Amazon.com
What many digital animators fail to realize is that someone needs to make the software that's used to bring images to life. Without the tools, the ideas can never be materialized. In Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques, the concepts and formulas used behind the scenes and under the hood of contemporary animation software are clearly explained for the programmer and the technical director.
Hardbound, liberally illustrated, and with an eight-page color gallery, there are six chapters and three appendices. The book starts with an overview of animation and works through some technical background information, and then delves into interpolation and basic techniques for representing 3-D motion and space on a 2-D display. Later chapters walk through advanced algorithms (kinematics, rigid body simulation, constraints) and then a discussion of ways to represent natural phenomena. There's also a focus on modeling and animating articulated figures. It's important to note that these chapters are not about which buttons to push in a given software package, but rather about the use and explanation of formulas for representing a specific simulation.
Perhaps the best feature of the book is the information and samples available on a companion Web site. Rather than include a CD-ROM, which raises the cost of the book and whose information can grow stale, the reader can find sample animations and ready-to-use code snippets, as well as links to other relevant Web sites.
There are any number of books available on computer animation software packages, but precious few on how they do what they do. Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques is an invaluable resource, a textbook for anyone interested in computer animation programming or for anyone who simply wants to get under the hood of their favorite animation application. --Mike Caputo
Book Description
Whether you're a programmer developing new animation functionality or an animator trying to get the most out of your current animation software,
Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques will help work more efficiently and achieve better results. For programmers, this book provides a solid theoretical orientation and extensive practical instruction-information you can put to work in any development or customization project. For animators, it provides crystal-clear guidance on determining which of your concepts can be realized using commercially available products, which demand custom programming, and what development strategies are likely to bring you the greatest success.
* Expert instruction from a pace-setting computer graphics researcher.
* Provides in-depth coverage of established and emerging animation algorithms.
* For readers who lack a strong scientific background, introduces the necessary concepts from mathematics and physics.
* Illustrates advanced programming techniques with highly detailed working examples.
* Via the companion Web site, provides lecture notes from the author's course for professors, example animations based on the programs covered in the book, Java applets, and links to relevant Web sites.
* Special contributions from Dave S. Ebert on Natural Phenomena in Chapter 5
* Special contributions from Scott King, Meg Geroch, Doug Roble, and Matt Lewis on Articulated Figures in Chapter 6.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful book.......2007-09-28
The book was absolutely excellent! I got this book as a recommended reference book for my course in digital games and animation, and was bowled over by the book. The concepts in the book are very well-defined, and it really helped me a lot in an animation I am putting together now.
Good book on the math and algorithms of computer animation.......2006-02-26
This book is not about how to accomplish animation using prepackaged software nor is it about art design for animation. Instead, it is aimed at computer science students who wish to write programs that perform animation and want to understand the algorithmic and mathematical issues behind that task.
Chapter one is a broad history of computer animation, and it would be misleading to think that this is a typical chapter in this book. Chapter 2 is a broad overview of computer graphics topics. It mentions quaternions, transformation matrices, the rendering pipeline, and I think it is meant to be a quick review more than an instructive chapter. If you are not already familiar with the material in chapter 2 this book will be over your head.
Chapters 3 through 6 are the meat of the book for those interested in computer animation algorithms. Chapter 3 presents low level details on interpolation and not only shows the math but also shows code fragments in C on how to accomplish some of the tasks mentioned. Chapter four presents more advanced algorithms such as camera control, kinematic modeling, rigid body simulation, flocking behavior, and collision detection. Again in this chapter mathematics of the algorithms is presented along side of C code to accomplish the tasks.
Chapter 5 changes topics from the discussion of object motion and the underlying physics to the topic of natural phenomena. The author does a good job of laying out clearly the basics of the mathematics behind these effects. However, he does seem to gloss over details more than he did in previous chapters. The same is true of Chapter 6 on the modeling and animation of articulated figures. The basics are all there, but there just wasn't enough detail to satisfy me.
As for the companion website, it is working at the time I am writing this review. However, the problem I have with books that have companion sites in place of an accompanying CD is that over time these websites are usually neglected and at worst, disconnected. However, an accompanying CD is always shipped with a new book.
Overall, this book is the best compromise I've found between accessible and comprehensive on this subject, and I would recommend it to anyone thinking about writing their own computer animation code.
Deft Introduction to Animation.......2004-09-29
I'll tip my hand--I'm also a student of the author.
