Good books for 3D

Newbie & Debugging Questions
#1

Hello folks,

I’ve been lurking here for a while now. I’ve found some topics that cover this, but none with a thread of it’s own or in the depth I’m looking for.

So, the question is. What are some good book titles that cover the basics for 3D? I am a veteran Java programmer but my 3D knowledge is limited. I have the gems books and some AI titles as well but I’m looking for something that will give me a good grounding in 3D concepts (what’s a scenegraph?) and maybe explain some of the math.

I’m particularly interested in using Xith3D, which I understand models Java3D closely so a good title for Java3D might be appropriate.

Opinions on what to get or not to get are appreciated. Please no flamewars if your favourite title is trashed - just say why you like it.

Thanks very much!

Edit: Yes, I could have put this in the 3D thread but I feel a little more clueless than that… :wink:

#2

Shawn’s book is due out in march :wink:

Otherwise there are a great many 3D books though most may be beyond what you are asking.

First question: Do you know vector algebra? You’ll need to to understand transformation matrices…

#3

Computer Graphics, P&P is a great all round book. A little dry and math heavy, but it covers everything from the ground up starting with the very basic maths. Includes a lot of advanced stuff like lighting and shading later on as well.

Realtime Rendering is actually quite an easy read, yet covers all the funky stuff thats making it into games now and in the future, and unlike P&P actually takes into account modern graphics card hardware. Lots of great ideas for inspiration as well.

Game Engine Design is very maths heavy, but its all good stull. Lots of maths for intersection testing, distance checking etc. early on, and covers a good amount of scenegraph and scene representation in there as well. Curved surfaces, collision detection, terrain, the works :slight_smile: Assumes you know the basics of 3d though.

For Java3D, the tutorials from Sun were really good I found, you can probably pick up a lot of the basics from them if you have a look.