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Title: Tricks of the 3D Game Programming Gurus-Advanced 3D Graphics and Rasterization by André LaMothe ISBN: 0-672-31835-0 Publisher: SAMS Pub. Date: 02 June, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $59.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.61 (51 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: How to write a software renderer in one volume, amazing.
Comment: As others have said, this book teaches you how to write a realtime software renderer. This is an amazing enough achievement--there is a LOT of information here. And unlike the SUPER MEGA DIRECT3D AWESOME PROGRAMMING sort of book that seems to come out every month, this is stuff that is useful over the long term, not just until the next API revision. There's no other current book I know of that teaches this--ever since 3d acceleration got on the scene every single book on game graphics programming seems to have been on how to use whichever API. The great things about Lamothe's book have been plentifully written about in other reviews on here, so I won't dwell on that much. Suffice to say, if you want to learn an API, don't bother with this. If you want to learn how 3D graphics actually work, this is the book you need.
I do have a few problems with this book, though. LaMothe's writing style can get gratingly casual, and he's not nearly as funny as he seems to think he is. I'm not asking for an ultra-dry computer science textbook here, but the constant cheesy humor does get kind of tiring. LaMothe's coding style is ugly and haphazard (largely a personal judgement, I realize) and he uses very little in the way of C++ features, even in places where they would make things a lot more natural (again, personal preference). Finally, he spends far too much time explaining his own APIs, information that would really have been better off on the included CD, saving valuable pages for more rendering knowledge.
So, overall, a wonderful and useful book, with a few rough spots. I hope there'll be a second edition.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Must-Have for 3D Game Programmers
Comment: Simply put, this book is amazing. I'm a 3D game programmer myself, even written a couple books on the matter (*cough* Focus on 3D Terrain Programming *cough*). I've read just about every major book on 3D graphics and a heck of a lot of books on game programming, and I can safely say that this is THE best of both worlds. I've never seen a book this thorough before in my life. Andre, who I know from personal experiences as a great guy, really shows his incredible knowledge of 3D graphics, and even game programming in general. It's nice to be able to read through an explanation and think "wow, this guy definately knows his stuff inside and out".
Absolutely great work. I know it was a long time in the writing, but, from my point of view at least, it was very much worth it. Don't listen to the nay-sayers that throw this book off the mark due to it's lack of using Direct3D or OpenGL. This book teaches you what's most important about 3D graphics: THE THEORY! How are you supposed to program 3D games by solely knowing how a 3D API function changes a scene? You can't. You not only need to know how the function changes the scene, but WHY it works the way it does and, some times, how it can be improved.
If you're a beginner lost in a 3D void, this is definately the book for you. However, it's almost more important to note that if you're an intermediate programmer who has EVER wondered about the "why" behind 3D graphics, then this book is also definately for you. Just buy it.
Rating: 5
Summary: Perfect Book - 3D Graphics from the Ground Up to the Sky!
Comment: Excellent!!! I've bought a lot of graphics programming books lately...about three dozen! And all of Andre LaMothe's Books are superb. This book on 3D Graphics is an expansion of his first book on Windows Graphics Programming. It's worth every penny, and for beginners he teaches you from the ground up, starting with one pixel on the screen. The Demos are great, the source code is easy to understand. The explanations are laid out in a very great conversational quality. I haven't put this book on the shelf since I've got it, it's always open! I've only endorsed one book on the internet, and this is the one, because I think that it is so great! This book would be an excellent reference for programmers also! The accompanying CD is worth it's weight in gold, Andre LaMothe really knows what he is doing!
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Title: Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus (2nd Edition) by Andre LaMothe ISBN: 0672323699 Publisher: SAMS Pub. Date: 15 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $59.99 |
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Title: Game Coding Complete by Mike McShaffry ISBN: 1932111751 Publisher: Paraglyph Publishing Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $39.99 |
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Title: Core Techniques and Algorithms in Game Programming by Daniel Sanchez-Crespo Dalmau, Daniel Sanchez-Crespo ISBN: 0131020099 Publisher: New Riders Pub. Date: 08 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $49.99 |
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Title: Game Scripting Mastery by Alex Varanese ISBN: 1931841578 Publisher: Premier Press Pub. Date: 26 December, 2002 List Price(USD): $59.99 |
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Title: Real-Time 3D Terrain Engines Using C++ and DirectX 9 (Game Development Series) by Gregory Snook, Greg Snook ISBN: 1584502045 Publisher: Charles River Media Pub. Date: June, 2003 List Price(USD): $49.95 |
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