AutoCAD2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009: No Experience Required

AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009: No Experience Required is the perfect step-by-step introduction to the very latest version of the world's leading CAD software. It provides concise explanations and practical tutorials that clearly show you how to plan and develop a customized AutoCAD project. Follow the tutorials sequentially or just jump in at any chapter by downloading the drawing files from the companion website. Either way, you'll master AutoCAD features, get a thorough grounding in the essentials, and see quick results.

Completely revised and better than ever, this perennial bestseller includes comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of the latest AutoCAD features, such as the new Ribbon-based user interface, the ViewCube 3D navigation system, Quick View for drawings and layouts, the Quick Properties tool, and the Action Recorder. It also offers a glossary and a supporting website with project files.

• Utilize the AutoCAD interface as you learn basic commands and set up your own drawings
• Build on your skills with groups, elevations, hatches, and by using text and dynamic blocks in drawings
• Develop sophisticated drawings as you graduate to dimensioning, creating external references, using tables, leveraging dynamic blocks, and mastering layouts and printing
• Take advantage of the 3D capabilities that make AutoCAD 2009 the complete design tool
• See the best ways to define the appearance of 3D drawings using different visual styles
• Learn to clearly dimension and add notes to your drawings
• Model in 3D (right side), then apply materials and render for photorealism (left)

Available at Amazon.com.

Introducing ZBrush

Learn to sculpt detailed, lush, organic models with the hottest tool on the 3D market - ZBrush - and this step-by-step guide. Introducing ZBrush is the ideal initiation to this revolutionary software. Starting with the basics, it builds from the ground up, combining straightforward text with practical examples that make it fun to learn ZBrush's core tools and concepts. Professional animator and ZBrush artist Eric Keller walks you through the hands-on tutorials and teaches you the skills you need to create hyper-realistic digital models like a pro. From creating illustrations in 2.5 dimensions to sculpting with digital clay, you'll master ZBrush's powerful tools for creating fantastic images and 3D models for use in animation programs like 3ds Max and Maya. Whether your new to the ZBrush interface or a CG veteran looking for the latest techniques, Introducing ZBrush will help you fulfill your artistic potential by giving you the power to create stunning digital art with a distinctively fine art feel.

If you want to take advantage of one of the hottest CGI tools available, Introducing ZBrush is the perfect place to start. Professional Hollywood animator and ZBrush artist Eric Keller dispels any anxieties beginners might have by offering the careful, step-by-step instruction you need to soon feel right at home with this revolutionary software.

Each chapter explains core concepts, then reinforces them with fun, hands-on tutorials that will amaze you with your growing ability to create hyper-detailed, realistic, organic sculptures on your computer. From creating illustrations in 2.5 dimensions to sculpting with digital clay, you'll master ZBrush's powerful tools for creating fantastic images and 3D models for use in animation programs, such as 3ds Max® and Maya®.

• Understand ZBrush's unique painting and sculpting technology
• Take a tour of the innovative ZBrush interface and tools
• Master 2.5D painting, digital sculpting, and texture painting
• Learn how to set lighting, create materials, and render in ZBrush
• Go through a production pipeline, from modeling to rendering to exporting models, textures, and displacement maps
• Transfer your ZBrush creations into Maya and other 3D applications for use in film, games, and illustration

Available at Amazon.com.

Nikon D300 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

"Nikon D300 Guide to Digital SLR Photography" is a concise introduction and guide to your camera's essential controls and functions. The book provides detailed instructions showing you the how, when, and why of focus zones, flash synchronization options, how to choose zoom settings, and which exposure modes are best. Packed with full-color images and examples that illustrate the recommended techniques and settings for your Nikon D300, this book helps photographers of any skill level begin maximizing their equipment as soon as you open the cover!

Available at Amazon.com.

SolidWorks Surfacing and Complex Shape Modeling Bible

If you want to gain proficiency and expertise with SolidWorks surface modeling, this is the resource for you. You'll learn how to apply concepts, utilize tools, and combine techniques and strategies in hands-on tutorials. This Bible covers the range from sketching splines and shelling to modeling blends and decorative features. Complete with professional tips and real-world examples, this inclusive guide enables you to coax more out of SolidWorks surfacing tools.

