Graphics Programming with GDI+ Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Graphics Programming with GDI+? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Graphics Programming with GDI+. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Graphics Programming with GDI+ ReviewThere is nothing in this book that is not in the MSDN documentation (comes with Visual Studio, and is freely available at the MSDN site). In some cases, this book actually tells you less than the class library reference help. E.g., the example code regarding metafiles in MSDN has more detail than this book -- and that's not a lot! The examples in the book are just way too simplistic. In places, it seems plain that the help reference has basically been copied. Every time I check this book when I'm facing a real-world problem, the book is useless. There is nothing regarding best practices. It almost seems as though the author has not done serious work with GDI. Other books in this series from Addison are ok, but not this one.Graphics Programming with GDI+ Overview

Want to learn more information about Graphics Programming with GDI+?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop CS4 (CourseSmart) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop CS4 (CourseSmart)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop CS4 (CourseSmart). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop CS4 (CourseSmart) ReviewA very good basic guide;easy to follow clearly written instructions. A definite aid to improving your ability to more effectively utilize the many tools of PhotoShop.Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop CS4 (CourseSmart) Overview

Want to learn more information about Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop CS4 (CourseSmart)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques ReviewI've been using photoshop professionally for a few years if you can call it that. Like a lot of people I would mess around with the curves not really knowing what they do to my images. Then I'd adjust the levels and eventually end up with what I thought was a decent edited photo. I like the other books out there for quick tips and recipes but it was clearly this studio techniques book that helped me finally understand what the hec i was doing.
This is not a step by step cookbook type of book but instead its a journey from the basic overview of CS4 to the complex curves, histograms, layers, sharpening and more. Do yourself a favor and get this book if you want to really learn photoshop, not just click the buttons and hope for the best. Congrats Ben and Dan on a terrific book.Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques Overview

Want to learn more information about Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Pro .NET 2.0 Graphics Programming (Expert's Voice in .NET) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Pro .NET 2.0 Graphics Programming (Expert's Voice in .NET)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Pro .NET 2.0 Graphics Programming (Expert's Voice in .NET). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Pro .NET 2.0 Graphics Programming (Expert's Voice in .NET) ReviewExcerpt from C# Online.NET (CSharp-Online.NET) Review:
"For those who might want a book dedicated only to topics directly related to custom control development, there may be disappointment.... The coverage of GDI+ topics is exhaustive. This makes the book an excellent introduction and reference to GDI+."Pro .NET 2.0 Graphics Programming (Expert's Voice in .NET) Overview

Want to learn more information about Pro .NET 2.0 Graphics Programming (Expert's Voice in .NET)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS4 in 24 Hours (5th Edition) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS4 in 24 Hours (5th Edition)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS4 in 24 Hours (5th Edition). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS4 in 24 Hours (5th Edition) ReviewThis is a great book to help any Photoshop user get a good understanding of what the program is capable of. I've been using Photoshop for a couple years now, but never really learned how to use all the tools. Now I feel much more capable of editing my pictures efficiently.
The book is organized wonderfully for helping a beginner warm up to the program, but still covers important topics (like masks and blending modes) that are important for seasoned users to have an understanding of. If used the way it was intended (read from start to finish, like a course textbook), any new Photoshop user will finish with useful experience with all the tools that will help them produce amazing results.
That said, this book covers only the features that are included in the Standard Edition of Photoshop. Some Extended Edition tools are mentioned, but are only introduced - not explained. Still, the Standard Edition tools are the ones used in most Photoshop settings that do not deal with video and 3D graphics. For anyone looking to use Photoshop as a photo-editing tool, this book covers all the information you need.
As far as content depth, it is impossible for a book to teach all the ways that the many tools can be used together. There are many examples and exercises for the reader to work on, but there is no way for every variation to be covered. As with any creative skill, more practice is always encouraged to give a working understanding of the many effects that are possible.Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS4 in 24 Hours (5th Edition) Overview

