3D Computer Graphics (3rd Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent second book for graphics
Review: The other reviews are right that this is not a beginner's book. However, it is a terrific book for those that are familiar with the basics of graphics and want to learn a very modern view of modeling and rendering. There are a few rough spots, but overall the book is well-written, nicely illustrated, and extremely up-to-date. Also, the author really seems to understand the material in both rendering and modeling. That alone makes the book a real treat.

Rating:
Summary: Excelent elementary book!
Review: This book presents all the basic elements concerning 3D graphics, such as geometric modeling, view projctions, rendering, texture mapping, etc... The teaching style of the author is great, which means that this book is fully understandable. However, I'd like to see the written algorithms in C or C++ and not in the elementary Pascal language.

Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive Introduction.
Review: This is an excellent book for all those who want to delve into the theory and process of computer graphics. Some basic concepts are covered in vague detail, and some other reading into concepts such as vector maths, are required. But it provides a solid foundation for programmers, artists, and the alike. The book is not terribly detailed, thus may not serve the purposes of an advance CG artist. But regardless, a book that I will be refering to a lot.

Rating:
Summary: a Disk version is wanted for the text
Review: This is no doubt a very good book, but as a professor who wants to use it as a textbook, I can't make a powerpoint lecture notes from this book for my class presentation. I would like to have a disk version that goes together with the book.

Rating:
Summary: Right idea....wrong implementation
Review: Watt attempts a very good thing in this book: he essays to summarize the main concepts in 3-D graphics in a concise and easy-to-understand way. This is definitely a necessity for a Computer Science undergraduate. Unfortunately, typos cover this book, examples are unclear, and many jumps in logic are made. This causes extreme suffering for the undergraduate who is forced to use it as their Graphics text book. Though I prefer this text over the "White Death" (Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice), it is not much better in helping a beginner understand the basics.

Rating:
Summary: Could have rocked...with a few minor adjustments.
Review: Wow, this book had the potential of being so much better. The organization is in, I find, a very odd colated fashion. This has the effect of confusing even the most capable reader not already familiar with the various implementations. For instance: with the section on "Viewing Systems" there are 5 five such systems described. Instead of giving a complete account of any one in any one place, like aspects of each are distributed in groups across the section. This makes things very difficult on the novice who is seeking to first form a general abraction of a process before proceeding to gather the details. The only source in the book is a wireframe implementation in one of the appendices; I did not mind this per se, however it's rendered in of all languages PASCAL!! (I have a particular dislike of the language if you can't tell) Apparently C was JUST becoming popular when and where the book was written. Experts in the field of Computer Graphics are, I imagine, more likely to take to this book with an appreciation of it's merits.

All things aside however this is a fairly comprehensive book and a worthy addition to any programmer's library. Novices (teen game programmers like myself especially!) take heed that some patience may be required and some brain-power to spare wouldn't be bad either.