Flash 3D: Animation, Interactivity, and Games [Paperback]

Jim Ver Hague (Author), Chris Jackson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0240808789 | ISBN-13: 978-0240808789 | Publication Date: November 1, 2006 | Edition: 1

Push your creative ideas to the next level in content delivery.
Use real and simulated 3D space in your Flash games and interactive systems.

3D possibilities offer an untapped creative approach to thinking and designing with Flash. Tap into this medium by:
* Creating reusable templates to reduce costs and cycle time for project development.
* Experimenting with author-provided interactive examples that demonstrate a broad range of Flash applications from website to DVD/CD-ROM delivery.
* Practicing the real-world project techniques presented by the authors in full color.
* Expanding your horizons with experimental projects.

Jim Ver Hague is a professor of Computer Graphics Design at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has more than 30 years' experience in the field of computer graphics and has lectured, consulted, and conducted workshops internationally in the fields of multimedia, electronic publishing, computer-aided information design, and computer art and sculpture.

Chris Jackson is a computer graphics designer and Associate Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology. Chris has an extensive background in graphic design, printing and interactive multimedia. His professional work has received over 25 distinguished national and international awards for online communication.

User Level: Intermediate

Key Features:
* Techniques for creating reusable templates that reduce costs and cycle time for project development.
* A companion CD-ROM that includes an artists' gallery of example projects and project media for real-world exercises and tutorials.
* A balance of practical and experimental projects designed to teach and stretch your skills.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I've been meaning to post a review of Focal Press' new book, "Flash 3D - Animation, Interactivity and Games" for a few weeks now, but found myself digging through it more and more, which is a sure-fire sign that I'm enjoying it thoroughly. And that's definitely the case. Big thumbs up from me, especially if you've been daunted by 3D animation and/or development before. Kudos to co-authors Jim Ver Hague and Chris Jackson for presenting this material in such a down-to-earth and easy to disseminate format." - Scott Fegatte, Adobe Systems.

"If you're a Flash developer, animator, multimedia designer or student, this book aims to push your creative ideas to the next level in content delivery. With 3D one of the hottest subjects in interactive design, Flash 3D shows you how to use real and simulated 3D space in your Flash games and interactive systems. It explores the new possibilities 3D offers to thinking and designing with Flash. The book's accompanying CD offers interactive examples that demonstrate the broad range of Flash applications from Web site to DVD/CD delivery" - Digit magazine

Book Description

3D space is the latest enhancement to the ubiquitous Flash environment, enabling Flash content developers to enhance content delivery and the interactivity of web sites, games, and interactive learning systems.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 1 edition (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240808789
• ISBN-13: 978-0240808789
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,147,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a computer graphics designer and tenured professor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) where I teach a variety of graduate level courses including 2D Computer Animation, Instructional Multimedia, and Motion Graphics. My professional work has received over 25 distinguished national and international awards for online communication. I present my research and professional work at Adobe MAX and ACM SIGGRAPH. My published books have been translated into foreign languages. I continue to be a Flash animator, designer, developer, and consultant for worldwide corporations and nonprofit organizations. I lecture and conduct workshops relating to interactive design and Flash animation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thorough knowledge base for creating 3D in Flash, March 15, 2007

By 

Grant Beaudette (Missoula, MT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flash 3D: Animation, Interactivity, and Games (Paperback)

Flash was never really intended as a 3D application. That hasn't stopped people from trying to use it as one. Flash 3D covers numerous ways to add depth to this otherwise 2D program.

Although this book's subtitle says it covers Animation, Interactivity and Games, the animation section is easily the shortest. Other than some good coverage of using shading to make things look less flat and simulating depth with parallax scrolling, everything else is pretty much programming based. Although a resourceful Flash filmmaker could still make good use of the other tutorials.

The majority of the instruction involves creating mathematical 3D space we can use to move our 2D objects around in. Each example builds on the ones before to eventually create a scene with a movable camera and objects that maintain a believable 3D space.

Flash 3D also covers how to mimic OuicktimeVR files, creating interactive object rotations and panoramas in Flash, as well as building a very rudimentary 3D engine that can draw and manipulate 3D solids.

The final section shows you examples of how to take everything you've learned and put it together into complete projects.

The comprehensive coverage in this book makes it a great asset for anyone looking to add more depth to their Flash projects.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Esy to learn, May 12, 2007

By 

Buffa Matteo - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flash 3D: Animation, Interactivity, and Games (Paperback)

Easy, concrete and full of very appealing examples. I read this book day by day without interruption, trying all the exaples in it. Sometime i found Actionscript a little bit redundant, but i suppose only to underline all the passages in the examples.It's not requyred a huge ability in math formulas or a great skill with flash. The only skill required is the individual imagination.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for a great book!, January 25, 2007

By 

J. Bulmahn - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flash 3D: Animation, Interactivity, and Games (Paperback)

Flash 3D is an excellent book and I highly recommend it! It is well written and all the exercises are very easy to follow. The overall flow of the book is great.

The first few chapters provide tips on how to create graphics with depth and how to animate depth using the Flash timeline. The rest of the book covers how to use actionscript to simulate 3D and create interactive 3D environments. The authors do a wonderful job explaining each exercise and provide excellent comments within the code.

When it comes to actionscripting, I would consider myself an intermediate and I appreciate the effort put in the exercises and the level of explanation of the code. I really enjoyed chapter 5 "Math Primer: Trigonometry 101," which explains the basic trigonometry behind many of the exercises that follow it. I modified some of the exercises and started using them in my own work! Thanks for a great book!