Deliver professional-level 3D content in no time with this comprehensive guide to 3D animation with Maya. With over 12 years of training experience, plus several award winning students under his belt, author Adam Watkins is the ideal mentor to get you up to speed with 3D in Maya. Using a structured and pragmatic approach Getting Started in 3D with Maya begins with basic theory of fundamental techniques, then builds on this knowledge using practical examples and projects to put your new skills to the test. Prepared so that you can learn in an organic fashion, each chapter builds on the knowledge gained in the previous chapter, showing you all the essentials of 3D in Maya, from modeling and UV layout, to texture creation, rigging animating and rendering. As you go from project to project you'll develop a strong arsenal of skills that combined will form a complete end to end process to creating complete projects in Maya. The accompanying website (http://watkins3d.com/GettingStartedIn3D/) provides all the tools you need to develop your skills. Project files to accompany the practical examples used throughout the text, so you can work along with the examples. Additional textures and models will give you all the resources you need to start making your own projects in no time at all.

Learn how to create professional models for advertising on TV and the web. Blending real-world experience and the technical aspects of poly-modeling, this book shows how to ultimately create content in a dynamic, efficient manner.This collection of tips, tricks and techniques will give you the freedom to determine the edge flow and overall mass of your models through this free-form digital sculpting method. The accompanying website offers instructional files that show the models in progressive stages of development. In addition there is a free user forum for interactive feedback and information.

Launch your career in writing for video games or animation with the best tips, tricks, and tutorials from the Focal press catalog--all at your fingertips. Let our award-winning writers and game developers show you how to generate ideas and create compelling storylines, concepts, and narratives for your next project. Write Your Way Into Animation and Games provides invaluable information on getting into the game and animation industries. You will benefit from decades of insider experience about the fields of animation and games, with an emphasis on what you really need to know to start working as a writer.Navigate the business aspects, gain unique skills, and develop the craft of writing specifically for aniamtion and games. Learn from the cream of the crop who have shared their knowledge and experience in these key Focal Press guides:Digital Storytelling, Second Edition by Carolyn Handler MillerAnimation Writing and Development by Jean Ann WrightWriting for Animation, Comics, and Games by Christy MarxStory and Simulations for Serious Games by Nick Iuppa and Terry BorstWriting for Multimedia and the Web, Third Edition by Timothy Garrand

Writers, directors, and producers reach a wider audience by embracing comics to supplement your own ideas, and offer more options for audience engagement. Comics are a key element in today's convergence culture. From their use in video games, like Batman: Arkham City and the Halo series to their use in films like Star Trek and The Incredibles, comics have proven an invaluable method for creators to expand their storyworld and provide audiences with irresistible gateways into the story. Tyler Weaver teaches you how to integrate comic storytelling into your own transmedia work by exploring their past, present, and future. He discusses the creation of the unique mythologies in comic stories and digs into the details of comic construction, from pacing to scripting to collaboration. Chapters on convergence and mythology building: Comics have endured because of their expansive and exciting mythologies. How can you apply that to your own work? Interviews with key practitioners and artists in the field, bringing a personal look into how professionals do their work The companion website features a blog with new projects and advancements in digital comics, expanded interviews, script templates, and listings of independent artists

Design and implement video game sound from beginning to end with this hands-on course in game audio. Music and sound effects speak to players on a deep level, and this book will show you how to design and implement powerful, interactive sound that measurably improves gameplay. If you are a sound designer or composer and want to do more than just create audio elements and hand them over to someone else for insertion into the game, this book is for you. You'll understand the game development process and implement vital audio experiences-not just create music loops or one-off sound effects. The Game Audio Tutorial isn't just a book-you also get a powerful website (www.thegameaudiotutorial.com), which includes:

Meet some of the finest 2D and 3D artists working in the industry today and discover how they create some of the most innovative digital art in the world. More than a gallery book or a coffee table book- Digital Art Masters Volume 4 includes 50 artists and 900 unique and stunning 2D and 3D digital artworks. Beyond the breaktaking images is a breakdown of the techniques, challenges and tricks the artists employed while creating stunning imagery. This volume, much like the previous volumes is not your standard coffee table book nor is it our usual how-to-book. This book offers inspiration and insight for the advanced amateur and professional CG artists. The Digital Art Masters series has expanded upon the competition's gallery book concept and has added the insight and experiences of professional CG artists worldwide. Divided into 5 sections, Sci-Fi, Scene, Fantasy, Character and Cartoon, Each featured artist segement will include the thought processes behind creating unique digital images and an artist portfolio for further inspiration. Find your inspiration and discover the tips, tricks and techniques that really work.

