Book Description
Learn the basics of what makes a great character model and gain new insights to the many issues facing the character animator. Using the tried and proven methods found in Animating Real-Time Game Characters, you'll quickly bring your character animation to the next level. Find detailed coverage on modeling, rigging, and weighting real-time game characters using 3ds max and character studio. Explore effective keyframing techniques that focus on dramatic poses and proper timing. Discover how to work with and adjust motion capture data as well as what to look for when working with mocap studios. Get an inside glimpse at the process of taking a real-time game character from concept to export into a game technology. With the popularity of games like Quake III: Arena, Unreal Tournament, and Warcraft III, real-time gaming is here to stay. Whether you're a working professional or an eager novice, Animating Real-Time Game Characters will absolutely help you improve your character animation skills using 3ds max and character studio.
Customer Reviews:
Don't be misled.......2006-08-04
I found this boith annoying and aggrivating, where that, although it does come with a CD to help, it actually does not contain the neccessary software to creat it such as 3Ds Max and Character Studio. So just make sure you have them before you buy it.
Libro un pò vecchiotto ma utile.......2006-01-04
Il testo presenta animazioni elementari per principianti con metodo di rigging non proprio attuale ma appropriato alle mesh in oggetto. Si poteva dare un pò di più sotto il profilo dello sviluppo creativo personale con eventuali esercitazioni....3 ds max usato è la versione 4, davvero superata. Utile per cominciare...
animation weapon.......2004-04-24
This is the 2nd character studio book I have read. The other is the Discreet CS courseware manual. I think everyone should read them both if you want full knowledge of Character Studio. Paul's book does not cover many techniques that are implemented in the Discreet manual, but his book does indeed cover what the title implies. Game animation sets, and rigid vertex assignment. Two topics that are lacking from the Discreet manual. Paul's book successfully de-mystifies the process of manual vertex assignment via the Physique modifier. The first half of the book will give you great techniques for rigging a Biped to a mesh. His techniques are easily applied to a potential game sprite, or a straight render. The real power of this book comes from the subsequent animation chapters. The attention to detail that he drills into your head is perhaps the most valuable skill an animator can have. An outstanding chapter on pose-to-pose keyframing techniques is invaluable. It shows how easily and stylish animating in CS can and should be. There is also very valuable motion capture editing instructions that show you how to exploit mocap in combo with keys to realize the creative potential one has. There is also alot of Dope Sheet work that helps one become very comfortable with one of the more intimidating aspects of 3DS Max. If you can, read the discreet CS manual first, and then study this book to polish it all up.
Try real hard to be like Paul.......2003-08-19
Game programming is a very, very fun and interesting job that anyone could imagine, especially for boys... Sadly, most of the people just know how to play games, beg their parents to buy them X-Box, PS2, Intendo when they are kids... but very few of them (if not none!) will dedicate their hard work and persistensy from playing games to WRITING games.
If you are one of the very few people who can bear with the tough and unbelievable demanding nature of the game programming industry, Paul Steed will be your no.1 instructor. I have read both Paul's books, this one and the other one, "Modeling a Character in 3ds Max 4". To be frank, even with such a fascinating 3d tool like 3ds Max 4, or Maya or Lightwave, it's still very hard for anyone to really develope a professional-like 3ds character, like the one Paul Steed shows you in both books - one is Betty Bad, the other is Callistro. There are a lot of screenshots in this book, "Animating a Real Time Game Character", and Paul put his instructions and professional tips right next to every screenshot, that makes it really easy to follow how to use 3ds Max 4 or Max 5.
The other excellent thing of this book is that, remember, Paul is really one of the best (to be frank, I would call Paul the no.1 in modeling 3ds character) modellator in the game developing industry... just download the Quake2Arena demo game from id software and play it on your own PC, you know what I mean. Paul is just like telling and teaching his readers how to model/create and animate an unbelievable 3ds character in a fascinating game, like Quake... But after reading and practicing the whole book.... I learned how to create and animate a very professional-like 3ds game character, just like one of those in your amazing game "Quake2 Arena".... Paul... you are doing too good to your readers and too bad to yourself.