Want to learn more information about Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS4 in 24 Hours (5th Edition)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Photoshop CS4 in Easy Steps: For Windows and Mac Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Photoshop CS4 in Easy Steps: For Windows and Mac? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Photoshop CS4 in Easy Steps: For Windows and Mac. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Photoshop CS4 in Easy Steps: For Windows and Mac ReviewI'm new to photoshop and am taking a college-level course that focuses exclusively on CS4. I have 4 photoshop books and this is far and away the one I use the most. Each photoshop tool is presented in a clear, easy to understand format on a single page. No reading through gobs of unnecessary information here, just the "cheat sheet" style information you need when your trying to learn the program. If your looking for design tricks or how to edit photos, this probably isn't the best book for you. But if you're trying to learn basic commands and how to use them, this is the book to buy.Photoshop CS4 in Easy Steps: For Windows and Mac Overview

Want to learn more information about Photoshop CS4 in Easy Steps: For Windows and Mac?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Beyond Photoshop: Advanced techniques integrating Photoshop with Illustrator, Poser, Painter, Cinema 4D and ZBrush Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Beyond Photoshop: Advanced techniques integrating Photoshop with Illustrator, Poser, Painter, Cinema 4D and ZBrush? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Beyond Photoshop: Advanced techniques integrating Photoshop with Illustrator, Poser, Painter, Cinema 4D and ZBrush. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Beyond Photoshop: Advanced techniques integrating Photoshop with Illustrator, Poser, Painter, Cinema 4D and ZBrush Review"Beyond Photoshop: Advanced techniques integrating Photoshop with Illustrator, Poser, Painter, Cinema 4D and ZBrush" by Derek Lea is a wonderful book for those who are looking to incorporate Photoshop to their illustrators, 3D work or painting projects.
I recommend this book for those who are past the basics of Adobe Photoshop and those who have dabbled and own the software mentioned below. It's important to note that the author is using CS4 for these projects.
The chapters are:
CHAPTER 1: Sharp Edges and Painterly Blends (Adobe Photoshop CS4 & Illustrator CS4)
CHAPTER 2: 2D Textures and 3D Vectors (Adobe Photoshop CS4 & Illustrator CS4)
CHAPTER 3: Live Trace and Pathfinder Effects (Adobe Photoshop CS4 & Illustrator CS4)
CHAPTER 4: Hand Painted Magic (Adobe Photoshop CS4 & Painter 11)
CHAPTER 5: Create an Old Master (Adobe Photoshop CS4 & Poser 8)
CHAPTER 6: The Best of Both Worlds (Adobe Photoshop CS4 & Cinema 4D 11)
CHAPTER 7: Sculpting Raw Materials (Adobe Photoshop CS4 & ZBrush 3.2)
The first step is to go to the website for the book and download the project files and from there, begin following the instructions laid out in the book. Instructions are very thorough and one of the reasons why this book has only 7 chapters is because it's thorough and Derek Lea does a fantastic job explaining each step.
The good news is that with each step, there is a picture of the artwork and the tool on the software being used, so you can see what is being selected.
If anything, this is a book that works well for those who are at the intermediate level. Beginner level, it all depends on how fast you learn and your familiarity with other software. And this is where the book has its caveat and that is one may own Illustrator but then not own the other software and thus making the other chapters obsolete until you get it.
Even for me, I've purchased and owned only four of the software, so I can only go up to chapter 5. And I assume that many people will be in the same boat.
There are awesome techniques from Derek Lea but it's a book that will be subjective to the user because you need these software to work the project files. Also, it depends on how current your software is. Granted, if you know the software well, you don't need the latest versions and do your own personal workaround.
Overall, "Beyond Photoshop" is a book that is well written and definitely handled quite well by the writer Derek Lea. It would be great to have multiple "Beyond Photoshop" books that focus on Photoshop and one software rather than one book featuring techniques with several software, because it limits the user to the software they own. If you only own Photoshop and Illustrator, you only have three chapters to work with.
This book does favor Photoshop/Illustrator with three chapters and one for the others. So, in a way, I wish there were 3 chapters dedicated to Photoshop + another software each to make the book balanced (if it was well-balanced, this book would receive a 5-star rating) but since it's not, I'm only going to give it three stars. But it's a very good book, it's a well-written book but unfortunately, it's limiting.
It's a solid book but if you intend to buy this, make sure you have the software, so you can utilize each chapter.Beyond Photoshop: Advanced techniques integrating Photoshop with Illustrator, Poser, Painter, Cinema 4D and ZBrush Overview