That said, there are some objectively excellent qualities to this book. For starters, the book is undeniably thorough. It includes a brief history of the genre of computer animation (a welcome touch) and a chapter on background information usually covered in any introductory graphics course.
The math used in the book is considerable, and some students will probably find themselves overwhelmed with calculus and linear algebra. (If so, graphics may not be the field for you!) As a courtesy, Dr Parent included appendices with background mathematics and physics which will help fill in the gaps and calm some of the more distraught readers. Code is also provided inline as an assist to the student, which may clarify some of the math involved. (A trifling complaint is that the code is not object-oriented.)
Readers who do not have a math background needn't worry if they are not planning on implementing any of the algorithms described in the book. The math is provided as necessary for implementation purposes. Students who do plan on implementing the algorithms would do well to have taken a numerical methods course; some knowledge of linear algebra and calculus is necessary as well.
On the whole, this book is an excellent introduction to many animation techniques and algorithms. Many of them are complex and will require a lot of effort to understand and implement, so students should be prepared to spend a bit of time going through it. They'll be happy to find that the book is laid out well and very readable.
And references are provided at the end of every chapter--there's plenty of material for students who are looking for more detailed information about any of the topics.
Broad overview with excellent clarity and depth.......2004-03-30
This book serves as an excellent guide to the technical and aesthetic challenges within the large field of computer animation. The greatest strength is the author's ability to compress an extensive amount of information into core equations and knowledge. Each chapter imparts a mastery of basic concepts and an introduction to more advanced areas of study. Also of note are the extensive, quality references listed at the conclusion of each chapter. The author's experience in the field of computer graphics (dating back to the birth of the field in the late 1960's) shines through in the high quality and candid nature of his exposition. Although I'm a little biased because of being taught by the author, I have no hesitation in recommending this text to students and professionals who desire a broad and technical look at the field of computer animation.
I hate bad textbooks.......2004-02-20
I am using this textbook in a Computer Animation course I am taking. During the course of most of the assignments, I found myself asking "is equation X correct?" It turned out that I was making a subtle mistake, but having to wonder about whether or not there is a mistake in the book is the problem. For example, if the book had made some attempt to explain the equation or where it came from, I might have asked, "What did I do wrong, because it's obvious the equation is correct."
This book isn't all bad, though. It does contain lots of useful information. It is perhaps a decent reference book, but I didn't find it very useful for learning the concepts.
Customer Reviews:
NO CD came with my book order.......2006-04-13
This book looks very interesting, but the accompanying CD did not arrive with the book. I'm finding it difficult to find the way to let Amazon know the CD was missing.
If Amazon, or any customer can get back to me about this, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Amazon.com
With a brief but compelling history of the candle, Catherine Bardey introduces us to a once-essential source of light that has lost none of its charm through the ages. We may no longer depend on candles for everyday illumination, but we still rely on them to create atmosphere, evoke a mood, or enhance our decor. Excellent descriptions of the various materials and techniques (molding, dipping, pouring, rolling, decorating) and extensive recipes for many types of candles ensure that even the novice can create beautiful designs.
The book's second half is devoted to potpourri, which is given the same careful treatment. A short introduction to scent in history--touching concisely upon perfumes, incense, and aromatherapy--leads into explanations of several methods for creating potpourri (fixatives, drying, storing, displaying). This is followed by specific recipes for, among others, spring, summer, and autumn medleys; energy-boosting, relaxing, and romantic scents; and themed potpourris for Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. A final section charts botanicals to grow for potpourri making, explores essential oils and their useful properties, and offers additional candle-decorating ideas. Pretty photos enhance the presentation. --Amy Handy
Book Description
Create a relaxing oasis of serenity, comfort or romance in any room. Step-by-step directions explain the techniques of candle and potpourri making--from scented, hand-dipped tapers to decorative column candles to aromatic mood enhancing rose petals that readers can use to decorate and fragrance their homes.
Readers will find recipes for all occasions, seasons and places including spicy Christmas potpourris and elegant Hanukkah candles--all made from herbs, flowers and oils. A resource directory, safety hints and decorating advice help readers enjoy and explore the relaxing and soothing world of mood lighting and fragrances.
Customer Reviews:
Great for beginners.......2000-04-21
This book is quite clearly written with enough variety to keep you interested but not so much that it is overwhelming. Nice simple recipes and easy to find ingredients. I recommend it!
