid info on what is new in the lattest Cisco world. No much time to take a full class so I purchase this box. Boy, I was so glad. Can't beat the investment. The material is to the point. Well presented and very concise. I strongly recommend this box.
Dr. Israel King, MCSE, MCDBA, CIW, MBA, Ph.D. Teacher, writer. Author of How To Keep A Man

An essential resource for your CCNA exam preparation! Published by Cisco Press, The CCNA Video Mentor, ISBN 1-58720-168-2, by Wendell Odom, provides trainees with over two hours of personal instruction on the following topics: CCNA Basics, LAN switching, Basic routing, Advanced routing, WAN and Security.

The author, Wendell Odom, is known for being a best-selling author and instructor. This material is another quality product from Mr. Odom. It includes 12 video labs that are easy to follow. The packaging includes the CD and a professional printed lab manual. There are no pre-installation requirements or setup procedures that need to be applied. The product and video instruction is solely conducted from the included CD-ROM.

The main menu is easy to navigate and very straight forward. The CCNA candidate can start right away with either basic router and switch commands or re-enforce more difficult VLAN and Access List methods. The introductory video explains the layout of the CCNA Video Mentor (CVM). The reader will gain useful information from reviewing this video from the beginning. The second option on the main menu is the Video Labs. Each video includes the lab scenario with explanations and diagrams, demonstration of the Client Interface Commands used to implement and verify a particular router or switch feature in the lab network and ongoing commentary from the author. The third choice on the main menu is the Printable PDF option. The PDF's contain the same content that is included in the pre-printed lab manual that accompanies the product. I found this option useful for following the labs, as well as, for making notes before, during and after conducting the lab scenarios.

The labs included in the product re-enforce the twelve most important objectives of the CCNA Exam. They are as follows:

Lab 1: Navigating a Router/Switch Command-Line Interface
Lab 2: Router Configuration and Managing Configuration Files
Lab 3: Switch Basics: Learning, Forwarding/Filtering, and Interface Settings
Lab 4: Configuring VLANS
Lab 5: Static and Connected Routes
Lab 6: RIP V1 Configuration
Lab 7: RIP V1 with Split Horizon, Route Poisoning, and Poison Reverse
Lab 8: Single-Area and Multiarea OSPF Configuration
Lab 9: EIGRP Configuration and Operation
Lab 10: NAT Overload (PAT)
Lab 11: PPP and CHAP Configuration
Lab 12: Access Lists

Although this is a great resource for studying for the CCNA exam(s), 640-821 (Intro), 640-811 (ICND) or 640-801 (CCNA), this should not be the only information utilized. There are several other materials that the CCNA candidate should start with, such as, CCNA Intro Exam Certification Guide (CCNA Self-Study, 640-821, and 640-801), ISBN: 1-58720-094-5. Thereafter, the CVM will be are valuable asset to ensure your CCNA exam success! It would be great if this product would be included in the aforementioned certification guide, based on this, I give this material 4 out of 5 stars.

As an instructor of the Cisco Networking Academy, teaching the CCNA curriculum, I'm always looking for supplemental materials to help my students pursue their CCNA certification. I've been waiting for a long time for somebody to author and release an "instructor in a box" type of product, complete with video, lecture, slideshow material, as well as professionally-demonstrated labs - with this product, I got two out of the three, so I guess that's pretty good. I demonstrated some of the content from the CCNA Video Mentor to a few of my students, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. They found that the lecture was done at an appropriate pace, with an appropriate level of detail. Many of them immediately went out and purchased the product for themselves. From my perspective, the lab demonstrations performed by the authors are by far the BEST I have ever seen. I'm tired of simulations of this or that, and seeing the authors perform the configuration in real equipment was a major PLUS. The ability to review the material over at your own pace is an invaluable resource to those seeking CCNA certification. I would definitely recommend this product to anybody seeking the CCNA track, but I still think the name "Video Mentor" is a little misleading --- but still a very good product nonetheless.

I have never been a big fan of the video instruction products out there, advertised to help us study for professional certifications. Most of the ones I've seen consisted of bad graphics, with someone reading - in a boring monotone - the same book that I could have read to myself much faster. So I wasn't expecting much when I recently received the CCNA Video Mentor from Cisco Press. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised with this package.

