Learning Processing: A Beginner's Guide to Programming Images, Animation, and Interaction (Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics) [Paperback]

Daniel Shiffman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0123736021 | ISBN-13: 978-0123736024 | Edition: 1

This book teaches you the basic building blocks of programming needed to create cutting-edge graphics applications including interactive art, live video processing, and data visualization.

A unique lab-style manual, the book gives graphic and web designers, artists, and illustrators of all stripes a jumpstart on working with the Processing programming environment by providing instruction on the basic principles of the language, followed by careful explanations of select advanced techniques.

Within these pages, ITP (Tisch School of the Arts, New York University) professor Daniel Shiffman demonstrates the fundamentals of programming that will expand your understanding of what is possible in the world of computer graphics. By travelling beyond the confines of proprietary software, you will be empowered to create your own custom design tools.

* A friendly start-up guide to Processing, the visual artist's free, open-source alternative to expensive software and daunting programming languages.

* No previous experience required-this book is for the true programming beginner!

* Step-by-step examples, thorough explanations, hands-on exercises, and simple code samples support your learning curve. Source code and supplemental tutorials are also available through an online companion site.

Product Details

• Paperback: 450 pages
• Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann; 1 edition (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0123736021
• ISBN-13: 978-0123736024
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Game Programming
  • #41 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Introductory & Beginning
  • #90 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Graphics & Multimedia

More About the Author

Daniel Shiffman works as an Assistant Arts Professor at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Originally from Baltimore, Daniel received a BA in Mathematics and Philosophy from Yale University and a Master's Degree from the Interactive Telecommunications Program. He works on developing tutorials, examples, and libraries for Processing, the open source programming language and environment created by Casey Reas and Ben Fry. He is the author of Learning Processing: A Beginner's Guide to Programming Images, Animation, and Interaction and The Nature of Code (self-published via Kickstarter), a text and series of code examples about simulating natural phenomenon in Processing. For more information, visit www.shiffman.net.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning to Program via Processing September 9, 2008

By grantmichaels

Format:Paperback

In the past 10 months I have returned to programming computers, having taken a decade off doing such to produce dance music, work as a surgical nurse, and currently to do CAD/CAM programming for a stone manufacturer. In the nineties I coded a bit in pure assembly, but have never coded in a high level language, never one with objects or garbage collection, and honestly haven't coded at all for 12 years.

This book should have been the first book I picked up when I was staging my return, as it is the first beginner level programming book to hold my interest, and one which enables the user to work with first class multimedia applications while still coding at the beginner level. Data visualization has really taken off, and Casey Reas and Ben Fry's Processing language is a beautiful abstraction on top of Java for creating rich media, generative art, and visualizations.

I've built a small coding library of 75-100 retained books from the 400+ I bought from Amazon in the past 10 months, and this is absolutely the first book I should have read - without a doubt. Processing, the language, is an absolutely wonderful platform for learning to program - and I wish I could say that I first learned to program using this book and Processing.

If you are curious about learning how to program, "Learning Processing" gives you a much more interesting set of tools to work with for learning the basics - I think this will lead to continued interest in some who might otherwise give up early.

I have (but have not read cover to cover) the other Processing related books - "Processing" by Reas and Fry, "Processing" by Ira Greenberg, and "Visualizing Data" by Fry - and I think the reason I haven't completed them is because they are intermediate level programming books, and will make more sense to read now, having completed "Learning Processing."

Finally, I think it's important to mention that I have noticed that it is increasingly obvious when books are written by educators, as opposed to professional coders. There is a certain command of the readers attention span that only teachers/educators can harness, and this is no exception.

I highly recommend this book, which perhaps, could have been titled more aptly "Learning to Program via Processing," but which was a fabulous read nonetheless!

grantmichaels

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fills a much needed void in textbooks for designers/non- programmers September 15, 2008

By DeAngela L. Duff

Format:Paperback

This is my second amazon review ever in seven years. I mention this to emphasize how much I believe in this book. I teach an introductory programming class to artists/designers at a University. Finding a good textbook has not been easy. I am very happy to finally find what I consider the "missing" book. I will definitely be adopting this book as one of the required texts for my Intro to Interactive class in the spring. I am very impressed with the content. It is very well suited for my students who are not fluent (and are sometimes quite intimidated) in programming lingo and concepts:) Other books cover the fundamentals usually in one chapter, and get into the key concepts very quickly. This book is paced better for the novice, and, as another reviewer noted, is very friendly and inviting. Job very well done!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Friendliest Book August 30, 2008

By annelovesamazon

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just received this book yesterday, and I have to say that this book is probably the friendliest "instructional" book. I say instructional, instead of programming because as a designer, I can comprehend the concepts that Shiffman talks about. It's even friendlier than some Photoshop and Flash books that I've read through.

I have both Shiffman's and Casey Reas' book (last year), and I'm starting Shiffman's book. Casey's book is for intermediates. I would even recommend this book to high school students who are interested in programming, however, most high school students are professional programmers already (look at the kids that work on Facebook).