Advanced 3D Game Programming All in One [Paperback]

Kenneth C Finney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 2005 | ISBN-10: 1592007333 | ISBN-13: 978-1592007332 | Edition: 1

Unlike other books on the market, "Advanced 3D Game Programming All in One" takes a comprehensive approach, covering 3D game programming, art and design in one book. Written for intermediate to advanced level game programmers who want to take their skills to the next level, the book uses the Torque Game Engine to show readers how they can quickly create their own high quality games. The book focuses on how to use a game engine to maximum effect, revealing and explaining the inner workings of the Torque Game Engine. Advanced 3D game programming topics such as the applications of artificial intelligence, terrain techniques, inclusion simulations and control concepts, and scripting tutorials are all covered. "Advanced 3D Game Programming All in One" is written in friendly, conversational tone and includes hands-on programming practice and figures and tables for support, with all of the necessary tools and resources supplied on the accompanying CD.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Course Technology PTR; 1 edition (August 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592007333
• ISBN-13: 978-1592007332
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.7 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,009,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ken Finney teaches Game Design, Level and GUI Design, Game Development, Programming and Prototyping at the Art Institute of Toronto where he is Lead Faculty Member in the Game Art & Design program, and Graphics Design for Game Artists and XNA programming at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Ken is the creator of the popular TubettiWorld "Online Campaign" Mod and the "QuicknDirty" game management tools for Novalogic's Delta Force 2 game series. In addition to being an Associate Developer of the Torque Game Engine at GarageGames, Ken is the author of several books about game programming including 3D Game Programming All In One, 2nd Edition and Advanced 3D Game Programming All In One. Ken is 50% owner of TubettiWorld Games, Inc. (TWG), an Ontario-based company that is creating a new and unique Action/Adventure game based on the original TubettiWorld design, using Torque Game Engine Advanced. The team that Finney has assembled at TWG was responsible for delivering a 3D action racing game for a major U.S. toy manufacturer in the Spring of 2008. TWG is GarageGames' world-wide provider of Torque training for commercial customers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource... Picks up where the first one leaves off., October 7, 2005

By 

S. Guthikonda (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Advanced 3D Game Programming All in One (Paperback)

I just got my copy in the mail. This book seems to pick up where the first one (3D Game Programming All in One) leaves off. There is no noteable overlap. It contains some great code and examples. It will get you started integrating AI into TGE, doors, database integration for online games (news systems, player accounts), and some more interesting topics. If you haven't read through the first book, though, you must do that first as you will probably be lost.

Much like the first book, this book focuses around the Torque Game Engine (TGE). If you do not work with the TGE, this book isn't very helpful. If you do work with the TGE, this book is an invaluable resource, much like the first one. The appendix contains great function/class reference tables.

The level of this book is definitely more advanced than the first book. Math is a bit more complicated here (vectors, matrices, AI, lighting, water, terrain, etc.). This is noted by the publisher as well (this book being Intermediate-Advanced, the first being Beginner-Intermediate). More accurate difficulties would be Intermediate for the 1st book, Intermediate + 2 for the 2nd book. It is more intense than the first book, but still pretty easy for a college CS major. The most difficult part of both of these books is the fact that they use TGE! As the engine is so massive, it can sometimes be difficult to follow the program flow (through scripts), and keeping track of all the functions/stubs/files.

Conclusion: Buy this book if you have already read through the first one, and you are using TGE. If you have not read through the first book but are using TGE, you should read through the first book before buying this book (unless you are already pretty familiar with the engine), as the two books overlap very nicely. If you don't use TGE, there is no need for you to purchase this book... (...)

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book that goes beyond part 1, October 9, 2005

By 

Jeffrey J. Osborn "Has Opposable Thumbs." (Broomfield, CO USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Advanced 3D Game Programming All in One (Paperback)

Part 1 was helpful, this one really answers a lot of questions. my only gripe? Most of the code has never been tested-- it's obvious from reading it that it won't work, and if you try to compile and run it, well-- if programmers were civil engineers, this code would make you an amputee. Aside from that, it's a good book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Writing Style, September 15, 2007

By 

James Nordman (Jacksonville, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Advanced 3D Game Programming All in One (Paperback)

As a retired computer application trainer as well as a programming teacher, I find this book superior to MANY computer books of most ANY genre. Unfortunately many "techies" suffer from some deficits as writers.

First, though they may know their content very well, when they begin writing about their subject, they tend to skip steps that will confound a beginning learner or assume some nebulous prior knowledge or what must seem to them as perfectly "obvious" information or sequences. Mr. Finney doesn't make this all-to-often made error. He also follows the tried-and-true educational practice of - "Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them". It allows the reader to feel the scope as well as the details of what's being taught.

Second the writing style is very relaxed. The reader doesn't need to feel that they are learning in a large lecture hall. The style is person-to-person.

Third, He writes in English. That is to say, the writing is grammatical and well organized. That might seem like how things SHOULD be. I've found many technical writers simply don't - or can't do this! It seems to be well edited. Homonyms haven't snuck in because the words could pass by a spell checker. His early English teachers must have cracked his knuckles to develop this trait. (I keep wanting to write publishers to ask them if they would like me to do a final edit before they put their books on the street. It's embarassing to us as a culture. OK, I'll get off my soap-box.) This book is refreshing.

I got both volumes of Mr. Finney's books for my grown son, since he is interested in going into this field. I think he'll get them when I'm done. More than likely, I'll end up getting an addutional set for him. I want to keep these!

Keep up the good work, Ken!!