The author - or should I call him the instructor, Wendell Odom, has a pleasant enough voice. Instead of the usual monotone, he actually uses emotion and inflection in his voice when making his points! I never once felt like reaching for a pillow. More importantly, he leaves out the redundant boilerplate and gets right to the subject.

I started, of course, with the introduction, where he explains what you will see on the screen. It's probably good for newbies to go through this, especially if you are not familiar with the look and feel of the Cisco IOS command line, and switching between different routers and switches in a lab environment. It also covers the screen setting and other useful information on using the video. Video Mentor comes with a thin but useful companion manual. It includes the network topology used in each lab, the IP addresses, and screenshots of the beginning and ending device configurations. If you've ever spent time putting Post-Its on the pages of a book so you could flip back and forth to view the lab, you'll appreciate this. It is also available on the CD as a PDF.

Next, I decided to skip ahead to two of the more complicated sections, NAT and ACLs, and see how well Odom handled the complicated stuff. I was very happy to see that the first thing Odom did was explain the terminology. I can't tell you how many times I've read a book where the author uses a new term in chapter 3, but doesn't explain it till chapter 7! Common sense does still exist! He explained the terms he was going to use before using them! Most important though, is the content and how well it is explained. Odom's use of graphics and tables along with his corresponding narrative, explained the concepts simply and accurately. He switches between graphics showing what he is going to do, and the router command line interface (CLI), where he shows the commands used and the results. In both of these chapters, pretty complicated subjects are explained and demonstrated with just enough theory so that you understand the concept, and real world configurations, so that you can actually learn something useful. I was satisfied enough that I went back to the beginning and went through the entire course.

I think Video Mentor is a very good compliment to other self study courses, especially if you don't have regular access to your own routers and switches. As Odom points out, this is not a stand alone course that will prepare you for the CCNA exam. It is more of a supplement to other books, and even refers to the corresponding chapters of other Cisco Press books for each lab. If you've ever read something in a CCNA course book and said, "I kind of get it, if I could just get one or two questions answered...," then get this course. Get the theory from the books, and then let Wendell Odom show you what the theory does in practice. Okay Wendell, let's see what you can do with a CCNP course...

The days of passing the CCNA exam using just a single exam preparation guide are over. The new improved CCNA exam requires a certain level of understanding and confidence running router/switch commands from the command line interface. Exam questions include multiple-choice single answer, multiple-choice multiple answers, drag and drop, fill in the blanks, testlets, simlets and simulations. The simulation exams are usually configuration tasks of some sort.


Wendell Odom's CCNA Video Mentor focuses primarily on the configuration tasks of the CCNA exam. These tasks are the major implementation and operation topics on the 640-801 exam. The Cisco Video Mentor package consists of a CD ROM and a lab manual. The CD has 12 labs ranging from basic router and swich configuration and configuration file management to more advanced topics such as RIP, single and multi-area OSPF, EIGRP, NAT and access lists. The lab manual also exists as pdf files on the CD in case the printed lab manual gets lost. The CD runs on both PC and Mac.

I have used many CBT (computer based training) packages from different vendors and CVM compares favorably with all of them. Wendell Odom gives an excellent running commentary as he goes through the objectives of each lab, explaining the lab scenario and topology and then going through the lab configurations, explaining the commands and the output from each command. I found the NAT overload lab especially helpful.

The CVM is a great CCNA exam preparation tool, but should be used in conjunction with a good exam guide(ICND and INTRO) as it addresses very specific topics.

This is another winner by Wendell Odom. I give this resource 5 stars.

This book starts where his other book, Chuck Amuck left off. It makes mention of a more recent update to his classic cartoon One Froggy Evening entitled Another Froggy Evening, which features a cameo of Siskel and Ebert and Chuck himself! It again pays tribute to his co-workers, particularly Friz Freleng, tells more about he came up with his ideas, and gives pointers on cartoon making to others interested in the field of animation. There's nobody better to offer advice! Also, be sure to check out the TV documentary of Mr. Chuck Jones the night before Thanksgiving (I'm sure it will be aired again!).

This book is a great guide for animators to reagain the knowledge of the lost art know as animation! this is a great tool to use since just about every cartoon out now a days is horrible...

