Animating with Stop Motion Pro is comprehensive, hands-on guide to achieving professional results with Stop Motion Pro 7.0 software. Gone are the days of stop motion guesswork and waiting to see the finalized result of your meticulous, labor intensive animations. With the push of a mouse button and the Stop Motion Pro software, animators have ten times the capability of simple camera stop motion capture. Re-visualize stop motion character movements, graph these movements and composite characters into a flawless animations with the techniques and step by step tutorials featured in Animating with Stop Motion Pro. Create professional stop motion animation immediately with detailed exercises at the companion website: www.focalpress.com/cw/sawicki-9780240812199/. Integrate classic stop motion animation techniques with the latest stop motion software features.

Electron Microscopy and Analysis deals with several sophisticated techniques for magnifying images of very small objects by large amounts - especially in a physical science context. It has been ten years since the last edition of Electron Microscopy and Analysis was published and there have been rapid changes in this field since then. The authors have vastly updated their very successful second edition, which is already established as an essential laboratory manual worldwide, and they have incorporated questions and answers in each chapter for ease of learning. Equally as relevant for material scientists and bioscientists, this third edition is an essential textbook.

Going beyond where introductory books leave off and written for experienced editors, especially those new to Final Cut Pro X, this new and revised edition of Final Cut Pro X Beyond the Basics is brimming with cutting-edge methods to bring your editing skills to the next level. Explained in jargon-free language by a seasoned teacher and digital editor, Tom Wolsky's text has been fully updated to address the new Final Cut Pro X 10.3 interface and changes to the software. This full-color workshop features tutorials that provide firsthand experience on the art and technique of editing at an advanced level with Final Cut Pro X, as well as in-depth information and time-saving tips that will allow you to master the application's interface elements, tools, and nuances. Wolsky covers all the bases, including: Library workflows and collaboration; Media organization and metadata customization for different genres; Editing techniques for projects of various lengths and types; Using markers and the timeline index; Audio tools; Multicam editing; Audio and video effects; Color correction, including secondary corrections and isolated color adjustments; Compositing and complex animation. An accompanying eResource features downloadable Final Cut Pro X project libraries for the tutorials discussed in the book, offering readers hands-on examples of the techniques and practices covered.

Optimal and Adaptive Signal Processing covers the theory of optimal and adaptive signal processing using examples and computer simulations drawn from a wide range of applications, including speech and audio, communications, reflection seismology and sonar systems. The material is presented without a heavy reliance on mathematics and focuses on one-dimensional and array processing results, as well as a wide range of adaptive filter algorithms and implementations. Topics discussed include random signals and optimal processing, adaptive signal processing with the LMS algorithm, applications of adaptive filtering, algorithms and structures for adaptive filtering, spectral analysis, and array signal processing.

Optimal and Adaptive Signal Processing is a valuable guide for scientists and engineers, as well as an excellent text for senior undergraduate/graduate level students in electrical engineering.

Most tools developers want to improve the user experience but are not given the time, lack the techniques, or don't know where to begin.Designing the User Experience of Game Development Tools addresses these issues to empower tools developers to make positive steps toward improving the user experience of their tools.The book explains how to improve the user experience of game development tools. The first part of the book details the logic behind why the user experience of game tools must be improved. The second part introduces the concept of user-centered design, a process that revolves around understanding people's goals, watching them work, learning the context in which they work, and understanding how they think.Ideal for anyone who makes, uses, or benefits from game development tools, the book presents complex concepts in a manner that is accessible to those new to user experience design. The book illustrates many proven concepts and techniques using before-and-after examples from tools development to supply you with the real-world understanding you need to become a better game developer. It also describes how to get buy-in from your team.Although concepts have been simplified to make the information more easily accessible, the text includes resources in the footnotes if you want more details. The book includes access to a companion website, www.UXofGameTools.com, that contains the latest revisions for the book as well as contact information. You can also follow the official Twitter account @UXofGameTools to see the latest updates and articles related to the improvement of the user experience.

