Real-Time Rendering, Second Edition

This book is a great resource and collection of algorithms used in 3D graphics programming. It does make use of an academic style, both in mathematics and in style of writing - but that is something you will appreciate if you have some computer science or engineering background. Plenty of references to further literature and articles are given in order to facilitate in-depth research on particular topics of interest.The second edition is up to date regarding available graphics technology. It covers the latest additions to current hardware regarding Pixel and Vertex Shaders. It also provides a technical summary of the latest graphics hardware, using the X-Box GPU and the KYRO II architecture as examples.The book covers a variety of useful algorithms at a level of abstraction that will require some additional work in order to implement in software. So it is definitely not a basic "howto" guide for beginners who just want some sample code to get going.The color plates in this book are well chosen and illustrate the state of the art in DirectX 8.1 pixel and vertex shaders. One illustration even shows the latest technology demo of NVidia's new NV30 chip which has just been officially introduced at Comdex in November 2002. It is the realtime rendering of a scene from Final Fantasy, the motion picture.

This is a great book. It is clearly written, in plain language. Although it does provide formulas here and there, it doesn't degenerate into "math-speak." It is written as a guide to developers, rather than as a textbook, so final solutions to problems are given, rather than left as an exercise to the reader. The book has a clear focus and doesn't include any fluff (e.g., Foley/vanDamm waste 3 or so chapters talking about how to write a friendly UI for a paint program). Many references to other books and papers are included, so you know where to look if you want more information. And the book's online site is filled with similar links.

Real-Time Rendering is a wonderful all-around resource that belongs on the desk of any serious graphics programmer. Moller and Haines have taken a great deal of the research done in this area over the past decade and compiled it into a single, very well-written work. For each topic covered, several algorithms are discussed, with the strengths and weaknesses of each. Although pseudo-code is occasionally provided, source code is not, which I consider a plus, as it causes the focus of the book to remain on the algorithms themselves, not the implementation thereof.Given the nature of the book, it's not one I'd recommend to beginners; although the first several chapters include a very clear and API-independent introduction to 3D graphics, the rest of the book is well beyond the scope of what most beginners will find useful. However, for anyone serious about the creation of high-performance graphics engines, this book is an indispensable resource.

Although not a programming how-to book, this book delivers something much more valuable, an understanding of the underlying principles involved in writing real-time, 3D programs. Too many books just give the author's own personal graphics engine to cut and paste into your own, but you never really learn anything about writing your own code. This book was a much needed breath of fresh air in a market seriously lacking a book on the hard-core principles. This book doesn't teach programming, but read and understand this book and you'll be able to come up with the code yourself. And it will be YOUR code!

This book is simply put, a must have. If you are building an graphics pipeline for 3d games and need to know about things such as lens flares collision detection (hierarchical), pipeline optimization and general 3D math. Get This book. It is like the FOLEY and VAN DAMM book except it focuses on real time rendering (interactivity) I recoomend this book highly, as i got it yesterday and skimmed over most chapters and read the first two completely. This author writes not from a boring perspective, but of an fresh easily readible text format which basically teaches you the theory and gives you the inspiration to test it out on whatever platform you wish. This book should have come out sooner, is my only gripe. Purchase Book, grab a nice cup of joe, find a quiet corner and make sure to bring a pen/pad.