This book is a comprehensive treatment of current 3D games technology. It concentrates on:

- real-time rendering, or the necessary enhancements of 3D graphics to enable rendering at interactive rates
- topics from other areas such as AI, physics and collision detection, that are used in games
- the software technology of games - engine architecture and multi-player technology.

The text is written around the engine Fly3D (included with a full SDK on the CD) that implements most of the described techniques. Readers can try out their own ideas by writing source code and experiment with existing demonstrations by writing plug-ins and altering existing ones. You can even develop your own game.

Features of the game engine include:
- BSP/PVS render management
- Light Maps for static geometry (pre-computed lighting with soft shadows)
- Normal maps (dot product texture blending) for dynamic objects
- Diffuse and specular vertex lighting for dynamic objects
- Volumetric fog with fog maps
- Detail Textures
- Multi-texture support
- Collision detection
- Dynamic coloured lights with distance attenuation
- Dynamic shadows - lightmap or stencil shadow volumes
- Physically based simulations
- Animated meshes (vertex morph)
- Tri-strips and fans
- Subdivision Surfaces
- Dynamic LODs using bi-quadric Bezier meshes
- Cartoon like rendering with dynamic cartoon lighting
- Multiplayer support (TCP/IP) with client/server architecture (using DirectPlay)
- 3D sound support (using DirectSound)
- Mouse and Keyboard input (using DirectInput)
- Intel(R) Pentium III(R) vector and matrix maths optimisation
- Complete plug-in directed
- 3D Max plug-ins for export/import fly bsp levels and creating landscapes and animated meshes
- Editor with real-time preview of game (set up game and object parameters while playing)

Sections of the book have been designed to be self-contained. The areas covered are:
- Modelling and Foundation Maths
- Classical 3D Graphics
- Real-time rendering
- Control of Objects - dynamics - AI
- 2D Technology
- Software technology

CD includes:
- Full Fly3D SDK including source code for Fly3D.dll, front-ends, plug-ins and utilities
- 5 demo levels: car, walk (2 levels), ship (2 levels)
- Engine Reference Manual and tutorials in HTML
- Book images

This book is a comprehensive treatment of current 3D games technology. It concentrates on:
* real-time rendering, or the necessary enhancements of 3D graphics to enable rendering at interactive rates;
* topics from other areas such as AI, physics and collision detection, that are used in games;
* the software technology of games - engine architecture and multi-player technology.

The text is written around the engine Fly3D (included with a full SDK on the CD) that implements most of the described techniques. Readers can try out their own ideas by writing source code and experiment with existing demonstrations by writing plug-ins and altering existing ones. You can even develop your own game.

Features of the game engine include: * BSP/PVS render management
* Light Maps for static geometry (pre-computed lighting with soft shadows)
* Normal maps (dot product texture blending) for dynamic objects
* Diffuse and specular vertex lighting for dynamic objects
* Volumetric fog with fog maps
* Detail Textures
* Multi-texture support
* Collision detection
* Dynamic coloured lights with distance attenuation
* Dynamic shadows - lightmap or stencil shadow volumes
* Physically based simulations
* Animated meshes (vertex morph)
* Tri-strips and fans
* Subdivision Surfaces
* Dynamic LODs using bi-quadric Bezier meshes
* Cartoon like rendering with dynamic cartoon lighting
* Multiplayer support (TCP/IP) with client/server architecture (using DirectPlay)
* 3D sound support (using DirectSound)
* Mouse and Keyboard input (using DirectInput)
* Intel(R) Pentium III(R) vector and matrix maths optimisation
* Complete plug-in directed
* 3D Max plug-ins for export/import fly bsp levels and creating landscapes and animated meshes
* Editor with real-time preview of game (set up game and object parameters while playing)

Sections of the book have been designed to be self-contained. The areas covered are: * Modelling and Foundation Maths
* Classical 3D Graphics
* Real-time rendering
* Control of Objects - dynamics - AI
* 2D Technology
* Software technology

