Customer Reviews

Real-Time Interactive 3D Games: Creating 3D Games in Macromedia Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio

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This is a book of two halves - game programming and game design. At the heart of it is the new Director 3D programming engine, which is a major new addition to the capabilities of the software. Allen Partridge's book is aimed principally at those who are familiar with Director and comfortable with lingo, but may be new to 3D as a whole. The first half of the book goes through the capabilities of the 3d engine in detail, including shaders, lights, textures, physics and vector maths, as well as some insights into using 3D modelling software to its best advantage. The second half looks at the process of creating an actual game, and one of its most valuable features is that the accompanying CD includes the game at many stages of the design process.
If you're looking purely for 'how to program in 3d', you may find that half the book is not what you're looking for: much of it is given over to game storyboarding, character design, marketing etc. But if you're looking for an all-round approach to game design, then this is a great introduction and inspiration.

Okay if you want to learn 3d the fast way in director then this isn't the book for you. The book does in some ways go into detail but then again he also side tracks so this book is not for the new comers. Your suppose to know a few things in director already and also in the lingo area. The whole thing in this book is the lingo part. Its code heavy so you as the reader is suppose to have some sort of back ground in director in order to understand it. Over all its an okay book but not the best.

I am a technical manual geek... I have ten times more tech manuals than any other type of book.

This one, I never really got into. I know programming, but this seemed a bit out of line for what I was looking for.

Though you might find it helpful, I didn't. (Still a good fundamentals book though)

On the outside, this book looks excellent for those wanting to create 3d games in director. On the inside, the book is shallow and un-engaging. Most concepts are covered poorly and are made hard to understand. One of my biggest gripes about this book is how the author tells you "Now lets learn how to make _____", and instead of explaining things, just dumps 4 pages of lingo code on you. I feel that a good book should break down the code and explain what it is doing. Copying a hundred lines of code form a book does not teach you anything. The book is also very dry and a bore to read. I fell asleep several times while reading, no joke.

If you want a book that touches on some of the same principles, take a look at "shockwave 3d" by Jason Wolf. This book was excellent, explained concepts with sufficient detail, and will give you that "That is exactly what i wanted to do, lets do it!" feeling.

This is not a book to use if you are trying to learn Director and Lingo. It is more about game design in general with some Director 3D thrown in for good measure. The game he develops is by no means state of the art and doesn't even show the capabilities of the Shockwave engine. I wouldn't recommend buying this book unless you have read everything else on GAME DEVELOPMENT and just want one more lame opinion on it. Do not buy it if you are trying to learn Director for your 3D projects. There are much better books for it.