• Gain total control over splines
• Discover when to apply Boundary, Loft, or Fill surface features
• Make use of SolidWorks direct editing capabilities
• Interchange between solids and surfaces
• Learn to use master model techniques
• Work from digitized data
• Utilize model evaluation techniques

Available at Amazon.com.

Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended: Retouching Motion Pictures

With the explosion in popularity of podcasting, innovations in video content for cell phones, and the continued popularity of video cameras, video content creation and appreciation is snowballing. Today’s audience expects Hollywood production values in games, independent DVD titles, Shockwave files, and fan club shorts. Google’s You Tube is presently the reigning video content distributor for cottage-industry enthusiasts. Photoshop CS3 Extended: Retouching Motion Pictures creates an accessible entry point for image retouchers wishing to participate in the next wave of digital content. Assuming an intermediate to advanced working knowledge of previous versions of Photoshop, it focuses on the new tools and features of Photoshop Extended, enabling readers to first get a handle on the medium of moving pictures, then to attain a level of proficiency with retouching and enhancing digital film as they work through several real-world scenarios. Ideal for users ranging from home video buffs to professional studio employees, this tutorial-based book includes several hands-on projects and tackles a range of topics, including an introduction to digital video and importing and working with video layers and the Animation Timeline palette. It then proceeds to integrating media such as Autodesk 3D Studio scenes and video footage, creating rotoscope sequences by painting over footage, compositing green-screened 3D animations, and adding special effects layers to footage.

Available at Amazon.com.

Character Modeling with Maya and ZBrush: Professional polygonal modeling techniques

Create believable CG character models with this unique book and DVD package. The stunning color images show just what you can achieve, and the detailed step-by-step tutorials show exactly how to achieve them.

Every technique and tip is backed up with practical tutorials, using the models, textures and video on the companion DVD to offer a crash course to this vital skill. Jason Patnode takes you from low to high-resolution modeling - helping you span the gap between game and film industry skills. Based on Maya 2008 and ZBrush 3.0.

Youll learn: Pipeline and modeling guidelines Overview of Maya Introduction to ZBrush modeling Concept art Anatomy Creating a video game character Creating a hyper-real character Creating a photo-real character UVs and texturing How to create a demo reel

* Master professional techniques and workflow processes with clear, easy to follow tutorials
* Companion DVD contains video tutorials, plug-ins, models and texture maps as well as high quality art from participating artists
* Interviews with professionals connect the concepts to real world workflow and applications

Available at Amazon.com.

Practical Artistry: Light & Exposure for Digital Photographers

You may be passionate about photography, and own a digital SLR with perhaps more advanced equipment as well. But do the photographs you take with this powerful equipment come out as well as you'd like?

With this fascinating and beautifully illustrated book, you learn how to apply the techniques and principles of classic photography so you can make great images with today's digital equipment. Harold Davis, author and renowned fine art photographer, puts the focus in Practical Artistry on light and exposure, two crucial concepts you need to understand and master if you are to truly capture the images you see.

Davis presents a generous number of his own images in each chapter, complete with technical information and an explanation of what he was trying to achieve. These striking photographs not only illustrate the lesson at hand, but also serve as inspiration for your own efforts. Browsing the photographs alone will tell you a lot.

Topics covered in this book include:

• Camera, lenses, and equipment
• Understanding exposure and measuring light
• Relationship of aperture to shutter speed and ISO
• Working with depth of field
• Natural lighting, studio lighting, and the use of flash
• Light and color temperature
• Working with white balance
• Photographing at dawn or dusk
• Photography at night
• Capturing motion
• Telling a story with your image
• Capturing people, places, and things
• Setting up a digital workflow
• RAW processing and double RAW processing
• Adjusting exposure and reducing noise
• Black & white photography
• And much more

Concise and to the point, Practical Artistry clearly demonstrates that photography, essentially, is writing with light, and that the type of images you produce depend on the many choices you have for using that skill. Harold Davis gives you an array of choices in full living color.

Available at Amazon.com.

Mastering CSS with Dreamweaver CS3

In Mastering CSS with Dreamweaver CS3, authors Stephanie Sullivan and Greg Rewis demonstrate how to use Dreamweaver CS3 and CSS together to create highly individualized, standards-based layouts. Through hands-on projects with visuals, the book gives readers an in-depth understanding of Dreamweaver's 32 CSS-based layouts (new in Dreamweaver CS3) and their application, enabling every user of Dreamweaver to learn CSS effectively and easily.