Storyboarding is a very tough business, and a new storyboarder really needs to have their wits about them and have professional savvy to survive in this competitive field. Storyboarding: Rules of Thumb offers highly illustrative examples of basic storyboarding concepts, as well as sound, career-oriented advice for the new artist. This book also features a number of veteran storyboard artists sharing their experiences in the professional world.

This is a selection of the major papers from a meeting on database accuracy which took place in December 1988 in Montecito, USA. They look at errors and accuracy in spatial databases, particularly the problems of modelling uncertainties and reliability, testing accuracy and practical implications. The chapters of the book represent a number of different perspectives on the accuracy problem, from efforts to simulate and model error to techniques for accommodating to it. The 23 chapters are organized into seven sections, and to provide a brief introduction to each. The first and last sections are general overviews. In between, the papers in Section Two through Four look at error in GIS with increasing technical complexity and generality. Section Five groups together four papers on various aspects of error in the spatial analysis of socio-economic data, and Section Six contains four papers on more fundamental approaches to the particular problems of aggreation and reporting zone effects which underlie much modeling in human geography and related disciplines.

How to create a simulation where participants have a sense of freedom and personal control while still maintaining the structure necessary for an effective story is a difficult task indeed. This book examines how to create an engaging, effective story (necessary to teach participants), while relating practical considerations of building a simulation. It also looks at stories as classic ways of teaching and gathering knowledge and considers other theories of interactive narrative design such as synthetic story creation and management and participant-generated story experiences. It also discusses enabling technologies in artificial intelligence, synthetic characters design and development, speech recognition technology, 3D modelling, and the future of story-driven games. Story Driven Simulations reviews the existing efforts in this field as well as focusing on the recent efforts of Paramount Pictures and The Institute for Creative Technologies at the University of Southern California, where this expert author team created successful simulations for the U.S. Army, Department of Defense, as well as other educational simulations.

Get an inside look at the creation of production-ready creature rigs for film, TV and video games. Garner strategies and techniques for creating creatures of all types, and make them ready for easy automatic use in many different types of media (transmedia): film, TV, games - one rig for all. You will move step by step from idea, to concept, and finally to completion through a proven production-pipeline. "Digital Creature Rigging" gives you the practical, hands-on approaches to rigging you need, with a theoretical look at 12 rigging principles, and plenty of tips, tricks and techniques to get you up and running quickly. This is the definitive guide to creating believe production-ready creature rigs with 3ds Max.The companion web site has all scene files, scripts, tutorials from the book.

Create lush terrains and atmospheres in Vue and enhance your knowledge of all the features in this software such as lighting, cameras, and Python scripting. Ami and Vladimir Chopine, from GeekAtPlay.com guide you through 17 stand-alone tutorials, each with a different focus on the key components of Vue. The companion website includes brand new video tutorials from Geekatplay as well as materials, atmosphere settings, image maps, models, project files, and completed images and animations.

Learn how to model comic-stylea Pixar with the expert techniques found in 3ds Max Modeling for Games Volume 2: Insider's Guide to Stylized Modeling. This new volume will show you the ins-and-outs of stylized modeling, including characters, vehicles, environments, and much more. Follow the story of cover characters Robert and Robot as their adventure takes you through the world of modeling, vegetation, alpha-maps, and much more! This book is also packed with highly detailed tutorials feared toward enhancing your modeling skills and expanding your portfolio. The companion website (www.3d-for-games.com) is unique - an online forum where readers can post and answer questions about their work. In terms of developing a portfolio, online peer critiques are invaluable, and current readers have made use of this feature, in fact some have happily become the forum responders (along with Andy) to coach and develop new artists at work. Also included: step-by-step project files for each chapter; all the relevant texture files and source photos; panoramic skies, small scene objects, bonus texture maps and models so that artists can create whole scenes very quickly without starting from scratch each time; countless examples of what's hot and what's not in 3D modeling and also enough support images and photos to keep the budding artist busy for months. Unrivalled support in over 10,000 current posts - backing up the book with a lively forum and community of readers from all over the world, ready to help your work.

