The Essentials of CAGD

Rating:
Summary: Good resource
Review: I am a Mechanical Engineer with interest in CAD/CAM/CAGD/CAE areas. I have learnt CAGD from different classes at school and by far "The Essentials of CAGD - by Dr. Hansford and Dr. Farin" has been the easiest to understand. It gives you a very compact knowledge of this vast and challenging field. The math is very well laid out and several examples have been solved to explain the fundamentals. The other CAGD books by the same authors give a deeper understanding of CAGD principles. This book is like a bible to designers, people in graphics, finite elements, CAD/CAM, artists, stylists!

Rating:
Summary: Good resource
Review: This book covers the basics of CAGD. It starts with a brief overview of vectors and some of the mathematics that are essential to understanding the rest of the book, then plunges into the material. The book does a really good job of describing the algorithms from different perspectives. The major algorithms are approached in two ways, one from the way average people could understand how the method of creating curves works, the other from the way the computer generates the curve, mathematically.

The math in the book is not for the beginner. It does require a good exposure to linear algebra and some calculus to understand. There are many examples of calculations to follow along if you have trouble.

The basic concepts of how to create curves using the methods described, anyone could understand.

This book is a really good reference and a pretty good introduction to many of the CAGD concepts. There are a number of errors in the book, but most of them are easy to spot.

Rating:
Summary: Great learning resource
Review: This book does a really good job at presenting the concepts and methodologies of CAGD in a manner that is easy to learn from. You leave this book with a complete understanding of the how and why of the topics it presents.

The first reviewer complained that complete algorithms are not always given. The book is not meant to be a listing of algorithms to copy. If that's what you're looking for, you should look elsewhere. What this book does is presents the mathmatics and mechanics behind CAGD. It gives enough of the algorithm to start your implementation once you understand the topic. This promotes a fuller understanding of the subject and the theory behind, allowing you to apply the knowledge in domains outside of the subject area.

If you want to learn the basics of CAGD and have a good background in linear algebra and vectors (a must for any graphics programming), I'd highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Great learning resource
Review: This book does a really good job at presenting the concepts and methodologies of CAGD in a manner that is easy to learn from. You leave this book with a complete understanding of the how and why of the topics it presents.

The first reviewer complained that complete algorithms are not always given. The book is not meant to be a listing of algorithms to copy. If that's what you're looking for, you should look elsewhere. What this book does is presents the mathmatics and mechanics behind CAGD. It gives enough of the algorithm to start your implementation once you understand the topic. This promotes a fuller understanding of the subject and the theory behind, allowing you to apply the knowledge in domains outside of the subject area.

If you want to learn the basics of CAGD and have a good background in linear algebra and vectors (a must for any graphics programming), I'd highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Delivers exactly what the title says...
Review: This is a great book that delivers exactly what the title says, the "essentials". I used this book for a CAGD class (taught by one of the authors) and found the material very readable, straightforward, and useful. In fact, I found myself returning to this book as a reference in later graduate level coursework in CAGD.

The book attempts to give the reader all the tools that are necessary to get started in CAGD, and I strongly believe it succeeds in doing that. From the very first chapter, which reaches all the way back to descriptions of points and vectors, to the end of the book, which introduces the reader to some of the same methods that are used in Computer Graphic Animation (composite surfaces) and CAD/CAM (NURBS), the book provides just about everything necessary to learn the material.

With the material I learned in this book, I created some very cool looking models...the kind of things that got "ooh's" and "aah's" from my friends, and most of all made me feel like the methods used to create animated films are not beyond me.

To the first reviewer, I'd say go back and re-read the first two chapters that describe points, vectors, lines, and planes. Although if someone isn't comfortable with linear algebra and vector math, then that would make tackling any form of CAGD or graphics difficult. As far as graphics knowledge necessary, the methods in this book can be applied by only knowing how to draw lines on the screen.

It's a great book I'd recommend to anyone interested in CAGD!

Rating:
Summary: Delivers exactly what the title says...
Review: This is a great book that delivers exactly what the title says, the "essentials". I used this book for a CAGD class (taught by one of the authors) and found the material very readable, straightforward, and useful. In fact, I found myself returning to this book as a reference in later graduate level coursework in CAGD.

The book attempts to give the reader all the tools that are necessary to get started in CAGD, and I strongly believe it succeeds in doing that. From the very first chapter, which reaches all the way back to descriptions of points and vectors, to the end of the book, which introduces the reader to some of the same methods that are used in Computer Graphic Animation (composite surfaces) and CAD/CAM (NURBS), the book provides just about everything necessary to learn the material.

With the material I learned in this book, I created some very cool looking models...the kind of things that got "ooh's" and "aah's" from my friends, and most of all made me feel like the methods used to create animated films are not beyond me.

To the first reviewer, I'd say go back and re-read the first two chapters that describe points, vectors, lines, and planes. Although if someone isn't comfortable with linear algebra and vector math, then that would make tackling any form of CAGD or graphics difficult. As far as graphics knowledge necessary, the methods in this book can be applied by only knowing how to draw lines on the screen.

It's a great book I'd recommend to anyone interested in CAGD!