Robert Kosara has just finished a pair of reviews for Manuel Lima’s Visual Complexity and Nathan Yau’s Visualize This for Science. He doesn’t pull any punches, showing the pros and cons of each, along with information on how he came to do the review.
I’m really conflicted about Visual Complexity. While it is a beautiful book that provides a great overview over a large range of visualization examples, it has one big flaw: it doesn’t deliver on the promise of structuring and understanding network visualization techniques.
via My Review of Visualize This and Visual Complexity for Science Magazine | eagereyes.
Science book
Still looking for a gift for the VFX person in your life? Check out this amazing new book available on Amazon (order today for 1-day delivery by tomorrow) chronicling the story of ILM from their early roots to more modern pursuits.
Industrial Light & Magic: The Art of Innovation is the first and only book to focus on the company’s work during the last sixteen years, detailing its creative and technological innovations on dozens of blockbuster films. Through firsthand accounts of the problem solving that has pushed the art form of visual effects to its limits and created visual experiences that could only have been dreamed of in the past, the book features extensive commentary by George Lucas, Dennis Muren, John Knoll, Scott Farrar, Roger Guyett, Ben Snow, Rob Coleman, Lorne Peterson, and many others. Their accounts are supplemented by more than 400 images from many of ILM’s breakthrough movies, such as the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Transformers, Iron Man, and the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, offering a crash course on the most groundbreaking visual effects created today.
Available on Amazon for only $31.50 .
via Amazon.com: Industrial Light & Magic: The Art of Innovation (9780810998025): Pamela Glintenkamp, Gore Verbinski, Jon Favreau: Books.
Graphics book, ilm, vfx
If you’ve been hear lots about Manuel Lima’s “Visual Complexity” text but don’t think you’re visualization-savvy enough to really get anything form it, then be sure to check out frequent VizWorld contributor Tiago Veloso’s review of the text.
Because, let’s face it, to write about a book from someone considered to be the next Edward Tufte, it’s no easy task, especially when you’re kind of an outsider in the field. Yes, I post a lot of examples of infographics and data visualizations, but I’m far from being an information designer, despite the fact I actually use network mapping in my “real” work.
However, after I began reading it, I realized that it really doesn’t matter if you’re a designer or not. Because this book goes far beyond the traditional approach of showcasing examples of beautiful works.
He has lots of example images and references to the Visual Complexity website, as well as lots of insight from a non-expert.
Update 10/20: Typo correction.
via Visual Loop – Book Review: Visual Complexity, by Manuel Lima.
Science book, review
Nathan Yau’s new book “Visualize This” is now published and for-sale at multiple outlets!
Right now, at this very moment, I have an actual physical book on my desk, with my name on it, that says Visualize This: The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics. It’s a great feeling. Thank you again to all of you for making this possible and for sharing with me your love of data. Simply put, this book doesn’t exist without you, and I’m super grateful for all of your support. I hope Visualize This finds its way onto many others’ desks everywhere.
Congratulations!
via Visualize This: Published.
Science book
The next chapter of the OpenGLBook.com is now online, focusing on rendering and geometry in 3-dimensions with OpenGL.
If you’re learning OpenGL, it’s very likely you’re doing so to learn how to render three-dimensional data. In this chapter, we’ll be placing our very first step in the world of three-dimensional computer graphics. We’ll learn:
- The mathematics used to describe transformations in a three-dimensional world
- What coordinate systems are good for and how to use them
- What polygon culling is and why it’s used
- How to render a rotating colored cube to the screen
- Some new OpenGL function calls
As mentioned in the preface, you’ll need some mathematical knowledge in order to understand some of the concepts presented, preferably knowledge of linear algebra. The mathematics in this chapter is as lightweight as possible without sacrificing the integrity of the presented concept.
The entire “book” looks like a great resource for folks getting into computer graphics, and might even make a decent course textbook for an intro-level course.
via Chapter 4: Entering the Third Dimension | OpenGLBook.com.
Graphics, Science book, education, opengl
If you know OpenGL and you’ve always wanted to see your name listed as an “Author”, then consider heading on over to the OpenGL Insights page where they’re looking for Authors for a wide range of subjects.