CD includes: * Full Fly3D SDK including source code for Fly3D.dll, front-ends, plug-ins and utilities
* 5 demo levels: car, walk (2 levels), ship (2 levels)
* Engine Reference Manual and tutorials in HTML
* Book images

This is the first academic games programming book/CD package that is expressly written for new degree courses in 3D-games programming. Authors introduce the theory behind the design of computer games and detail advanced techniques used in the industry. Students will be able to develop their own games within the game ’skeletons’ accompanying the book, and will learn how to program complex games. This book could also be used for a more standard undergraduate 3D graphics programming course, with the games context being highly motivational. This book is a comprehensive treatment of current 3D games technology, including: * Theoretical foundations * Classical 3D graphics * Real-time rendering technology * Dynamics * Collision detection * Artificial Intelligence * Image-based rendering * Multi-player technology * Software technology * Engine architecture The text is written around an actual engine that implements most of the described techniques and accompanies the book on a CD-ROM. Readers can try out their own ideas by writing source code and can experiment with existing demonstrations by writing or altering plug-ins.

The supplied engine features are: * BSP/PVS render management * Light maps for static geometry * Diffuse and specular (hardware) vertex lighting for dynamic objects * Volumetric fog with fog maps * Detail textures * Multi-texture support * Collision detection * Dynamic lights * Dynamic Shadows * Physically based animations * Animated meshed * Tri-strips and fans * Subdivision surfaces * 3D sound support * Complete plug-in directed

Alan Watt, based at the University of Sheffield, is the author of many successful books including 3D Computer Graphics, Advanced Animation and Rendering Techniques and the Computer Image.

Fabio Policarpo is a software developer and founder of the company Paralelo Computacao based in Rio de Janeiro. He coauthored The Computer Image and is currently working on independent 3D action multiplayer games.

The book can be read forwards or backwards. For example, if you wish to build up detailed implementation experience, you could start with Chapter 21 (Engine Architecture) familiarise yourself with the engine and development environment, and start writing new plug-ins using the theoretical chapters for reference when required. Alternatively you could take a more conventional approach studying the theoretical aspects first before moving onto to implementation.

Chapters are grouped into sections that are more or less self contained. These are:

Modelling and Foundation Maths

This section deals with the basic mathematics required to handle objects in three-dimensional space and the theory of object representation.

Classical 3D Graphics

Although much of the material in this chapter has migrated onto hardware, it is still necessary to have an appreciation of what the hardware does to be able to use it effectively.

Real-time rendering

This section deals with the technology developed by the games industry and the virtual reality industry which enable complex scenes to be rendered, to a reasonably high quality, in real time on a low cost graphics processor

Control of Objects

Mainstream techniques used to control the movement of objects are descried in this section. This ranges from simple low level control through to behavioural animation using AI technology. The material on AI is in the form of a debate concerning the potential use of the technology in the future.

2D Technology

A potentially important solution to the complexity problem in 3D graphics, both in terms of the creation cost and the rendering cost is the use of image based rendering techniques.

Software technology

This section deals with the techniques needed to write a multiplayer game using the currently popular 1st person shooter genre as an example. We examine the software architecture of a games engine and look at the design of the engine. Finally a comprehensive reference manual for the engine is given.

The book is not intended to be a ’how to program’ in C++ and OpenGL text and we assume a reasonable knowledge of C or C++. Detailed examples of various algorithms implemented in C++ are sprinkled throughout the text. These are extracted from the engine and are reproduced in the text for convenience. A quick read will give some feel for the structure of the algorithm. In most cases to fully comprehend the code requires them to be studied in conjunction with Chapter 21 and the Reference Manual.

The graphics API/library used is OpenGL. Pentium 3 code is given alongside the C++ equivalent for efficient matrix operation in Chapter 1 and DirectyPlay utilities are used in Chapter 20. Clearly these facilities need separate study and the purpose of the examples is to give a ’flavour’ of their use in the applications.

