Companion CD included with Paint Shop Pro 8 evaluation edition!Interfaces strongly affect how an application or game is received by a user, no matter which cutting-edge features it may boast. This unique book presents a comprehensive solution for creating good interfaces using the latest version of DirectX. This involves building an interface library from the ground up. Divided into three sections, the book discusses the foundations of interface design, the construction of a feature-rich interface library, and the creation of a fully functional media player in DirectShow.

DirectX 9 Graphics is the most comprehensive DirectX graphics reference currently available. Unlike other titles, this unique book takes the reader from beginner to advanced level, demystifying DirectX by starting with the basics of setting up a DirectX application and finishing with the exciting intricacies of real-time 3D animation. In one single volume, this book can help DirectX programmers of all levels make cutting-edge games that sell!

This book details how the unique Butterfly Grid can be implemented in existing and new game projects to minimise the complexity of network programming, allowing the game developer to concentrate on game design and programming. It also highlights the unique Butterfly grid technologies from the basics to more advanced features such as server-scripted game logic using Python and how player syncronisation works using the Dead Reckoning process. CD-ROM included.

The step-by-step instructions make it easy to create, edit, and distribute your Flash files. Each chapter includes sample screen shots as well as tips for making your work more efficient and avoiding common pitfalls.

Making a Game Demo: From Concept to Demo Gold provides a detailed and comprehensive guide to getting started in the computer game industry. Written by professional game designers and developers, this book combines the fields of design, art, scripting, and programming in one book to help you take your first steps toward creating a game demo. Discover how the use of documentation can help you organize the game design process; understand how to model and animate a variety of objects, including human characters; explore the basics of scripting with Lua; learn about texturing, vertex lighting, light mapping, motion capture, and collision checking. The companion CD contains all the code and other files needed for the tutorials, the Ka3D game engine, the Zax demo, all the images in the book, demo software, and more!

The world around us is filled with subtle lighting effects, but until recently it was not possible to duplicate these real-world effects in computer games because of the limits of consumer graphics hardware. Advanced Lighting and Materials with Shaders explains the principles of lighting theory and discusses how to create realistic lighting that takes full advantage of the capabilities of modern hardware. Topics include the physics of light, raytracing and related techniques, objects and materials, lighting and reflectance models, implementing lights in shaders, spherical harmonic lighting, spherical harmonics in DirectX, and real-time radiosity.Upon reading this text, you will understand the underlying physics of light and energy; learn about the visual features of different materials and how they can be modeled for real-time graphics; find out about the different lighting models; discover how real-time techniques compare to ray tracing; learn to use the provided shader implementations to implement lights and realistic materials in real time.Accompanying CD-ROM includes all the code in the book with resources (models, textures, probes, etc.) needed to run the programs, along with the SDKs and libraries needed to build the programs and luminance Radiosity Studio, an advanced radiosity program.

Character design, modeling, and texturing are the fundamental building blocks of character animation. LightWave 3D [8] Cartoon Character Creation Volume 1: Modeling & Texturing includes both general theory and comprehensive tutorials for every aspect of modeling and texturing 3D characters. Learn how, why, and when to use the most efficient techniques so you can have fun creating your own fantastic 3D characters. Book jacket.