Polygonal modeling is the process of creating objects in a 3D environment. It is the foundation for the creation of all 3D graphics and the essential building block of a career in computer graphics. Polygonal Modeling: Basic and Advanced Techniques provides in-depth coverage of polygonal modeling, including practical lessons on topology construction, a focus on the fundamentals of subdivision workflow, and a discussion of the technical aspects of modeling organic and inorganic objects. The book includes illustrated quick start modeling guides to 3ds max and Maya. Explore and evaluate a variety of subdivision techniques. Learn about polygonal objects and their most common properties. Discover how to use the tools and operations found in major 3D packages for polygonal modeling. Follow along with the step-by-step illustrated exercises that demonstrate the process of character modeling.

Includes companion DVD with trial versions of LightWave v9.2! Essential LightWave v9 offers an unparalleled guide to LightWave 3D. Written to help users quickly take control of the software, this book is filled with easy-to-understand explanations, time-saving tips and tricks, and detailed tutorials on nearly every aspect of the software, including the new features in LightWave v9.2! Key features: learn to model, light, surface animate, and render within the first seven chapters!; master the LightWave v9 Node Editor for advanced surfacing, texturing, and deformations; learn to model with polygons, Catmull-Clark/Subpatch SubDs, and splines; uncover the secrets of distortion-free UV mapping and high-quality texturing; learn to seamlessly composite 3D objects with real-world images; create professional-quality character animation using FK, IK, and IK Booster; enhance your animations with expressions, particle effects, and dynamics; set up a render farm to rip through complex rendering tasks.

The Title Says It All: With Modeling, UV Mapping, And Texturing 3D Game Weapons You’Ll Learn How To Model, UV Map, And Texture First- And Third-Person Game Weapons In A Step-By-Step Progression From Simple To Complex. The Book Begins With A Lesson On Customizing Your Modeling Application For Ease Of Use, And Then Turns To Weapon Creation. Each Weapon — From A Samurai Sword To A Modern High-Velocity, Fully Automatic Machine Gun — Is First Modeled And Optimized, Then UV Mapped, And Finally Textured For Realism. While The Tutorials Were Written Using Maya, The Principles Described Will Work With Any Polygonal-Based Modeling Package. Companion CD Includes A Trial Version Of Adobe Photoshop CS2 For The Microsoft Windows Operating System, And More!

Administrator's Guide to Sybase ASE 15 is a practical systems administration guide for the newest release of the ASE product. Designed to provide all administrators with an authoritative guide, topics include installation, defining physical and Sybase-mirrored devices, transaction logging and modes, security, auditing, database backup and restoration, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more. After reading this book, you should be able to perform any task that encompasses the creation or maintenance of a server. With this book any administrator will understand the responsibilities of a system administrator; find out how to set limits on server resources using the Resource Governor; learn how to prioritize tasks with the Logical Process Manager; use data partitioning to enable finer control over data placement, maintenance, and management.

Essential ZBrush offers a detailed overview of the popular digital sculpting tool as well as a guide to mastering digital sculpting. From the basics of ZBrush to the creation of a number of models that demonstrate hard surface sculpting, realisitic organic sculpting, and environmental sculpting, this book provides readers with the tools to produce high-quality digital sculpts. With this text, the reader will explore the various ZBrush palettes, brushes, and settings, and learn how to customize the interface; discover how to create a base mesh using ZSpheres; find out how to use normal and displacement maps in both 3ds Max and Maya; understand the importance of properly posing your models; explore a variety of production-tested pipelines and workflows; learn how to create and apply materials to your models. Includes companion DVD with more than 3 hours of video tutorials showing how to model and texture the image shown on the front cover! It also contains full-color versions of the images in the book.

“Both burgeoning game designers and devoted gamers should consider [Game Design: Theory & Practice] an essential read.” — Computer Gaming World “Ultimately, in both theory and practice, Rouse’s Game Design bible gets the job done. Let us pray.” - Next Generation magazine In the second edition to the acclaimed Game Design: Theory & Practice, designer Richard Rouse III balances a discussion of the essential concepts behind game design with an explanation of how you can implement them in your current project. Detailed analysis of successful games is interwoven with concrete examples from Rouse’s own experience. This second edition thoroughly updates the popular original with new chapters and fully revised text.

SQL for Microsoft Access (2nd Edition) provides a guide to getting the most out of Microsoft Access through the use of Structured Query Language. Step-by-step examples demonstrate how to use SQL script to create tables, add records to tables, and retrieve and manage records. Readers will also learn about calculated fields, Access projects, and the integration of SQL script in VBA and ASP code. Explore the relational database structure and the basics of SQL. Understand how table joins, unions, and subqueries are used to retrieve records from multiple tables simultaneously. Learn how to filter records and group data. Discover how to create parameter queries that prompt users for data. Test your knowledge and comprehension with the end-of-chapter quizzes and projects.