Want to learn more information about Beyond Photoshop: Advanced techniques integrating Photoshop with Illustrator, Poser, Painter, Cinema 4D and ZBrush?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional (Beginning from Novice to Professional) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional (Beginning from Novice to Professional)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional (Beginning from Novice to Professional). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional (Beginning from Novice to Professional) ReviewI've been reading and using this book for a few weeks. It's great!
The open source community needed an updated gimp book. Gimp is already a mature open source project, and the two books that came out a few years ago were long outdated.
The best thing about the book is the generous use of images to illustrate her points.. APress did a fantastic job with layout and making it easy to find things.
I appreciate how the book reviewed a few basic points with general information. In short, this book has a little bit for everybody.Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional (Beginning from Novice to Professional) Overview

Want to learn more information about Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional (Beginning from Novice to Professional)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Painter 11 Creativity: Digital Artist's Handbook Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Painter 11 Creativity: Digital Artist's Handbook? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Painter 11 Creativity: Digital Artist's Handbook. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Painter 11 Creativity: Digital Artist's Handbook ReviewI am working Corel Painter with the help of Jeremy's new "Painter 11 Creativity" book. The brushes that are included in the CD that come with the book are truly fabulous brushes. I love his style of painting as well as his style of teaching. He truly brings the creative side of painting out in you. I was particularly pleased that he included his post printing process in this book. I had a piece printed that I did in Painter. I then used Jeremy's instructions and painted over the print. I was so pleased with the process as well as the results of painting with Acrylics over the sealed print that I plan to do many more of them. I want to paint them using different types of real media paints. I rate this book as a five star.Painter 11 Creativity: Digital Artist's Handbook Overview

Want to learn more information about Painter 11 Creativity: Digital Artist's Handbook?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC ReviewThis book is one of the first wave of PSCS4 books available which, in my opinion penalizes it a half star. This due to several tech edit errors none of which are fatal. At worst, they cause some hesitation and a minute of thought before the reader understands that the error is caused by either a true error or the author using a pre-production release of the program which was a bit different from the version one buys retail today.
The author is plain that this is a book for intermediate to advanced Photoshop users. Take that advice seriously. The author spends no pages with elementary topics of either photography or Photoshop. Instead, it's right into the soup and a deep bowl of soup it is indeed. A beginner or a slight intermediate will, for sure, benefit from the book but probably not be able to follow a good deal of it. Thus he'll become quite adept at certain aspects of PSCS4 (those he understands) but utterly ignorant of other aspects (those he was forced to skip over).
Take one of many examples: the author describes when to and how to either create channel clipping or avoid the same. He uses clear examples going into this topic in fine detail written quite clearly. However, in no place does he define what channels are or how they are clipped or what clipping is. That's fine for the solid intermediate or beyond reader but it will surely leave the weak intermediate or beginner reduced to tears trying to discern what exactly is going on.
In many places the author gives tips and tricks clearly he's learned from long experience or, in some cases, from others (who he credits). Here's tremendous value. While this book is hardly inexpensive, to a serious amateur or professional, any one of these tricks will be easily worth the price of the book.
There is no filler at all in this book. It is all valuable content and also clearly the result of a huge effort on the part of the author and publisher. I would knock it down a half star due to the few tech errors but give it back an additional whole star (at least) for the superb DVD replete with valuable extra content including some videos narrated by the author.
Everything from the DVD to the quality of the example photos to the solid content demonstrate that this book offers unusual value for the more advanced PSCS4 student.Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC Overview