Frankly, the "Betty Bad" game demo comes with the book worth 40 bucks... So, anyone who read my review and is interested in game programming and in the computing industry, don't hesitate, buy all Paul's books and start working on it... Paul will teach you all the most difficult, useful, stunning skills, you can be a professor in college after reading Paul's books... so why waste time and money and learn nothing in college.... face the truth, face yourself, be a man.... accept the challenge in the REAL game developing industry!!!!! You will thank me.
P.S. Paul, I know you are crazy busy with your work... but when will you write your next one???
Get way ahead of people learning to be animators with this!!.......2003-02-18
Paul, I have to tell you: You rock!!
Thanks to your easy-to-understand-and-follow-book, I'm now way ahead of my character setup & animation class at my school (art institute of portland). Keep in mind, this was just in a matter of days I went from clueless to...well, not so clueless!!
For people wondering if this will indeed improve their character rigging and/or animating skills:
It will. If you're already comfortable in using Max 4 or 5, you can easily take Paul's walkthoughs of rigging your character of any kind with biped and using physique to attach the mesh to the biped and be well on your way to understanding how to rig any future characters you create for excellent and easy animation. Well, easy to a point, anyway. You know how it is. With Paul's excellent methods of key frame animation, as well as using mocap, you'll be able to create convincing animations that no one would scrutinize! Even Paul's short-but-sweet section on things to consider when building a mesh can even improve your modeling techniques and thought process of when designing a character for optimum animating, hence the title of the section, 'built to move.'
The one thing that makes Paul's books so nice is that you don't even have to use the packaged files to understand how to apply his methods of madness, you can just go straight from his examples and apply it to your own work and come away with the same oustanding results. I modeled my first character with Paul's book 'modeling a character in 3ds max' by just using his techniques and came away with a model better than almost everyone in my class that had previous modeling experience.
Like I said, you just plain rock Paul. Hopefully I'll gain the skills you have so graciously bestowed upon us lowly wannabe animators to reach your status in this industry as a top-notch realtime modeler/animator someday. So far, things are looking bright!
Book Description
Years of peace are at an end, and old enemies and allies begin to gather in the storm. Ace MechWarriors command armies of tanks and battle-armored troops on exotic planets under inhospitable conditions. Choose your favorite MechWarrior pilot, pick a 'Mech, customize its gear, and charge into battle! The MechWarrior: Age of Destruction Starter contains everything two players need to play! The Starter Set includes opposing mercenary battle forces representing Wolf's Dragoons and the 21st Centauri Lancers. All of the game pieces found in the Starter are not available in Boosters! Customize your 'Mechs with the included pilot and gear cards. Play on the included playmat or use the included planetary condition card to change the field of battle! MechWarrior: Age of Destruction updates and upgrades the core MechWarrior rules with customizable 'Mechs, alliances, new order types, and more! Preselected Contents: 10 prepainted units 6 Mercenary contract cards 4 terrain pieces 3 dice 2 gear cards 2 pilot cards 2 planetary condition cards 1 flexible ruler 1 playmat 1 rulebook 1 special equipment card
Customer Reviews:
Simple Destruction.......2007-03-08
I bought this game for my 10 year old son. I have purchased a large number of used MechWarrior pieces for him, but we found it difficult to learn how to play. I decided to purchase the starter kit and it did just that--got us started.
Not a book, but a game.......2006-03-09
Nice improvement on the MechWarrior: Dark Age game produced by WizKids games. The addition of pilot and gear cards, plus some new rules, liven up the game. Check it out!
Customer Reviews:
A lighthearted laugh, if you need one........2006-06-12
If you are looking for serious advice, don't look here! This book is kind of a spoof off of the new-agey book, Women Who Run With the Wolves. As someone who did not take that book (or new age in general) very seriously, I thought this book was good for a laugh. The author makes the point that sometimes as women we take ourselves too seriously and it doesn't hurt to laugh at ourselves sometimes.
waste of money even at .01.......2006-01-30
an attempt at satire that falls flat. Sort of new-agey, but not witty. Drones on and on aimlessly about a one-joke topic. The book should have been one page long. You keep hoping this person trying to write will say something, anything, so you can laugh, but it doesnt happen.
Inner Life Enhancement.......2006-01-12
This is the only self-help book any woman could possibly ever need! Graham helps one understand that "bitch" is a high compliment and provides guidance for embracing our sacred inner bitch. It is just a fabulous book!
