The Best-Selling 3D Graphic Design Books of All Time

Level of detail (LOD) techniques are increasingly used by professional real-time developers to strike the balance between breathtaking virtual worlds and smooth, flowing animation. Level of Detail for 3D Graphics brings together, for the first time, the mechanisms, principles, practices, and theory needed by every graphics developer seeking to apply LOD methods. Continuing advances in level of detail management have brought this powerful technology to the forefront of 3D graphics optimization research.

This book, written by the very researchers and developers who have built LOD technology, is both a state-of-the-art chronicle of LOD advances and a practical sourcebook, which will enable graphics developers from all disciplines to apply these formidable techniques to their own work. * Is a complete, practical resource for programmers wishing to incorporate LOD technology into their own systems.* Is an important reference for professionals in game development, computer animation, information visualization, real-time graphics and simulation, data capture and preview, CAD display, and virtual worlds.* Is accessible to anyone familiar with the essentials of computer science and interactive computer graphics.* Covers the full range of LOD methods from mesh simplification to error metrics, as well as advanced issues of human perception, temporal detail, and visual fidelity measurement.* Includes an accompanying Web site rich in supplementary material including source code, tools, 3D models, public domain software, documentation, LOD updates, and more. Visit http://LODBook.com.

Direct3D 11 offers such a wealth of capabilities that users can sometimes get lost in the details of specific APIs and their implementation. While there is a great deal of low-level information available about how each API function should be used, there is little documentation that shows how best to leverage these capabilities. Written by active members of the Direct3D community, Practical Rendering and Computation with Direct3D 11 provides a deep understanding of both the high and low level concepts related to using Direct3D 11.

The first part of the book presents a conceptual introduction to Direct3D 11, including an overview of the Direct3D 11 rendering and computation pipelines and how they map to the underlying hardware. It also provides a detailed look at all of the major components of the library, covering resources, pipeline details, and multithreaded rendering. Building upon this material, the second part of the text includes detailed examples of how to use Direct3D 11 in common rendering scenarios. The authors describe sample algorithms in-depth and discuss how the features of Direct3D 11 can be used to your advantage. All of the source code from the book is accessible on an actively maintained open source rendering framework. The sample applications and the framework itself can be downloaded from http://hieroglyph3.codeplex.com. By analyzing when to use various tools and the tradeoffs between different implementations, this book helps you understand the best way to accomplish a given task and thereby fully leverage the potential capabilities of Direct3D 11. Key Features. Presents the high level concepts used to design algorithms Describes the nuts and bolts of how to implement the algorithmsExplains each of the major components of the Direct3D 11 libraryShows how Direct3D 11 can be used in a variety of real-world situationsProvides source code and sample programs on a supplementary website.

Everything you need to know about developing hardware-accelerated 3D graphics with WebGL! As the newest technology for creating 3D graphics on the web, in both games, applications, and on regular websites, WebGL gives web developers the capability to produce eye-popping graphics. This book teaches you how to use WebGL to create stunning cross-platform apps. The book features several detailed examples that show you how to develop 3D graphics with WebGL, including explanations of code snippets that help you understand the why behind the how. You will also develop a stronger understanding of WebGL development from coverage that:.

•Provides a comprehensive overview of WebGL and shows how it relates to other graphics-related technologies. •Addresses important topics such as the WebGL graphics pipeline, 3D transformations, texturing and lighting. •Teaches you how to write vertex shaders and fragment shaders for WebGL. •Includes a lot of useful guidelines, tips, and tricks for WebGL performance optimizations. Professional WebGL Programming is the first book on the market to delve into this fascinating topic and it puts you on your way to mastering the possibilities that exist with WebGL.