Want to learn more information about Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Practical WPF Charts and Graphics (Expert's Voice in .NET) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Practical WPF Charts and Graphics (Expert's Voice in .NET)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Practical WPF Charts and Graphics (Expert's Voice in .NET). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Practical WPF Charts and Graphics (Expert's Voice in .NET) ReviewAs a professional programmer I don't have a lot of time to waste learning all the details to master a new programming area. I had to buy five books on database programming to get one decent database working for my clients. With WPF I have found there are just three books to buy to master its intricacies. Get "Windows Presentation Foundation", "Pro WPF", and Dr. Wu's "Practical WPF Charts and Graphics". The other books are helpful, but not really necessary.
This book gets right down to the etails of mastering chart graphics. Within a few chapters, specialized charts are covered. Dr. Xu shows how to do almost every form of scientific and financial charting I have ever encountered. Although the code is designed to show off the approach to building a single chart application, the data series and configuration style objects introduced by the book can be easily altered to build multiple chart conglomerations for stock charts with indicators or scientific multiple view sets with minimal work. I found that the XAML code needed to be tweaked to insure that it coupled multiple canvas areas to the correct code operations, but there are always going to be small glitches when code examples are expanded for professional needs.
The code examples are introduced in a simple to complex sequence that allows the reader to get easily accustomed to the support objects and to understand how chart styles need to be adapted to each type of chart. I figure that this one book has saved me at least a hundred hours of exploring failed approaches to WPF charting. I have two other books by this author and I knew that this one would display the same efficiency of introduction and clarity of organization as before. I was thoroughly satisfied with his latest approach to explaining WPF charts. I have now moved on to combining several simultanous charts with chart interaction.
By the way, previous to applying Dr. Xu's writings, I was looking at paying up to $2000 for the code behind the EzyStockCharts library to solve my charting needs and I would have been forced to build a C++ wrapper around the code to use it in a .NET environment. That would have been very time consuming and I would only have found a two dimensional solution for all my time and cost. The source code for all the C# examples in the book and a few more is currently available and easily downloadable from the internet. The download also includes the binaries to run each project and allows you to quickly discover exactly how each sample behaves in the real world of your computer.
If you are serious about investing in your software career, or in avoiding a costly project failure, this book will give your knowledge base a definite competitive edge. I'm looking forward to applying the information that I encountered in this book to the display of large database patterns as well as my stock chart displays. I hope you see the advantage of becoming an instant charting expert by reading this book.Practical WPF Charts and Graphics (Expert's Voice in .NET) Overview

Want to learn more information about Practical WPF Charts and Graphics (Expert's Voice in .NET)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3 ReviewI am not a graphic design expert guru nor have i finished Mordy's book (I am only on Chapter 4) but I am reviewing because the first and only reviewer is, what is the word i am look for....sort of an dumb-dumb. (the commenter is absolutely correct; the system should delete reviews like the first one for this book). The book is clearly 4 or 5 star material. I can't speak to the book from a expert perspective. But this is not a book on graphic design; further, the book goes deep on color/live color and you don't actually need to see everything in color to learn the color tools.
I am still learning illustrator CS3. I took most of Deke McClelland's mega course at [...] and i also just started Mordy's [...] course "essential illustrator cs3." I highly recommend both and this book, too. But i had a tough time getting over the initial learning curve. I think illustrator cs3 is hard to learn. Mordy's approach, in the book and in his [...] videos, is borne of teaching experience. The book does not go into a catalog of features. Instead, he starts early on layers and the appearance palette. This was exactly what i needed. I finally get illustrator because i see it as paths in layers, and attributes to paths as reflected in the appearance palette. I probably simplify, but when you "get" paths, layers and the appearance palette, it all starts to come into place (e.g., all the live effects are just additional attributes!).
The book doesn't walk thru projects with associated downloadable files, that's a difference from some others. It is a bit more like a reference, except organized sort of by jobs rather than features. But Mordy (like Deke) is world class and you won't find a better Illustrator instructor.Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3 Overview

