Introductory Techniques for 3-D Computer Vision

Customer Reviews:

More of a reference book.......2007-08-23

I was a bit disappointed by this book. It is written more like a reference book than something you can read through to learn the material. It is full of various equations with little in the way of "plain english" explanations. If you are VERY comfortable with vector math and looking at lots of equations, then this book may be a good reference. If you are looking for understanding basic concepts, then you will need to look elsewhere.

Extra-ordinary book on Computer Vision!.......2006-04-29

I didn't know or hear about this book till one fine morning when I went to our IIT library looking for some good book on computer vision to supplement the knowledge imparted by Horn's book. I found this book and it contained most of the concepts covered thus far in my lectures. Still I was not convinced about the credibility of this book. Somehow, I started grazing through this book in leisure hours.

To my surprise, I found that it was simply an amazing book written so skillfully on computer vision from the basics. The Math fundae in the appendix were the ones I read first. They were very concise and helped me to grasp the concepts quickly. The chapters were also based on recent literature and very much coherent and self-explanatory.

This book has the potential to become a master-piece in computer vision. One unique feature of this book is the clear explanation of Math concepts in each chapter. For it to become more user-friendly, some real application oriented problems should be added.

But, on the whole, this book is an excellent book to be read along with Horn's book to fully understand the basics of computer vision. I strongly recommend this book to any novice to computer vision with little understanding of image processing concepts.

Some nice intuitions.......2005-12-23

In my humble opinion, mathematics is best explained through intuitions which motivate the rigor. That is, a general, high level, overall understanding of a particular problem and the "theory" behind a solution must be presented before a rigorious algebraic analysis. The particular mathematics should then read like a novel. In this sense, Trucco and Verri succeed, at various parts throughout the text, but certainly fail at others. I would say 4/5th's of the text is well written, and hence the 4 star review.

Excellent intermediate textbook on Computer Vision.......2005-09-17

If you already understand image processing and the basics of computer vision, this book is a very good at concisely presenting more advanced algorithms to the reader. Also, because this book is so well organized, you can read it from beginning to end. Rest assured if you are looking at an algorithm on page 84, you will not need to skip ahead to later sections in the book to understand it. From the beginning, algorithms are named and presented in numbered steps for clarity of presentation. The book starts out with introductory material such as basic optics and the geometry of camera models. It continues with image denoising, as well as two full chapters devoted to image features and their detection. Finally, the more basic material concludes with a chapter on the mathematics of camera calibration. One aspect of vision that is often neglected in other computer vision books that is treated well here is that of motion. For those working in video processing, this might make this book a good selection. Also, the book gives one of the best discussions of eigenspaces that I have seen in print in chapter ten of the book, where the subject is recognition of 3D objects. I was able to code up the eigenfaces face recognition algorithm based almost entirely on the information found in chapter ten of this book. If you need an introduction to computer vision before tackling the more advanced material in this text, try Shapiro's book "Computer Vision" ISBN 0130307963. A good knowledge of linear algebra is necessary prior to understanding the algorithms in this book such as is found in Schaum's outline of Matrix Operations. Given the specific subject matter of this book, it would probably be an excellent choice for an engineer or scientist that is interested in computer vision as it relates to robotics.

Not for the beginner.......2005-03-22

Book uses a very analytical approach. Concepts are very poorly explained and derviations are not explained. As a text this book is well suited as a review for graduate level students. Using the word introductory in the title is very misleading. Do not recommend this book to those looking for an introduction to the world of computer vision.

Real-Time Collision Detection (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive 3-D Technology)

Average customer rating:

The best resource on collision detection that I have encountered
Excellent explanations of collision detection algorithms and their optimization
worth every dollar
Best collision book i've seen so far
A comprehensive reference and tutorial on game geometry

Real-Time Collision Detection (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive 3-D Technology)
Christer Ericson
Manufacturer: Morgan Kaufmann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1558607323

Book Description

Written by an expert in the game industry, Christer Ericson's new book is a comprehensive guide to the components of efficient real-time collision detection systems. The book provides the tools and know-how needed to implement industrial-strength collision detection for the highly detailed dynamic environments of applications such as 3D games, virtual reality applications, and physical simulators.

