Books for/about - animation

Publisher: Peachpit Press
Authors: Scott Kelby

ISBN: 0321269063
List Price: $39.99
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Summary: Excellent Book for Intermediate Photoshop Users
"The Photoshop Channels Book" continues Scott Kelby's well-established tradition of creating Photoshop instructional books that are concise, written in a lively and humorous style, and take the reader right to the heart of processes. This time he delves into the potential applications of Photoshop's "mysterious" channels panel, something that most people rarely use. While other books touch lightly on the subject Kelby devotes an entire volume to its functionality, and deservedly so.

The book is very well designed in a 1950's/1960's TV-channel metaphor, richly illustrated and very easy to follow. Nearly anyone can get something new from it in ten minutes or less. It's a superb work that should have a long shelf-life as Photoshop continues to evolve.

Summary: Great book
In response the previous reviewer who hated it, yes I'm a beginner and thanks to Mr. Kelby I'm finally getting it. Who says that Photoshop's advanced techniques should be for the Selected few.
The guy knows how to teach. Makes complicated concepts seem easy. The book is very organized and easy to read.
On the downside: He is using a lot of filler addressing some topics that few of us will need.

Summary: Info is great....
The information in the book is really great. My problem with the book is that the author goes WAY overboard on "cutesy". His cutesy style of writing often made it hard to focus on content.

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Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash 8 in 24 Hours (Sams Teach Yourself in 24 Hours)

Publisher: Sams
Authors: Phillip Kerman

ISBN: 0672327546
List Price: $29.99
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Summary: Excellent text
As a 13-yr-old, homeschooled beginner in Flash, I enjoyed this book very much because of its clarity. I learned a lot of things that other authors didn't say anything about. If you are thinking of buying Flash 8 by Phillip Kerman I highly recommend it. It's a great book for beginners and experts alike. If you're looking for a book about Actionscript though, this is not the one. Yes, it covers the fundamentals of Actionscript, but it teaches you mostly about animating, drawing, layers, the library of Flash, etc.. Sams Publishing is also a great company, and you should not have any doubt about purchasing a book published by them. My rating for "Sams Teach Your Self Flash 8 in Twenty-Four Hours by Phillip Kerman" is too low: I wish there was something higher than five stars.

Summary: Ya gotta love it
I'm a techie not a programmer by trade and I wanted to spice up my company web site, so what the hey lets get some flash on it, <G>..........
I waded thru a couple of other books and didn't feel I was getting a handle on the technology, After the first 2 chapters of Phillips book I felt that on was on the right track. I like to learn thru concrete examples and this book excels at that. You work thru progressively more difficult tasks and in the process gain a solid understanding of the technology. Very nicely done and I recommend this book highly.

Summary: I've been a professional programmer for over 30 years, and I loved it
I probably have a different background than most readers of this book, because I'm a professional web developer. However, on-line banking doesn't require Flash, so I had never developed with it. But now I want to write some web games, and this book gave me all of the groundwork I needed to start working in Flash.

The learning curve for Flash's design tools was the toughest part for me, and the start of this book covers it perfectly. I understood the timeline, layers, keyframes, and all the rest through his clear explanations. The Flash interface is definitely unique, so the explanations made a lot of things clear that otherwise would not have been.

The programming side of Flash seems to give many people trouble, but that was the easiest for me. Either way, his chapters about Actionscript are clear, simple but not simple-minded, and paced properly.

On top of all that, he answers his e-mail promptly.