Given the wide array of OpenGL platforms, from Mac desktops to Android phones to web browsers, we invite you to submit article proposals on all aspects of OpenGL development, including performance tuning, recent GL features/extensions, application architecture, vendor-specific techniques, WebGL, and interoperability with other APIs. We are interested in proposals based on your unique real-world experience using OpenGL.
Proposals for chapters are due by August 15th.
OpenGL Insights.
Science book, opengl
From Monty Python to Doctor Who, some of televisions most iconic shows and visual effects came from the BBC VFX department, sadly closed in 2003. In this book from Mat Irvine and Mike Tucker, we see behind the scenes and the stories of some of these iconic scenes, made before the rise of CGI.
The BBC visual effects department closed its doors in 2003, but for almost 50 years it had been responsible for some of television’s most iconic images. Using interviews with the effects designers throughout the department’s history together with concept drawings, production photographs, and stills from completed programs, this book tells the story of the VFX department and celebrates the work of a group of craftspeople who lived by the mantra “if it can be imagined, it can be made.” Working largely before the age of CGI, the department was responsible for every kind of visual effect, from physical effects such as rain and explosions, to miniatures, models, sculpture, and animatronics, all of which had to be convincing—a challenge in the early days when many programs were shown live. Following a preliminary chapter on effects techniques, the book features in-depth accounts of 50 key shows, representing every genre, from sci-fi and drama to comedies and documentaries. In each we see how the designers worked, from receiving the original script to creating the finished effects. Filled with fascinating insights, wonderful stories, and numerous photographs and artworks that have never been published, this is an essential book for FX fans and anyone who loves television.
This book and many others is available in the VizWorld Store.
Graphics book, feature, resource of the week
General-purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU) is very popular right now, and NVIDIA has the lead in this arena with their Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). While in the future, it looks like people will be moving from CUDA, which is proprietary to NVIDIA, to OpenCL, which should be available from a variety of vendors.
Morgan Kaufmann has published a new book in the GPU Computing Gems series. As to be expected, this book covers a variety of topics including scientific simulation, life sciences, statistical modeling, ray tracing, rendering, computer vision, video processing, signal processing, and medical imaging. You can buy GPU Computing Gems from Amazon for $59.24.
Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are designed to be parallel – having hundreds of cores versus traditional CPUs. Increasingly, you can leverage GPU power for many computationally-intense applications, not just for graphics. If you’re facing the challenge of programming systems to effectively use these massively parallel processors to achieve efficiency and performance goals, GPU Computing Gems provides a wealth of tested, proven GPU techniques.
GPU Computing Gems: Emerald Edition is the first volume in this new series from Morgan Kaufmann. Different application domains often pose similar algorithm problems, and researchers from diverse application domains often develop similar algorithmic strategies.
via : Wen-Mei Hwu Polishes Book of GPU Computing Gems @ InsideHPC
via : GPU Computing Gems
Graphics book
Ballistic Publishing is in the middle of a 3-day sale, offering their latest “Ballistic Masters” book showcasing the work of Linda Bergkvist at half-off, making it only $19.50.
Ballistic Masters poster books feature art by the world’s best digital artists. Each Ballistic Masters set contains twelve full-color prints. The 11.69 x 16.5 inch prints are produced to our world-leading standard on 190gsm fine quality paper. Each print is individually finished, color-corrected, press- checked and packaged. Ballistic Masters prints are presented in a gold- embossed folio that includes details of the artist and individual works. Featuring some of the most memorable and enthralling images from the best digital artists, Ballistic Masters poster books are perfect for reference or display.
via Ballistic Publishing – Ballistic Masters – Linda Bergkvist.
Graphics ballistic, book, sale
This week’s “Recommended Resource” comes not from Amazon, but from O’Reilly who is hosting a huge sale on the Top 25 of 2010. For today only, you can get the DRM-Free e-Book version of their Top 25 titles, including the popular “Beautiful Visualization”, at an impressive 60% Off.
For one day only, you can save 60% on our best of “Ebook Deal of the Day” titles – the top 25 of 2010.
Ebooks from oreilly.com are DRM-free. You get free lifetime access, multiple file formats,
and free updates. One day only. Use discount code DDT25 in the shopping cart.
via O’Reilly Media – Best of Ebook Deal/Day – Save 60% on the Top 25.
Science book, feature, oreilly, resource of the week
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