3D Math Primer For Graphics and Game Development (Wordware Game Math Library)

I beg you: do not try to read *any* 3D Game Programming book without checking out this baby first! Really, unless you are a math major already graduating from college, or a very wise industry professional, this book will be useful. For example, I am a second year college student and I already passed ODE, Linear Algebra and Calculus courses, my university is one of the most wildly recognized in Latin America for being very strict on mathematics, physics, and chemistry, so I can say that I feel pretty content with my skills. Still, this book worked wonders for me. Yes, yes, yes, this IS very basic, no doubt, but It's not only about the brute knowledge on mathematics and geometry that's important for graphics programming, but also how to apply those concepts, and why these are important. We all know vectors, we all know linear algebra, but we really don't know how to do AABB vs. plane intersection tests with them do we? I can't even begin to imagine how useful this text would be to high school students. I mean, to be exposed to this material before going to college can only be awesome. They have some basic knowledge of Linear Algebra before even dreaming to taking such a course? Nothing beats that! Well, maybe grabbing a real, fully fledged Lineal Algebra textbook like Grossman's, but nothing beats the fun of knowing you are reading a video game/3D graphics book!!! Furthermore, I read Frank D. Luna's brilliant Introduction to 3D Game Programming in DirectX 9.0c: A Shader Approach, and had no problem what so ever. I even skipped the "Mathematical Prerequisites" part. THAT's how good this books is!!! There's Dover Book for Ordinary Differential Equations, Grossman for Linear Algebra, Larson for Calculus, Sears-Zemansky for Physics, and there is Fletcher Dunn & Ian Parberry's for an introduction to 3D Math... My only disappointment with this book is that it lacks the answers for one third of the exercises. Oh, and there are a few typo's here and there, buy honestly, what book really doesn't? (Most of the errata is published anyways in the book's site: [...]). I also want to leave this clear one more time: the book is basic in kwoledge, where it excells is in the very clear presentation of that knowledge.

The past week I've picked up about three different math books aimed for game programmers, which gloss over important math topics that a game programmer would most likely encounter programming games and graphics. The problem with the majority of these books is that they were too vague and/or just failed at explaining concepts clearly. It seems to be a common problem of trying to cover too much, and the authors quickly lose sight of the path and veer off-road. 3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development was my last hope. By reviewing the table of contents, it appeared to be aimed again towards those that were confident in the rudimentary concepts needed to understand and undertake 3D math. Yet, with nothing to lose, I downloaded the Kindle sample and was relieved that this was not the case. While there is only a short Appendix that reviews trig and related prerequisite concepts, the tone and approach the authors use to guide the reader is so incredibly friendly to those who may lack confidence in math. After completing the sample chapter, which covered the basics of the, 2D and 3D Cartesian system, I couldn't believe how easy it was to read and how well I was retaining the information, actually understanding every word that glowed off my iPad. Finally, it looks like I found a winner. The authors alone write with such confidence that just declares how well they understand the topic matter, and that they know, better than anyone, how to teach this material to virtually anyone of any skill level. It's probably best if you are confident in at least trigonometry and basic algebra before reading. If you need to go over these concepts quickly, go to [...] and view the trigonometry videos. After you have your trig refreshed, dive into this book and you'll be sure to be ready to tackle any game or graphics related programming problem with confidence.

I have been trying to learn game development and programming for almost a year as a hobby and can kind of get by knowing different concepts and properties. I thought this book would really help me understand concepts at a deeper level and allow me to use critical thinking to solve problems using these "basics". Some parts of the book were really fast-reading, while others slowed me down to a halt with the math and programming. There were two parts in the book that it was getting hard and I had to skip to the next chapter where it wasn't quite as deep. the last chapters on matrices and quaternions were the two that stick out in my mind. It is great that it gets into more detail with those areas, but a little frustrating if you haven't studied very much linear algebra. I will be re-reading those sections again after a little time has passed. It covers matrices, vectors, and rotations in more details, while it skims over more advanced concepts such as binary space partition trees and inverse kinematics. It gives some good book references at the end if you are interested in books further. It was a great foundational book in my opinion.

The first time I tried to read this book, I took frequent breaks and only made it to about chapter 10, not really understanding a few of the proofs and algorithms. However, after going through the entire book all at once in about a week, I was able to understand everything. It was definately worth it. The book assumes no prior knowledge of linear algebra, and teaches you from the ground up the critical concepts behind 3d engines. At the end of the book, I was able to write my own software engine implementing many of the concepts talked about in the text, having absolutely no prior knowledge of any of the concepts before. Knowledge of the concepts presented in this book are absolutely critical to you being able to understand and use graphics apis such as direct x. This book will demystify what goes on inside a 3d engine, and will clearly detail to you the steps required to render a scene. Of course, it can't teach you everything, but by the time you have read it you will have a good working knowledge of what it takes to write a decent 3d engine. Definately worth it - you've got to know this material eventually, and this book is a good choice.

I've been a professional game developer for nearly six years, and this is far and away one of the best intro books I own. I still refer to it on a regular basis, and read and reread sections where I've gotten a little rusty. For really understanding many concepts and mathematics topics behind 3D graphics for games, this is the book you want. Forget those DirectX or OpenGL books; they may help you rapidly create a demo or game, but they will only scratch the surface of important topics that you'll need to be an effective game programmer with ANY platform or API. The book is great, because it's written at an advanced enough level that it covers valuable and complex material, but not written so densely or with such intensive mathematical proofs that it becomes impossible to read. The one disappointment is the book's website. It contains solutions to exercises for the first few chapters, and promises that additional answers are coming soon. I guess soon is a relative term, but it's been about five years since I bought the book and there's still no answers. Once you've mastered the material in this book you'll have a great foundation for other classics like Lengyl's Mathematics for 3D Game Programming. That book is also great, but a little too dense for a beginning to intermediate level game developer.