With this book, authors Watt and Policarpo introduce the theory behind the design of computer games and detail advanced techniques used in the industry, such as: physically based animation; advanced scene management; pre-calculation techniques/image-based rendering; advanced motion capture; and artificial intelligence. Readers will be able to develop their own games within the games "skeletons" accompanying the book, and will learn how to program complex games. The book is divided into six parts: Foundations (which covers the foundations of 3D computer graphics), Classical 3D Graphics, Real-Time Rendering, Control of Objects, 2D Technology, and Software Technology. An appendix on Fly3D SDK Tutorials is also included, and the accompanying CD contains the Fly3D SDK games engine. This books is appropriate for programmers who want to be able to develop their own computer games.

B> With this book, authors Watt and Policarpo introduce the theory behind the design of computer games and detail advanced techniques used in the industry, such as: physically based animation; advanced scene management; pre-calculation techniques/image-based rendering; advanced motion capture; and artificial intelligence. Readers will be able to develop their own games within the games "skeletons" accompanying the book, and will learn how to program complex games. The book is divided into six parts: Foundations (which covers the foundations of 3D computer graphics), Classical 3D Graphics, Real-Time Rendering, Control of Objects, 2D Technology, and Software Technology. An appendix on Fly3D SDK Tutorials is also included, and the accompanying CD contains the Fly3D SDK games engine. This books is appropriate for programmers who want to be able to develop their own computer games.

B> With this book, authors Watt and Policarpo introduce the theory behind the design of computer games and detail advanced techniques used in the industry, such as: physically based animation; advanced scene management; pre-calculation techniques/image-based rendering; advanced motion capture; and artificial intelligence. Readers will be able to develop their own games within the games "skeletons" accompanying the book, and will learn how to program complex games. The book is divided into six parts: Foundations (which covers the foundations of 3D computer graphics), Classical 3D Graphics, Real-Time Rendering, Control of Objects, 2D Technology, and Software Technology. An appendix on Fly3D SDK Tutorials is also included, and the accompanying CD contains the Fly3D SDK games engine. This books is appropriate for programmers who want to be able to develop their own computer games.

umfangreiches anspruchsvolles Standardwerk

In dem vorliegenden Buch werden mathematische Grundlagen, physikalische Modellierung und Aufbau der dazugehörenden Klassen für 3D-Modellierung für Spiele beschrieben. Man findet

- lineare Algebra für die Bewegung im Raum, Rendering, Licht- und Schattenberechnung
- Approximations- und Interpolations-Theorie für Kurven, Flächen, Polygone und Animation
- Abtastung und Fouriertransformation
- Mapping-Theorie
- Techniken zur Bestimmung der sichtbaren Objekte
- Techniken für Lichter
- Techniken für Schatten

Diese Dinge haben zunächst nicht speziell etwas mit Spielen zu tun. Das sind allgemeine Grundlagen der 3D-Modellierung und des Rendering.

Das meiste davon inklusive Abbildungen findet man in Alan Watt: 3D-Computergrafik, 3. Aufl., Addison Wesley, 2002, wieder. Die englische Erstauflage von 3D Computer Games ist von 1989. Vielleicht hätte man gleich zu den Spiele-spezifischen Technologien kommen können. Es wäre schön gewesen, wenigstens die Abbildungen zu aktualisieren.

Der innovative Teil des Buches besteht aus Beschreibung, Modellierung und Quellcode für
- Kollisionskontrolle
- Keyframe-Animation
- Morphing
- Objekt-Objekt-Interaktion
- Kamera-Objekt-Interaktion
- User-Objekt-Interaktion
- User-Szene-Interaktion

Ein umfangreiches Referenz-Handbuch für die Fly3d-Engine rundet das Buch ab.
C++ - Kenntnissse werden vorausgesetzt, ebenso Kenntnisse der genannten mathematischen Gebiete.