Of the many topics covered, a key focus is on spatial and object partitioning through a wide variety of grids, trees, and sorting methods. The author also presents a large collection of intersection and distance tests for both simple and complex geometric shapes. Sections on vector and matrix algebra provide the background for advanced topics such as Voronoi regions, Minkowski sums, and linear and quadratic programming.

Of utmost importance to programmers but rarely discussed in this much detail in other books are the chapters covering numerical and geometric robustness, both essential topics for collision detection systems. Also unique are the chapters discussing how graphics hardware can assist in collision detection computations and on advanced optimization for modern computer architectures. All in all, this comprehensive book will become the industry standard for years to come.

*Presents algorithms and data structures with wide applications to the fields of game development, virtual reality, physically based simulation, CAD/CAM, architectural and scientific visualization, molecular modeling, engineering simulation, GIS, ray tracing, and more.
*Describes tested, real-world methods, liberally illustrated by C & C++ code.
*Reviews necessary concepts from mathematics and computational geometry, and includes extensive references to other sources and research literature.

Customer Reviews:

The best resource on collision detection that I have encountered.......2007-10-17

This is an extremely well written text. The examples are clear, and it manages to cover a lot of ground. In my opinion, this book is far better than many of the other collision detection and game-development texts.

Nowhere else will you find as good a reference on shape intersection tests and closest point computations. Ericson covers these topics swiftly and efficiently within the early sections, a task which often occupies the entirety of many lesser books. The coverage of the Gilbert-Johnson-Keerthi algorithm is likewise top-notch.

My main gripe with the book is the chapter on GPU optimization. Its placement didn't seem very logical, and the techniques it contains are quite out of date as of 2007. Fortunately, the rest of the book is so good that it can be easily forgiven.

Overall: Highly recommended.

Excellent explanations of collision detection algorithms and their optimization.......2007-07-20

The first half of this book explains the most popular collision detection functions. The collisions presented are mostly in 3D, but there are also some 2D versions. You can use Amazon's "Search Inside" option and take a look at the content table, which shows a large variety of shape vs shape tests. Most of the functions are explained using advanced math, and that's ok because there is no other way to show were the concepts of the book come from. There is an introductory chapter on the math used in the book, but it isn't enough. In my opinion it would have been better to remove that chapter and add some more explanations and algorithms on dynamic collisions.

Most of the second half of the book deals with the different structures to optimize collision detection queries, showing pros and cons for all of them, so the developer can select the one that best fits it's project. The last part of the book is on hardware optimizations.

I agree with other reviewers the CD doesn't bring enough code, and no executable code at all. What one finds in the CD are the pieces of code exactly as they are printed in the sheets, sorted in files by chapter. In my opinion that presentation makes the author look like he is just adapting the algorithms from other papers. Having runnable code is not just a fancy feature, but a necessity for programmers. With compilable code one can see how it works, getting a better idea of how the algorithms are integrated in the actual graphical engine, and it's also a proof the code has no bugs (otherwise reveals them). I'm removing 1 star only because of this reason, hoping a new edition will enhance the content.

This book saves a lot of research, time and money. Just compare this table of collision tests: http://www.realtimerendering.com/int/ with the book's content. You will see that many of these tests are explained and included in the book (and there are some more not in that table). This book is a great compilation of those algorithms which are pretty dispersed in papers and books.

worth every dollar.......2007-06-02

Two things stand out about this author: 1) he drives every discussion toward performance issues, and 2) he provides just enough source code for a developer like me to lock in the concepts. That's a great combo that makes this book a hands-down winner.

I've never worked in gaming. I've been doing CAD/CAE/CAM, mostly with Java and CATIA v4 / STEP data, for ten years. I'm currently involved in a robotics planning project, where I've been able to model all the kinematics of an 8-DOF robot system, but the scale of the collision detection challenges has overwhelmed me...until reading this book.

