Game Programming Gems 3: With CD-ROM

SYNOPSIS

The journey continues with this ALL NEW volume in the Game Programming Gems series!  As with the first two volumes, a dynamic group of some of the best game programmers in the industry have generously joined together to share their insights and techniques.   Their ready-to-use ideas, tips, and solutions, will help save hours of programming time, prevent redundancy, and leave you with more time to add cutting-edge features to your own games.

Covering all the key areas of game development, this invaluable resource delves deep into the problems often encountered by programmers, and provides practical, valid solutions. Each section is edited by an expert in the field to ensure that the ideas are original, accurate, and useful for a variety of game development projects.  In addition to covering Mathematics, Graphics, General Programming, Audio, and Artificial Intelligence, Game Programming Gems 3 also includes an all new section on Network and Multiplayer games.

This is a must-have reference, and series, for every game developer.  If you are just getting started, this book offers a true cross-section of the challenges you'll face, and provides a variety of additional references to help you find all the resources you need to advance your skills and knowledge.  If you're an expert already, you'll find new ideas and techniques to help save plenty of valuable programming time. 

ON THE CD-ROM (Windows)The CD-ROM is packed with portable source code in C & C++. Most of the techniques will work on all platforms, however, there are some techniques which will only work on Windows/ DirectX. Also included are demos of many of the techniques described in the book, the DirectX8.1 SDK, the OpenGL Utility Toolkit (GLUT), the glSetup Monolithic version, and high resolution versions of the color plates.

System Requirements:To use all of the code in the book, it is recommended that you know the following: C and C++, x86 assembler (if you're a PC engine programmer), and OpenGL and Direct3D (if you're a 3D programmer).

Section EditorsKim Pallister, General ProgrammingJohn Byrd, MathematicsSteve Woodcock, Artificial IntelligenceJeff Lander, GraphicsAndrew Kirmse, Network and MultiplayerScott Patterson, Audio

Section HighlightsGeneral Programming: Scheduling game events, object-composition framework, C-style macros, function-binding code generation, handle-based smart pointers, custom STL allocatorsMathematics: Fast base-2 functions, using vector fractions, approximations to trigonometric functions, constrained inverse kinematics, cellular automata for physical modelingArtificial Intelligence:  Optimized machine learning with GoGap, terrain analysis in an RTS, tactical path-finding with A*, a fast approach to navigation meshesGraphics: T-junction elimination and retriangulation, fast heightfield normal calculation, realistic character locomotion, a programmable vertex shader compiler, procedural texturingNetwork and Multiplayer: Minimizing latency in real-time strategy games, scaling multiplayer servers, template-based object serialization, secure socketsAudio: Audio compression with Ogg Vorbis, creating a compelling 3D audio environment, obstruction using axis-aligned bounding boxes, using the biquad resonant filter

EDITORS' BIOGRAPHIES:Dante Treglia is the lead software engineer at Nintendo of America's Software Development Support Group where he supports the Nintendo GameCube development community. Mark DeLoura, founding editor of the series, is the manager of developer relations for Sony Computer Entertainment America, focusing on the PlayStation 2 and future entertainment products.