I was a little disappointed with this tome. Maybe I was expecting the same vein as "Chuck Amuck" but at times the text rambled and wandered about. I loved the sketches, cells and other artwork, which is why I got this book in the first place. Its fascinating to watch a character develop both in the mind of the artist as well as on paper. Animated cartoons have come a LONG way from the 1920's and Jones played a TREMENDOUS part in bringing them up to quality. It's a shame we lost Chuck and it seems like there is really no one to fill in for him. But I doubt that anyone could, his work is that good. And sad to say, the current crop of cartoons being churned out now is FAR BELOW Jone's standards.

This biography goes in deep into Chuck Jones' life. Chuck stresses the importance of "character" & "believability"in character animation. His life experiences from childhood to today can be seen reflected into his body of work. But best of all; the book is filled with animation tips which are very useful for anyone studying animation. A must have!

This book starts where his other book, Chuck Amuck left off.It makes mention of a more recent update to his classic cartoon OneFroggy Evening entitled Another Froggy Evening, which features a cameoof Siskel and Ebert and Chuck himself! It again pays tribute to hisco-workers, particularly Friz Freleng, tells more about he came upwith his ideas, and gives pointers on cartoon making to othersinterested in the field of animation. There's nobody better to offeradvice from!...

This book came just in time when i needed it!! It is in great quality, REALLY helpful book! This book is one of those beginner books.

I really like this book. I've only had it a couple of days and I've already learned a lot. I'm not a complete newbie with Lightwave, but even the beginnig chapters of this book are peppered with little tips and tricks. And as always, Albee is just as interested in inspiring the reader as he is in educating. I have Dan Ablan's Inside Lightwave 8 book, which I really like too, but this one seems to be more coherent and connected, with a more consistent throughline. For me personally, I am enjoying the three different methods he presents for head modeling. I think his detail-out method is worth the price of the book alone. Great addition to my ever-growing Lightwave book collection!!

I have been working on Lightwave for about a year. I have prior experience with 3DS Max. In fact, I have also received formal training, at the expense of my employer, on Lightwave 3D 8, but nonetheless I still felt the need to run out and buy several titles on the subject. One of them happened to be this book.

First off, the book is loaded with a ton of -- yes! -- essential information! Likewise, the basics are covered quite thoroughly and in such a way that the reader does not become too overwhelmed. Basic concepts relating to the world of 3D are covered along with Lightwave specific terminology. The author receives high praise from me in this particular area. Spanning 20 chapters, an epilogue, three appendices, and a reasonable index, the book introduces the user to Lightwave.

The tutorials are laid out in a linear and numbered fashion. The reader who is comfortable enough with the program will have no problem with this; however, there are many parts in the book where steps are missing or the illustrations don't seem to match up with what is being presented. Take, for instance, chapter six, step 15 -- the user is instructed to drag a selection box around the top of their model and press the delete key. Seems simple enough, doesn't it? Well, everything is not always as it seems, because the authors seem to have forgotten to instruct the user to change Grid Snap to None under the Display Options | Units window. This is just one example of several in which steps were left out or utterly confusing. Enough of the bad points about the book however, because there are MANY more good ones.

The CD-ROM that comes with the book is also particularly useful, and I've not come across an item that was referenced in the book and not on the disc. There are even points in the book where the user is able to load objects and work from that point to the objective. The appendices in the back of the book are loaded with VERY useful information on an assortment of subjects. Are you looking for plug-ins and programs suggested by the pros? This book has a comprehensive list of them that will get you headed in the right direction, if not to your destination! Are you looking for resources on Lightwave online, such as particular websites? Guess what! This book lists them along with descriptions and screen captures of the sites, such as: Newtek, Flay, CGTalk, and many more!

I would suggest that you pick up this book with the fore-knowledge that you need to have the Lightwave [8] interactive PDF help-file loaded. This is definitely a title that will get you started on the right path to conquering Lightwave and, with diligence, mastering it.

With no experience in 3D modeling, this book helped me get started. It showed me the best way to use the tools in Lightwave as well as some concepts behind modeling\animating. Now I am modeling cars, places, people, and doing some light animation.

