Welcome to the second volume of Game Audio Programming: Principles and Practices - the first series of its kind dedicated to the art of game audio programming! This volume features more than 20 chapters containing advanced techniques from some of the top game audio programmers and sound designers in the industry. This book continues the tradition of collecting more knowledge and wisdom about game audio programming than any other volume in history. Both audio programming beginners and seasoned veterans will find content in this book that is valuable, with topics ranging from extreme low-level mixing to high-level game integration. Each chapter contains techniques that were used in games that have shipped, and there is a plethora of code samples and diagrams. There are chapters on threading, DSP implementation, advanced middleware techniques in FMOD Studio and Audiokinetic Wwise, ambiences, mixing, music, and more. This book has something for everyone who is programming audio for a game: programmers new to the art of audio programming, experienced audio programmers, and those souls who just got assigned the audio code. This book is for you!

Rolf Giesen's Puppetry, Puppet Animation and the Digital Age explores the unique world of puppetry animation and its application in the digital age. With the advent of digital animation, many individuals see puppetry and 2D animation as being regulated to a niche market. Giesen's text argues against this viewpoint, by demonstrating the pure aesthetic value they have, as well as examples of some of the greatest cinematic uses of puppets. Such samples include, The Adventures of Prince Achmed, Ladislas Starevich, O'Brien, Harryhausen and Danforth, Trnka and Svankmajer, Aardman and Laika Studios, ParaNorman, and the Boxtrolls. Even live-action blockbusters, such as the Star Wars saga utilize puppetry for costume applications as noted within the text. The use of puppets not only helps create a wonderous world and memorable characters, but is also one of the purest extensions of an artist. Key Features Includes interviews with past and present practitioners of model animation as well as computer animation Reviews of classic and recent entries in both fields Comparison of what is better in stop motion versus computer animation A detailed history of animation and stop motion films

In introducing new students to video game development, there are two crucial components to consider: design and implementation. Unity 3D and PlayMaker Essentials: Game Development from Concept to Publishing provides theoretical background on topics such as characters, stories, level design, interface design, audio, game mechanics, and tools and skills needed. Each chapter focuses on a specific topic, with topics building upon each other so that by the end of the book you will have looked into all the subjects relevant to creating your own game. The book transitions from discussion to demonstrations of how to implement techniques and concepts into practice by using Unity3D and PlayMaker. Download boxes are included throughout the book where you can get the version of the game project under discussion or other content to add to the project, as well as any supplementary video tutorials that have been developed. Addressing both theoretical and practical aspects, Unity 3D and PlayMaker Essentials enables you to understand how to create a game by having you make a game. By gradually completing your own design document through the course of the book, you will become familiar with core design principles while learning the practical skills needed to bring your unique game to life.

OpenGL ES is the standard graphics API used for mobile and embedded systems. Despite its widespread use, there is a lack of material that addresses the balance of both theory and practice in OpenGL ES. JungHyun Han's Introduction to Computer Graphics with OpenGL ES achieves this perfect balance. Han's depiction of theory and practice illustrates how 3D graphics fundamentals are implemented. Theoretical or mathematical details around real-time graphics are also presented in a way that allows readers to quickly move on to practical programming. Additionally, this book presents OpenGL ES and shader code on many topics. Industry professionals, as well as, students in Computer Graphics and Game Programming courses will find this book of importance. Key Features: Presents key graphics algorithms that are commonly employed by state-of-the-art game engines and 3D user interfaces Provides a hands-on look at real-time graphics by illustrating OpenGL ES and shader code on various topics Depicts troublesome concepts using elaborate 3D illustrations so that they can be easily absorbed Includes problem sets, solutions manual, and lecture notes for those wishing to use this book as a course text.