Best collision book i've seen so far.......2007-03-03

I've read MANY collision detection books over the years and this is by far the best one i've seen to teach programmers how to LEARN collision detection from basic tests to highly advanced algorithms.

A comprehensive reference and tutorial on game geometry.......2006-11-15

This book does more than collision.

Don't get me wrong -- it does all of the collision you'll likely need in any kind of current game, in good detail, with derivation of why it works, including source code. However, it also serves as an excellent primer in game geometry for anyone who might not have an intuitive understanding of what a closed manifold mesh is, or why the separating axis theorem works, or why T junctions are a problem.

I'm pretty well versed in the field, and I use this book as a comprehensive reference, and I love it. But even if you're a newcomer, you need this book, because it contains everything you need to know! And, conversely, if you don't know what's in this book, you won't have the success you want.

Average customer rating:

Good 3-D vision book with emphasis on applications
A Poor Rewrite of the book: Multiple View Geometry, by Hartley & Zisserman
a must-have book for computer vision students & researchers

An Invitation to 3-D Vision
Yi Ma , Stefano Soatto , Jana Kosecka , and S. Shankar Sastry
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0387008934

Book Description

This book gives senior undergraduate and beginning graduate students and researchers in computer vision, applied mathematics, computer graphics, and robotics a self-contained introduction to the geometry of 3D vision; that is the reconstruction of 3D models of objects from a collection of 2D images. Following a brief introduction, Part I provides background materials for the rest of the book. The two fundamental transformations, namely rigid body motion and perspective projection are introduced and image formation and feature extraction discussed. Part II covers the classic theory of two view geometry based on the so-called epipolar constraint. Part III shows that a more proper tool for studying the geometry of multiple views is the so- called rank considtion on the multiple view matrix. Part IV develops practical reconstruction algorithms step by step as well as discusses possible extensions of the theory. Exercises are provided at the end of each chapter. Software for examples and algorithms are available on the author's website.

Customer Reviews:

Good 3-D vision book with emphasis on applications.......2005-12-10

I really liked this book. However, I use it for vision issues as they relate to robotics rather than as an introductory text on 3D vision. If a general or introductory textbook on 3D computer vision is what you desire, then you might be better off with "Multiple View Geometry in Computer Vision" by Hartley or my personal favorite, "Introductory Techniques for 3-D Computer Vision" by Trucco and Verri. For individuals studying robotic vision, many parts of this book are useful not only for characterizing vision, but for putting together algorithms and equations that are useful for describing robotic motion in general. For example, chapter two of the book collects equations and algorithms that are very useful in describing forward kinematics. Chapters five through ten cover all of the considerations and algorithms needed to produce a 3D image from a collection of images taken from different viewpoints. Chapter eleven applies this knowledge with sequential instructions on building a 3D image from a group of images. Chapter twelve has a second application that shows how to perform autonomous control of a moving vehicle via video feedback. The appendices have some very good information on linear algebra as it relates to computer vision as well as details on the Kalman filter, which is also of great interest to those of us who are interested in computational robotics. Algorithms are blocked out and explained in logical steps throughout the book, and it also has very good exercises at the end of each chapter as well as short examples throughout each chapter, although the notation can sometimes be a little confusing. I would therefore recommend this book especially to those readers who are interested in merging their knowledge of robotics with their knowledge of basic computer vision into creating sophisticated applications. However, this book is by no means an introduction to computer vision. The table of contents is as follows:
Ch 1 - Introduction
Ch 2 - Representation of a 3D Moving Scene
Ch 3 - Image Formation
Ch 4 - Image Primitives and Correspondence
Ch 5 - Reconstruction from Two Calibrated Views
Ch 6 - Reconstruction from Two Uncalibrated Views
Ch 7 - Segmentation of Multiple Moving Objects from Two Views
Ch 8 - Multiple View Geometry of Points and Lines
Ch 9 - Extension to General Incidence Relations
Ch 10- Geometry and Reconstruction From Symmetry
Ch 11- Step by Step Building of a 3D Model from Images
Ch 12- Visual Feedback