Das Buch ist gut strukturiert und durchaus verständlich geschrieben.

umfangreiches anspruchsvolles Standardwerk

In dem vorliegenden Buch werden mathematische Grundlagen, physikalische Modellierung und Aufbau der dazugehörenden Klassen für 3D-Modellierung für Spiele beschrieben. Man findet

- lineare Algebra für die Bewegung im Raum, Rendering, Licht- und Schattenberechnung
- Approximations- und Interpolations-Theorie für Kurven, Flächen, Polygone und Animation
- Abtastung und Fouriertransformation
- Mapping-Theorie
- Techniken zur Bestimmung der sichtbaren Objekte
- Techniken für Lichter
- Techniken für Schatten

Diese Dinge haben zunächst nicht speziell etwas mit Spielen zu tun. Das sind allgemeine Grundlagen der 3D-Modellierung und des Rendering.

Das meiste davon inklusive Abbildungen findet man in Alan Watt: 3D-Computergrafik, 3. Aufl., Addison Wesley, 2002, wieder. Die englische Erstauflage von 3D Computer Games ist von 1989. Vielleicht hätte man gleich zu den Spiele-spezifischen Technologien kommen können. Es wäre schön gewesen, wenigstens die Abbildungen zu aktualisieren.

Der innovative Teil des Buches besteht aus Beschreibung, Modellierung und Quellcode für
- Kollisionskontrolle
- Keyframe-Animation
- Morphing
- Objekt-Objekt-Interaktion
- Kamera-Objekt-Interaktion
- User-Objekt-Interaktion
- User-Szene-Interaktion

Ein umfangreiches Referenz-Handbuch für die Fly3d-Engine rundet das Buch ab.
C++ - Kenntnissse werden vorausgesetzt, ebenso Kenntnisse der genannten mathematischen Gebiete.

Das Buch ist gut strukturiert und durchaus verständlich geschrieben.

sehr gutes Buch rund um OpenGL

das Buch ist das beste, was ich bis jetzt gelesen habe. Es werden nicht nur Code-Snippets aus der Engine zum besseren Verständnis verwendet, sondern auch die Mathematischen Funktionen und Grundkenntnisse vermittelt.

Das Buch ist vollkommen ungeeignet, für den, der meint er bekomme ein Buch mit dem er OpenGL lernen kann, oder ganze Programme erklärt bekommt.
Für Fortgeschrittene Programmierer ist das Buch absolut zu empfehlen, auch wenn man nicht in OpenGL programmiert!

Allerdings sollte man sehr gute Mathematik-Kentnisse besitzen um den Beispielen, bzw. Abbildungen zu folgen.

Typisch Watt

Ja, es ist schon ein tolles Buch. Fast alles wurde in dem Werk angesprochen, was heute die interaktive Computergrafik ausmacht. Allerdings, an manchen Stellen nicht so detailliert, wie man sich das so wünscht.

Beste 3D Open Source Engine, die ich kenne

Die Fly3D Engine dieses Buches ist die beste Open Source 3D Engine, die ich kenne. Die Graphik und Geschwindigkeit ist meiner Kenntniss nach unübertroffen. Einziges Manko: Die Dokumentation und Tutorials sind etwas dürftig und man braucht etwas Zeit, um beim Herumexperimentieren damit zurecht zu kommen. Das Buch ist recht theoretisch orientiert und gibt für die Praxis wenig her. Ausserdem gibt es keinen Leveleditor, sondern man muss 3D Studio Max dazu haben, was nicht ganz billig ist und einen Rechener mit wenigstens 0,5 bis 1 GB RAM braucht.
Lichtblick: Der auf der Fly3D-Website verfügbare Download der neuen beta Version hat einige Verbesserungen, was die Doku angeht.
Meine Schlußfolgerung: Hiermit einsteigen und nach dem Erscheinen der nächsten Auflage sofort zugreifen. Die Ausgabe lohnt sich.

Für den Praxis-Einstieg leider total ungeeignet!