Achieving believable motion in animation requires an understanding of physics that most of us missed out on in art school. Although animators often break the laws of physics for comedic or dramatic effect, you need to know which laws you're breaking in order to make it work. And while large studios might be able to spend a lot of time and money testing different approaches or hiring a physics consultant, smaller studios and independent animators have no such luxury. This book takes the mystery out of physics tasks like character motion, light and shadow placement, explosions, ocean movement, and outer space scenes, making it easy to apply realistic physics to your work. Physics concepts are explained in animator's terms, relating concepts specifically to animation movement and appearance. Complex mathematical concepts are broken down into clear steps you can follow to solve animation problems quickly and effectively. Bonus companion website at www.physicsforanimators.com offers additional resources, including examples in movies and games, links to resources, and tips on using physics in your work. Uniting theory and practice, author Michele Bousquet teaches animators how to swiftly and efficiently create scientifically accurate scenes and fix problem spots, and how and when to break the laws of physics. Ideal for everything from classical 2D animation to advanced CG special effects, this book provides animators with solutions that are simple, quick, and powerful.

This book teaches students and entry-level novices how to create games using the GameMaker engine. Readers will quickly hone their design skills with tutorials that are written so that beginners can quickly start building games while also providing lessons on how designers can 'level up' and add advanced options to their games. Readers will also have access to a website containing all the assets and resources to create their games, including sprites and animations, walk-through video tutorials of each lesson and music composed by professional musicians. Also provided are rubrics for instructors to use when grading student work or for readers learning on their own to evaluate their own work.

This book teaches students and entry-level novices how to create games using the GameMaker engine. Readers will quickly hone their design skills with tutorials that are written so that beginners can quickly start building games while also providing lessons on how designers can 'level up' and add advanced options to their games. Readers will also have access to a website containing all the assets and resources to create their games, including sprites and animations, walk-through video tutorials of each lesson and music composed by professional musicians. Also provided are rubrics for instructors to use when grading student work or for readers learning on their own to evaluate their own work.

Detailed tutorials meant for beginners to Unreal Engine At-length discussion of Unreal Engine architecture to help build robust knowledge. Special focus on game programming on Unreal Engine

Rigging for Games: A Primer for Technical Artists Using Maya and Python is not just another step-by-step manual of loosely related tutorials. Using characters from the video game Tin, it takes you through the real-world creative and technical process of rigging characters for video games and cinematics, allowing readers a complete inside look at a single project. You'll explore new ways to write scripts and create modular rigs using Maya and Python, and automate and speed up the rigging process in your creative pipeline. Finally, you'll learn the most efficient ways of exporting your rigs into the popular game engine Unity. This is the practical, start-to-finish rigging primer you've been waiting for! Enhance your skillset by learning how to efficiently rig characters using techniques applicable to both games and cinematics Keep up with all the action with behind-the-scenes images and code scripts Refine your rigging skills with tutorials and project files available on the companion website

Go behind the scene of the behind the scenes to learn how the business of producing the dazzling visual effects we see in movies and on TV works.
With decades of combined VFX production and supervisory experience in Hollywood, the authors share their experience with you, illuminating standard industry practices and tips on:

* preproduction planning
* scheduling
* budgeting
* evaluating vendors and the bidding process
* effective data management
* working on-set, off-set, or overseas
* dealing with changes in post-production
* legal issues (contracts, insurance, business ethics), and more

Also included are interviews with established, successful Hollywood VFX Producers about their career paths and how they got to where they are now.
From pre-production to final delivery, this is your complete guide to visual effects production, providing insight on VFX budgeting and scheduling (with actual forms for your own use) and common production techniques such as motion control, miniatures, and pre-visualization. Also included is a companion website (www.focalpress.com/cw/finance-9780240812632) with forms and documents for you to incorporate into your own VFX production workflows.

From Pixar's upcoming film Incredibles 2, this making-of book is a dive back into the beloved world of the Incredibles. The Art of Incredibles 2 explores Pixar's highly anticipated sequel through colorful artwork, energetic character sketches, intriguing storyboards, and spellbinding colorscripts. Featuring gorgeous production art and interesting details from the production team about the making of the film, The Art of Incredibles 2 overflows with insights into the artistic process behind Pixar's engaging creative vision. Copyright (c)2018 Disney Enterprises, Inc. and Pixar. All rights reserved.

One of the more revolutionary parts of the MPEG-4 International Standard is the Face and Body Animation, or FBA: the specification for efficient coding of shape and animation of human faces and bodies. This specification is a result of collaboration of experts with different backgrounds ranging from image coding and compression to video analysis, computer graphics, as well as speech analysis and synthesis, all sharing a common interest in computer simulation of humans. This book concentrates on the animation of faces.