Book Description
Monte Carlo simulation has become an essential tool in the pricing of derivative securities and in risk management. These applications have, in turn, stimulated research into new Monte Carlo methods and renewed interest in some older techniques.
This book develops the use of Monte Carlo methods in finance and it also uses simulation as a vehicle for presenting models and ideas from financial engineering. It divides roughly into three parts. The first part develops the fundamentals of Monte Carlo methods, the foundations of derivatives pricing, and the implementation of several of the most important models used in financial engineering. The next part describes techniques for improving simulation accuracy and efficiency. The final third of the book addresses special topics: estimating price sensitivities, valuing American options, and measuring market risk and credit risk in financial portfolios.
The most important prerequisite is familiarity with the mathematical tools used to specify and analyze continuous-time models in finance, in particular the key ideas of stochastic calculus. Prior exposure to the basic principles of option pricing is useful but not essential.
The book is aimed at graduate students in financial engineering, researchers in Monte Carlo simulation, and practitioners implementing models in industry.
Mathematical Reviews, 2004: "... this book is very comprehensive, up-to-date and useful tool for those who are interested in implementing Monte Carlo methods in a financial context."
Customer Reviews:
Review for Monte Carlo Methods... by P. Glasserman.......2007-07-16
The book is just right for a reader who is looking for state-of-the-art techniques in Monte-Carlo methods in general. The fact that the book is specific to financial systems does not limit the usability of the book in the manner it is written. There are a lots of useful references one can get out of this book.
The book is for advanced readers in the sense that it requires rigorous mathematical ability to understand all the concepts. It is by no means for a novice reader and requires background in computational mathematics.
Best financial engineering book on MC.......2007-06-29
This is like the bible of Monte Carlo methods in financing. Both a good read and a good reference book. Must have! for any quant on wall street.
good book on Monte Carlo in Finance.......2007-04-02
But it seems the author is a little focused on selling his ideas, but not a very subjective overview of all topics in M-C method in finance.
Excelent choice on finance Monte Carlo.......2007-03-08
Clear and sound theoretical background on applied Monte Carlo for finance.
Brilliant.......2006-12-26
Almost everything related to Monte Carlo in Financial Engineering is covered at just the right level of detail. Quite easy to read too.
Book Description
Risk Analysis A Quantitative Guide Risk and uncertainty are key features of most business and government problems and need to be understood for rational decisions to be made. This book concerns itself with the quantification of risk, the modelling of identified risks and how to make decisions from those models. Following on from the success of the previous edition of this clearly written and highly regarded book, this edition is extensively revised and updated and will provide an invaluable practical guide for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. Quantitative risk analysis (QRA) using Monte Carlo simulation offers a powerful and precise method for dealing with the uncertainty and variability of a problem. By providing the building blocks the author guides the reader through the necessary steps to produce an accurate risk analysis model and offers general and specific techniques to cope with most modelling problems. A wide range of solved problems is used to illustrate these techniques and how they can be used together to solve otherwise complex problems. Reviews of the first edition "It identifies the various facets of risk analysis and provides a valuable reference to the concepts and techniques employed." Project, 1997 "It clearly explains many essential aspects of quantitative risk analysis . provides valuable techniques and sound professional advice." Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, Vol. 12, 1999 "The book offers a powerful method for dealing with risk and uncertainty." Zentralblatt für Mathematik, Band 908, 1999
Customer Reviews:
Risk Analysis.......2006-05-24
A very good book, but a bit too much mathematical detail in deriving formulas for probability distributions; could use better descriptions of when to use each probability distribution.
Best Book for Quantitative Risk Analysis.......2004-04-25
I believe that this book is the best of many Risk Analysis books. The book's structure, starting from fundamental topics and guiding to advanced topics, is excellent. So, I translated this book into Japanese! You will make the best use of the book with Excel add-in Monte Carlo simulation software like @Risk and Crystal ball that you can get its trial version from the vendor's site(free!). But, the value of this book is not decreased with its sophistitated notation even if you don't have such software. You can enjoy the logic of Quantitative Risk Analysis. Now, the author is preparing his original software. I hope it will be as valuable as this book.
1st edition more useful to a practitioner than the 2nd.......2003-10-18
Unlike in the first edition, the author seems to have tried his best to eliminate any reference to any simulation software in the second edition. Result: it now reads like any academic simulation text, only less. The first edition wasn't broke. Why fix it? Bring back the classic Vose!