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	Adobe After Effects 6.5 Studio Techniques Publisher: Adobe Press Authors: Mark Christiansen
ISBN: 0321316207 List Price: $50.00 Amazon Price: $31.50 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 4 Reviews: Summary: Exploring After Effects techniques The Adobe After Effects Studio techniques book takes you in a tour to explore what is inside this magnificent program and how to use its capabilities in creating video effects. The book focused on the video production techniques. The first section introduces the program and its working foundations. While the second section concerns with the effects composting, the third section talks about how to work with light, air, water, smoke, clouds and fire effects. The book level is for intermediate/ advanced. So, you need to have a background about the After Effects to enjoy reading this book. Summary: Exploring After Effects techniques The Adobe After Effects Studio techniques book takes you in a tour to explore what is inside this magnificent program and how to use its capabilities in creating video effects. The book focused on the video production techniques. The first section introduces the program and its working foundations. While the second section concerns with the effects composting, the third section talks about how to work with light, air, water, smoke, clouds and fire effects. The book level is for intermediate/ advanced. So, you need to have a background about the After Effects to enjoy reading this book. Summary: great way to learn compositing in general This book is a great intoduction into the field of Digital Compositing in general. If you already know the basics of After Effects and want to learn how to see and handle live-action footage for visual effects, this is your ultimate guide. Mark Christiansen talks, of course, a lot about the After Effects application (e.g. how to optimize the interface and your personal workflow). But there are also chapters that cover more general topics like how to match a virtual 3D camera to a real film camera, the differences between lens blur and computer generated blur, how to see and recreate light and color situations in a shot, Greenscreen Keying, Rotoscoping, specifics about working with high dynamic range images like scanned film footage and so on. I've also read parts of the famous book "The Art and Science of Digital Compositing" by Ron Brinkman, which covers a lot of simmilar issues. While Brinkman goes into a lot more theoretical details but doesn't cover specific software solutions, Christiansen matches a perfect combination between general theorie and practical application. You learn how to see images - but also how to directly manipulate them in After Effects. But a lot of the knowledge that is shown in this book, could also be used when working with other compositing systems - so it's really worth reading if you already work with After Effects, even if you want to migrate to a different software one day. Summary:

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The Macintosh iLife 06

Publisher: Peachpit Press
Authors: Jim Heid

ISBN: 0321426541
List Price: $34.99
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Summary: the Mac iLife '06
Once again Jim Reid has out done himself. This is a very easy guide book to follow the newest of the iLife family. With the exception of the neglected DVD this time around, it does explain everything you need to know about getting into the iLife world. It is very good for the novice. Totally recommended.
Dwayne in CA

Summary: Superb
This book has so much to offer, it is almost impossible to review. Anyone new to the iLife programmes this book is a must. Not only is it a fantastic "how to " book but it also tells you why. One of my pet hates in reading so many "how to" books is the constant referral to items and illustrations on other pages. Not so with this book! Jim has managed to keep almost all of his tips and tricks on a visual two-page spread which makes reading a pleasure. (Perhaps why I am so fond of many of Scott Kelby's books)
The layout and lavish illustrations throughout are truly superb and make this book a must have for anyone wanting to learn everything about the iLife '06 programmes

Summary: Simply the best book on iLife (even without a DVD)
Heid's book continues to be the best book on Apple iLife 06. It is beautifully designed and truly comprehensive. A real pleasure to read, see and learn from. The companion DVD, present in all previous editions, was a very useful tool. It is too bad that the author had to let it go this time. However, I must admit that I own most of the previous editions but did not spend much time on their DVD. His book is simply that good. You will not be disappointed. It simply sets the standard on how books should be made. A great book by a great author. Be ready to have fun.

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Foundations of Physiological Psychology (with Neuroscience Animations and Student Study Guide CD-ROM) (6th Edition)

Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
Authors: Neil R. Carlson

ISBN: 0205427235
List Price: $113.00
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Summary: Great resource...but beware of buying used
This book provides a strong basis for Neuropsychological studies. Very easy to read and the Neuroscience Animations Disc is essential for examinations and a firmer grasp of the material. There is little emphasis, however, on the neurophysiological basis of the major Psychiatric disorders.

Though pleased with the quality of this book, I was pissed off that the "used" copy that I purchased was actually a "free" teacher's edition. Additionally, it said on the cover: "free copy--not for resale" (which probably violates copyright laws).