The author writes with a sense of humor and personality. Therefore, it's not boring to read. However, it can sometimes be long-winded.

I didn't give it five stars because the author often skips steps. While some steps the author skips because he has gone over them before (which is good), other steps are completely new and necessary yet are omitted. You then waste a lot of time trying to figure out for yourself how to get to the next step.

Overall, if you want to get started with Lightwave, I recommend using this book coupled with the Lightwave help.

I just burned through this book in 2 days... after struggling with Lightwave for weeks, this book made all the fundamental building blocks of the program make sense for me in a way they hadn't before. The book is soft on the animation and dynamics end of things, but with a firmer grasp of all the basic tools, I'm so much more comfortable with the software. It was fun to read and the authors have lots of personal tips and philosophical advice that makes the tutorials more intriguing.

I bought this book figuring it would teach me a few design tricks, but I did not hold out much hope for more then that. I had bought a couple other FX and Design books and that is about all they were good for. Man, was I surprised!!

This book is PACKED full of subtle but incredibly important lessons about the in's and out's of Flash, especially the in's and out's of ActionScripting.

I have been trying to learn ActionScripting for a few months. I used to be a bookkeeper but have a disability now that prevents me from sitting so I am pretty much housebound. Every mishap has it's silver lining and advanced ActionScripting is mine. The first time I looked at a script from 'Flash Math Creativity' it made me drool. I had never dreamed there could be such a thing as scripting mixed with web design mixed with math mixed with so many other parts of the brain.

I took a Javascript class a few years ago and loved it so I suppose it is not surprising I love ActionScript but I could not get my head around the basics. I am surrounded by books on ActionScripting and Javascript and HTML/DHTML, etc, Some really good ones too. It wasn't until I read the first ten pages of this book that I started understanding. I actually learned how to use databases with Flash using Arrays! In the first ten pages!

If there is that much to learn in the first ten pages, can you imagine how much there is in the rest of the book? Well, it is a lot. If you are a beginner, if you are intermediate, if you are an advanced user, if you use Flash 5 or if you use Flash MX, GET THIS BOOK!

Phew, I can't believe I got so emotional over a book. Good luck with your future and happy scripting,
Leslie

I have read several books on Web design and also read Macromedia's Flash tutorials online. However, I found this book by Bill Sanders to be the most wonderful of all, because it guides me step by step through the essential commands. I found I understand how to do tweening so much better, understand the minute but essential details on creating a motion guide for a layer, and the explanation and project (example) on masking makes me understand the various layers to get special "spot-light" beam effect.

I feel I need to write this review because this book has helped me so much. I wish to congratulate Bill Sanders and the editorial team for a great job done! Thank you.

It's fine to read through, but I'm finding it is very difficult to reference.

Here are the problems I had with it:

1) The definitions in the glossary dont give thorough enough explanations.

2) The example scripts in the glossary rarely give the results of the given example.

3) The index is not very comprehensive. I look up "loadVariables" in the index...I can't find it ...it's under "variables" but not under "load"; I wanted to find out how to use access brackets to create a pathname that included a variable...no help...only one reference to access bracket is made under the subheading "Arrays" and the page referred-to hardly makes mention of access brackets much short of demonstrating the different ways they might be used.

The Author overall spends much too much time with "Projects" that demonstrate one way of using a series of scripts (and 90% of the explanations in these projects are of very simple scripts). Not nearly enough time is spent on demonstrating each script in multiple applications...like my above example of access brackets...there is more than one way of using them....or so I've found out on my own.

I like the way this book moves through Flash. The author speaks with a quite authority and spells out what I needed to know to get Flash 5 working for me. I'm a designer; so I don't need an art lesson, and I didn't get one. Instead I learned how to use all the tools in Flash to do my kind of art and design. This is not a baby level book--plenty of those are around. It's not a "guru" talking down to me either. This guy seems to know what designers want to get out of Flash 5, and he gives it to them. I really appreciated the chapters on animation concepts. It nicely ties in traditional animation with Flash and provides several good clear examples but all of the pieces there. I finally(!) found a good clear explanation of how to move an object along a path. Also, as a nice touch for anyone in design, the author provides a color palette for all of the projects giving the RGB values to plug in. This helped me learn how to use both the details of the color tools in Flash 5. (The color section in the middle of the book helps in seeing how to create your own color palette using the Mixer and Swatches panel.)