A Poor Rewrite of the book: Multiple View Geometry, by Hartley & Zisserman.......2005-09-28

This is a poor rewrite of a much better book, Multiple View Geometry in Computer Vision, by Hartley & Zisserman. It fails to clarify any of the more difficult concepts presented by Hartley & Zisserman and is far less complete in the treatment of the subject matter. I can not recommend this book when a better written, more thorough treatment is already available from Hartley & Zisserman.

a must-have book for computer vision students & researchers.......2004-03-30

The authors do an outstanding job of balancing theory and practice in this book. In particular, Ch. 11 (Step-by-Step Building of a 3-D Model from Images) is a gem. The new student of computer vision that finds Structure from Motion (SFM) daunting should read this chapter first to build motivation by means of seeing concrete examples.
What's most notable about this book is its thoroughness. The authors humbly get their hands dirty with crucial low-level matters like interest point detection and feature tracking. In Ch. 5 and 6 (calibrated and uncalibrated reconstruction) you'll get an excellent treatment of the necessary background in these areas, along with numerous new insights and `nuggets.' This is particularly true in their treatment of homographies. Ch. 2 has all the material on rigid body motion and the exponential map that students used to need to get from Murray, Li and Sastry, once again with substantial added value.
The exercises in all the chapters are very well thought out, and they -- together with the clearly written Algorithm Boxes -- greatly simplify the job of the instructor. (I am currently using this as the text for my graduate level class this quarter.) The appendices (especially the one on Linear Algebra) also help to make this a self-contained resource for SFM.
I haven't gotten into the material on multi-body motion and n>2 views, so I can't comment on those parts(...)In summary, this is a great book, well worth the money.

La Corda d'Oro, Volume 3 (La Corda D'oro)

Average customer rating:

La Corda d'Oro, Volume 3 (La Corda D'oro)
Yuki Kure
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1421508729

Book Description

The first round of the music competition is about to begin, and Kyoko's accompanist reveals her plot to get Kyoko disqualified! Unsettled by this betrayal, Kyoko can't truly enjoy the music, even when Ryotaro gallantly steps in as her new accompanist. Kyoko's performance is mediocre, but Ryotaro so impresses Lili that he soon finds himself added as a second-round contestant. Will Kyoko and Ryotaro's budding friendship be ruined by the heat of competition?

Book Description

The third volume of the popular Japanese series comes to America in Vampire Hunter D: Demon Deathchase. The vampire hunter known only as D has been hired by a wealthy, dying man to find his daughter, who was kidnapped by the powerful vampire Lord Meierlink. Though humans speak well of Meierlink, the price on his head is too high for D to ignore and he sets out to save her before she can be turned into an undead creature of the night. In the nightmare world of 12090 A.D., finding Meierlink before he reaches the spaceport in the Clayborn States and gets off the planet will be hard enough, but D has more than just Meierlink to worry about. The dying man is taking no chances, and has also enlisted the Marcus family, a renegade clan of four brothers and a sister who don't care who they kill as long as they get paid. Beautiful illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano complement the post-apocalyptic plot, filled with chilling twists. Co-Published with Digital Manga Publishing.

Customer Reviews:

From Movie to Book.......2007-06-12

I first watched Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust before picking up this novel, and I am glad I did because it makes me respect this book even more! At first I thought it was going to be a hard read after reading some reviews... so I watched the movie (which I loved) so I bought the book. As is in most cases, the book trumps the movie by far. There really is much deeper story to the book than the movie. I was unable to put down this book for days. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the movie(s) and/or Vampire Tales.

Just amazing!.......2007-01-05

This is the book that the second Vampire Hunter D movie is based on. If you thought the movie was good: this is WAY better. Some of the scenes that might not have made much sense in the movie are better explained in the original story, and there are pleny of shocking elements in here (probably considered too much for the movie) to keep you turning each page. Definately worth the money!