The Key to Fully Understanding the Basics of a 3D World Prominently used in games, movies, and on television, 3D graphics are tools of creation used to enhance how material and light come together to manipulate objects in 3D space. A game-changer written for the non-technical mind, Essential Skills for 3D Modeling, Rendering, and Animation examines the complexities of 3D computer-generated art, and outlines the basics of how things work and are used in 3D. This text describes the three cornerstones of 3D modeling, rendering, and animation; focuses on common elements; and provides a full understanding of the foundational concepts involved. Detailing the skills and knowledge needed to become an accomplished 3D artist, it includes step-by-step instruction with ample examples, and allows absolute beginners to move at their own pace. Master Anything You Are Tasked to Model The author incorporates historical information presenting a contextual understanding of the various techniques and methodologies in their historical place. Each chapter builds on the fundamentals of 3D computer graphics and augments skills based on the concepts, enabling the student to learn both theory and application simultaneously. The book highlights two basic geometry types, polygons and NURBS surfaces, showing the student basic modeling techniques with both. While more techniques are available, an artist can cover any model by grasping these basic techniques. Supplies examples that are specifically taken from Autodesk Maya Contains exercises that are meant to be used in conjunction with the training videos on the website Includes a documented history of computer graphics Essential Skills for 3D Modeling, Rendering, and Animation offers a fundamental understanding of the mechanics of 3D graphics to modelers, anima

Is the art for your video game taking too long to create? Learning to create Pixel Art may be the answer to your development troubles. Uncover the secrets to creating stunning graphics with Pixel Art for Game Developers. The premier how-to book on Pixel Art and Pixel Art software, it focuses on the universal principles of the craft.The book provides an introduction to Pixel Art, its utility, foundational elements, and concepts such as light and shadow. It offers tutorials on creating animations and serves as a functional guide for the most common methodology in 2D game development.Gamers love the retro feel of Pixel Art, and lucky for you it is easy to create. You'll love the tiny file sizes that will reduce compile times and help your game run faster. Providing you with the skills to create the characters and environments needed for 2D games, this book will help you: Create tilesets to build game environments Understand light and shadow Work efficiently with pixels Use atmospheric and linear perspective Create professional-quality Pixel Art This book has chapters dedicated to theory as well as step-by-step tutorials, both of which describe the process explicitly. Whether you are an artist, programmer, indie developer, or certified public accountant, after reading this book, you'll understand the steps necessary to create production-quality Pixel Art graphics.Praise for the Book:Pixel Art and Pixel Art games are very popular and the technique is a great way for independent creators to create very good-looking games with limited resources. It's frankly shocking that there hasn't been a resource like this before ... a very timely book.Chris Totten, George Mason University, Washington, DC, USA

Fluid simulation is a computer graphic used to develop realistic animation of liquids in modern games. The Art of Fluid Animation describes visually rich techniques for creating fluid-like animations that do not require advanced physics or mathematical skills. It explains how to create fluid animations like water, smoke, fire, and explosions through computer code in a fun manner. The book presents concepts that drive fluid animation and gives a historical background of the computation of fluids. It covers many research areas that include stable fluid simulation, flows on surfaces, and control of flows. It also gives one-paragraph summaries of the material after each section for reinforcement. This book includes computer code that readers can download and run on several platforms so they can extend their work beyond what is described in the book. The material provided here is designed to serve as a starting point for aspiring programmers to begin creating their own programs using fluid animation.

Game development is one of the most rewarding crafts of modern times. Not only is making games a wonderful lifelong hobby, but employment opportunities exist at many levels. Learn to Implement Games with Code guides you through the development process as you put together a release-ready game. It is written in a friendly and conversational tone, which is suitable for a wide audience of aspiring game developers, such as yourself. You will gain practical, hands-on experience with implementing game components using code. Gradually, you will build a complete game that you can be proud of. After finishing this book, you will be prepared to start making games of your very own design.