Available at Amazon.com.

Introducing 3ds Max 2008

Video game and feature-film artists have used 3ds Max to create characters and effects in Halo 2, King Kong, Gears of War, and more. Now you can harness this popular animation software with this sophisticated yet easy-to-follow guide.

Introducing 3ds Max 2008 breaks down the complexities of 3D modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects. You'll jump right into the 3ds Max pipeline—from preproduction through postproduction—with clear-cut explanations, tutorials, and hands-on projects to build your skills. A special color insert includes real-world examples from talented 3ds Max beginners. From immediately creating your first animation to mastering poly modeling techniques and lighting final renders, you'll get a solid grounding in 3ds Max 2008.

• Build the knowledge you need for game, film, and TV production
• Master modeling from simple and complex polygon mechanical models to organic character modeling
• Assign texture effects and texture maps using UV
• Create walk cycles and simple character animations with Character Studio
• Explore lighting, rendering, and raytracing concepts
• Discover simple rigid body dynamics and Max's particle systems

Available at Amazon.com.

Digital Photographer's Guide To Exposure

To take great photos, it's vital to understand exposure. But it's also a subject that many amateur photographers find daunting and some advanced photographers wish they had a fuller understanding of. This user-friendly guide demystifies digital exposure for the amateur and professional alike. Readers will learn how to transform an average photo into a first-rate one by mastering in-camera exposure controls and making final adjustments in-computer. This must-have guide ontains clear, jargon-free explanations of techniques, stunning and inspirational images from top photographers, and a quick-reference guide to becoming an instant expert on the different aspects of digital exposure.

Available at Amazon.com.

Adobe Illustrator for Fashion Design

More than just a how to manual, Adobe Illustrator for Fashion Design introduces readers to the Illustrator approach to design and ways to think about designing fashion apparel and textiles using the program. Early chapters provide a strong foundation in the commands and capabilities of the program while later sections offer application exercises that develop skills in fashion drawing, textile design and presentation techniques. Available with an accompanying DVD, this book emphasizes the creative process and explores the capabilities of this powerful program as related to drawings of clothing, fashion poses, and textile prints. Anyone looking to get into the fashion industry. Prepares readers for the competitive job market by teaching them sought after technical skills.

Available at Amazon.com.

3ds Max 2008 Bible

Master the complexities of 3ds Max by working through more than 150 short tutorials under the guidance of 3D expert Kelly Murdock. If you're a beginner, a Quick Start chapter shows you how to create an exciting animation your first day using the software. You'll find extensive detail on the latest features, allowing quick ramp-up for veterans of earlier 3ds versions. In addition, the book includes a 16-page, full-color insert with examples of cutting-edge 3ds Max art as well as a DVD with all the examples in the book, models and textures you can customize, a full-color and searchable PDF of the book.

Open this book to any page, and you'll quickly see why the 3ds Max Bible is a perennial favorite of 3ds Max artists. Whether you're a beginner looking for a quick start or an expert exploring the very latest advanced features, it's all here. You'll find pages of professional tips, loads of advice, and more than 150 step-by-step tutorials guaranteed to jump-start your creativity. This is the 3ds Max book you need to succeed.

• Make global changes to multiple objects with Scene Explorer
• Build MAXScripts more quickly with the new MAXScript ProEditor
• Stream and focus light through a window with the Sky Portal
• Create compelling characters using enhanced Biped tools
• Learn to reference, select, clone, group, link, and transform objects
• Discover new keyboard shortcuts for speed modeling

Available at Amazon.com.

Flash + After Effects

Flash Designers: push Flash to the next level with After Effects robust toolset.

* Add motion graphics and visual effects to your Flash projects
* Fuse 3D depth into 2D animations
* Prepare Flash animations for broadcast
* Save development time in executing animations

Combine these two powerhouse applications to expand your multimedia horizons. Flash + After Effects gives the experienced Flash designer a working understanding of the After Effects toolset with professional techniques that raise the design bar for Web, broadcast, or CD/DVD delivery. The companion DVD contains project media that permit you to practice essential After Effects skills that include:

* Working with video and the AE timeline
* Using alpha channels for keying and enhancing interactivity
* Putting vector animation to work with Text and Shape Layers, and animation presets
* Creating 3D backgrounds with cameras and lights
* Animating with Behaviors, Parenting, Expressions and the Puppet Tool

You also get a video primer, render and file optimization techniques, and publishing and streaming guidelines.

