Description:
The field of computer animation is constantly evolving. Hardware gains speed and capacity, software advances in features and becomes easier to use, and the eyes of viewers become more critical as they grow accustomed to more sophisticated effects. Writing a book about such an evolving topic would seem doomed from the start.The Computer Animator's Technical Handbook intentionally stays away from the specifics of hardware and software, thus ensuring a shelf life longer than most computers. The book focuses on the driving ideas behind animation in general and computer animation in particular, and it offers a valuable historical perspective on contemporary terms. The focus of the book is to teach computer animation production, and it does this exceedingly well. Fifteen chapters spanning 400 pages cover everything from computer animation modeling to the introduction of time-based media through understanding the mechanics of film and the differences between film and video production, and much more. This is a fine book to sit and read through, as well as to keep handy on the shelf for reference. Although more expensive than many books of its kind, there were no shortcuts taken in the production. Every page is glossy and in full color, and is lavishly illustrated with diagrams, photographs, and examples of computer graphics and frames from noteworthy computer-animated productions. This handbook is not a review of software packages, nor will it suggest which hardware platform to buy into, but it will provide a high-level overview of a powerfully dynamic field. --Mike Caputo
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