Eigentlich habe ich mir von diesem Buch etwas anderes versprochen. Denn das Buch ist für jemanden der praktische Hilfe für eine 3D-Engine-Entwicklung sucht total ungeeignet! Wer kein OpenGL kann oder keine entsprechende Literatur hat kann mit dem Buch absolut nichts anfangen. Denn Source-Codes als praktische Beispiele sucht man fast vergeblich. In dem Buch werden zwar alle theoretischen Konzepte, Techniken und mathematischen Formeln erklärt, die man dann jedoch nur als ERFAHRENER OpenGL-Programmierer umsetzen kann. Denn wie man das ganze in die Praxis umsetzt wird nicht beschrieben. Letztendlich kann man sagen, dass das Buch nur als Formelsammlung für die 3D-Technik geeignet ist und nur für erfahrene 3D-Coder zum nachschlagen geeignet ist.

Geballte Ladung an Wissen

Realtime Rendering and Software Technology beschäftigt sich mit so ziemlich allen 3D Themen, die man sich vorstellen kann, wobei nicht nur oberflächlich auf die einzelnen Gebiete eingegangen wird, sondern auch alles anhand der zugrundeliegenden Mathematik und Algorithmen ausgeführt wird. So wird z.B. auch ausführlich an Pseudo-Code erklärt wie der ZBuffer funktioniert, und was es für Variationen und Verbesserungen gibt, und nicht nur nebenbei erwähnt was er macht (und diese Art von Stil findet man im gesamten Buch wieder).

Toll auch, daß die Vektor- und Matrizenoperationen gleich als PIII-Inline Assembler Implementierung im 1. Kapitel vorgestellt werden.

Die behandelten Themen sind eigentlich viel zu komplex um jeweils darüber eine Rezension zu schreiben, generell würde ich aber dieses Buch jedem empfehlen, der eine komplette und anspruchsvolle Sammlung an Algorithmen und Ideen für 3d Graphik haben möchte, sofern ein gewissen Grundwissen an Mathematik und DirectX oder OpenGL vorhanden ist.

Nicht zu empfehlen ist das Buch allerdings für Leute, die schnell einen einfachen Einstieg in 3d Graphik wollen.

This ones nothing to brag about...

... I agree with some of the previous negative reviews. I find the flow of the text unpleasant and the book lacked an introduction - where’s the pedagogy? It seems as if someone with competence in the field but without alot of forethought just sat down and wrote it, and Addison Wesley didn’t bother to have an editor help out in any way. Anyway, this book is in line with the rest of Addison-Wesley’s books. Half of the courses that I take require textbooks from Addison Wesley. The courses are always difficult thanks to these second rate books. I recommend Wiley above all publishers but stay away from Addison Wesley if you can. They just dont seem to give a smack about the quality.

This ones nothing to brag about...

... I agree with some of the previous negative reviews. I find the flow of the text unpleasant and the book lacked an introduction - where’s the pedagogy? It seems as if someone with competence in the field but without alot of forethought just sat down and wrote it, and Addison Wesley didn’t bother to have an editor help out in any way. Anyway, this book is in line with the rest of Addison-Wesley’s books. Half of the courses that I take require textbooks from Addison Wesley. The courses are always difficult thanks to these second rate books. I recommend Wiley above all publishers but stay away from Addison Wesley if you can. They just dont seem to give a smack about the quality.

excellent book

I almost did not buy this book because of some of the earlier reviews, but since it was the only book I could find that provided a comprehensive theoretical, as well as practical, introdution to 3D games I went ahead and bought it anyway. I found that the book is, indeed, an excellent introduction to computer games. I would like to clear up issues addressed by earlier reviews.

First, this book does contain a lot of theory as well as practical information. It does assume a basic knowledge of calculus, linear algebra, and discrete mathematics--math that any graphics programmer (or any programmer for that matter) should have at least a basic understanding of. It also assumes a basic knowledge of computer graphics. Thus, if you are looking for a cut and paste guide to creating computer games and are not looking to actually understand how interactive 3D applications work, you should not buy this book. If you intend to learn the fundamentals necessary to become a professional game programmer, or serious hobbyist, you definitely should.