We are on the verge of creating an exciting new kind of interactive story form that will involve audiences as active participants. This book provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of classical story structure and classical game structure and explains why it has been surprisingly difficult to bring these two activities together. With this foundation in place, the book presents several ideas for ways to move forward in this appealing quest. The author has a conversational and friendly style, making reading a pleasure.

Expand your animation toolkit with foundational animation techniques, software expertise, professional best-practices, proven and time-tested work flows. Roland Hess, a leading Blender artist and instructor, expertly navigates you through Blender's character animation systems and controls, with a focus on each of the classical principles of animation like timing, anticipation, appeal, staging, exaggeration, squash and stretch and much more. Unique from other software titles, the Tradigital series offers a specific tool-set of practical instruction and foundational knowledge that all great animators will need to know. Expand your digital workflow to include the practical resources with the robust companion web site that include demonstrations, project files, links to further resources, available at http://www.focalpress.com/cw/hess-9780240817576/.

You've got the cheats, tutorials, and how-tos. What else do you need? Go above and beyond those stop-gaps and step-by-steps with Pushing Pixels, the real-world guide to developing dynamic and fun content from conception to deployment. Whether you are animating for a short, a fun cartoon, or a mobile game, renowned Flash expert Chris Georgenes will show you his approach with various types of animation projects, from start to finish. Providing in-depth knowledge of the little-known secrets used by the pros to produce creative, professional animations, this is the go-to source for anyone looking to create great animation.

Presents the statistical analysis of morphological filters and their automatic optical design, the development of morphological features for image signatures, and the design of efficient morphological algorithms. Extends the morphological paradigm to include other branches of science and mathematics.;This book is designed to be of interest to optical, electrical and electronics, and electro-optic engineers, including image processing, signal processing, machine vision, and computer vision engineers, applied mathematicians, image analysts and scientists and graduate-level students in image processing and mathematical morphology courses.

Blender is a vast and customizable 3D-modeling application used by many artists across creative industries, from television to games. This newest book, in Alan Thorn's How to Cheat series, offers insightful and bite-sized power-tips to help you develop Blender mastery. More than five hundred figures illustrate interesting shortcuts and clever ways to improve your Blender workflow. A companion website at http://www.alanthorn.net provides bonus content, including videos and resources to help sharpen your skills further. How to Cheat in Blender 2.7x is for Blender users of all levels, offering time-saving tips and powerful techniques to increase your productivity. Key Features Bite-sized tips and tricks that can be read in any order Illustrated examples and step-by-step guides for improving your workflow Explores practical applications and real-world contexts Demonstrates "lesser-known" and unconventional tips Improves your efficiency and workflow

Principles of Game Audio and Sound Design is a comprehensive introduction to the art of sound for games and interactive media using Unity. This accessible guide encompasses both the conceptual challenges of the artform as well as the technical and creative aspects, such as sound design, spatial audio, scripting, implementation and mixing. Beginning with basic techniques, including linear and interactive sound design, before moving on to advanced techniques, such as procedural audio, Principles of Game Audio and Sound Design is supplemented by a host of digital resources, including a library of ready-to-use, adaptable scripts. This thorough introduction provides the reader with the skills and tools to combat the potential challenges of game audio independently. Principles of Game Audio and Sound Design is the perfect primer for beginner- to intermediate-level readers with a basic understanding of audio production and Unity who want to learn how to gain a foothold in the exciting world of game and interactive audio.

