Real Time Renderg Tricks [Anglais] [Broché]

There are many books that describe the theory behind rendering techniques without walking the reader through actual source code. There are also samples available on the internet that supply source code without explaining how and why the code works. There are very few resources available that walk the reader all the way from the theory to the implementation details. Real Time Rendering Tricks and Techniques in DirectX bridges that gap by presenting over 25 rendering techniques using the latest version of DirectX. The book begins with basic concepts like matrices, vertices, and textures before moving to advanced topics such as vertex and pixel shaders.

Most of the rendering techniques are based on vertex and pixel shaders.

Included are three different techniques for generating shadows, reflection and refraction, Bezier surfaces, matrix palette skinning, bump mapping, image processing, and much more. There are also several techniques which are not based on shaders. There are chapters that cover using the stencil buffer, video textures with DirectShow, picking, timing, 2D drawing, and drawing text efficiently. Each chapter presents the theory behind the technique before walking the reader through the shader and application code that makes each technique possible. Each chapter ends with a short discussion of performance considerations, limitations, and ideas for improvements. After studying a given technique, the reader will understand what the technique is, why it works, and how it works.

The CD includes several tools, as well as all of the application code, shader code, and media needed to implement the techniques. It also includes sample applications and technology papers from nVidia and ATI. As readers understand each technique, they can go to these third party resources to see how other people have approached similar problems. The book and CD give the reader a well rounded view of these exciting rendering tricks and techniques.

The book begins with basic concepts like matrices, vertices, and textures before moving to advanced topics such as vertex and pixel shaders. Most of the rendering techniques are based on vertex and pixel shaders. Softcover. CD-ROM included.

Since 1995, Kelly Dempski has been a researcer at Accenture's Technology Labs working in the areas of multimedia, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Interactive TV, with a strong focus on photo-realistic rendering and interactive techniques. He has authored several papers and has had a project included in the Smithsonian's permanent collection on Information Technology. In addition to his research work, Kelly has taught Java, developed rendering engines, and dabbled in image processing and compression. Kelly is the author of "Real-Time Rendering Tricks and Techniques in DirectX" from Premier Press (March 2002).