Book Description
Freakshows - human anomalies presented for spectacle - have flourished throughout recorded history. The birth of the movies provided a further outlet for these displays, which in turn led to a peculiar strain of bizarre cinema: Freak Film. Inside Terradome is a comprehensive, fully illustrated guide to the roots and development of this fascinating, often disturbing cinematic genre.
With over 350 photographs, Inside Terradome reveals a twisted thread of voyeuristic sickness running both through cinema and the society it mirrors.
Customer Reviews:
It starts with the carnival freak show and moves on to the freak film.......2007-07-07
This book is more than just a summary of the freak film genre; it begins with a history of the carnival freak show and some of the most common "acts." Some of the traditional acts were the bearded lady, the fat lady, dwarfs, people who can perform amazing contortionist acts, people with extremely flexible skin, people with extra limbs, people with fewer limbs than normal and people with other major physical deformities. For various reasons, the carnival freak show died out, so the focus turned to what people put on film.
Hunter uses many genuine illustrations to demonstrate some of the unusual malformations of humans that occur in nature. He then moves on to the use of such people in the early movies and then goes on to some of the more bizarre practices that have been put on film. Although he briefly mentions hard-core pornography, the focus is on other films, some of which can be considered mainstream. For example, he describes the plot of Hitchcock's classic "Psycho."
My favorite movies to read about were the two starring Chesty Morgan, "Deadly Weapons" and "Double Agent 73." Chesty has a genuine 73 inch chest and the premise of the movie is that she kills her enemy by suffocating them with her bare breasts. In reading the online reviews of the movies the consensus was that these movies are very bad. So bad that it is in the category of those that you gather your friends together to watch so that you can hoot and snicker your way through it. It was also conceded that Chesty is in the running for the title of world's worst actress.
Some of the images in this book take a bit of a strong stomach to look at. In many ways, you feel sorry for the people you see. There is no question that few of them led lives of any great joy, their suffering was emotional and physical as they truly were branded as freaks.
A Handy Guide to Things Freakish in Film.......2002-06-02
Jack Hunter makes clear his purpose at the end of the preface to INSIDE TERADOME: "This book is also written from the viewpoint that 'bizarre' films...represent the pinnacle of cinematic art, since any artistic medium can only be explored to its full potential when used to express imaginative extremes."
That said, he has produced a wonderful catalog and commentary on films and photographic media that feature human anomalies, both genetic/organic (little people, giants) and man-made (tattooed people), both at the sideshow or for the movies. From Tod Browning's classic FREAKS to the pictures of Joel-Peter Witkin, from THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI to Jodorowsky's SANTE SANGRE to David Lynch's THE ELEPHANT MAN, Hunter has managed to cover it all.
This book is *loaded* with pictures, letting you in on the freakish details in case your local video store isn't this broadminded.
Average customer rating:
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Proust as Musician
Jean-Jacques Nattiez
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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ASIN: 0521363497 |
Book Description
Throughout A la recherche du temps perdu, and particularly Swann in Love, Proust displays a surprising sensitivity to the way music is heard, a sensitivity to which we owe some of the most beautiful writing on music. Music as a model for literature: this is the subject of Nattiez's book, which unravels the various musical themes running through Proust's work, and which constitutes a particularly lucid and perceptive introduction to his writing. Through a study of the texts devoted to the Sonata and Septet of Vinteuil, the author demonstrates the fundamental role played by music in the evolution of the novel, and shows how Debussy, Wagner, and Beethoven provide the basis for a mystical quest whose goal is pure music and the literary absolute.
Customer Reviews:
Encyclopedia Magica is a MUST!.......2004-07-08
Encyclopedia Magica vols 1-4 has to be one of the BEST Dungeons and Dragons accessories ever made and a definite must-have for every DM!
Within its 1664 pages, one finds magical item after magical item from various different worlds; from Oerth, Krynn, Toril and many others. It is a vast compilation of items and artifacts that have been published over the years in modules, adventures, accessories, magazines etc and are now presented in compact form for the convenience of us, the players. Presented alphabetically, with very good descriptions- including stating the origin- and with very nice art, Encyclopedia Magica is a great addition to anyone's collection. Myself, I proudly display my copies on my shelves for all to see and for me to admire.