Presents basic theories, techniques, and procedures used to analyze, design, and implement two-dimensional filters; and surveys a number of applications in image and seismic data processing that demonstrate their use in real-world signal processing. For graduate students in electrical and computer e

Successful storyboards and poignant characters have the power to make elusive thoughts and emotions tangible for audiences. Packed with illustrations that illuminate and a text that entertains and informs, Prepare to Board, 3rd edition presents the methods and techniques of animation master, Nancy Beiman, with a focus on pre-production, story development and character design. As one of the only storyboard titles on the market that explores the intersection of creative character design and storyboard development, the third edition is an invaluable resource for both beginner and intermediate artists. Key Features Adapt key techniques, tips and tricks of experienced character designers and storyboard artists with 30 years of experience to your film, television and animation projects. Save time and money with workflow solutions and avoid common mistakes and problems with troubleshooting tips. Implement creative solutions for your own projects with this invaluable resource for beginner and intermediate artists with examples of what a good storyboard and character design should look like and example of poorly designed storyboards. and tricks. Further your artistic skill development with an interactive, companion website which will includes video tutorials, examples of animatics and good and bad pitching techniques.

From iMovie to Final Cut Pro X offers an accessible, introductory guide to those taking up video editing using Final Cut Pro X, especially users making the transition from iMovie, Apple's free video software, helping aspirational and mobile filmmakers develop the skills needed to take their career to the next stage. Written by award-winning former Apple Education trainer and Final Cut Pro expert Tom Wolsky, this full-color book illuminates the key differences between these two applications and teaches users how to produce first-class results using the professional application. Wolsky also covers best practices for those working with iMovie on an iPhone or iPad and looking to move to a more advanced desktop program. Downloadable Final Cut Pro X project libraries included with the book offer readers hands-on examples of the techniques and practices discussed. Covers Final Cut Pro X 10.3.1.

The book provides an up-to-date introduction to the latest version of Unity and its workflow by guiding readers through various prototypes. These range from 2D to 3D game concepts for PC and mobile, will allow readers to get acquainted with several important concepts and allow them to become competent Unity developers able to learn at their own pace. The book starts by introducing Unity and proceeds in building a basic understanding of its main components by developing a first, simple 2D game before proceeding in developing a full casual game to development of a simple but immersive 3D game concept to be tested first on PC before exploring how to port it for mobile VR.using Google Cardboard.

This volume on virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) and gamification for cultural heritage offers an insightful introduction to the theories, development, recent applications and trends of the enabling technologies for mixed reality and gamified interaction in cultural heritage and creative industries in general. It has two main goals: serving as an introductory textbook to train beginning and experienced researchers in the field of interactive digital cultural heritage, and offering a novel platform for researchers in and across the culturally-related disciplines. To this end, it is divided into two sections following a pedagogical model developed by the focus group of the first EU Marie S. Curie Fellowship Initial Training Network on Digital Cultural Heritage (ITN-DCH): Section I describes recent advances in mixed reality enabling technologies, while section II presents the latest findings on interaction with 3D tangible and intangible digital cultural heritage. The sections include selected contributions from some of the most respected scholars, researchers and professionals in the fields of VR/AR, gamification, and digital heritage. This book is intended for all heritage professionals, researchers, lecturers and students who wish to explore the latest mixed reality and gamification technologies in the context of cultural heritage and creative industries. It pursues a pedagogic approach based on trainings, conferences, workshops and summer schools that the ITN-DCH fellows have been following in order to learn how to design next-generation virtual heritage applications, systems and services.

The growth of videogame design programs in higher education and explosion of amateur game development has created a need for a deeper understanding of game history that addresses not only "when," but "how" and "why." Andrew Williams takes the first step in creating a comprehensive survey on the history of digital games as commercial products and artistic forms in a textbook appropriate for university instruction. History of Digital Games adopts a unique approach and scope that traces the interrelated concepts of game design, art and design of input devices from the beginnings of coin-operated amusement in the late 1800s to the independent games of unconventional creators in the present. Rooted in the concept of videogames as designed objects, Williams investigates the sources that inspired specific game developers as well as establishing the historical, cultural, economic and technological contexts that helped shape larger design trends. Key Features Full-color images and game screenshots Focuses primarily on three interrelated digital game elements: visual design, gameplay design and the design of input devices This book is able to discuss design trends common to arcade games, home console games and computer games while also respecting the distinctions of each game context Includes discussion of game hardware as it relates to how it affects game design Links to online resources featuring games discussed in the text, video tutorial and other interactive resources will be included.

