Get a focused introduction to programming 3D graphics with the Windows Presentation Foundation 3D API. Complementing his book Applications = Code + Markup, award-winning author Charles Petzold builds on XAML essentials, teaching you how to display and animate 3D graphics under the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 and Windows Vista. You ll get expert guidance and code samples in XAML and Microsoft Visual C# helping you master the skills you need to create high-fidelity user interfaces. Discover how to: Define complex 3D objects with triangle meshes Enhance the illumination of 3D surfaces with light and shading effects Color 3D figures with gradients, bitmaps, and drawings Add animation with transforms and vertex manipulation Represent linear, affine, and camera transforms by using matrices Calculate vector angles, angles of rotation, and axes of rotation Generate triangle meshes efficiently by using C# code Express rotation by using quaternion computation Provide a user interface for manipulating and drawing 3D figures PLUS Get Visual C# and XAML code samples on the Web #160;

Charles Petzold wrote the classic Programming Windows, which is currently in its fifth edition and one of the best-known and widely used programming books of all time. He was honored in 1994 with the Windows Pioneer Award, presented by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Windows Magazine. He has been programming with Windows since first obtaining a beta Windows 1.0 SDK in the spring of 1985, and he wrote the very first magazine article on Windows programming in 1986. Charles is an MVP for Client Application Development and the author of several other books including Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software.

The Windows Presentation Foundation is a key component of .NET Framework 3.0, which is a part of Windows Vista and available for Windows XP. With the Windows Presentation Foundation, 3D images can be displayed regardless of the video-display hardware on the users machine. Focusing on developing user interface objects or simple animations, this book builds on a readers knowledge of Windows Presentation Foundation essentials to demonstrate how to effectively create 3D graphics for Windows. You get the fundamental information for using the Windows Presentation Foundation 3D application programming interface (API), as well as in-depth coverage of mesh geometries.

Get the practical introduction to programming 3D graphicsusing the Windows Presentation Foundation--straight from programming legendCharles Petzold. The Windows Presentation Foundation is a key component of.NET Framework 3.0, which is a part of Windows Vista(tm) and available forWindows XP. With the Windows Presentation Foundation, 3D images can bedisplayed regardless of the video-display hardware on the user’s machine.This practical guide is the ideal supplement to Applications = Code +Markup: A Guide to the Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation. Focusingon developing user interface objects or simple animations, this book buildson a reader’s knowledge of Windows Presentation Foundation essentials todemonstrate how to effectively create 3D graphics for Windows. You get thefundamental information for using the Windows Presentation Foundation 3Dapplication programming interface (API), as well as in-depth coverage ofmesh geometries--the key technology that enables 3D graphics. Includes codesamples in XAML, with additional code samples in Microsoft Visual C#-.

Get the practical introduction to programming 3D graphics using the Windows Presentation Foundation--straight from programming legend Charles Petzold. The Windows Presentation Foundation is a key component of .NET Framework 3.0, which is a part of Windows Vista(tm) and available for Windows XP. With the Windows Presentation Foundation, 3D images can be displayed regardless of the video-display hardware on the user’s machine. This practical guide is the ideal supplement to Applications = Code + Markup: A Guide to the Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation. Focusing on developing user interface objects or simple animations, this book builds on a reader’s knowledge of Windows Presentation Foundation essentials to demonstrate how to effectively create 3D graphics for Windows. You get the fundamental information for using the Windows Presentation Foundation 3D application programming interface (API), as well as in-depth coverage of mesh geometries--the key technology that enables 3D graphics. Includes code samples in XAML, with additional code samples in Microsoft Visual C#®.

Great intro to 3D Programming

This book is a fantastic intro into the world of 3D Programming. It explains the concepts in an easy to understand format and gradually eases you into the more complex aspects of 3D. Also, because it is for WPF it makes it a cinch to get up and running quickly. I’ve also found that this book is a great way to get acquainted with 3D and these concepts are easily transferrable into the more complex 3D languages (ie: Direct3D and OpenGL). I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to learn 3D or to expand their WPF repetoire!

Must have for someone working with WPF 3D

If you’ve read Petzold’s previous book on WPF "Applications = Code + Markup" the first thing you’ll want to know about this book is ’Has Charles made the same mistake and conciously opted to use barely any images or diagrams?’. The good news is no, he hasn’t. The book has plenty of screenshots and diagrams that really complement the text.

Petzold has covered the subject in tremendous detail and with a thouroughness I really didn’t expect, uncovering mathematical topics I haven’t even thought about since I left University. For example, three of the chapters are called "Algorithmic Mesh Geometries", "Matrix Transforms" and "Quaternions" - 3D programming isn’t for the mathematically impaired.

As a reference, this book is a *must have* for anyone working with, or about to work with 3D in WPF. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a quick overview of the ’art of the possible’ with WPF 3D then this probably isn’t the book for you. Indeed I think it might have benefited from a longer, gentler introduction to ease you into the subject matter; a 10,000 feet view, if you will.

The prose of the book is very dry making it an almost impossible casual read but, given the subject matter, it would be hard to avoid this problem. So in summary: an OK read for the curious, a great reference and good book overall.

Strong fundamentals and fun stuff too

This book is an excellent overview of WPF 3D.

Petzold blends his development experience with his math background to explain everything quite thoroughly, from the details of the API to the hows and whys of the math underneath.

* He explains why WPF 3D shades triangles differently depending on whether they share their vertices or not.

* His explanation of quaternions is probably the best I have read.

* He talks about why Viewport3DVisual is better than Viewport3D for printing.

* He explains the math behind lighting calculations.

The book contains lots of pictures, lots of sample code and a library of useful classes for WPF 3D programming.

If you’re doing anything with WPF 3D, you simply must have this book.

The Definitive Guide!

In his informative writing style of writing, the author of this book gives you both a good understanding of 3D graphics concepts and digs deep into the specifics WPF and XAML 3D APIs. If you’re doing and 3D WPF, this title is a must have sitting next to his previous WPF title, Applications = Code + Markup.

This is the definitive guide to WPF 3D.