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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great tutorial on a simple language that produces beautiful computer art, June 28, 2007
This is a very good book on the Processing language, which is an object-oriented languaged based on Java that is used for computer art. It allows computer artists to produce attractive computer-generated art without having to become experts on the Java language, Java3D, Java2D, and all of the other associated Java multimedia APIs. The Processing language's home page has considerable tutorial information, but it is not organized in a tutorial format as this book is. The book starts out in the first few chapters talking about "code art" including a brief mention of various "code artists". It then goes on to talk about the origin and basics of the Processing language. Chapter 5 is the most helpful of the chapters in part one, since it discusses the actual environment of working with the Processing language including the various programming modes and rendering modes. Part two is very practical and useful, as it illustrates how to actually draw shapes, work with various color and imaging styles, and even includes chapters on building interactive art, programming motion, and working in 3D. There is also a short chapter on object-oriented programming in the middle of this section, but it is rather brief and if you are unfamiliar with the topic you are going to need outside sources. The format of the chapters in part two is to discuss what you are trying to accomplish, show and discuss the Processing code for performing the task, and show an illustration of what your final piece of computer art should look like. Part three is a reference on the Processing language itself that also includes an appendix consisting of various mathematics equations you will need when working with geometric figures. If you already know Java, as I do, this book makes learning the Processing language a breeze. If you don't already know Java or at least programming in an object-oriented language, this book might be more difficult. Note that there is an extra appendix and an extra chapter available online that is not in the printed book itself. These chapters are "3D Rendering in Java Mode" and "Integrating Processing within Java".
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiring and thorough., August 19, 2008
I picked this book up on impulse while about halfway thru the other book "Processing: A Handbook for Visual Designers and Artists". They seemed like books that were too similar, but they are not. This book is aimed more at the individual, whereas the other seems to be aimed more at a classroom (yet is also an excellent book). The amount of exercises and experiments is massive. The book opens up assuming you have never touched a computer language before, however it's easy to jump ahead if you have experience. The book is also hardcover, making it a nice object to hold and read. As the book progresses, it becomes more of an encyclopedia than a tutorial, therefore should stay useful for years to come. As a former artist-tuned-web developer, Processing has saved my life from mundane coding, and this book provided much of the inspiration. I have also recommended this book to non-artistic coders looking to expand their graphic and artistic skills.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great introduction to programming for creative types, March 27, 2008
I teach Flash Actionscript at an Art College in Pasadena, and I am sometimes asked by my students for a good book to introduce them to programming fundamentals. Until I encountered this book, I was at a loss to find a good one, because so many programming books assume the reader already knows the fundamentals, and don't take the creative personality into account. This is the book I was looking for. It's not about actionscript, but that doesn't matter, as Processing is an even better choice as a first programming language for creative people. Once you learn the fundamentals of programming, learning things like Flash actionscript becomes much easier. The thing I like about this book is that it concentrates on making computer art, it has good tutorials on basic computer programming, computer graphics concepts, and it understands that its core audience is likely to be math phobic (due to the horrible math experiences so many of us have had in schools). If there's a flaw, it's that the author is a little to anxious to share some extremely advanced scripts a little too early in the book. First time readers should skip over this stuff, because much simpler stuff is on the way. The book will reward skipping around and rereading. I also recommend getting another book on the same subject, such as the Reas and Fry processing book, and perhaps one of John Maeda's books.
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