Jim Blinn's Corner: Notation, Notation, Notation (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics) [Paperback]

Jim Blinn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 23, 2002 | Series: The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics

The third entry in the Jim Blinn's Corner series, this is, like the others, a handy compilation of selected installments of his influential column. But here, for the first time, you get the "Director's Cut" of the articles: revised, expanded, and enhanced versions of the originals. What's changed? Improved mathematical notation, more diagrams, new solutions. What remains the same? All the things you've come to rely on: straight answers, irreverent style, and innovative thinking. This is Jim Blinn at his best-now even better.
Highlights
- Features 21 expanded and updated installments of "Jim Blinn's Corner," dating from 1995 to 2001, and never before published in book form.
- Includes "deleted scenes"-tangential explorations that didn't make it into the original columns.
- Details how Blinn represented planets in his famous JPL flyby animations.
- Explores a wide variety of other topics, from the concrete to the theoretical: assembly language optimization for parallel processors, exotic usage of C++ template instantiation, algebraic geometry, a graphical notation for tensor contraction, and his hopes for a future world.

*Features 21 expanded and updated installments of "Jim Blinn's Corner," dating from 1995 to 2001, and never before published in book form.
*Includes "deleted scenes"-tangential explorations that didn't make it into the original columns.
*Details how Blinn represented planets in his famous JPL flyby animations.
*Explores a wide variety of other topics, from the concrete to the theoretical: assembly language optimization for parallel processors, exotic usage of C++ template instantiation, algebraic geometry, a graphical notation for tensor contraction, and his hopes for a future world.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Jim Blinn presents an eclectic collection of 20 articles he originally wrote for Computer Graphics and Applications, an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) magazine aimed at graphics professionals. It's unapologetic about being a programmer's book, and it won't make much sense if you're not one (even less if you've forgotten your algebra). But if the shoe fits, and if you're going to be writing your own graphics routines, you stand to learn a lot from an acknowledged master.

Topics include a tour through the author's collection of circle-drawing algorithms, an introduction to animation concepts through a character called Blobby Man, musings on rendering platonic solids, detailed discussions of shadows, clipping and viewports, and investigations into the nature of pixel space. Many algorithms are presented in a generalized pseudo-code that could be easily translated into other languages. In addition to learning practical techniques, you'll also benefit from seeing Blinn's intelligent and offbeat approach to solving problems. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

The third entry in the Jim Blinn's Corner series, this is, like the others, a handy compilation of selected installments of his influential column. But here, for the first time, you get the "Director's Cut" of the articles: revised, expanded, and enhanced versions of the originals. What's changed? Improved mathematical notation, more diagrams, new solutions. What remains the same? All the things you've come to rely on: straight answers, irreverent style, and innovative thinking. This is Jim Blinn at his best-now even better.

Highlights:

*Features 21 expanded and updated installments of "Jim Blinn's Corner," dating from 1995 to 2001 and never before published in book form

*Includes "deleted scenes"-tangential explorations that didn't make it into the original columns

*Details how Blinn represented planets in his famous JPL flyby animations

*Explores a wide variety of other topics, from the concrete to the theoretical: assembly language optimization for parallel processors, exotic usage of C++ template instantiation, algebraic geometry, a graphical notation for tensor contraction, and his hopes for a future world

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann; 1 edition (July 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558608605
• ISBN-13: 978-1558608603
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,219,929 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What can you say about Jim Blinn?, October 14, 1999

By 

Bruce Williams ([e-mail]) (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jim Blinn's Corner: A Trip Down the Graphics Pipeline (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics) (Paperback)

I am a graphics book addict, but few produce changes in my code. I passed his clipping method around to the team and we are starting to change our pipeline. We were clipping to polys in a portal engine. The new idea is to clip to a bounding rectangle FAST and let the new hardware zbuff the rough edges.

His books have these sort of 'GEMS' that you might use the week you get it.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Book, Opaque Organisation, May 11, 1998

By 

Andy J Buchanan "Andy J Buchanan" (Brighton, U.K.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jim Blinn's Corner: A Trip Down the Graphics Pipeline (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics) (Paperback)

This book contains a wealth of information on the construction of a 3D pipeline, including all the geometry handling and also texture mapping. However being presented as it is, a collection of articles, makes a logical progression from start to finish a difficult task. There also seem to be gaps in some of the explanations, which is a shame as they are mostly complete and written in an easy to digest and lighthearted style. All in all, the book is packed with useful stuff, highly recommended.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE graphics pipeline book., March 12, 2001

By 

Peter S. Shirley (Salt Lake City, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jim Blinn's Corner: A Trip Down the Graphics Pipeline (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics) (Paperback)

I teach graphics and have been doing graphics for 15 years, and this book still taught me a lot. And it is a good book for a novice as well. I know that sounds implausible, but it really is true! Blinn just states things SO clearly. I was driven to write this review today after reading his discussion of perspective-correct rasterization: what a masterpiece! The rest of the book is just as good.