Want to learn more information about Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Photoshop Elements 7 Book for Digital Photographers Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Photoshop Elements 7 Book for Digital Photographers? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Photoshop Elements 7 Book for Digital Photographers. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Photoshop Elements 7 Book for Digital Photographers ReviewClearly, the authors of this book are experts in Photoshop Elements. This book will teach you tricks and techniques you would probably never be able to learn on your own. In addition they give "cookbook" line by line instructions which even a complete novice can follow.
For the most part, the book is organized in a task-oriented manner which is convenient when you have a specific modification you want to make to your photo, i.e. modify colors, restore old faded photos, merge pictures and a thousand other ways to improve your pictures. The authors obviously know their subject well and are enthusiastic about passing on this information.
The task oriented approach does have some disadvantages though. The book does not have chapters meant simply to explain each button, tool, etc in the program, rather you learn about the tools as you use them for a specific task. This is ok, but makes the book difficult to just sit down and read cover to cover in order to learn how to use the program. Rather it works best when you look up a topic one by one when you have a specific task you want to try. This probably works well for most people, but if you buy the book planning on just reading it from start to finish you may be overwhelmed. It would have been nice to have a chapter or two introducing different tools and concepts.
My biggest complaint is the way they handle the layers tool. The authors state that every other book on elements goes through the basics of using layers, so they are going to skip this. Instead, layers are used frequently to achieve many techniques, with step by step cookbook instructions. Since I have not read a previous book (other than a previous edition of this book which takes the same approach), I don't understand the layers toolbar and just copy their step by step instructions (which give amazing results!). Nevertheless, in my opinion, a chapter explaining layers would help me understand layers better-- then I might be able to perform these tasks by myself rather than just memorizing the steps.
I can't comment on whether this book is a good update if you already own their immediate previous edition as I upgraded from a previous edition for Elements 3. The upgrade is clearly worth it to me as there is substantial new information compared with the version for Elements 3.
In summary, this book has an amazing amount of information presented in a step by step fashion easy to reproduce at home. It will teach you both simple and complex techniques to do amazing things with your pictures. I give it 4 stars because it is short at times on explaining concepts, particularly layers, requiring me to keep the book open and follow each step rather than being able to leave the book behind and apply the concepts I learned.The Photoshop Elements 7 Book for Digital Photographers Overview

Want to learn more information about The Photoshop Elements 7 Book for Digital Photographers?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book ReviewI have been using Adobe Photoshop since version 5.5, but didnt really get into it seriously until Photoshop CS (8). When I purshcased CS, i bought Jan Kabili's "Complete Course" title, because I considered the Classroom In a Book series to be too dry and technical. It seems that most PS books are either completely tutorial based (meaning you have to follow that sample projects in order to get anything from the lessons) or a cut-and-dry reference that doesnt go too in depth on explainations. "Complete Course" was the former, a big disappointment, and I never finished it. I have since upgraded to CS2, and wanted to get THE most comprehensive and most importantly, versatile book, that would provide explainations as well as serve as a reference.
I have not been disappointed in my purchase of Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book. From what I have seen, the book has chapters that suit everyone, whether you have years of experience with photoshop or are a complete beginner. I am somewhere in between, but found even the most basic "beginner" chapters contain some very useful information. As the book progresses the concepts become more complex and allow you to greatly expand your knowledge of PS.
But what impressed me most about Classroom in a Book was that it can be molded to fit your learning style. Included is a CD with example files for you to follow along with each lesson, trying out features as you go. However, if you are like me and do not learn as well from following a tutorial step-by-step, you dont have to use the CD. This book is written well enough and includes plenty of color screenshots that you can do just as well without the sample files. I am about halfway through the book, feel very confident in what I learned from those lessons, and have yet to pop in the CD. Using it (at least for the first half of the book) is up to you and depends on how you like to learn.
I also purchased this book, because sometime in the not-too-distant future, I am planning to take the exam to become an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) in Photoshop CS2. For anyone else considering taking the exam, this is the official Photoshop book. Not only is this the guide that Adobe recommends as preparation for the ACE exam, but it is also highly recommended by many of those who have taken the exam and are now certified experts in photoshop.
This book was definitely one of my best book purchases to date; I am looking forward to the release of Adobe's Classroom in a Book for GoLiveCS2!Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book Overview