Summary: Love this book
I borrowed the 4th ed. of this book from a friend of mine to write up a lecture on synaptic transmissions. It was the clearest, most well-written physio psych book I think I've ever seen. Usually when psychologist try to write about biology they end up doing things like describing neurons as "a fluid-filled balloon" (no joke. Actually saw that in my intro textbook), but Carlson is clear yet intelligent. I would definitely recommend this book and hope to use it in my classes in the future.

Summary: basic physio psych text
I am an undergraduate neuroscience major at Univeristy of Massachustts, Amherst, and I had the author of this book , Dr Neil Carlson, as my professor for both the undergrad and grad level of Physiological Psychology course. We used the slightly more advance book called "Physiology of Behavior," but they are both basically the same. I am now a TA for the course, so I know the book pretty well. It is written in exactly the same style as he lectures. This probably because the book was originally developed from notes he used to hand out, which you can tell when reading the book. He has little personal comments inserted in paragraphs; he writes in the first person; he has strange analogies; he sometimes jumps from subject to subject; but overall, the book is quite good. The best things about the book are the diagrams and the cd. They very clearly illustrate exactly what he's discussing, and make the subject at hand easier for students to understand. As for the breadth of the material covered, it seems to be quite wide. He starts off with the basics, like neuron structure and brain anatomy, but then quickly moves on from there to sleep mechanisms, eating behavior, learning and memory, etc. The concentration of the book is on the effects of hormones on the brain and our behaviors resulting from those effects. I would recommend taking some introductory biology courses before trying to tackle the book; my psych major friend who hasn't had a tougher time with the class. Overall though, the book is not that hard to understand. I've learned a lot from it and not been bored while doing it. It's one of the most popular textbooks for the physiology of behavior out there. My book is dogearred from so much use, and though I have used it for 3 semesters, I still feel like I can glean more information from it!

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	Macromedia Flash Professional 8 Hands-On Training (Hands-on Training (H.O.T)) Publisher: Peachpit Press Authors: James Gonzalez
ISBN: 0321293886 List Price: $44.99 Amazon Price: $29.69 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 5 Reviews: Summary: Great for a beginner like me... I had thumbed through several Flash 8 books in the local bookstore before deciding on this one. What drew me to it was that the examples progress from the basics into an end-result project. You can eliminate chapters if need be with no bearing on the final project as the necessary example files are provided on the disc for each chapter. I'm new to Flash with no experience with any prior version. My intentions were to learn to a point where I am comfortable creating animations (somewhat satisfied by the time I reached chapter 6) as well as interactive web pages (which I haven't yet gotten to in the book). I would highly recommend this book for anyone trying to learning Flash for the first time on version 8. It might even serve as a good refresher for those with experience on prior versions and whom are looking to keep up to date on version 8. Summary: A good way to get a strong Flash foundation A good way to get a good foundation in Flash Although it took me a while to work through the examples in the book, I was happy with the results. In the end I was able to do most of the nifty animation "eye candy" I wanted to do. I also had a decent idea of what to do get going in ActionScript. I wouldn't give this book any awards, but it is a good way to start your Flash. Summary: A good introduction I almost gave this book 3 stars, but realized that it was just 3 based on my flawed expectations for the book. I had been looking for a good introduction to flash with an eye towards the capabilites of actionscript. Sadly, the action script section of the book was very short and very basic - really just giving you the basics of using the wizard to perform rudimentary tasks. But, the book never professed to offer any great actionscript insights, so, there's that. As an introduction this book is very good, especially for the beginner. This offers step by step on how to do perform many of the tasks in flash. At times, I think, it's a little too basic, but that may just be me (for example every time they ask you to hit return they say Press Enter (for windows) or Return (for mac) throughout the whole book). But it doesn't really take away from the book. Everything is very clearly presented, tools are explained, I was impressed that they made very pointed use of keyboard shortcuts. They gave screen shots and images to illustrate most steps which is very helpful in a book like this. The book covers the basics, using the drawing tools, tweening, buttons, movies, importing various media including video. Each chapter begins with a half page overview, then another page or three of deeper coverage and then several step by step exercises. Most of these are very focused exercises, relying on the provided cd's different pre-made projects to start you off at a point where you can focus on the task at hand. Strewn throughout the exercises are tips and more explanatory text when a subject warrants a half page or page more of description. I found the book good at presenting a top level view of flash. I suspect that it will not be a book that I go back to frequently as the organization by project doesn't lend itself to convenient referencing. But that's a trade off, great books for reference are very rarely good introductory books. So overall, I'm pretty satisfied that this book achieved what it set out to do. Summary:

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Foundation ActionScript Animation: Making Things Move! (Foundation)

Publisher: friends of ED
Authors: Keith Peters

ISBN: 1590595181
List Price: $39.99
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Summary: Actionscript Animation
Great book, with a lot of information, well explained, keeping all simple, but not for newbies.

Summary: Hands down, the BEST ActionScript animation book ever.
My jaw dropped when I started reading this book. I write ActionScript code almost every day for various animation effects, but I often run into situations where I need to figure out some sort of trigonometric problem and my logic is a bit fuzzy. This book made the solutions not only clear, but simple and fun. It opened up a world of possibilities. And just to be clear, this book addresses FAR more than trigonometry and how it relates to ActionScript animation. It's a must-read for any intermediate or advanced ActionScripter (beginners might struggle a bit).

Summary: Excellent!
This is an excellent book! It walks the reader through the fundamental workings of Flash, important animation concepts such as trigonometry and physics, and then ties all the information together with examples. The book is well thought out and very comprehensive. A great book on learning how to make things move in flash!

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Learning Maya 7: Foundation

Publisher: Sybex
Authors: Alias Learning Tools

ISBN: 1894893743
List Price: $69.99
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 4
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Summary: Love this book to review the Maya class I just took
This book is awesome for me as I just finished a beginning Maya 3D modeling and animation class this past semester. I was afraid that I would forget a lot of what I learned and also that I wanted to review to enhance my understanding so I looked for a book that would take me step by step, through several different types of projects. And I'm happy to say that I'm one third into this very thick, but easy to follow book and it does just that. It really leads you by the hand, better than my instructor in the classroom, because I can go at my own pace (which is very slow). A great book for the beginner and soon to be intermediate Maya practitioner. Please note, however, that I also bought the Visual Quickstart Guide to Maya 6 previously, which has been a great cross-reference book to this particular Learning Maya 7: Foundation book. I guess no one book will answer or be clear enough on every little nuance of a topic; that is why it helps to have another book or two on the same topic as a cross-reference just in case you get stuck on an interpretation of the textual meaning or intention.

Summary: Useless
This book is weighty, full-colored and honestly, looks pretty cool when it comes in the mail. The problem starts when you go to use it. For someone like myself who has absolutely no prior 3D animation expierence, this book is horrible. It skimps on steps, the steps it tells me to do fail to work in the program, the dozens/hundred of menu options are not labeled when you're doing the steps and then a few pages over it'll tell you to go to visor window and you're all, what? Visor menu? What in the world is that? Then you have to waste valueable time searching for the elusive menu.

I would not recommend this book to anyone who has no prior knowledge or expierence. It's a fairly useless book if you need help pinpointing how to do something because the only way you'll be able to do anything out of the book is to do every single page until you've worked your way up to where you need to be.

Summary: WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION TO MAYA!!
It's pretty great for beginners, but if you have NEVER used a 3-D package before, I suggest doing the INTRODUCING MAYA 7: FOR BEGINERS first. I also suggest using the previous FOUNDATION BOOKS which include Salty the Seal and the spaceship battle since they teach things that aren't in this book. (As you can see, I'm a firm believer in grasping this program.)

As for ALIAS SKETCHBOOK PRO, yes it's free. Granted, I figured it out after two months, but I got it!

1.Just open the "START HERE" link in the LEARNING MAYA FOLDER.
2.Click on the "ALIAS SKECTHBOOK PRO" link and copy and paste the serial number that they provide.

Summary:

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