Rigouros, clear and practical.......2003-04-20
This book gives a deep insight into the state of the art and recent developments of quantitative risk analysis using simulation methods. Describes topics such as second order risk analysis I never heard about before. I used the knowledge drawn from this book to write some technical papers (published on peer-reviewed journals and seminars proceedings). Specialized software, such as @-risk and crystal ball is not strictly needed to carry out the risk-analysis systems suggested by the author (but pretty advanced skills with excel or use of math softwares are required). The specific subject of the book is risk modelling by Monte Carlo Simulation and Bayesan analysis; it does not deal with fuzzy models or other uncertainty-propagation methods. I highly reccomend this book to anyone interested into the specific subject.
Risk Analysis: A Quantitative Guide.......2001-08-25
I purchased this book to learn to write simulation equations in excel but only found it was a manual ( type book ) with good information for a very expensive software I did not have....If you have RISK software, it is a great book to have... I returned my copy w/o scanning the entire book.
Book Description
This book puts numerical methods into action for the purpose of solving concrete problems arising in quantitative finance. Part one develops a comprehensive toolkit including Monte Carlo simulation, numerical schemes for partial differential equations, stochastic optimization in discrete time, copula functions, transform-based methods and quadrature techniques. The content originates from class notes written for courses on numerical methods for finance and exotic derivative pricing held by the authors at Bocconi University since the year 2000. Part two proposes eighteen self-contained cases covering model simulation, derivative valuation, dynamic hedging, portfolio selection, risk management, statistical estimation and model calibration. It encompasses a wide variety of problems arising in markets for equity, interest rates, credit risk, energy and exotic derivatives. Each case introduces a problem, develops a detailed solution and illustrates empirical results. Proposed algorithms are implemented using either Matlab
® or Visual Basic for Applications
® in collaboration with contributors.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Industrial Management, published by Institute of Industrial Engineers, Inc. (IIE) on September 1, 1993. The length of the article is 1266 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the supplier: The solution for a financial risk analysis usually call for a simulation study which has a more systematic method and more accurate solution sets. The financial risk simulation program uses the Monte Carlo technique and is written in Quattro Pro 3.0 spreadsheet system. The stochastic variables are either modeled under a uniform, normal or triangular distribution, and the necessary parameters are specified.
Citation Details
Title: Financial risk analysis using financial risk simulation program.
Author: Sabah U. Randhawa
Publication:
Industrial Management (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 1993
Publisher: Institute of Industrial Engineers, Inc. (IIE)
Volume: v35
Issue: n5
Page: p24(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Books:
- Desktop Cinema: Feature Filmmaking On a Home Computer (Aspiring Filmmaker's Library)
- Disney Poster, The: THE ANIMATED FILM CLASSICS, FROM MICKEY MOUSE TO ALADDIN
- Documentary: A History of the Non-Fiction Film
- Donald Cammell: A Life on the Wild Side
- Duke: Life and Times: The Life and Times of John Wayne
- Exploring the Matrix: Visions of the Cyber Present (Byron Preiss Book)
- Extra Work for Brain Surgeons: A Hollywood OS Directory 24th Edition
- Falling for Marilyn: The Lost Niagara Collection
- Fassbinder: Life and Work of a Provocative Genius
- Fdr's Moviemaker: Memoirs & Scripts
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Policy Studies for Educational Leaders: An Introduction, Second Edition
- It's Called a Breakup Because It's Broken: The Smart Girl's Break-Up Buddy
- And the Mirror Cracked: Feminist Cinema and Film Theory
- Colors of the Vanishing Tribes
- Essentials of Corporate Finance
- History: Fiction or Science
- Italy
- Bankruptcy and Insolvency Accounting, 2 Volume Set, 2004 Cumulative Supplement
- Cost-Benefit Analysis: Economic, Philosophical, and Legal Perspectives
- Cleopatra Dismounts: A Novel
Web Graphics
| Web Design
| Web Development
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
Realistic Image Synthesis Using Photon Mapping
Physics Based Animation (Graphics Series)
3D Game Engine Design, Second Edition: A Practical Approach to Real-Time Computer Graphics (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive 3D Technology)
Artificial Intelligence for Games (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive 3D Technology)
Geometric Tools for Computer Graphics (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics)