Features include:

• Sets the MPEG-4 FA specification against the historical background of research on facial animation and model-based coding and provides a brief history of the development of the standard itself.

• Comprehensive overview of the FA specification with the goal of helping the reader understand how the standard works, what the thinking is behind it, and how it is intended be used.

• Covers the implementation of the standard on both the encoding and decoding side. Presents several face animation techniques for MPEG-4 FA decoders, as well as architectures for building applications based on the standard.

• Brings together a collection of applications using the MPEG-4 FA specification.

• Includes a standard benchmark method for assessing the quality of MPEG-4 FA decoders.

The MPEG-4 FA specification is suitable for a wide range of applications not only in telecommunications and multimedia, but also in fields like computer animation and human-computer interfaces. This book will be a valuable companion for practitioners implementing applications based on the MPEG-4 FA specification and those who wish to understand the standard and its implications.

Inspire your own creativity with "Digital Mayhem 3D Machine Techniques. "Compiled by Duncan Evans, founder of 3D Artist Magazine, this book is the next installment of the "Digital Mayhem "series. Explore, page after page, spectacular machine images created by the industry s top talent.

With over 500 stunning images," Digital Mayhem 3D Machine Techniques "is not your basic software manual. It is where technique and inspiration meet a detailed and innovative guide to great machine images. Each chapter contains vibrant images and an explanation of the artist s workflow, including a step-by-step tutorial to help you achieve similar results. From pre-viz to post production, this book takes you through the whole process of creating your very own machine masterpiece

• Get inside the minds of the artists with breakdown overviews and supporting imagery to explain what went into their piece.
• Expand your digital canvas to include a variety of software techniques, tools and workflows.
• Visit the companion website for additional resources to help you develop your machine technique skills.

"

Once you know how to use Flash, you can create everything from simple animations to high-end desktop applications, but it's a complex tool that can be difficult to master on your own-unless you have this Missing Manual. This book will help you learn all you need to know about Flash CS5 to create animations that bring your ideas to life.Learn animation basics. Find everything you need to know to get started with Flash Master the Flash tools. Learn the animation and effects toolset, with clear explanations and hands-on examples Use 3D effects. Rotate and put objects in motion in three dimensions Create lifelike motion. Use the IK Bones tool to simulate realistic body movements and other linked motions Speed up development. Use templates, code snippets, and motion presets Design applications. Get an intro to building full desktop applications with Flash and Adobe AIR Create rich interactive animations. Dive into advanced interactivity with easy-to-learn ActionScript examples

This book offers an introduction to Flash Catalyst for designers with intermediate to advanced skills. It discusses where Catalyst sits within the production process and how it communicates with other programs. It covers all of the features of the Flash Catalyst workspace, teaching you how to create designs from scratch, how to build application designs and add functionality, and how to master the Catalyst/Flex workflow.Introduces Flash Catalyst Focuses on production process Covers the interrelation between Flash Catalyst and Photoshop/Illustrator/Flex/Flash What you'll learn

Starting from scratch, you'll learn the basic concepts and interface functionality of Flash Catalyst, and get practical experience by working on carefully crafted real-life projects throughout the book. You'll learn every stage of the process, from the first design sketches to the Flex Developer hand over, and how you can make design changes to assets while the developers work on the code. You'll also learn how to make your designs functional by adding simple buttons and scroll bars, and how to make sure that developers can precisely interpret your vision.Converting Photoshop/Illustrator artwork to interactive designs Sketching designs with interactivity Sketching designs with transitions Working with the FXG format Designing with fluid layouts in Catalyst Who this book is for

This book is for designers experienced with Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fireworks who want to include Flash Catalyst in their workflows. It's also for the general audience looking to design rich Internet applications using Catalyst. Table of Contents Catalyst Interface Your First Flash Catalyst Project Wireframing in Catalyst Animation in Catalyst Interactions Organizing Artwork and Best Practices Data Lists and Design-Time Data SWFs, Video, and Audio Custom Components and Library Packages Catalyst to Flex Builder