Want to learn more information about Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques ReviewI purchased "AI CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques" because I consider myself to be a beginner with AI, and wanted a book that would provide a basic introduction to AI CS3. Although the book does a good job in covering most basic techniques (as well as some not-so-basic techniques), I found that it really was too basic, and lacked the detail (as well as examples) to address many of the questions that I had. Most How-tos are 2 pages long and are pretty skeletal. I was surprised at the absence of color (odd in an illustrator book?) and that some of the screenshots were two small to clearly show the author's intent. In all, I couldn't figure out who this book would be for. CS3 is a complex, professional level application. Anyone having the need to purchase CS3 will ultimately require more guidance than was offered.Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques Overview

Want to learn more information about Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Photoshop Masking & Compositing Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Photoshop Masking & Compositing? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Photoshop Masking & Compositing. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Photoshop Masking & Compositing ReviewEvery book I've read by Katrin Eismann has been very good. Even so, This one was better than I expected.
Katrin has designed the book so it could be used as a textbook for Photoshop teachers. There are files to go with the book and its lessons available for download over the internet. You can use these files to do the lesson projects she has throughout the book. This was true with her book on photo restoration and retouching, as well.
As the title suggests, she gives excellent information on making masks in Photoshop. She gives you the theory, so you can better understand how masks work, and then gives you lots of techniques for creating masks.
Often, masks are required to extract a person or an object from the background of a photo, so you can composite it into another photo. She gives excellent tutorials on doing this, including how to preserve hair and fine detail. We all know how much more real a composite looks when you are able to capture those stray hairs. It's all about selecting those fine details with out selecting the unwanted stuff. She gives you several selection strategies that you can use in different situations.
She also gives you strategies for using the pen tool to create complex paths and combine paths. And there is a selection technique called the "multi-pass" technique (page 300).
In the compositing section, she devotes the first part to image execution, showing you how to design your photo shots for compositing. And gives some good advice in "Photographic Essentials."
I was blown away by a project she showed in which some books were composited in with buildings, matching perspective to make them fit perfectly. See page 416 for the final result, and read the pages preceding it to see how it was done. I was even more impressed with another project that begins on page 431. In that project, there is an ordinary photo of two people fencing in the woods at a medieval faire. The end of the project results in a dramatic photo with beautiful lighting.
She also covers alternatives for achieving results, such as sharpening a photo with High Pass instead of Unsharp Mask. This is a great book for someone who wants to improve their Photoshop skills. You probably should be an intermediate level user, able to understand all of the basics of Photoshop if you want to use this book.Photoshop Masking & Compositing Overview

Want to learn more information about Photoshop Masking & Compositing?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Adobe Illustrator CS4 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Adobe Illustrator CS4 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Adobe Illustrator CS4 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Adobe Illustrator CS4 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques ReviewThis book has taken me from being a part-time user of Illustrator to somebody who feels confident every time I now open up the application. Everything is bitesize and easy to digest. A must-have!Adobe Illustrator CS4 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques Overview

Want to learn more information about Adobe Illustrator CS4 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Photoshop CS4 For Dummies Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Photoshop CS4 For Dummies? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Photoshop CS4 For Dummies. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Photoshop CS4 For Dummies ReviewAs a new person starting from scratch this book does not give the detail required for learning. I felt it would apply more to someone who has been using photoshop for some time and this book explains a few handy tips. It was not much help at all for me as a beginnerPhotoshop CS4 For Dummies Overview