Unfortunately, the movie was better.......2006-07-01

I bought this book from Barnes and Nobles a few weeks ago, along with the first volume of the series. I was really excited to get started on them and found the first volume, simply titled "Vampire Hunter D" a very entertaining book. After reading that, I immeadiately snatched the third book off of my bedside table, beginning to devour the words. The opening was interesting, but it didn't really capture me the way the first book did.
Well, I didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the movie. The book had scenes that were WAY different from the movie. Leila actually expresses her feelings for D, Meir Link is known as Mayerling in the book, Charlotte isn't called Charlotte in the book but is an unnamed girl instead. But this book should be appreciated since it IS the original version that inspired the movie. But there were parts where I went, "Oh man, when is this chapter gonna finish?" and got sort of bored, but I just kept on reading, nonetheless. When I finished, well, I didn't feel the satisfaction I had when I read the first book. This version is somewhat creepier (not that it's bad) but boring. Some of the characters use the f-word throughout the book, which really annoys me! I mean, hello! Kids at a high level of reading could be reading this!
But don't skip this book if you're gonna watch the movie. It's still worth your time.

I Can't Get Enough of the Vampire Hunter D Novles! :).......2006-05-27

So far I love all the Vampire Hunter D Novles. It was a lot better than the movie. It was nothing like the movie. It was very different from the movie. Hopefully next time they make another Vampire Hunter D Movie (I hope they do.) I hope they follow it more closely to the book. D as a twisted, cold sense of humor. I love the book and I can't wait to read the next one.

charming.......2006-03-10

I read all three volumes now, don't ask me why, and at last I decided to "believe" the translator. I'm quite sure this is how literal translations of Japanese horror novels might look. I do doubt you'd find many published books in this style, so go for it. It's a highly entertaining read. Perhaps I have a twisted sense of humour, but sometimes I was laughing so hard that I had to put the book down, and I really have to refrain from screaming at random people "oh you countenanced carbuncle, you!"

As to the plot of volume 3 - well, no, you don't need it to enjoy "Bloodlust". The love-life inside the Marcus tank might even be a bit off-putting for sensitive minds (the Hand's unfulfilled desires are very interesting though!), and you don't really want to hear D's musings about the female soul, believe me.

I give three stars, two for the brave translator and one for another great detail about D's luggage: After learning in volume 2 that he carries a self-heating sleeping-bag, I was now delighted to see that his emergency kit expired like 500 years ago. So much for being invincible, ha!

Autocad 2007 3-D Modeling, a Visual Approach

Average customer rating:

Great Book!
CD is glued in

Autocad 2007 3-D Modeling, a Visual Approach
Alan J. Kalameja
Manufacturer: Delmar Cengage Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1418049042

Book Description

This completely up-to-date book is the perfect means for learning to use the three-dimensional capabilities of AutoCAD® 2007! It boasts a hands-on introduction to more than 70 AutoCAD commands relating to 3D space and 3D modeling, with concise and easy-to-understand instructions helping users get the most out of every 3D feature of AutoCAD. A series of self-paced tutorials at the end of most chapters guide readers through the hands-on completion of various 3D wireframe, surface, and solid models. An accompanying CD with drawing files of 3D models gets readers up and running quickly.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!.......2007-08-08

This is a great book! I think injustice is done if you rate it low! I rate it 5 stars because it is a resourceful book for learning or teaching 3D CAD. I am using it as a textbook in my AutoCad 3D class and both myself and the students appreciate the organization, samples and exercises of the book. The accompanying CD Rom is good: it provides the exercises and samples drawn in the book.
I enjoyed that book a lot!
For a long time I was searching for a good resource book for teaching 3D CAD and I finally got what I wanted with this book.
So far, comparing to other 3D CAD books I have seen in the market this is the best.