In short, if you don't have the four Encyclopedia Magica volumes, GET THEM! It might take a bit of searching to locate the copies, but it's well worth it!
The hardcover is not a hardcover.......2002-11-20
Amazon misleadingly lists the first printing of this book as a hardcover. This series was NEVER printed in hardcover form. The book listed as a hardcover is actually the original "bible" or "fancy" edition of the book. It comes with a faux-leather vinyl cover, fancy bible-quality paper, and two ribbon bookmarks that are sewn into the binding.
Later printings (published after TSR was bought by Wizards of The Coast) have an embossed heavy-paper cover, lower-quality paper for the pages, and no bookmarks. These printings are billed as "softcover" by Amazon.
There are no other versions than these two.
Great DM Tool.......2001-09-15
The must have collection of magic items. Works great if you know what you need. Just have a piece of paper handy while browseing. You may find an amusing item and need to note the page number.
good books.......2001-03-27
these books have just about anything you could imagine and more.
This is an excellent resource..........2001-03-26
...for harried DMs. I use it (obviously) for seeding my dungeons with treasure, but I also use it for ideas when creating new adventures. Unless your campaign is so magic-heavy that new magic items inspire yawns, I recommend this book. Please ignore the fact that someone did a "find and replace" on the word "mage" so that it would read "wizard." The result being that words like "image" became "imwizard."
Product Description
Faux Leater.
Amazon.com
Making Diversity Work offers fresh and fascinating ideas for reducing bias--one person at a time. "Bias lies in every heart and mind--it is also where the answers lie," writes diversity expert Sondra Thiederman. By focusing on the individual, rather than the organization, she defines a powerful focus for bias busting in the workplace. Racial and sexual bias costs big bucks warns Thiederman, citing litigation, lowered sales, and loss of employees and customers. Using case studies, politically incorrect questions, and insightful strategies, she guides readers through "the discomfort of self discovery."
After detailing how biases are learned, Thiederman introduces seven steps to prevent bias from blocking and distorting your work relationships. The book's centerpiece is a brilliant discussion of how to manage "gateway events,"(for example, hearing an inappropriate comment or being treated with a biased behavior) and start a conversation about sticky diversity issues. This brave and groundbreaking analysis should define the direction of diversity training for decades to come. --Barbara Mackoff
Book Description
Litigation. Costly turnover. Lost business. Discrimination. These are the penalties workplace bias exacts from American business-penalties that companies cannot afford to pay. Calling on her 25 years of experience in the field, diversity expert Dr. Sondra Thiederman has found a way to prevent these losses by providing executives and managers with a step-by-step strategy for minimizing bias and maximizing the ability to effectively manage diversity.
To that end-and ignoring the stifling rules of political correctness-Dr. Thiederman dissects the problems surrounding diversity in the workplace and offers specific, do-able strategies focused on creating individual change. Using real-life examples, practical tips, and exercises, she guides readers on a journey of self-discovery, intellectual awareness, and healing. The workplace and personal anecdotes in Making Diversity Work have been obtained from a research survey conducted by the author. Making Diversity Work outlines:
* How to see people more accurately and, therefore, to function more effectively and feel more comfortable in a diverse workplace.
* Seven steps to defeat biases.
* How to accurately identify biased attitudes.
* Tools to help confront the fears that underlie biases.
* Skills to communicate effectively when faced with diversity-related conflict.
Women or men, black or white, gay or straight, immigrant or native-born-everyone has prejudices. Making Diversity Work shifts the dialogue from blame to emphasis on the responsibility everyone shares to rid the workplace of bias. Dr. Thiederman delivers the prescription to defeat bias in the workplace in this definitive book for executives, managers, human resources professionals, and diversity practitioners.
