Game Programming Gems (Game Programming Gems Series) (Hardcover)

~ Mark DeLoura (Author, Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Aimed at the working (or aspiring) Visual C/C++ game programmer, Game Programming Gems contains over 60 programming tips that have been gathered from more than 40 working game gurus. It you want to build your own games or are interested simply in how games work, this text provides an intriguing glimpse into how the pros create state-of-the-art 3-D animation.

The guiding principle in this book is to publish the best available tips for game programming; most of these fit into 10 pages or fewer. But don't let the efficient presentation fool you; almost every one of these tips will be invaluable to any serious game developer.

Early sections concentrate on techniques for creating more maintainable, faster code. A guide to using scripts for data-driven game modules and techniques teaches you better resource management (like using handles). A quick-start tutorial to the Standard Template Library (STL) will help you learn how to use these fast collection classes in your code right away. Several contributors show off strategies for better game debugging and profiling--there's even a set of classes that can provide onscreen feedback during testing.

The mathematical underpinnings that are required to do leading-edge 3-D graphics processing--including the use of quaternions, instead of matrices, in certain calculations--also are discussed. (One section looks at simulating water surfaces.) And artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for games--like Finite State Machines (FSMs), fuzzy logic, and neural networks--are explained. (The extremely cool flocking algorithms, which will let you add the behavior of birds or fish to your next game level, are especially appealing.)

Over 20 techniques for doing work with polygons (a staple of representing 3-D virtual worlds) are laid out, too. You'll learn a variety of important concepts, such as collision detection, working with key frames, better skinning for character animation, and realistic terrain generation (including fractals). A discussion of pixel effects, with some cutting-edge ways to add more realistic lighting and shadows to your games, closes the discussion. (One of the more exciting sections shows you how to simulate glass objects within 3-D scenes.)

With its leading-edge material on the algorithms that are used by the competition, Game Programming Gems will be a virtual must-read for anyone who works in the game industry. With code samples that are geared to OpenGL and that should run on both Windows and Linux, this book will help developers hone their game-programming skills. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

Tips and strategies for game developers Data-driven design and scripting languages Object-oriented design primer Using Visual C++ templates for faster math calculations Resource-management techniques (Singleton patterns, resource handles, and tips for fast data loads) The C++ Standard Template Library (STL) for games Bit arrays Network protocols for online games Using asserts and profiling for games Random numbers Interpolation methods Equations for rigid body motion Using polynomial approximations for trig functions Implicit Euler integration Wavelets Simulating water surfaces Quaternion vs. matrix calculations Artificial-intelligence (AI) techniques for gamers Sending messages Finite State Machines (FSMs)

Game trees Pathing strategies (including A* and 3-D pathing solutions) Flocking algorithms Introduction to fuzzy logic and neural networks Techniques for faster graphics with polygons (and 3-D fundamentals) Loading vertices faster into OpenGL The vector camera Camera-control strategies 3-D collision detection Multiresolution maps Distance calculation Object occlusion Working with octrees Interpolating between 3-D keyframes Skinning techniques Terrain-generation algorithms (including fractals) 2-D lens flare 2-D sprite effects with 3-D hardware Techniques for more realistic lighting Shadows and texturing Simulating glass and liquids in games

Product Description

For the countless tasks involved in creating a game engine there are an equal number of possible solutions. But instead of spending hours and hours trying to develop your own answers, now you can find out how the pros do it! Game Programming Gems is a hands-on, comprehensive resource packed with a variety of game programming algorithms written by experts from the game industry and edited by Mark DeLoura, Software Engineering Lead for Nintendo of America, Inc.

From animation and artificial intelligence to Z-buffering, light maps, dark maps, bump maps, environment maps, and music and sound effects, all of the major techniques needed to develop a competitive game engine are covered. Game Programming Gems is written in a style accessible to individuals with a range of expertise levels. All of the source code for each algorithm is included and can be used by advanced programmers immediately. For aspiring programmers, there is a detailed tutorial to work through before attempting the code, and suggestions for possible modifications and optimizations are included as well.

The companion CD-ROM contains all of the source code written in C and C++, and it is easily portable to both Windows and Linux. All graphics displays use Open GL. Also as a supplement to the reader, Game Programming Gems offers access to an associated Web site which contains up-to-the-minute information on additional game programming resources, research papers, and ongoing algorithm optimizations.

Key Features

-- A must-have for every game programmers library! -- Written by game programming experts and edited by Nintendo's Mark DeLoura -- Comprehensive coverage of all major techniques used in game devleopment -- CD-ROM is packed with the source code in C & C++, completely portable to Windows and Linux, and Open GL is used for the graphics display

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 600 pages
• Publisher: Charles River Media; Book & CD edition (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584500492
• ISBN-13: 978-1584500490
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #510,096 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This item is part of The Charles River Media Game Development Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A First-Of-Its-Kind Introduction to Game Programming, September 16, 2000

By	Paul D. Tozour (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This book is hands-down the best book yet published on game programming. I have yet to find any other book that begins to approach the excellence of Game Programming Gems in terms of the breadth and depth of the subjects covered.

GPG will serve as an excellent introduction to a broad variety of game programming techniques for those new to the industry, and an invaluable desk reference and for more experienced game developers. As a 7-year industry veteran, I can't count the number of times the techniques in this book would have proven useful in the past.

Of particular interest are Steve Rabin's excellent chapters on the A* algorithm, the cornerstone of (most) pathfinding in computer games. These chapters go far beyond the explanation of the algorithm itself and serve up a host of rare and valuable insights for getting the most out of your pathfinding in an actual game environment.

I have no doubt that this book will have a significant impact on the state of the art in the game development community, and one can only hope that this book is only a hint of what's to come.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An instant classic!, January 2, 2001

By	Jonathan D. Decarlo (Thomaston, Connecticut USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a must-have for all who are serious about game programming. The book is a collection of some choice articles concerning game programming. One warning, however, is that these articles were written by professionals to (for the most part) professionals. If you are just starting out in the game programming field, be warned that the purpose of this text is not to teach you how to program games, but rather techniques for producing effects, good AI, etc. A better book for the beginner would be Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus by Andre LaMothe.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uncovering a GEM....., August 23, 2000

By A Customer

Wow...this book covers so many areas. In AI alone, it covers A*, an FSM machine class, Game Trees, 3D movement and pathfinding, flocking, fuzzy logic, and a neural-net primer. It contains other great algorithms on real-time shadows, real-time terrain generation, interactive simulation of water surfaces, wavelets, and many other topics. Definitely a good book to own if interested in game programming or 3D graphics in general.