I hadn't seen much math or geometry since high school, but this book does a great job at easing you into the underlying concepts of some pretty heavy stuff. I tried to wade through the CG "bibles" ("Real Time Rendering", "Principles of Computer Graphics in C") and quickly realized that if you're not either a CG major in college or an experienced CG pro, those books are like being in heavy seas without a life vest. (It really makes you appreciate what's involved in making those Pixar movies!) Anyway, what I like about this book is that it explains everything first in fairly simple mathematical terms, deriving equations and proofs as it goes, and then illustrates to you visually exactly what is happening. The majority of the material is conceptual. This is not a coding book from which you can pull easy answers. The code samples are in C++ and are confined to a few special chapters, and are really included as a programmatic interpretation of those concepts. If you're already a CG pro, don't bother. You probably know all the info herein from the top of your head, as well as having one of those other "bibles" on your desk! But for a RAD programmer who needs a quick handle on some of the underlying concepts, this is the book! Thanks Fletcher & Ian!

When I was younger I could not image how I would ever use trig and so I did not focus on it much. As a game developer it is something I use every single day and with the constant use my weakness in this area has been a hurdle. This book has helped a great deal in shoring up this weakness and having a greater understanding of the math needed to be an effective game developer. The concepts are clearly explained and the writer has a nice conversational style that does not become too chatty. He quickly moves to the meat of the subject and each concept builds on the previous for greater understanding. The book was not nearly as tedious as I feared it would be and I actually found my self becoming absorbed in the material. This book is exactly what it claims to be; a primer in 3D math. It is not a all encompassing reference but does a good job explaining and building on the basics. Exactly what I needed.

Excellent book that deals with the Physics of 3D graphics and their implementation. 17 Chapters of highly intensive material , dedicated for those who truly wish to explore the depths of game progamming, and the intensive understanding of certain mathematical concepts, to take you to the ULTIMATE LEVEL. Chapter 1.Introduction Chapter 2.The Cartesian Coordinate System Chapter 3.Multiple Coordinate Spaces Chapter 4.Vectors Chapter 5.Operations On Vectors Chapter 6.A Simple 3D Vector Class Chapter 7.Introduction To Matrices Chapter 8.Matrices and Linear Transformations Chapter 9. More On Matrices Chapter 10.Orientation and Angular Displacement in 3D Chapter 11.Transformations in C++ Chapter 12.Geometric Primitives Chapter 13.Geometric Tests Chapter 14.Triangle Meshes Chapter 15.3D Math for Graphics Chapter 16.Visibility Determination Chapter 17 Afterward Appendix A Math Review Appendix B References At 407 pages plus Appendices you will be challenged, but you have to ask yourself one question, am I up to the challenge...? If you are you, will be among the few who can conquer the skill of Game Programming, this book WILL take you to the Top Level...

Ich arbeite mit dem Buch schon seit Monaten und muß sagen das ist das beste Buch über 3D Mathematik für Spiele, dem ich begegnet bin. Ich bin selber in Mathe ziemlich schwach, aber das Buch schafft es die Vektoren, Matrizien und sogar Quaternions so verständlich zu erklären, dass man dann die Ideen selber implementieren kann. Die Code-Beispiele sind in C++, aber es ist ein Leichtes sie nach z.B. JavaScript zu portieren. Die beiden Autoren kommen von verschiedenen Umfeldern; der eine ist ein Profi-Spiele-Programmierer, der andere ein Uni-Professor. Das ist eine gute Kombination, sodass die komplizierte 3D-Theorie und die Praxis der Implementierung des Codes wirklich außerordentlich gut und verständlich erklärt werden. So konnte ich z.B. einfach das Beispiel aus dem Buch abtippen wie man eulersche Winkel in die Quaternions konvertiert. Oder wie man zwischen zwei Quaternions interpoliert - sehr praktische Sachen für die 3D-Spiele.

Il libro, sebbene usato, è in perfette condizioni. È arrivato un po' in ritardo ma probabilmente per fisiologici tempi di sdoganamento, comunque FastMedia ha sempre risposto tempestivamente ed esaustivamente ad ogni mia mail di richiesta info. Il libro è interessante e copre molto bene quegli argomenti matematici, geometrici ed informatici utili a muoversi all'interno di uno spazio 3d. Confermo, molto soddisfatto.

The authors of this book is a game programmer and a professor of Computer Science. This team is excellent! The game programmer has alot of focus on making the material understandable, and the professor has focus on the mathematically correct semantics. Unlike other books, that teaches game programming (of which many have an author with his strength on either field), this book has the right blend of understandable text parred with the right mathematical semantics. Furthermore the text is supported by code, so if you are shaky on some of the math, you can see the implementation in C++ code. As a total math newbie, this book helped me alot, and today I understand totally and in detail what is going on in my 3D programming. An ABSOLUTE MUST, if you want to learn 3D on top level.

This item arrived quickly, in perfect condition and more than meets my needs for a refresher on 3D Vector Maths. As a Silver Surfer I am very pleased with my purchase and it complements my OpenGL activity just fine.

This book starts with the very beginning , the numbers and their meaning in maths. But the authors don't stay with that rather simple topic. Later on they begin to cover more complex topics like vectors and matrices along with the math and geometry behind it and the meaning in game programing. If you like to begin with simulation or game programming you will need the tools for it and this book will definitely give it to you! All in all - the book holds what it promises.