Another area that gave me fits with Flash 4 was masking. It's not that difficult with Flash, but the author walked me through it in a way that I finally got it. It's full of those kinds of "oh now I get it" insights. The sound chapter not only shows how to bring in differnt types of sound, but where to get sound and how to coordinate sound with animated movement. I really liked the sound chapter and the "music video" example and the explanation of how to stop and start sound in Flash.

The chapter on movie editing and navigation was ok and a good review of navigation in Flash was there, but it was just a little simple. But the ActionScript chapter is the best I've ever seen. I started to learn ActionScript in Flash 4, but I'm glad I didn't. Flash 5 ActionScript is lot different and IMHO is a lot easier to learn--especially the path system. (I like the dot syntax way better than the slash syntax.) Also, the author shows how to move MCs without using Tell Target. He used the dot syntax.

I don't use QuickTime so I more or less skipped that chapter, but the last chapter was the best I've seen on using Generator 2 and external files. I wish the book had more on the different types of Generator 2 objects, but I can create pie charts like a pro (if you want a pie chart). Using external files with loadVariablesNum() and loadVariables() is very interesting, and I learned how to do it, but I need to learn a lot more about it. It gets pretty advanced in the last chapter, but it was clear enough so that I didn't feel lost.

It's a nice book to have around. The index is fine and both loadVariables() and loadVariablesNum() are indexed --I think that other reviewer got his books confused-- and so it's great for looking up different techniques. So if you want a book to see how to develop professional quality (or just really good amateur quality) Flash 5 movies, I think you'll like this a lot. I know I did.

Coming from a programer whom went design this book is excellent! This is clearly the book you want to buy if you are a designer who knows how to do the pretty stuff but you want to combine that into Flash, and want to have knowledge of the program that will allow you to carry out your very own ideas. Flash 5 practically malformed itself from Flash 4 to the point that I was totally lost for a while, and this book explains that all, and issues related with designing in the new version. This is great information for anyone that is going to undergo the time consuming effort to produce a good flash movie. The tricks and tips are truly a wonderful addition to this book that some Flash books do lack. This is an excellent choice for any Flash Design beginner!

I removed this review as it wound up becoming two here. Feel free to remove this one.
Deadsam

i haven't seen a single book that sells the role flash mx should play in interface design and applications development as this one.

a definite must have for every designer/developer.

note: if you don't even read it... display it proudly on your shelf.

This is an interesting book covering many aspects of flash use today. There is a good sprinkling of

- Drawing API
- Advanced Actionscripting
- XML, PHP and server side technologies
- Sticky site concepts
- neat interactive video

The book is not big, and is by no means exhaustive .. .but it is fun.

At first I have to admit when I seen this title, I thought hmmmm a book about flash and designing, can't be too interesting, but after reading it and lookinig at the case studies, I quickly changed my mind. I have to say this is one amazing book. If your a flash designer, then this book is a must! It has case studies from preloaders (ah you say whats the big deal with that?) believe me, just the prloaders alone are worth the price of the book, then it goes into how to make a website that is not just appealing visually but some totally amazing coding to go with it, then it goes into projects like the totally insane family tree (I have yet to see anything coded or visually appealing as this project is, you have to see this one to believe it), then how to use xml to create an insane directory (or it can be used as a menu) then comes php (Ok this is where it starts to go into orbit, a full website thats easy to navigate and extremly eye appealing). You want stickiness? check out the growing plant case study. Unbelievable project! then also theres the t-shirt designing art program (which can be converted into an online art program for various purposes) and also the use of video (now this is not just a normal video case study) on the side it shows you what steps a karate guy is making top view in graphics as the karate guy does his moves (one great how to do karate tutorial for online) which can also be converted into other things as well. So there you have it a book jammed packed full of totally insane case studies. Some have surpassed anything Ive seen yet! I was thikning of giving this book a 4 star rating when I got about halfway through it, I have no choice but to give it a 5 star rating, it's just way to good not too.
If your a flash designer or just a flash programmer, you need this book!