Customer Reviews:
Powerful information on diversity.......2005-09-13
I used this book to educate myself more fully before meeting with some folks about diversity and found the book well-written, easy to understand because of great examples, and the information was "real" and up-to-date.
weLEAD Book Review by the Editor of leadingtoday.org.......2004-02-17
Some books are written simply to impart knowledge to others. Other books are written to fulfill a strong personal interest by the author. It is the rare book that is written because there is a deeply genuine need for it. Making Diversity WORK is that rare book that was written for all the reasons above. Author Sondra Thiederman attempts to strip off the "veneer" of diversity that exists in the modern workplace to examine the real reasons why diversity is hard to talk about and even harder to achieve! This book may make you uncomfortable, but maybe that is exactly what we all need to feel in order to achieve a level of diversity that respects and honors all people for what they can contribute.
Early on in this work Sondra Thiederman candidly discusses her own cultural background and how she recognized her own personal biases. The purpose is to show that if we honestly examine ourselves and become mindful of our biases, we can dissect and set those biases aside. After spending 25 years providing practical results to some of the largest international organizations in their quest for diversity, Thiederman is a leading expert on this subject and it is prominently reflected in this book. She also received a doctorate in cross-cultural studies from UCLA.
Making Diversity WORK has three major parts which are embedded in thirteen interesting chapters. Each chapter ends with a conclusion and summary to reinforce their major points. Part one examines the basics of bias including the correct and incorrect definitions of bias, and how it is learned and taught to all of us. It is in this part that you will learn the term Guerilla Bias™ and how it can affect us in subtle ways. The second part of the book is the largest and deals with self-discovery, how our biases can hurt us and how we can strive to overcome them. The third part of the book is about creating healthy dialogue which the author calls gateway events. What are these events? Our workplaces are filled with opportunities to engage in conversations about bias. Typically there is discord in the work environment between people who are different from each other. These incidents are capable of bringing about productive dialogue and serve as gateways to create greater understanding and reduce bias. This final part also outlines some cognitive and verbal skills to generate diversity dialogue.
Diversity isn't just a good thing to do; morally it is the right thing to do. Our modern workplace is more diverse than ever before in recorded human history. Diversity means a greater talent pool, larger markets, and the unfortunate potential for discord in the workplace. Making Diversity WORK is a frank and powerful book that dares to challenge us and prods us to live up to the democratic ideals of fairness, equity and accountability. If you desire to read just one powerful book on this important subject, Making Diversity WORK should be it!
Highly Recommended for Any Dialogue About Diversity.......2003-11-21
In her wise and insightful new book, Making Diversity Work, Dr. Sondra Thiederman examines the roots of diversity-related dilemmas to reveal how our own biases get in the way of our relationships with people we perceive as different from ourselves. Dr. Thiederman's thought-provoking thesis breaks new ground and elevates diversity discussions by rejecting finger-pointing as a strategy and replacing it with personal responsibility instead. No one is free of bias, but Dr. Thiederman gives us the cognitive and verbal tools to help us move forward to a place where we can respect each other and value our differences. Making Diversity Work is a must-have reference for anyone who wants to improve their personal and professional relationships.
Important book tells how to beat your bias.......2003-10-10
Dr. Thiederman shows that companies pay a big price for allowing bias to flourish in our workplaces, from litigation and costly turnover to diminished profits and lowered standards. She shifts the dialogue from blame and finger pointing to the responsibility we all share in successfully ridding the workplace of discrimination, inequity, and tension. One frequnetly unrecognized aspect of bias she brings to light is what she calls "Guerilla Bias" (nice actions that are really biased but remain hidden from the target as well as perpetrator), and she also rejects the current brand of political correctness.
Finally, she lays out an effective way to recognize and then combat our own personal biases by giving a 7-step process to follow which she calls a "Vision Renewal Process". Very informative, with real life examples of bias that a reader might find familiar but never have recognized before.
Books:
- Fresh Ideas in Invitations, Posters & Announcements
- From Energy to Information: Representation in Science and Technology, Art, and Literature (Writing Science)
- Fun with Ballet Stencils (Dover Little Activity Books)
- George Inness: Writings and Reflections on Art and Philosophy
- Georgia's Legacy: History Chartered Through the Arts : An Exhibition Organized on the Occasion of the Bicentennial of the University of Georgia, 1785
- Ghost Ships: A Surrealist Love Triangle
- Glass + Glamour: Steuben's Modern Moment, 1930-1960
- Henry Moore's Sheep Sketchbook
- Henry VIII and His Wives Paper Dolls
- Herman: The SixthTreasury
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