Available at Amazon.com.

Adobe Illustrator CS3 Wow! Book

The definitive full-color book on mastering Adobe Illustrator — now fully updat ed for Illust rat or CS3

For years, Sharon Steuer and her international Wow! team have been reaching out to the world of professional illustrators to showcase the range and quality of work these artists are doing in Illustrator. In this revised edition of the best-selling and award-winning Illustrator WOW! Book, youll find tips, tricks, and techniques derived from actual projects from more than 100 of these top Illustrator artists. Using Adobe Illustrator CS3, Sharon shows you how to perform magical color changes using Live Color, and prepare animations for Flash. You'll not only learn how to“think in Illustrator”with the Zen of Illustrator lessons, you'll also master the newest, hottest, and most challenging techniques.

This edition is loaded with new lessons on these subjects, and many more:

• Using the new Live Color features
• Creating animations and integrating Illustrator with Flash
• Working with Live Trace and Live Paint
• The basics of using layers, templates, the Free Distort tool, and more
• "Opacity Mask 101” based on the cover image
• Applying blending modes and transparency to raster images
• Masking with live type
• Simulating ink and watercolor paintings
• Working with live fills, multiple strokes, and Live 3D
• Basic to advanced blends, gradients, and mesh
• Colorizing photos
• Demystifying photorealistic mesh

Available at Amazon.com.

Real World Adobe InDesign CS3

Adobe InDesign is no longer the industry newcomer—it’s a full-fledged, sophisticated program, tightly integrated with the other Adobe industry leading graphics and Web programs. It’s the essential tool for anyone doing page layout and design. With the release of InDesign CS3—part of Adobe’s perfectly synchronized, tightly integrated Creative Suite 3 (which now includes Photoshop CS3, Illustrator CS3, Dreamweaver CS3, and Flash CS3 Professional in the Design Premium and Web Premium packages)—it takes its place in the design firmament! Real World Adobe InDesign CS3 offers industrial-strength and time-saving techniques for design professionals who need to start laying out, proofing, and printing pages with InDesign CS3, without missing a beat (or a deadline!) in their fast-paced production cycles. Design pros will find everything they need here to successfully master InDesign’s advanced page layout tools, manage color, snippets, and use the program more efficiently. They’ll also find complete coverage of essential features in InDesign CS3, including new gradient feather, directional feather, and bevel and emboss effects; improved transparency controls; improved long document support; expanded Find/Change; and an even more flexible and customizable user interface.

Available at Amazon.com.

Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 Classroom in a Book

Watch out, Final Cut Pro. For the first time in five years, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe's flagship digital video editing application, is once again available for both Macintosh and Windows users. This project-based book covers not just the basics of working with audio, creating transitions, and producing titles, but also all that's new in Premiere Pro: the ability to build Blu-ray Disc, DVD, and Flash projects with Adobe Encore CS3 (now included with Premiere Pro CS3); Adobe OnLocation CS3, which lets on-the-road users record footage directly to their computer disk--removing the need to capture video to tape later. Readers will enjoy learning to create slow-motion effects with Time Remapping, and will get up to speed on Premiere's new editing tools. What's more, users can compress their finished video for delivery to the latest handheld devices, such as mobile phones, iPods, PSPs, smartphones, and more. Best of all, the book's accompanying DVD includes real footage that you can practice on.

Available at Amazon.com.

iPhoto '08: The Missing Manual

Apple has taken iPhoto 08 to a whole new level. Now, in addition to handling upwards of 250,000 images, the program lets you easily categorize and navigate through those photos with a feature called "Events". Plus, new editing tools let you copy and paste adjustments between photos. Books and calendars have been improved, too, as has the program's ability to publish pictures on the Web.

Apple makes it all sound easy: drag this, click that, and you're done. But you can still get lost, especially if you're a newcomer. iPhoto '08: The Missing Manual explains how to take advantage of all these powerful tools and new features without confusion or frustration. Bestselling authors David Pogue and Derrick Story give you a witty, objective, and clear-cut explanation of how things work, with plenty of undocumented tips and tricks for mastering the new iPhoto.

