Driven by demand from the entertainment industry for better and more realistic animation, technology continues to evolve and improve. The algorithms and techniques behind this technology are the foundation of this comprehensive book, which is written to teach you the fundamentals of animation programming. In this third edition, the most current techniques are covered along with the theory and high-level computation that have earned the book a reputation as the best technically-oriented animation resource. Key topics such as fluids, hair, and crowd animation have been expanded, and extensive new coverage of clothes and cloth has been added. New material on simulation provides a more diverse look at this important area and more example animations and chapter projects and exercises are included. Additionally, spline coverage has been expanded and new video compression and formats (e.g., iTunes) are covered.
Visual Thinking brings the science of perception to the art of design. Designers increasingly need to present information in ways that aid their audience’s thinking process. Fortunately, results from the relatively new science of human visual perception provide valuable guidance. In this book, Colin Ware takes what we now know about perception, cognition, and attention and transforms it into concrete advice that designers can directly apply. He demonstrates how designs can be considered as tools for cognition – extensions of the viewer’s brain in much the same way that a hammer is an extension of the user’s hand. The book includes hundreds of examples, many in the form of integrated text and full-color diagrams. Experienced professional designers and students alike will learn how to maximize the power of the information tools they design for the people who use them.
As the visual effects industry has diversified, so too have the books written to serve the needs of this industry. Today there are hundreds of highly specialized titles focusing on particular aspects of film and broadcast animation, computer graphics, stage photography, miniature photography, color theory, and many others. Visual Effects in a Digital World offers a much-needed reconsolidation of this knowledge. All of the industry's workers frequently need to understand concepts from other specialties, and this book-the only one of its kind-lets them look up and grasp the basics of any visual effects concept in a matter of seconds. It's a great way for everyone, regardless of experience, to find their way through the jargon and learn what they need to know.