Want to learn more information about Photoshop CS4 For Dummies?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

100% Photoshop: Create stunning artwork without using any photographs Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy 100% Photoshop: Create stunning artwork without using any photographs? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on 100% Photoshop: Create stunning artwork without using any photographs. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

100% Photoshop: Create stunning artwork without using any photographs ReviewWe have quite a library of Photoshop books. We go back to Photoshop 2.0. Like Acrobat, Bridge, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, and InDesign, Photoshop is part of our daily diet. It's not easy to show us something new. Every page of this book either showed us something new, impressed or inspired us.
Though "100% Photoshop" is not specific to any version of the app, it's perfect to enjoy with CS5's new paint engine. Steve shows you how simple it is to create 8 captivating projects without using any photographs. Don't even think of saying, "I'm not an artist." You don't have to be. Steve's first chapter includes the fundamentals of his simple techniques on a step-by-step basis, complete with easy examples you can try yourself. You'll feel inspired enough to instead say, "I can do this!" (...and that's just chapter 1)!
From there, Steve takes you through how he creates an old-style glass window office door, an outer space scene, the contents of a desk's top drawer, science fiction art, the contents of an attic, a wild future electronic device, a fabulous outdoor scene, and the spooky image on the cover. As we read through this we went, "I didn't know you could do that."
It's a must-have for an good Photoshop library. (We didn't we think of doing this book)? Once you've done the step-by-step your inspired enough to do it too.
Cheers,
Brian Stoppee, President/Executive Producer
M2 Media Studios, Inc.
[...].100% Photoshop: Create stunning artwork without using any photographs Overview

Want to learn more information about 100% Photoshop: Create stunning artwork without using any photographs?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3 ReviewI've evaluated several 3D game engines, including XNA Game Studio 3 (ok for home enthusiasts), Torque 3D (not ready for prime time as of this writing), Unity (nice), Blender3D (ok for home enthusiasts), and Unreal Engine 3. The Unreal Engine UDK blows them away, although the Unity 3D Platformer is really quite good. You can't beat what you get with the Unreal Engine UDK, especially considering that its free. Some licensing rules apply if you actually create and sell a game.
I purchased this book in order to get a "head start" on developing applications with the Unreal Game Engine. I was very pleased with its contents. The examples in each chapter really drive home the benefits of using the Unreal Game Engine. I especially enjoyed the introductory chapter, the static meshes chapter, the material creation chapter, the terrain chapter, the Kismet chapter and the Matinee considerations chapter.
I downloaded the November and December Betas of the Unreal Development Kit (UDK). So if you do the same, be aware of the following differences.
1. When you copy a chapter's map to your Content directory, change its extension from ut3 to udk.
2. You will have some problems in Chapter 4: A Universe of Brushes. Some of the UT3 features (geometry modifiers for BSP extrusion, etc) are not in the UDK. You will not be able to extrude the capital and entablature on the columns in the temple. Don't waste time trying to figure out where they are, like I did. Unreal recommends using static meshes rather than BSP brushes to build your levels. So they've removed some of the modifiers from the UDK.
3. The property names in the book use Hungarian notation, but the UDK does not. Just remove the first character and you will find your property.
4. Every map needs a Killz setting. When you build your map you will get an error that the Killz setting is not initialized (something like that). So go to View/World Properties and expand Zone Info. You will see Kill Z as the first property. Set its value to something like -10000.
5. I had some issues with the Swarm, and ended up turning it off. I don't need to build my levels on multiple machines, and I didn't want to spend the time setting it up. So I disabled it.
That's it! Most of the examples in the book work as described. I'm very impressed with Kismet and Matinee. I think Autodesk could learn something here.
I can't wait to buy Volume 2: Advanced Level Design Concepts with Unreal Engine 3.Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3 Overview

Want to learn more information about Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...