Four sections help you import, organize, edit, share, and even take your photos:

• Digital Photography: The Missing Manual offers a course in picture-taking and digital cameras -- how to buy and use your digital camera, how to compose brilliant photos in various situations (sports, portraits, nighttime shots, even kid photography), and how to get the most out of batteries and memory cards.
• iPhoto Basics covers the fundamentals of getting your photos into iPhoto, organizing and filing them, searching and editing them.
• Meet Your Public teaches you all about slideshows, making or ordering prints, creating books, calendars and greeting cards, and sharing photos on web sites or by email.
• iPhoto Stunts explains how to turn photos into screen savers or desktop pictures, using plug-ins, managing Photo Libraries, and even getting photos to and from camera phones and Palm organizers.

You also learn how to build a personal web site built with iWeb, and much more in this comprehensive guide. It's the top-selling iPhoto book for good reason.

Available at Amazon.com.

Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide

A new world of photographic experiences awaits you as you move up to a digital SLR with your Nikon D40 or D40x. Get started with your new D40 or D40x right away with this guide's Quick Tour. Ready to customize your camera's settings? Chapter 3 tells you how. Want advice on getting perfect shots of sunsets, landscapes, people, or your son's soccer game? Check Chapter 7. But whatever you do, get out there and take pictures. And take this book along.

• Identify and use all your camera's controls and features
• Discover how lenses work and select the ones you need
• Learn to fix minor problems, including red-eye, by using the Retouch menu
• Get complete recipes for shooting events, fireworks, night scenes, landscapes, people, pets, water, action, and more
• Find out how to download your pictures and troubleshoot common camera problems

Available at Amazon.com.

Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008

Understand concepts, create perfect designs, and manage every stage of the project with this thorough guide to Autodesk's powerful civil engineering software. Authored by experts with close ties to Autodesk and the Civil 3D community, this book features an in-depth, tutorial-based approach that is grounded in real-world examples so that you can get the most out of Civil 3D.

Full of advanced techniques and insider tips, this practical guide focuses squarely on how to use the software in a production environment—and provides insights, tips, and techniques you won't find anywhere else. Whether you're new to Civil 3D or want to expand your skills, this is the comprehensive tutorial and reference you'll use again and again.

Coverage includes:

• Digging deeper into the Civil 3D tools to get more from the program
• Working field to finish with in-depth information on field surveying
• Applying simple techniques to tackle more complicated corridor construction
• Managing team and project environments with Autodesk Vault
• Creating construction documents in a flash with the Plan Production tool
• Migrating your Land Desktop data to Civil 3D
• Building project visualizations that don't break the bank or the schedule
• Cut Office Time with Automated Linework Direct from Your Survey Crews
• Create Accurate and Dynamic Surface Models Using the Best Techniques
• Design Subdivision and Lot Layouts with Precision and Ease
• Build Complex Corridors to Model Everything from Streams to Roundabouts

Available at Amazon.com.

Mastering Revit Architecture 2008

Revit Architecture has revolutionized how architects design, develop, and deliver projects—and now you can join the BIM revolution with this expert guide. Authored by a team of Revit experts, this in-depth guide uses clear explanations, detailed tutorials, and practical examples to show you how to best implement Revit in the real world.

Starting with a focused look at the basics of Revit and Building Information Modeling (BIM), you’ll move quickly into setting up and customizing your Revit tools, preparing your office/project templates and settings, and creating your library of components. From there, the book guides you through a wealth of information, from how to start conceptual modeling, use smart workfl ows to fine-tune your designs, explore design variations, and create rich construction documents. Packed with practical techniques and tips, this is the perfect resource to help you understand and appreciate Revit, unleash your creativity, and be more productive, no matter what your current skill level.
Coverage includes:

• Customizing system families and project settings to make Revit match your style and needs
• Creating Massing studies and conducting feasibility studies to ensure your designs work
• Mastering modeling principles of Revit
• Understanding smart workflows – the power of groups, links, and design options
• Learning best techniques to achieve rich construction documentation
• Collaborating with project teams and customers
• Tracking changes and coordinating processes for smarter workflows
• Creating appealing graphic presentations and realistic renderings

Available at Amazon.com.