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<P><I>Advanced RenderMan: Creating CGI for Motion Pictures</I> is precisely what you and other RenderMan users are dying for. Written by the world's foremost RenderMan experts, it offers thoroughly updated coverage of the standard while moving beyond the scope of the original <I>RenderMan Companion</I> to provide in-depth information on dozens of advanced topics. Both a reference and a tutorial, this book will quickly prove indispensable, whether you're a technical director, graphics programmer, modeler, animator, or hobbyist.<br><br>Explore the Power of RenderMan</strong><br>* Use the entire range of geometric primitives supported by RenderMan.<br>* Understand how and when to use procedural primitives and level of detail.<br>* Master every nuance of the Shading Language.<br>* Write detailed procedural shaders using texture, displacement, pattern generation, and custom reflection models.<br>* Write shaders for special effects relating to volumes, custom lighting, and non-photorealistic media.<br>* Use antialiasing to ensure that your shaders are free of artifacts.<br>* Minimize the expense of rendering scenes by optimizing input.<br><br>Other Features from Advanced RenderMan</strong><br>* Offers expert advice and instruction applicable to any RenderMan-compliant renderer.<br>* Filled with technical illustrations and many full-color representations of effects supported by the RenderMan standard.<br>* Includes a chapter reviewing key math and computer graphics concepts.

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This comprehensive tutorial assumes no prior experience with PICBASIC. It opens with an introduction to such basic concepts as variables, statements, operators, and structures. This is followed by discussion of the two most commonly used PICBASIC compilers. The author then discusses programming the most common version of the PIC microcontroller, the 15F84. The remainder of the book examines several real-world examples of programming PICs with PICBASIC. In keeping with the integrated nature of embedded technology, both hardware and software are discussed in these examples; circuit details are given so that readers may replicate the designs for themselves or use them as the starting points for their development efforts.<br><br>*Offers a complete introduction to programming the world's most commonly used microcontroller, the Microchip PIC, with the powerful but easy to use PICBASIC language<br>*Gives numerous design examples and projects to illustrate important concepts<br>*Accompanying CD contains the source files and executables discussed in the book as well as an electronic version of the book

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<p>Millions of Americans own digital cameras. Millions of Americans also struggle with producing great quality photos from their digital cameras. With a "try this, then this" approach, <i>Bad Pics Fixed Quick: How to Fix Lousy Digital Pictures</i> is a clear, easy-to-follow instructional guide on how to turn your digital camera nightmares into nearly-flawless pictures that you're not afraid to print. The book's primary focus is on using Adobe Photoshop Elements software, but it does give you advice and tips that are applicable to any image editing software. You made a big investment when you purchased your digital camera. Make it a worthwhile one by learning how to get the most out of it with <i>Bad Pics Fixed Quick</i>!</p>

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<P>When it comes time to show off your digital photographs, you want them to look as professional as possible. No more portraits of Mom marred by bad lighting, no more of those baby shots of a lifetime ruined by a rumpled collar. This essential guide to Photoshop Elements 4 gives you the best techniques for enhancing and retouching your photos, and encourages you to unleash your creativity on your photo projects. Sample files downloadable from <A href="http:///hepm.pearsoned.com/editable/www.peachpit.com"><U>www.peachpit.com</U></A> let you re-create effects and techniques relating to nearly every aspect of digital photography, including repairing old photographs, fixing lighting and color problems, producing professional-looking slide shows with music and pan-and-zoom effects, creating photo panoramas, and much more. This revised edition illuminates tools that are new to Photoshop Elements, such as the Adjust Skin Tone command, Magic Selection tool and Magic Extractor, and includes coverage on the more robust Organizer and Slide Show features. In just a matter of hours, award-winning photographer Dave Huss will have you producing better pictures than you ever thought possible.</P> <UL> <LI>Use professional techniques for quickly fixing your pictures: cropping, removing red-eye, sharpening, and correcting lighting and color problems </LI> <LI>Create dazzling slide shows with Hollywood-style effects with the redesigned Slide Show Editor -Use the Photo Organizer to keep track of your ever-expanding library of digital images </LI> <LI>Use a variety of tools and techniques to turn average photos into stunning masterpieces </LI> <LI>Give photos a hand-tinted look, sculpt them into unique shapes, simulate natural-media paintings, and generally make digital scrapbooking more fun </LI> <LI>Create glamour shots like a pro, using retouching secrets for removing wrinkles and unwanted pounds -Stitch several images together for dramatic panorama prints</LI></UL> <P><B>DAVE HUSS</B> is a photographer with 40 years of experience. He has taught classes in digital photography and photo editing in the U.S. and Europe, and his numerous books on these topics have been translated into six languages. He has been honored frequently for his photo work, receiving awards in international competitions including the Grand Prize for his photo-montage work at the Corel International Design Contest. A contributing editor for Photoshop User magazine, he has also appeared on CNN and TechTV.</P>

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Here's everything the robotics hobbyist needs to harness the power of the PICMicro MCU! <p>In this heavily-illustrated resource, author John Iovine provides plans and complete parts lists for 11 easy-to-build robots each with a PICMicro "brain." The expertly written coverage of the PIC Basic Computer makes programming a snap -- and lots of fun.

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The Microchip PIC family of microcontrollers is the most popular series of microcontrollers in the world. However, no microcontroller is of any use without software to make it perform useful functions. This comprehensive reference focuses on designing with Microchip s mid-range PIC line using MBASIC, a powerful but easy to learn programming language. It illustrates MBASIC s abilities through a series of design examples, beginning with simple PIC-based projects and proceeding through more advanced designs. Unlike other references however, it also covers essential hardware and software design fundamentals of the PIC microcontroller series, including programming in assembly language when needed to supplement the capabilities of MBASIC. Details of hardware/software interfacing to the PIC are also provided.<br>BENEFIT TO THE READER: This book provides one of the most thorough introductions available to the world s most popular microcontroller, with numerous hardware and software working design examples which engineers, students and hobbyists can directly apply to their design work and studies. Using MBASIC, it is possible to develop working programs for the PIC in a much shorter time frame than when using assembly language.<br><br>* Offers a complete introduction to programming the most popular microcontroller in the world, using the MBASIC compiler from a company that is committed to supporting the book both through purchases and promotion<br><br>* Provides numerous real-world design examples, all carefully tested<br><br>* CD contains the source code files and executables, and will include a demo version of the MBASIC compiler, allowing engineers to work out the design exercises in the book

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A comprehensive, visual tutorial introduces the new features and applications of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, using step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and hundreds of full-color screenshots to explain how to utilize the components of the new Mac operating system, detailing the basics of file management, web browsing, multimedia, data archives, and more. Original. (Beginner)

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A colorful handbook for amateur game creators furnishes easy-to-follow instructions, complete with full-color illustrations and screenshots, to teach the fundamentals of creating a video game, without programming skills or prior experience, explaining how to use Games Factory 2 to develop one's own games and covering essential hardware, software, equipment, and techniques in a series of hands-on projects. Original. (Beginner)

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A practical, self-paced introduction to Microsoft Office 2008 for Macintosh users furnishes step-by-step instructions and more than one thousand full-color screenshots that walk users through the fundamentals of each application, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Entourage, My Day, and From Hear, accompanied by helpful tips and tricks, and information on the new features of Office 2008 for the Mac. Original. (Beginner)