Flash MX Application & Interface Design explores advanced flash navigations built with Flash MX. The first chapter of the book details everything you'd ever want or need to know about pre-loading. The last chapter contains some handy tips for dealing with Flash video. The meat of the book covers advanced navigations built with flash-sometimes so advanced it borders on useless. However, the value is not so much in what the authors built using Flash, but how they built it using actionscript.

Some authors from the book obviously assume their readers possess expert-level knowledge of OOP, classes, inheritance, and creating objects. As I waded through a couple of scripts, I felt as if the authors expected a certain level of familiarity with OOP from me. In addition, the examples in the book are quite complex. If a reader wishes to take the examples and use the lessons found within them, he or she will either need extraordinary persistence or advanced scripting skills.

Nevertheless, the book contains a wealth of code for the advanced scripter; enough to keep an enthusiastic reader busy for many weeks. The book also showcased the drawing API through several chapters and gives great coverage of creating text fields in Flash MX. I enjoyed the varied perspectives offered by the different authors, particularly the chapter related to using an XML document to populate an interface/navigation.

If you like Terry Gilliam's movies, you need this book. He covers his childhood in surprising detail, talks about the Monty Python years, and then gets into each movie. The book drags near the end, but that's primarily due to the exhaustion you feel reading about this stuff --- like his movies, you can get overwhelmed by the details. This is the best on Gilliam I've read, and one of the best books in the 'Director on Director' series.

If you happen to be a Terry Gilliam fan, you have to read this. If you don't happen to be a Gilliam fan, but are an aspiring filmmaker, this is an invaluable source of insight. Hell, there are many pros who should read this!

Reading these interviews puts you inside the creative mind of a filmmaking genius (yes, I dare say that). There's a reason for everything that's on the screen, and one understands that Gilliam's knack for weirdness is a little more than that... there's more to his filmmaking virtuosism (wild camera angles and moves) than there is when they make it in your average Nike comercial. If you wanna know what I mean, well, read the book.

Also, I don't recommend this much to Python fans. Certainly, a good part of it talks about the Python days, but it doesn't talk about their creative process much - it's more about the making of the films and Gilliam's animations.

If I had to utter one complaint about this piece, it would be that it is terribly, if understandably, one-sided. The book is terrific in showcasing Gilliam's opinions and feelings on his career and films, but that's the only opinion we receive. After hearing Burgess denounce his masterpiece, "A Clockwork Orange," I've been under the impression that an artist's opinion on his own work, while priceless, is nothing more than that; an opinion. This must be especially true in the medium of film, which more than any other medium is a collaborative effort. A book including interviews with producers, actors, technicians, designers as well as the director would make for a thorough and multi-layered overview on any film. Having said that, this particular book still succeeded in offering a peak, no matter how slight, into the workings of what I humbly consider to be an unspoken genius of our times.

As someone said on the back cover (neatly stealing my idea), Gilliam on Gilliam is like something Phillip Dick might have written. It is paranoid, neurotic, nutty, and fascinating look at filmmaker Terry Gilliam.

It is, truly, Gilliam on Gilliam, with the book in total an interview with the filmmaker. Gilliam talks about the battle for Brazil, his frustrations in the early Python films (was was stigmatized as the arty image guy), and his intricate intentions in later films.

Most interesting to me, other than how it reminded me of how much of his films, sadly, I had forgotten, was how much visual work he puts into his films. That is relatively clear from screen, but even more apparent after you read through this book.

Equally interesting to the biz geek in me was reading Terry's pitched battle for budget credibility. After having budget troubles on two films (Brazil and Baron Munchausen), Gilliam had a financial scarlet letter to sport and it has been tough for him to convince the studios that he is not a risky budgetary bet. Hard to believe that such a prolific and successful filmmaker could still be auditioning, but there it is.

Anyway, an interesting and informative book. Not for those who are mildly interested, but a treat for Gilliam geeks who want the inside skinny on everything from De Niro's bizarre behavior in Brazil, to the casting of Jon Pryce, to underlying mythic chain operating in The Fisher King.

One of the most interesting director that the world of cinema give to us. This book it's an insight view, a dive in the mind of the visual art of Terry Gilliam. If you are a fan of his work this book it's kind of a Bible and if you are not a fan, this book will open your mind to one of the more magical directors in the history of this art.