This book introduces advanced and hybrid compression techniques specifically used for medical images. The book discusses conventional compression and compressive sensing (CS) theory based approaches that are designed and implemented using various image transforms, such as: Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT), Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and greedy based recovery algorithm. The authors show how these techniques provide simulation results of various compression techniques for different types of medical images, such as MRI, CT, US, and x-ray images. Future research directions are provided for medical imaging science. The book will be a welcomed reference for engineers, clinicians, and research students working with medical image compression in the biomedical imaging field. Covers various algorithms for data compression and medical image compression; Provides simulation results of compression algorithms for different types of medical images; Provides study of compressive sensing theory for compression of medical images.

Stop motion animation is a challenging and time-consuming skill that requires patience, adaptability, and a close eye to detail. Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation, 3rd Edition is the essential guide to help stop motion animators overcome these challenges of this highly-skilled craft. Author Susannah Shaw provides a step-by-step guide to creating successful stop motioin films. Starting with some basic exercises, the reader will learn about developing a story, making models, creating sets and props, the mechanics of movements, filming postproduction, and how to set about finding that first elusive job in a modern studio. Key Features Interviews with current stars, step-by-step examples, coverage of Rapid Prototyping and Dragonframe Software

Whether trying to land that first big gig or working to perfect the necessary skills to fill a game world with sound, Aaron Marks' Complete Guide to Game Audio 3rd edition will teach the reader everything they need to know about the audio side of the multi-million dollar video game industry. This book builds upon the success of the second edition with even more expert advice from masters in the field and notes current changes within the growing video game industry. The tools of the trade excerpts will showcase what professionals, like Marty O'Donnell, Richard Jacques and Tom Salta, use to create their work and to help newcomers in the field prepare their own sound studios. Sample contracts are reviewed within the text as well as helpful advice about contractual terms and negotiable points. These sample contracts can also be found as a downloadable zip for the reader's convenience. Aaron Marks also explores how to set your financial terms and network efficiently along with examples of how projects can go completely awry and achieving the best results in often complicated situations. Aaron Marks' Complete Guide to Game Audio serves as the ultimate survival guide to navigating an audio career in the video game industry. Key Features New, full color edition with a complete update of information. Added and expanded coverage of field recording for games, creating voiceovers, adaptive and interactive audio and other cutting edge sound creation and implementation techniques used within games. Update/Replacement of interviews. Include interviews/features on international game audio professionals New and expanded interview features from game composers and sound designers of every experience level such as Keith Arem, Bradley Meyer, Christopher Tin and Rodney Gates including many international professionals like Pasi Pitkanen, Henning Nugel and Christos Panayides. Expanded and updated game console coverage of the Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4. Includes new scripting and middleware concepts and techniques and review of powerful tools such as FMOD and Wwise.

This book presents the state of the art in online visual tracking, including the motivations, practical algorithms, and experimental evaluations. Visual tracking remains a highly active area of research in Computer Vision and the performance under complex scenarios has substantially improved, driven by the high demand in connection with real-world applications and the recent advances in machine learning. A large variety of new algorithms have been proposed in the literature over the last two decades, with mixed success. Chapters 1 to 6 introduce readers to tracking methods based on online learning algorithms, including sparse representation, dictionary learning, hashing codes, local model, and model fusion. In Chapter 7, visual tracking is formulated as a foreground/background segmentation problem, and tracking methods based on superpixels and end-to-end deep networks are presented. In turn, Chapters 8 and 9 introduce the cutting-edge tracking methods based on correlation filter and deep learning. Chapter 10 summarizes the book and points out potential future research directions for visual tracking. The book is self-contained and suited for all researchers, professionals and postgraduate students working in the fields of computer vision, pattern recognition, and machine learning. It will help these readers grasp the insights provided by cutting-edge research, and benefit from the practical techniques available for designing effective visual tracking algorithms. Further, the source codes or results of most algorithms in the book are provided at an accompanying website.