PS: I have ordered many issues of this book for my students and so far I have not had any problem with opening the CD from its sealed envelope.

CD is glued in.......2007-02-06

The book is great. The CD, however, is glued into the binding of the book, making it inaccessible. It is in a sealed envelope in the back of the book, and evidently it slipped down and got glued into the binding.

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
The Origin of Abraham Sapien

B.P.R.D. Volume 3: Plague of Frogs
Mike Mignola , Guy Davis , Dave Stewart , and Clem Robbins
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1593072880

Book Description

Hellboy creator Mike Mignola finally reveals Abe Sapien's bizarre history. Introduced in the first Hellboy book and featured prominently in the film, Abe Sapien has remained one of the most intriguing mysteries of Mignola's celebrated work. The recent Hellboy film steered clear of any origin story for Abe so that the tale could be told in Plague of Frogs. The story of Abe's origins unfolds as the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense try to stop the monstrous frog men from the first Hellboy graphic novel, Seed of Destruction. The plague begins its spread across America, lending an apocalyptic new direction to Mignola's stories.

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04

The third collection has the team in a lot of trouble. Those nasty frog monsters are back, and spreading all around the world. The team finally traces them back to a cult in New England. Rasputin also lurks.

This volume also gives up the origin of Abe Sapien, and it is somewhat stranger than you think.

The Origin of Abraham Sapien.......2006-06-12

This is the third outing for the BPRD without Hellboy. This is the first collection with one long story arc rather than a grouping of short stories. As creator Mike Mignola describes in the afterword, he and his editor at Dark Horse Comics were considering doing a regular line of comics, similar to the Hellboy series.

In order to achieve this, Mignola used this series to tie off loose ends. The return of Sadu-Hem and the frog monsters from Hellboy: Seed of Destruction. Rasputin's threat of vengeance and the fulfillment of the prophecy in Hellboy: Wake the Devil. And most importantly the origin of Abe Sapien.

The artwork by Guy Davis. His figure drawing immitates Mignola's, but there are almost no solid blacks. The backgrounds and colors are significantly more detailed than Mignola's, so it's a bit different of an esthetic. But when taken on its own it's still very good. His action is fluid, his characters are easily distinguished from each other. There's a background in alomst every panel (just figures with no background is a personal pet peeve of mine).

The only thing that holds this book back is the dialogue. They're too self-aware of the surreality of the frog monsters, the Sadu-Hem fungus creature. There are moments where it feels like the characters don't take their own world seriously. It breaks the fantasy of the story.

Aside from that it's a very good story. The characters are all used well. The artwork is very good. The monsters are all creepy. And, though we find out more about Abraham Sapien, the answers we get just lead to more questions. Exactly what a good comics' story should be.

The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Effects, Third Edition

Average customer rating:

Great book for class!
Doesn't teach anything
Don't waste your money
One of the best I`ve read in times!
tienes que tenerlo

The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Effects, Third Edition
Isaac Victor Kerlow
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471430366

Book Description

An insightful, up-to-date look at creating in the digital environment
In a practical, easy-to-understand format, The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Effects covers every aspect of creating and outputting fully rendered three-dimensional computer still images or animations, including visual effects for live action. Along with helpful insights into the newest techniques available in the latest software programs and hardware, this new edition provides solid conceptual and critical basics through a combination of technical explanations and creative techniques. Creative vision can be brought to life on the screen through an easy-to-understand, step-by-step approach supported by full-color sample work by such leading companies as Pixar Animation Studios, Square, DreamWorks SKG, Fox, Disney, and many independent artists and studios.
Isaac Victor Kerlow (Los Angeles, CA) is Director of Digital Production at the Walt Disney Company and a longtime active member of SIGGRAPH and the Visual Effects Society.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for class!.......2007-09-28

I've only glanced through the book so far but it looks amazing, I can tell this'll be a great compliment to my studies at the Academy of Art in San Francisco! Thanks!