Ever since Lorensen and Cline published their paper on the Marching Cubes algorithm, isosurfaces have been a standard technique for the visualization of 3D volumetric data. Yet there is no book exclusively devoted to isosurfaces. Isosurfaces: Geometry, Topology, and Algorithms represents the first book to focus on basic algorithms for isosurface construction. It also gives a rigorous mathematical perspective on some of the algorithms and results. In color throughout, the book covers the Marching Cubes algorithm and variants, dual contouring algorithms, multilinear interpolation, multiresolution isosurface extraction, isosurfaces in four dimensions, interval volumes, and contour trees. It also describes data structures for faster isosurface extraction as well as methods for selecting significant isovalues. For designers of visualization software, the book presents an organized overview of the various algorithms associated with isosurfaces. For graduate students, it provides a solid introduction to research in this area. For visualization researchers, the book serves as a reference to the vast literature on isosurfaces.

Producing New and Digital Media is your essential guide to understanding new media, taking a deep dive into such topics as the cultural and social impacts of the web, the importance of digital literacy, and creating in an online environment. This cutting edge text provides an introductory, hands-on approach to creating user-generated content, coding, cultivating an online brand, and storytelling in new and digital media. In showing you how to navigate the world of digital media and complete digital tasks, this book not only teaches you how to use the web, but also helps you understand why you use it. Key features for the second edition include: Coverage of up-to-date forms of communication on the web: memes, viral videos, social media, and more pervasive types of online languages. New chapters on YouTube influencers and on-demand subscription television. Each chapter has media literacy sidebars, sample assignments, and activities. Updates to the companion website additional materials for students and instructors Thoughtful, entertaining, and enlightening, this is the fundamental textbook for students of new and digital media, digital culture and media literacy, as well as a useful resource for anyone wanting to understand and develop their presence in our digital world.

Combining art and design principles with creative storytelling and professional savvy, this book covers everything a serious motion designer needs to make their artistic visions a reality and confidently produce compositions for clients. In this updated second edition of Design for Motion, author Austin Shaw explores the principles of motion design, teaching readers how to creatively harness the essential techniques of this diverse and innovative medium to create compelling style frames, design boards, and motion design products. Lessons are augmented by illustrious full-color imagery and practical exercises, allowing you to put the techniques covered into immediate practical context. Industry leaders, pioneers, and rising stars contribute their professional perspectives, share personal stories, and provide visual examples of their work. This second edition also includes updates on the following: Illustration techniques Typography Compositing Visual storytelling Incorporating 3D elements Social/mobile-first design Portfolio and concept development How to develop a distinct personal design style, and much more Plumb the depths of core motion design fundamentals and harness the essential techniques of this diverse and innovative medium. An accompanying Companion Website (www.routledge.com/cw/shaw) features video tutorials, a student showcase, and more.

Combining art and design principles with creative storytelling and professional savvy, this book covers everything a serious motion designer needs to make their artistic visions a reality and confidently produce compositions for clients. In this updated second edition of Design for Motion, author Austin Shaw explores the principles of motion design, teaching readers how to creatively harness the essential techniques of this diverse and innovative medium to create compelling style frames, design boards, and motion design products. Lessons are augmented by illustrious full-color imagery and practical exercises, allowing you to put the techniques covered into immediate practical context. Industry leaders, pioneers, and rising stars contribute their professional perspectives, share personal stories, and provide visual examples of their work. This second edition also includes updates on the following: Illustration techniques Typography Compositing Visual storytelling Incorporating 3D elements Social/mobile-first design Portfolio and concept development How to develop a distinct personal design style, and much more Plumb the depths of core motion design fundamentals and harness the essential techniques of this diverse and innovative medium. An accompanying Companion Website (www.routledge.com/cw/shaw) features video tutorials, a student showcase, and more.

