• The perfect desktop guide to AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008 from a trio of award-winning authors who are Civil 3D experts; their practical tutorials and real-world examples focus squarely on teaching vital Civil 3D tips, tricks, and techniques
• Covers the best methods for creating, editing, displaying, and labeling all of the elements of a civil engineering project
• Features in-depth, detailed coverage of surveying, points, alignments, surfaces, profiles, corridors, grading, LandXML and LDT Project Transfer, cross sections, pipe networks, project management, Vault, and data shortcuts
• Includes a valuable CD with all the tutorial files necessary to complete the book's exercises, as well as useful utilities and plug-ins, and a trial version of the Civil 3D software.

Take your Maya skills to new levels with the sophisticated coverage you'll find in this authoritative Autodesk Maya Press reference and tutorial. From key basics through advanced techniques, our Maya experts provide the very latest professional-level instruction on Maya Complete and Maya Unlimited.

Early chapters offer a practical overview of Maya's interface. A "Quick Start" exercise lets novices create an animation the first day and covers the basics of node structure, keyframes, and basic lighting. Advanced users will broaden their skills with pertinent coverage for nCloth, mental ray integration, volume Fur rendering, advanced texturing tools, and enhanced MEL scripting. Practical tutorials reinforce learning with hands-on practice.

If you've been looking for a professional-quality and complete Maya resource to turn to again and again, this is the book.

• Render and store stills through the Render View window
• Learn techniques with nCloth's powerful cloth simulation
• Tweak and add drag-and-drop Fluid Effects for real-world effects

Welcome to the exciting world of 3D graphics creation with DirectX 9! "Beginning DirectX® 9" is your introductory guide to creating realistic virtual worlds and characters for games. This true beginner's guide offers easy-to-follow instructions for getting your first DirectX program up and running. Then it's on to 3D concepts and Direct3D® as you use DirectX 9 to begin designing and building your own 3D worlds. Expand your DirectX knowledge with an introduction to sound processing with DirectSound® and user input with DirectInput®. Wrap things up as you complete a comprehensive project that shows you how to apply each new concept. Bring amazing fantasy worlds to life with the power of DirectX 9!

Focus on 2D in Direct3D teaches you all of the tools and tips you'll need to dive right in and begin creating your own games. If you have some knowledge of C or C++ and have been searching for a guide that will take your 2D programming into the third dimension, then search no more!
In this book you\'ll acquire the skills you\'ll need to move from the 2D API to Direct3D. Written from the point of view of a 2D programmer, Focus on 2D in Direct3D presents the fundamentals of the Direct3D API in an easy-to-use-and-understand format. Get ready to jump into the world of Direct3D!

An Indispensable Resource Packed with Practical, Real-World Advice

Get the strategies you need for successful CAD management in this one-of-a-kind resource. You'll learn the basics—such as how to assign tasks, set budgets, and formulate ROI—and delve into more complex issues. How does one prioritize? How are standards best formulated, written, and introduced? Is the goal to do projects faster or cheaper—or both? What are the common myths of CAD management and how can you debunk them? Full of savvy insights, techniques, strategies, and examples from the field, this practical book will broaden your technical, business, and management skills both in and out of the world of CAD.

* Assess the capabilities of your people and resources
* Formulate, write, and communicate in-house and vendor standards
* Establish a budget, find cost savings, and determine ROI
* Manage intellectual property, file security, and document control
* Get involved with network and IT planning
* Sell your ideas to management and end users

Game Development Series
This book covers all of the elements necessary to create a Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP or short Windows-based Direct3D/DirectX Graphics game for the PC, including:
• 3D graphics and algorithms
• Game programming techniques and data structures
• Using 3D files to construct game worlds
• Programming your own character engine with a character animation system
• DirectX Graphics programming
• And more!

There's a reason why Mastering AutoCAD is so popular year after year. Loaded with concise explanations, step-by-step instructions, and hands-on projects, this comprehensive reference and tutorial from award-winning author George Omura has everything you need to become an AutoCAD expert.

If you're new to AutoCAD, the tutorials will help you build your skills right away. If you're an AutoCAD veteran, Omura's in-depth explanations of the latest and most advanced features, including the exciting annotation, notes, and layer properties features, will turn you into an AutoCAD pro. Whatever your experience level and however you use AutoCAD, you'll refer to this indispensable reference again and again.

Taking the reader step-by-step through the features of AutoCAD, Alf Yarwood provides a practical, structured course of work matched to the latest release of this software. After introducing first principles and the creation of 2D technical drawings, he goes on to demonstrate the construction of 3D solid and surface model drawings and rendering in the second part. All the new features of the 2008 software release are taken into account, in particular the new workspace for 2D drafting, faster rendering, new rendering methods, more materials, and improved lighting methods. The 2D chapters are also suitable for those learning how to use AutoCAD LT 2008.

Introduction to AutoCAD 2008 includes:

Taking the reader step-by-step through the features of AutoCAD, Alf Yarwood provides a practical, structured course of work matched to the latest release of this software. After introducing first principles and the creation of 2D technical drawings, he goes on to demonstrate the construction of 3D solid and surface model drawings and rendering in the second part. All the new features of the 2008 software release are taken into account, in particular the new workspace for 2D drafting, faster rendering, new rendering methods, more materials, and improved lighting methods. The 2D chapters are also suitable for those learning how to use AutoCAD LT 2008."Introduction to AutoCAD 2008" includes: hundreds of full-colour drawings and screen shots illustrating the stages within the design process; worked examples and exercises throughout the text, linking the use of; AutoCAD to real-world engineering practice; start of chapter learning outcome summaries and end of chapter revision notes and exercises to check the readers' understanding.Suitable for all new users of AutoCAD, this book is particularly applicable to introductory level undergraduate courses and vocational courses in engineering

Bring new realism to your visualizations with a command of the 3ds Max toolset. Three step-by-step tutorials demonstrate exterior and interior, day and night lighting scenes. You learn the nuts and bolts of importing models from CAD programs, lighting, applying mr shaders and materials, and optimizing your renders. Mental ray is made simple with an accessible description of its tools.
* Color reproductions illustrate a wide array of subtle techniques.
* mental ray is made easy with accesible demonstations.
* Companion CD contains all of the project files.