Second, although there are a few typos, I am sure that the "spelling errors" that have been cited are actually due to the fact that the book is written in European, not American, english. This means that, while probably 99% of the words are the same, subtle differences in spellings exist (such as colour instead of color and visualisation instead of visualization). This does not, however, detract from the readability of the book.

This an excellent book and, despite some of the negative reviews, it lived up to all of my expectations as a sound theoretical, as well as practical, introduction to 3D game programming.

excellent book

I almost did not buy this book because of some of the earlier reviews, but since it was the only book I could find that provided a comprehensive theoretical, as well as practical, introdution to 3D games I went ahead and bought it anyway. I found that the book is, indeed, an excellent introduction to computer games. I would like to clear up issues addressed by earlier reviews.

First, this book does contain a lot of theory as well as practical information. It does assume a basic knowledge of calculus, linear algebra, and discrete mathematics--math that any graphics programmer (or any programmer for that matter) should have at least a basic understanding of. It also assumes a basic knowledge of computer graphics. Thus, if you are looking for a cut and paste guide to creating computer games and are not looking to actually understand how interactive 3D applications work, you should not buy this book. If you intend to learn the fundamentals necessary to become a professional game programmer, or serious hobbyist, you definitely should.

Second, although there are a few typos, I am sure that the "spelling errors" that have been cited are actually due to the fact that the book is written in European, not American, english. This means that, while probably 99% of the words are the same, subtle differences in spellings exist (such as colour instead of color and visualisation instead of visualization). This does not, however, detract from the readability of the book.

This an excellent book and, despite some of the negative reviews, it lived up to all of my expectations as a sound theoretical, as well as practical, introduction to 3D game programming.

This is an excelent book

I’ve been reading game development books for more than 10 years and this is certain one of the best books i’ve ever read. Policarpo and Watt have created a very good 3D engine that comes in a CD with the book and they explain everything about programming 3D games with this engine and general game programming. It’s really Worth Buying!

This is an excelent book

I’ve been reading game development books for more than 10 years and this is certain one of the best books i’ve ever read. Policarpo and Watt have created a very good 3D engine that comes in a CD with the book and they explain everything about programming 3D games with this engine and general game programming. It’s really Worth Buying!

Nice Source Bad book

The source for this book is for an entry level 3D engine, which is just what I wanted. But a lot of the theory (coll det etc) in the source is not explained in the book. Rather than explaining fundamental aspects they seem to throw in loads of detail about the topics that they dont seem to have covered and taken for lots of articles that you can find on the web (gamasutra for one).

Saying that the source is nice and taught me a lot, bsp trees + a bit about collisions. Im glad I have the source but the book seems thrown together and shabby. I just think they could have done a better job making it readable starting 3D engine book rather than a shabby reference book.

Nice Source Bad book

The source for this book is for an entry level 3D engine, which is just what I wanted. But a lot of the theory (coll det etc) in the source is not explained in the book. Rather than explaining fundamental aspects they seem to throw in loads of detail about the topics that they dont seem to have covered and taken for lots of articles that you can find on the web (gamasutra for one).

Saying that the source is nice and taught me a lot, bsp trees + a bit about collisions. Im glad I have the source but the book seems thrown together and shabby. I just think they could have done a better job making it readable starting 3D engine book rather than a shabby reference book.

...to those who write reviews and those who read them

I’ve read reviews on this book by others. If you can’t find a better book, why say that it’s not worth buying? Instead of bringing up complaints, why not recommend books you think are more useful? Discouraging buying the book, you believe we should wait for improvements?

...to those who write reviews and those who read them

I’ve read reviews on this book by others. If you can’t find a better book, why say that it’s not worth buying? Instead of bringing up complaints, why not recommend books you think are more useful? Discouraging buying the book, you believe we should wait for improvements?