Digital 3d Design. Danaher, S. (2004) Cambridge, UK: Ilex Press.

Digital 3D Design: The Use of 3D Applications in Digital Graphic Design is a compact and visually loaded introduction to 3-D design. With 3-D graphics and animations popping up all over, in movies, computer games, and retail Web sites, many are looking for an entry into this exciting career. But all of the terms, jargon, and applications can be daunting. Author Simon Danaher, an expert in 3-D computer graphics, lays out an accessible and colorfully illustrated guide to it all. His approach will be especially welcome to those already experienced with 2-D paint or vector applications since there are some common themes.

A better subtitle might have been Beyond Shiny Chrome Balls and Neon Skies, because the book quickly takes readers past those fairly basic fantasy-style images and on to more sophisticated modeling. It begins with a bit of history and a brief profile of the major 3-D applications such as Maya, 3D Studio Max, Poser, and many others. The next 60 pages cover core concepts like modeling, spline patches, NURBS, and raytracing. In later sections, "lessons" cover more concepts in detail, for example, tessellation, keyframe animation, and UV texture mapping. Although these aren't quite step-by-step lessons, there are plenty of screenshots and Danaher clearly outlines what goes into each process. The book finishes by showing different uses of 3-D computer graphics, for example, on the Web (including VRML and Java 3D), in architecture, and in product design. And there's a nice glossary of terms.

This is not a how-to focusing on any specific software, but rather a look at the big picture of 3-D design. Digital 3D Design will be a welcome introduction for those wanting to dip their toes in but not knowing where to begin, or for artists looking to branch out into another dimension. --Angelynn Grant