Doesn't teach anything.......2007-03-17

This book is just an overview of computer animation. You can't learn anything from it. I was hoping for a vanilla instruction book because I own Carrara and Hexagon and I have to buy Maya or Lightwave books and try to adapt them to Carrara and Hexagon. The pictures inside aren't that great either - the cover has the best characters. For the money, I would rather have bought another Maya or Lightwave book.

Don't waste your money.......2007-01-23

This is a boring textbook. No real indepth stuff here. Not software specific and not helpful to people want to actually learn computer animation. If you want to "read about" and discover all the wonderful terms and the history of-what to call things then maybe. Don't be drawn in by its heavy use of well known imagery and pretty pictures. It just doesn't have substance. I wish they had renamed this book- with a subheading stating language and terminology.

Look at the firt edition which is now $6.00. Art is a learnt through application. A large point of understanding concepts is to apply them. This book lacks showing the latter.

Save your money.

One of the best I`ve read in times!.......2006-11-10

I loved this book!
It goes strait to the point and the art work is absolutely awesome.
I recomend it for any levels of users.

tienes que tenerlo .......2006-08-13

Un gran libro , con ilustraciones espectaculares , este libro no tiene tutoriales ni habla sobre algun programa en especifico , une la forma 3d a través de los año , toma pasajes de la historia del mundo 3d hasta lo mejor realizado hace unos años .Es un libro de lectura y aprendizaje de un mundo el cual muchas veces entramos directamente en la utilización de programas como 3dstudio max ,etc y realmente no conocemos los principios y su evolución .Se divide en capitulso de animación texturización, modelaje ,etc y en cada uno de ellos habla de lo esencial de como lograr buenos efectos . Es un libro altamente recomendable , una joya.

The Visualization Toolkit: An Object-Oriented Approach to 3-D Graphics (2nd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Powerful Toolkit
Excellent book on scientific visualization
Great for understanding visualization algorithms
Understanding and programming graphical algorithms!
Understanding and programming graphical algorithms!

The Visualization Toolkit: An Object-Oriented Approach to 3-D Graphics (2nd Edition)
William Schroeder , Ken Martin , and Bill Lorensen
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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VTK User's Guide Version 5

ASIN: 0139546944

Customer Reviews:

Powerful Toolkit.......2001-11-16

I started to use the companion free software "visualization toolkit" back to the first edition of this book. My goal was to write a Windows application called "3D Groundwater Explorer" for the 3D Visualizaiton of data and results from groundwater flow and contaminant transport simulations. It was a tough time, partly because this book focuses on algorithms and does not explain how to use the Toolkit in details (maybe the Toolkit is too "big" to be explained in details). Despite of the rather high learning curve, the Toolkit provides virtually everything that one might need in creating impressive and informative visualization image. The Visualization Toolkit is a real tremendous accomplishment.

Excellent book on scientific visualization.......2001-04-17

This book is poorly titled, because it discusses the algorithms and techniques of visualization much more than the use of the Visualization Toolkit software. However, it is a good introduction to scientific visualization, and the free software included on the CD is an extremely powerful and useful tool. However, if you only wish to learn to use the software, The Visualization Toolkit User's Guide would be much more appropriate for you.

Great for understanding visualization algorithms.......2001-01-17

This book is great for gaining an in-depth understanding of the underlying visualization algorithms used in the Visualization Toolkit.

If you would like understand how to use the VTK software, you should purchase The Visualization Toolkit User's Guide. This companion book is updated for each major release of VTK, and contains many detailed examples.

Understanding and programming graphical algorithms!.......2000-05-09

The book gives you a good overview of the most important modern algorithms in computational geometry and computer graphics. AND: On the CD included you find a professional programming system with implementations of the mentioned algorithms in SourceCode! You can easily extend the system by your own algorithms in C++. Every Researcher who starts to work in this field should read this book and use these implementations.

Understanding and programming graphical algorithms!.......2000-05-09

Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. Volume 3 (Magnus Robot Fighter (Graphic Novels))

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SPECTAULAR 1960'S COMICS!

Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. Volume 3 (Magnus Robot Fighter (Graphic Novels))
Russ Manning , Robert Shaefer , and Eric Friewald
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1593073399

Book Description

Dark Horse delivers another fantastic collection of rare classics from a comics legend! Russ Manning, famous for his spectacular work on the Tarzan newspaper strips of the late sixties, brought fans his "Tarzan of the future" in Magnus, Robot Fighter. While his work on the original comic series lasted only twenty-one issues, Manning's creation has survived generations, influencing countless science fiction artists and writers to this day. Fans of Alex Raymond, Mac Raboy, or Wally Wood should not miss this beautifully bound hardcover - the third Magnus archival collection and the latest addition to Dark Horse's line of science fiction classics.

Customer Reviews:

SPECTAULAR 1960'S COMICS!.......2007-01-08

I freely admit to never having read many Gold Key comics as a kid, outside of the occasional Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery (I was a monster kid!). Back then their painted covers were a turn off to a young guy like me. It made them look old like Classics Illustrated. I didn't know what to make of them. It's taken thirty years but I've finally come to appreciate Gold Key Comics as well as those covers, which I now deem as fantastic. We really have to thank Dark Horse Comics for grabbing the rights to this great material and reprinting it for new generations to enjoy.

In Magnus Robot Fighter Vol. 3 from the Dark Horse Archives we get issues 15 - 21 of the original Gold Key series, complete with those painted covers by Vic Prezio. Now I'm not sure if it was intentional, but Prezio's rendition of Magnus sure looks a lot like Roger Moore. While Moore had yet to play James Bond, he was quite popular due to his role of Simon Templar in the long-running British TV series "The Saint".

Of course another great selling point to these stories is the interior art of Russ Manning, one of comic's great legendary artists. Manning is perhaps best known for his long association with Tarzan. He not only drew the Tarzan comic for Gold Key but also the Tarzan newspaper strip from 1969 to 1972. Tarzan aside, Magnus may represent Manning's best work, certainly it's his most imaginative. Magnus may not have been the most, umm...masculine looking hero around with his mini-skirt tunic and white boots, but hey, any guy who could kick the bejeezus out of evil robots is ok in my book.

Looking at the stories now, there's no doubt that Manning's art was every bit as good as what you'd see in the average DC or Marvel comic of the same period, in fact, it was better than most. Manning's work had a dynamic that perhaps only a few artists such as Jack Kirby, Neal Adams, or John Buscema could boast.

By the year 4000, humanity has become dependent on robots. As a result, they are oblivious to the rise of Freewills, robots that have achieved a state of self-awareness, and seek to overthrow their human masters.

Magnus was raised by a robot known as 1A, a name which implies that he was the very first robot of his type ever manufactured. 1A seemed to be self-aware and possess emotions. A firm believer in the Three Laws of Robotics, 1A recognized the threat "Freewills" represented. Therefore, 1A trained Magnus as a warrior to protect humans against Freewills. Magnus grew up to be a skilled martial artist who could break steel with his bare hands. In addition, 1A equipped his charge with a device that would allow him to "hear" robot-to-robot radio communications.

In "The Deadly Peril from Sirius" a representative named Zypex from the Planet Sirius comes to earth bearing gift of an advanced robot. Magnus is curious that they would give them such a large, and clumsy looking robot. His suspicions turn out to be true as the large robot was a futuristic version of the Trojan Horse. Soon a swarm of smaller robots spring forth to attack North Am. Making matters worse, the robots have the ability to multiply on their own. North Am will soon be overrun unless Magnus can stop them.

"Bunda the Great" find Magnus traveling to the Himalayas to help Prince Shandor when robots threaten to destroy their weather station and wreak environmental havoc on the world. Magnus soon encounters a massive robot the likes of which he's never seen. Bunda the Great has other robots, and even children worshipping him as a God!

These are really great stories and far different in tone than the Valiant revamp of the 90's. Great art and imaginative storylines!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

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