- Paperback: 448 pages
- Publisher: Focal Press; Pap/Cdr edition (20 April 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0240806220
- ISBN-13: 978-0240806228
- Product Dimensions: 24.7 x 19.2 x 2.3 cm
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
1,349,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #54 in Books > Computers & Internet > Web Development > E-commerce > Web Design > Virtual Reality
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Coming at the process of making interactive worlds from a non-gaming viewpoint proves to be a refreshing break...Provided is a version of the Virtools pre-visualisation package, which is used to set up the interaction between objects, cameras and players. And this is where Gauthier comes into his own with paticularly thought-provoking chapters on issues such as camera set-up and pathfinding." - Edge magazine
Product Description
In "Building Interactive Worlds in 3D" readers will find turnkey tutorials that detail all the steps required to build simulations and interactions, utilize virtual cameras, virtual actors (with self-determined behaviors), and real-time physics including gravity, collision, and topography. With the free software demos included, 3D artists and developers can learn to build a fully functioning prototype. The book is dynamic enough to give both those with a programming background as well as those who are just getting their feet wet challenging and engaging tutorials in virtual set design, using Virtools. Other software discussed is: Lightwave, and Maya. The book is constructed so that, depending on your project and design needs, you can read the text or interviews independently and/or use the book as reference for individual tutorials on a project-by-project basis. Each tutorial is followed by a short interview with a 3D graphics professional in order to provide insight and additional advice on particular interactive 3D techniques - from user, designer, artist, and producer perspectives. This work helps to create interactive, 3D sets - virtual buildings, terrains, as well as other virtual prototypes for games, film/video pre-visualization, and virtual reality design for the Web from sketch to fully-working prototype. It features interviews with experts in the field that provide additional insight into each tutorial. It includes dozens of tutorials on CD-ROM, and dozens more on author's website.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
People living at the end of the nineteenth century saw the first movies. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
People living at the end of the nineteenth century saw the first movies. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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4 reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Not what I needed.
21 Oct 2005
Format:Paperback
It's nearly impossible to find Virtools books out there. So I was pleased to find this title. However, it has not been particularly useful.
There are plenty of demo files on the disc but very little discussion of what is going on. What I was hoping for was detail on how building blocks were selected, why they are connected the way they are, how they interact, etc. Instead the demo files are completed with little comment in the book. The instructions that are there are more of the "Drag this there. Then drag this there. Now press play." I find little insight in this method which is why I'd hoped for something more.
Many of the files on the CD are missing or not named the same as in the book. Some files that are to be downloaded from the Web were unavailable.
Also, there is quite a bit of content dedicated to creating your assets with Maya. That may be of interest to some, but I'm just in need of learning Virtools. Hence that material is of no assistance.
It is a dissapointment, but remains the only book available.
There are plenty of demo files on the disc but very little discussion of what is going on. What I was hoping for was detail on how building blocks were selected, why they are connected the way they are, how they interact, etc. Instead the demo files are completed with little comment in the book. The instructions that are there are more of the "Drag this there. Then drag this there. Now press play." I find little insight in this method which is why I'd hoped for something more.
Many of the files on the CD are missing or not named the same as in the book. Some files that are to be downloaded from the Web were unavailable.
Also, there is quite a bit of content dedicated to creating your assets with Maya. That may be of interest to some, but I'm just in need of learning Virtools. Hence that material is of no assistance.
It is a dissapointment, but remains the only book available.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Disappointed and frustrated
1 April 2006
Format:Paperback
I am a 3D savvy person and I have been using 3D applications such as 3D Studio Max & Maya for several years but I have TROUBLE following the tutorials in this book - WHY? The reason is simple: there are errors, errors, and errors everywhere in this book. Since it's almost impossible to find a Virtools book, this would be the only choice for people who want to get a book about Virtools. However I found this book is very disappointing.
There is no logical explanation of how building blocks work (building blocks are what the pre-written scripts in Virtools are called) but merely poor direction of how to click and drag building blocks and press play. Most of the information about Virtools in this book you will be able to find in the Help menu from the software itself. There are very few (if there is any) new ideas and they are confusing and I get lost even by following the "step by step" instruction. I was doubting myself not following the tutorials correctly so I passed the book to one of my friends who is a 3D guru - and he has trouble to get things work following the tutorials in this book as well. Again: errors!!!
I'm very disappointed and frustrated.
There is no logical explanation of how building blocks work (building blocks are what the pre-written scripts in Virtools are called) but merely poor direction of how to click and drag building blocks and press play. Most of the information about Virtools in this book you will be able to find in the Help menu from the software itself. There are very few (if there is any) new ideas and they are confusing and I get lost even by following the "step by step" instruction. I was doubting myself not following the tutorials correctly so I passed the book to one of my friends who is a 3D guru - and he has trouble to get things work following the tutorials in this book as well. Again: errors!!!
I'm very disappointed and frustrated.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Review of 23 June 2007
23 Jun 2007
Format:Paperback
The book is very well structured, it teaches how to implement Maya and Virtools, taking you through the creation of a character or a tree in Maya and configuring it later in Virtools. Also explains a number of behaviors and cameras, theory and practice. Im still hoping to test a few of the examples, such as the Nighthawk section, but so far it seems fairly good.
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