Create effective cinematography for your games with this film-based approach to creating cinematic games. Cinematic Game Secrets gives game producers, directors, and developers insight into how to make their games more cinematic. Game developers will learn how to create compelling video games by: developing quality stories and characters; visualizing scenes within the game through the eyes of a cinematographer; and using tried and true film industry methods for casting, voice-over, direction, and production.Includes interview with luminaries and leading figures in the field such as Warren Spector (Founder, Junction Point Studios), Bruce Block (Author, The Visual Story), Ron Burke (Founder, GamingTrend), Bob Sabiston (Flat Black Films), Tom Buscaglia (GameDevKit.com), Daniel Erickson (BioWare), Jay Duplass (Director, The Puffy Chair), Ray Pena (Spacetime Studios), Richard Rouse III (Author, Game Design: Theory and Practice), Mathieu Raynault (Artist, 300, King Kong), Donise Hardy (C.S.A.), Patrick Hamilton (President, Wardog Studios), and Marc Schaefgen (Midway Games).

Flash Designers: push Flash to the next level with After Effects' robust toolset. CS5 delivers more complete integration of these two powerhouse applications-so you can expand your multimedia horizons. Flash plus After Effects gives you a working understanding of the AE toolset and professional techniques that raise the design bar for web, HD broadcast, or CD/DVD delivery. The companion web site contains project media for hands-on practice of essential production skills, including: Working with live video in Flash and the After Effects timeline Using alpha channels for keying and enhancing interactivity Integrating new CS5 features including the Roto Brush and Code Snippets Exporting layered After Effects compositions for Flash Building interactive 3D environments with video, cameras, and lights Enhancing character animation using IK and Puppet Tools Exporting video in HD and for the Web

Your deadline just got moved up. Your artist has never worked with Flash before. Your inner programmer is telling you that no OOP is a big Oops! Any Flash developer can share similar tales of woe. This book breaks down the process of Flash game development into simple, approachable steps. Never heard of a game loop before? No idea what a design pattern is? No problem! Chris Griffith gives you real-world expertise, and real-world code that you can use in your own games. Griffith has been building games in Flash long enough to know what works and what doesn't. He shows you what you need to know to get the job done.Griffith covers Flash for the everyday developer. The average Flash developer doesn't have luxurious timelines, employers who understand the value of reusability, or the help of an information architect to design a usable experience. This book helps bridge the gap for these coders who may be used to C plus plus, Java, or C# and want to move over to Flash. Griffith covers real-world scenarios pulled from his own experiences developing games for over 10 years in the industry. The 2nd edition will include: completely new game examples on more advanced topics like 3D; more robust physics and collision detection; and mobile device coverage with Android platform development for us on phones and tablets. Also coverage of the new features available in Flash CS5, Flash Player 10.1, and AIR 2.0 that can be used for game development.The associated web site for the book: www.flashgamebook.com gets close to 1,000 visits a month. On the site, readers can find all the source code for the examples, news on industry happenings, updates and special offers, and a discussion forum to ask questions and share ideas.

This book focuses on the history of video games, consoles, and home computers from the very beginning until the mid-nineties, which started a new era in digital entertainment. The text features the most innovative games and introduces the pioneers who developed them. It offers brief analyses of the most relevant games from each time period. An epilogue covers the events and systems that followed this golden age while the appendices include a history of handheld games and an overview of the retro-gaming scene.

Frequently not enough attention is given to producing a comprehensive business case or to producing an economic justification for an information systems investment. In fact many organizations are not clear as to what constitutes a sound business case and how to go about producing one. This Professional level book for the Computer Weekly Professional Series will show how to go about justification for I.T. spend. This book is designed for all those who are involved in the decision to invest in information systems. This book is especially relevant to senior business executives, senior financial managers and IT executives. Business consultants, computer and corporate advisors will also find the ideas and material addressed in this text of particular benefit as will anyone involved in corporate and strategic planning.In addition, senior students such as those working towards their MBAs will find this book of use.A business case is a statement or a series of statements that demonstrate the economic value of a particular intervention, a course of action or a specific investment. A business case is not simply a financial forecast of the hardware and software costs and the expected benefits. A business case for an information systems investment involves a comprehensive understanding of both the likely resources as well as the business drivers which will assist business managers improve their performance and thereby obtain a stream of benefits from the investment.In general there are approximately six steps in producing a business case for an information systems investment.1. Determine the high-level business outcomes that will be clearly and comprehensively expressed as a set of opportunities the organization can take advantage of, or problems that need to be rectified.2

Discover the secrets of the Google SketchUp with the 16 real-world professional-level projects including parks, structures, concept art, and illustration. Google SketchUp Workshop includes all the wide variety of projects that SketchUp can be used for-architectural visualization, landscape design, video game and film conception, and more. SketchUp masters in every field will get you up to speed in this agile and intuitive software and then show you the real uses with through projects in architecture, engineering, and design.

