3d Graphics Programming: Games and Beyond by Sergei Savchenko

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
If you're just getting started with computer graphics, you're unlikely to find a better introduction than 3D Graphics Programming: Games and Beyond.

3DO game developer (and former commercial flight simulator developer) Sergei Savchenko starts by reviewing the way computer hardware impacts the structure and design of interactive graphics applications, with specific examples drawn from Windows, X Windows, Mac OS, and DOS. Next, Savchenko introduces the concept at the heart of the representation of virtual objects: geometric transformations. You'll learn the fundamentals of rasterization, including drawing primitives and clipping them to screen dimensions; and master both key approaches to viewing: "world-to-screen" and "screen-to-world."

Once you've mastered these basics, Savchenko introduces modeling, including wireframe and polygonal models; "hidden surface removal" algorithms that allow objects to be rendered with correct visibility; and lighting techniques, including shadows and environmental reflections.

In the final chapter, Savchenko shows how to bring all these processes and algorithms together to create realistic images, and compares the leading approaches to implementing 3D game applications.

Hardware keeps improving, but somehow, the tradeoffs in 3D graphics programming never seem any less painful. Savchenko offers real insight into these tradeoffs. As you'd expect, there's plenty of math here, but Savchenko does a nice job explaining most of the book's key mathematical concepts from the ground up. The accompanying CD-ROM contains a complete graphics library written in C, with makefiles for Windows and UNIX/X11, freely distributable for any purpose. (Bill Camarda)

Bill Camarda is a consultant and writer with nearly 20 years' experience in helping technology companies deploy and market advanced software, computing, and networking products and services. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.

From the Publisher

3D Graphics Programming: Games & Beyond is a comprehensive guide to polygonal 3D graphics with an emphasis on techniques used in computer games. It contains descriptions of the most useful algorithms and combines them with practical programming examples to give programmers more control over their programs. The book's structured approach enables programmers to create their own libraries if necessary. It offers a firm theoretical base that is presented in an intuitive manner. Describing both theoretical and practical issues, the book examines thoroughly the underlying mathematical principles of 3D graphics. It gives code examples and illustrations of vital concepts using an included library, which is well commented, easy to examine, change or use.

Booknews

Discusses the fundamentals of computer graphics in C, concentrating on the techniques suitable for developing graphics for 3D games. Chapters cover hardware interface, geometric transformations, rasterization, clipping, viewing, modeling, hidden surface removal, and lighting. The CD-ROM contains a sample graphics library called 3Dgpl. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents