3D Graphics Programming in Windows

by Phillip H. Taylor

This exciting book/disk package completely outfits the serious programmer for 3D graphics work in Windows. It explains 3D graphics programming fundamentals from a Windows perspective. Readers will... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0201608820
• ISBN13: 9780201608823
• Release Date: October 1994
• Publisher: Addison Wesley Longman
• Length: 877 Pages
• Weight: 2.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 7.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Not for the hard of...thinking...

Having read the previous reviews of this book I feel that they are a little unfair to say the least. I bought this book with the understanding that the book (and code) are over 5 years old, and anyone with any knowledge of computers will know that operating systems have evolved a great deal, but the underlying worth will remain for the forseeable future.Having read texts on OpenGL and done quite a bit of coding with OpenGL I wanted to learn about writing my own 3D library to gain a deeper understanding of what is going on. "Getting under the hood" as some people like to say!The combination of the text and the source code has allowed me to gain a good understanding and I am now starting to apply the lessons learned from it to my own programs.Buying this book will depend on what you are looking to learn. If you just want to write little 3D demos go out and buy The Red Book or the OpenGL Superbible. If you want all aspects of computer graphics get Computer Graphics: Principals and Practice by Foley and Van Dam (which is over 10 years old!! oh no!). This book covers some aspects that these other texts touch on, but is more a guide on how to apply techniques to real applications using some simple (and not so simple) tricks.I have not finished reading the book yet, but have learned a lot about applying 3D graphics, rather than the theory behind it (which I already had a firm grounding of). The theory covered is backed up with sample implementations in the source code which make understanding much easier.This book is not for the hard of thinking! Converting code from 16-bit to 32-bit and compiling it properly is not too difficult, and would provide an interesting and educational challenge to anyone who has an interest in it.There is no attempt made to demonstrate building a highly complex 3D library anything like OpenGL, but what is provided is an easily extended library that has some nice features.I would like to thank the Author, Philip Taylor, for his help with source code, and his very prompt response to the questions I have asked him (which I'm sure seem trivial, but they have genuinely helped me out). Thank you. If you are considering buying this book, first ask yourself what you are wanting to learn, then decide.