Guide to Graphics Software Tools (Springer Professional Computing) [Hardcover]

Jim X. Chen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0387950494 | ISBN-13: 978-0387950495 | Publication Date: October 16, 2002 | Edition: 1

Current graphics software and hardware combine to allow multiple-level functionality and open up new application areas for scientists of all disciplines, and for computer scientists and engineers in particular. This integrated guide explains and lists readily available and widely used graphics software tools and their applications, while also serving as a shortcut to graphics theory and programming. It grounds readers in fundamental concepts and helps them use visualization, modeling, simulation, and virtual reality to complement and improve their work. Features: * Comprehensive and practical coverage of software graphics tools * Provides a uniquely categorized compendium of 265 3-D graphics software tools * Concise listings of platforms and pricing, applications, examples, functions, and related Web resources * Shortcut to practical graphics principles and methods * Includes a CD-ROM with extensive collection of source code and executables * Extensive pointers to websites and other proven helpful sources * Combines theory and OpenGL programming with an accessible approach Readers will find the book an authoritative and useful catalogue of practical, working software tools and methods. About the author: Jim Chen is director of the Computer Graphics Laboratory at George Mason University and editor of the visualization column, and the Visualization Portal (website), for the IEEE magazine, Computing in Science and Engineering.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Current graphics software and hardware combine to allow multiple-level functionality and open up new application areas for scientists of all disciplines, and for computer scientists and engineers in particular. This thoroughly revised integrated guide explains and lists readily available graphics software tools and their applications, while also serving as a shortcut to graphics theory and programming. The second edition grounds readers in fundamental concepts and helps them use visualization, modeling, simulation, and virtual reality to complement and improve their work. Features: • Comprehensive and practical coverage of software graphics tools • Includes 6 new chapters on OpenGL Programming in Java, Curved Models, Vertex Shading, Pixel Shading and Parallel Processing, Programming in Java3D, OpenGL Shading Language, Direct3D Shader Programming [NEW] • Updated graphics software tools, with new information and format [NEW] • Additional descriptions and examples [NEW] • Provides a uniquely categorized compendium of 293 3D graphics software tools • Concise listings of platforms and pricing, applications, examples, functions, and related Web resources • Shortcuts to practical graphics principles and methods • Contains extensive appendices including the addition of basic mathematics in 3D graphics [NEW] • Extensive pointers to websites and other proven helpful sources • Combines theory and OpenGL programming with an easy-to-follow approach A concise, practical introduction to graphics theory and programming, practitioners as well as advanced students will find this accessible revised text an authoritative and useful catalogue of working software tools and methods. Professor Jim X. Chen is the Director of the Computer Graphics Laboratory at George Mason University and Editor of the Visualization column, and the Visualization Portal, for the IEEE magazine, Computing in Science and Engineering. In addition he is the author of the successful Springer book Foundations of 3D Graphics Programming: Using JOGL and Java3D, also now in its second edition. Key Topics: OpenGL Programming in Java (NEW) Curved Models (NEW) Vertex and Pixel Shading in Cg on Java Platform (NEW) Programming in Java3D (NEW) OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL) in C/C++ (NEW) Direct3D and High Level Shading Language Programming (NEW) Objects and Models Transformation and Viewing Color and Lighting Blending and Texture Mapping --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 530 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (October 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387950494
• ISBN-13: 978-0387950495
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,458,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Took The Class Taught By Chen- Book & Author Both Terrible, December 12, 2003

By 

Minh A. Do (Fairfax, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide to Graphics Software Tools (Springer Professional Computing) (Hardcover)

Not only are his language skills extremely lacking, but his coding is sloppy and his teaching leaves MUCH to be desired. Don't think I'm just a disgruntled student who wants revenge on the professor, because I got an A- for the course and I slept through it. The book really is not all that good. The majority of the book itself is references to other resources. What's left is only four chapters that do not delve very deep into any of the concepts that they supposedly cover. It is not worth it to get this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Does not succeed on any level, November 20, 2005

By 

calvinnme - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Guide to Graphics Software Tools (Springer Professional Computing) (Hardcover)

This book will not teach you computer graphics techniques, nor will it teach you OpenGL. What it mainly provides is an index of products -both free and commercial - that can be of use to people who already understand computer graphics programming and OpenGL. What's worse, the book is really very tied to its date of publication, and by now many of the websites mentioned in the book are dead links. Also, technology has outgrown or started to outgrow many of the graphics tools mentioned. For example, there is a section on virtual reality that talks a great deal about Open Inventor and VRML as though they are current tools when in fact technologies such as X3D and MPEG4 have largely replaced them. The table of contents are:
PART 1- A Shortcut to Computer Graphics Principles
Objects and Models
Transformation and Viewing
Color and Lighting
Blending and Texture Mapping
Advanced Topics
Part 2- Computer Graphics Software Tools
Low-Level Graphics Libraries
Visualization
Modeling and Rendering
Animation and Simulation
Virtual Reality
Web3D Tools and Networked Environment
3-D File Formats
APPENDIX: List & description of Graphics Software Tools
As you can see from the listing of the table of contents above, only the first five chapters comprising part one of the book has anything to do with graphics programming techniques, and it is so brief and disjointed as to be useless. Part two is about software tools for a variety of subjects, and this is the part that has really become outdated, as I mentioned before. In particular, the chapter on 3D file formats is particularly useless, as it does not give you enough information about any particular 3D file format to be helpful at all. Also, the stuff on virtual reality and Web3D is just plain incomprehensible to a novice and of no use to anyone who already knows something about these subjects. In short, avoid this book because it succeeds at nothing.

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible Author, April 11, 2007

By 

Nick (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guide to Graphics Software Tools (Springer Professional Computing) (Hardcover)

In addition to his lack of mastery of the English Language, the author seems to lack the organizational skill to put useful information together in a useful way. I flipped through this outdated book at the library and I discovered that I could find better information by doing ten minutes of Google searching. As said in a previous review, the book contains a lot of references to outdated technology and contains little information about the fundamental concepts of graphics programming. This is a terrible book, If you can, go to a college library and look through it before buying, I am sure you will decide not to.