Gain hands-on experience creating, manipulating, and optimizing motion graphics for film, video, the web, and mobile devices. Learn how to animate text and images, customize a wide range of effects, track and sync content, rotoscope, manipulate timing, correct color, and remove unwanted objects. Customize cameras and lighting to create compelling 3D content. Design Motion Graphics templates for editing in Adobe Premiere Pro. Deform and animate objects and video using robust Puppet tools. The fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe After Effects Classroom in a Book (R), the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, offers what no other book or training program does-an official training series from Adobe, developed with the support of Adobe product experts. Adobe After Effects Classroom in a Book (2022 release) contains 15 lessons that cover the basics and beyond, providing countless tips and techniques to help you become more productive with the program. You can follow the book from start to finish or choose only those lessons that interest you. Purchasing this book includes valuable online extras. Follow the instructions in the book's "Getting Started" section to unlock access to: Downloadable lesson files you need to work through the projects in the book Web Edition containing the complete text of the book, interactive quizzes, and videos that walk you through the lessons step by step What you need to use this book: Adobe After Effects (2022 release) software, for either Windows or macOS. (Software not included.) Note: Classroom in a Book does not replace the documentation, support, updates, or any other benefits of being a registered owner of Adobe After Effects software.

This book offers a perspective into a phenomenon becoming more and more common: AAA developers 'going indie'. Written through the personal story of the author finding his way into the AAA games space, only to retreat back to indie games and consulting work and finding a new-old life making games for himself, and finding fulfillment in doing so. It is both a word of warning to creatives seeking a corporation and a call for disillusioned developers to break free and do something wild, creative, and unexpected. It is critical of common industry issues such as structural crunch, health issues, work life balance, and more, but is also a personal story of mismatched needs in doing creative work. Key Features Under-explored viewpoint of the games industry, someone who worked for years to 'break in', then worked for years to 'break out'. Offers a unique look at making an indie game life both financially and mentally feasible. Encourages developers sitting on the fence to take the plunge.

A uniquely interdisciplinary look at storytelling in digital, analogue, and hybridised contexts, this book traces different ways stories are experienced in our contemporary mediascape. It uses an engaging range of current examples to explore interactive and immersive narratives. Critical Encounters with Immersive Storytelling considers exciting new forms of storytelling that are emerging in contemporary popular culture. Here, immersion is being facilitated in a variety of ways and in a multitude of contexts, from 3D cinema to street games, from immersive theatre plays to built environments such as theme parks, as well as in a multitude of digital formats. The book explores diverse modes and practices of immersive storytelling, discussing what is gained and lost in each of these 'genres'. Building on notions of experience and immersion, it suggests a framework within which we might begin to understand the quality of being immersed. It also explores the practical and ethical aspects of this exciting and evolving terrain. This accessible and lively study will be of great interest to students and researchers of media studies, digital culture, games studies, extended reality, experience design, and storytelling.

The animation studio United Productions of America (UPA) was able to challenge Disney supremacy in the 1950s entertainment market by creating cutting-edge animated cartoons. UPA films express a simplified audiovisual language consisting of stylized layout designs, asymmetrical compositions, colors applied flatly and in contrast with each other, limited animation and a minimalist use of sound effects. UPA artists developed this innovative style by assimilating those aesthetic features already expressed by Modern painters, graphic designers and advertisers. This book considers UPA films as Modern animations, because they synthesize a common minimalist tendency that was occurring in US animation during the 1940s and 1950s. It examines the conditions under which UPA studio flourished and the figure of its executive producer Stephen Bosustow; the influence of Modernist stylistic features of painting, graphic design and poster advertising on UPA animations; and UPA animated cartoons as case studies of a simplified audiovisual language that influenced 1950s-1960s international productions. Key Features Looks at UPA's origins during the 1940s and postwar American stage, and how this influences later Modern movements and styles Learn about the production methods of UPA and its lasting graphic contribution to animation history Discover how UPA audiovisual styles were born from the assimilation of Modern paintings, graphic art, and poster advertising Explores how UPA influenced animation in other parts of the world, including Romania, Russia, and Japan Highlights the impact UPA had on styles with famous international legends like Dusan Vukotic, Fyodor Khitruk, and Osamu Tezuka

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-conference proceedings of the Third International Workshop on Next Generation Computer Animation Techniques, AniNex 2017, held in Bournemouth, UK, in June 2017. The workshop was held in conjunction with the 11th International Conference on E-Learning and Games, Edutainment 2017. The 17 full papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 27 submissions. The papers are structured according to the four main themes: simulation and rendering for computer animation; character modeling and dynamics; user centered design and modeling; computer animation systems and virtual reality based applications.