Digital interactive audio is the future of audio in media - most notably video games, but also web pages, theme parks, museums, art installations and theatrical events. Despite its importance to contemporary multi-media, this is the first book that provides a framework for understanding the history, issues and theories surrounding interactive audio. Karen Collins presents the work of academics, composers and sound programmers to introduce the topic from a variety of angles in order to provide a supplementary text for music and multimedia courses. The contributors cover practical and theoretical approaches, including historical perspectives, emerging theories, socio-cultural approaches to fandom, reception theory and case study analyses. The book offers a fresh perspective on media music, one that will complement film studies, but which will show the necessity of a unique approach when considering games music.

The Maya guide for animators, How to Cheat in Maya 2012 presents everything you need to know about character animation in Maya. Fully updated for the latest revision of Maya, this book provides you with complete, step-by-step walkthroughs of essential animation techniques to increase your efficiency and speed. This is an animator's workflow in book form, written by professional animators-not a software book with a few animation pointers thrown in.In addition to all the gold-mine coverage and interviews with expert animators from the previous edition, How to Cheat in Maya 2012 also features a new in-depth chapter on the principles of animation, updated information on camera settings and animation using Maya's new Camera Sequencer tool, the ins and outs of the brand new Editable Motion Trails tool, new techniques for working with characters in multi-shot animation tests and short films, a new cycles chapter covering actions like flying and walks, time-saving scripts, and advanced tricks with the new Graph Editor. The proven "How to Cheat" series gets you up to speed quickly, and in a way that's fun.

How to Cheat in 3ds Max - updated for latest rev of MaxNeed to get results with 3ds max fast? Why take months to learn every button in 3ds max when you can create great visuals with just a few key tools? Learn to create quick yet stunning special effects, and animated characters with the fastest techniques possible. Need convincing grass, trees, water, shadows? You can use the memory-hogging methods that choke your display and take forever to render, or you can get it done bing-bang with this book. When you need an animated character you can spend days fiddling with polygons, or you can use this book to put it together in minutes and get the entire project done in a day. How to Cheat in 3ds max includes a host of time-saving techniques as well as little-known tools that will make you look like an expert in no time flat. This book is for busy professionals who need to get it done right, but also need it done fast. This rev of the book will have higher-end cheats (for Intermediate users) and ALL NEW or UPDATED content on: new modelling and material tools, mental ray, special effects, particle systems, and scripting.The web site offers scene files and bitmaps used to illustrate the cheats, also music files, organizational samples, and instructional Camtasia movies of Michele where Michele showing some of the trickier techniques.

In this unique book the author explores the history of pioneering computer art and its contribution to art history by way of examining Ernest Edmonds' art from the late 1960s to the present day. Edmonds' inventions of new concepts, tools and forms of art, along with his close involvement with the communities of computer artists, constructive artists and computer technologists, provides the context for discussion of the origins and implications of the relationship between art and technology. Drawing on interviews with Edmonds and primary research in archives of his work, the book offers a new contribution to the history of the development of digital art and places Edmonds' work in the context of contemporary art history.

Hollywood is going 3D! Join the revolution with this primer to all of the essential skills for live action 3D, from preproduction through distribution. 3D perception and science is presented in an accessible way that provides the principles of Stereoscopic vision you need to make the transition from the 2D world. Tools of the trade are enumerated with an eye on current constraints and what is coming down the pike to smooth the way. Step-by-step instructions detail how 3D processes affect every stage of the production including screenwriting, art direction, principle photography, editing, visual effects and distribution. The downloadable resources include an array of 2D and 3D images that demonstrate concepts and techniques, 3D movie shorts that showcase alternative techniques, After Effects project files to explore and manipulate for effect, and a resource list of software tools and tutorials that demonstrate techniques.

Brimming with workflow efficiencies for the experienced editor, The Avid Handbook teaches you the hows and whys of operating the system in order to reach streamlined, creative end solutions. The book emphasizes time-saving techniques, shortcuts, and workflow procedures- the true keys to getting a job done.The book has also been updated to include new information on HD formats and workflows, color-correction and grading capability enhancements, MXF media standardization, and much more.Also new to this edition are an 8 page 4-color insert, adding depth to the color-correction lessons, as well as running sidebars throughout the book, calling out time-saving tips and techniques.

Data Visualization for Design Thinking helps you make better maps. Treating maps as applied research, you'll be able to understand how to map sites, places, ideas, and projects, revealing the complex relationships between what you represent, your thinking, the technology you use, the culture you belong to, and your aesthetic practices. More than 100 examples illustrated with over 200 color images show you how to visualize data through mapping. Includes five in-depth cases studies and numerous examples throughout.