Computer Information Technology and Graphics - Hammond Campus

Digital characters are a driving force in the entertainment industry today. Every animated film and video game production spends a large percentage of its resources and time on advancing the quality of the digital characters inhabiting the world being created. This book presents the theory and practice behind the creation of digital characters for film and games using software-agnostic descriptions that apply to any animation application. It provides insight from a real production environment and the requirements that such an environment imposes. Digital Character Development: Theory and Practice, Second Edition covers the following key topics that are valuable to professionals across a wide spectrum of disciplines: Evolution and history of digital characters, which is critical to understanding the theory and techniques behind how characters are developed Contemporary issues, such as the "Uncanny Valley" phenomenon, that affect character design decisions Process of building characters: anatomical considerations, character motion systems, deformation (muscle and skin) systems, facial setup, and rig synthesis and construction Animation technology: keyframe strategies, curve interpolation, motion capture, procedural animation, artificial intelligence, crowd simulations, and interactive characters Future of digital characters, including research questions that remain outstanding and the challenges for work beyond them The second edition of this book has been significantly updated to reflect the latest trends and innovations in digital character development. It includes interviews with 15 leading character development professionals that provide unique insights into the challenges and ingredients for success in this field. With rich illustrations and visual code examples throughout, this book provides a comprehensive roadmap to character development for both professionals and students.

Bringing concrete examples from industry to light, this book explains how to use Blender to create visual effects for video/film production. It supplies readers with a practical way to learn how to use Blender's tools across a wide range of scenarios in video/film production, including setting up cameras on a stage, lighting, and other production processes. Maintaining a focus on composition, the book not only explains how to use the most common tools, such as tracking, rendering, and compositing, but also explains how to deal with software limitations and sort out problems. Since the best way to learn something is with a practical example, this book follows one of the author's own projects, starting with how to prepare the elements that will be needed later on. The example illustrates how to use Blender tools and features for scene tracking, setup, rendering, masking, and other post-production functions--from start to finish in a professional workflow. The book examines all the compositing nodes that can be used in Blender. It details time-saving tips, features such as the motion tracker, and rendering techniques so readers will have enough information to accomplish the most common tasks encountered in the creation of a professional visual effects composition. By following the example project presented in the book, you will gain the practical understanding required to use Blender's tools in the most common scenarios in video/film production. You will also gain industry insights into the limitations of the software and how to sort out the problematic scenarios that may come up through the various stages of your project.

Create Genuine Visual Realism in Computer Graphics Digital Representations of the Real World: How to Capture, Model, and Render Visual Realityexplains how to portray visual worlds with a high degree of realism using the latest video acquisition technology, computer graphics methods, and computer vision algorithms. It explores the integration of new capture modalities, reconstruction approaches, and visual perception into the computer graphics pipeline. Understand the Entire Pipeline from Acquisition, Reconstruction, and Modeling to Realistic Rendering and Applications The book covers sensors for capturing 3D scenes, including regular cameras, wide-angle omnidirectional cameras, active range scanners, and plenoptic (multi-viewpoint) cameras, as well as fundamental algorithms for processing the imagery, such as stereo correspondence and 3D structure and motion recovery. It describes 3D modeling techniques, from generic object models (such as 3D meshes) to more domain-specific models (such as human shape and motion models). The book also discusses how techniques, including image- and video-based rendering, meet speed and realism requirements. Overcome Challenges in Your Own Research Experiments This book is both an accessible introduction to the emerging research of real-world visual computing and a practical guide that shows you how to start implementing frequently encountered methods.

Your pen testing career begins here, with a solid foundation in essential skills and concepts Penetration Testing Essentials provides a starting place for professionals and beginners looking to learn more about penetration testing for cybersecurity. Certification eligibility requires work experience--but before you get that experience, you need a basic understanding of the technical and behavioral ways attackers compromise security, and the tools and techniques you'll use to discover the weak spots before others do. You'll learn information gathering techniques, scanning and enumeration, how to target wireless networks, and much more as you build your pen tester skill set. You'll learn how to break in, look around, get out, and cover your tracks, all without ever being noticed. Pen testers are tremendously important to data security, so they need to be sharp and well-versed in technique, but they also need to work smarter than the average hacker. This book set you on the right path, with expert instruction from a veteran IT security expert with multiple security certifications. IT Security certifications have stringent requirements and demand a complex body of knowledge. This book lays the groundwork for any IT professional hoping to move into a cybersecurity career by developing a robust pen tester skill set. Learn the fundamentals of security and cryptography Master breaking, entering, and maintaining access to a system Escape and evade detection while covering your tracks Build your pen testing lab and the essential toolbox Start developing the tools and mindset you need to become experienced in pen testing today.

Is the art for your video game taking too long to create? Learning to create Pixel Art may be the answer to your development troubles. Uncover the secrets to creating stunning graphics with Pixel Art for Game Developers. The premier how-to book on Pixel Art and Pixel Art software, it focuses on the universal principles of the craft.The book provides an introduction to Pixel Art, its utility, foundational elements, and concepts such as light and shadow. It offers tutorials on creating animations and serves as a functional guide for the most common methodology in 2D game development.Gamers love the retro feel of Pixel Art, and lucky for you it is easy to create. You'll love the tiny file sizes that will reduce compile times and help your game run faster. Providing you with the skills to create the characters and environments needed for 2D games, this book will help you:Create tilesets to build game environmentsUnderstand light and shadowWork efficiently with pixelsUse atmospheric and linear perspectiveCreate professional-quality Pixel ArtThis book has chapters dedicated to theory as well as step-by-step tutorials, both of which describe the process explicitly. Whether you are an artist, programmer, indie developer, or certified public accountant, after reading this book, you'll understand the steps necessary to create production-quality Pixel Art graphics.Praise for the Book:Pixel Art and Pixel Art games are very popular and the technique is a great way for independent creators to create very good-looking games with limited resources. It�s frankly shocking that there hasn�t been a resource like this before ... a very timely book.�Chris Totten, George Mason University, Washington, DC, USA

GETTING STARTED About Classroom in a Book Prerequisites Installing Premiere Pro CC Optimizing performance Using the lesson files Relinking the lesson files How to use these lessons Online content Lesson files Accessing the Web Edition Additional resources Adobe Authorized Training Centers 1 Touring Adobe Premiere Pro CC Getting started Performing nonlinear editing in Premiere Pro Looking at the standard digital video workflow Enhancing the workflow with Premiere Pro Expanding the workflow Incorporating other components into the editing workflow Looking at the Adobe Creative Cloud video workflow Touring the Premiere Pro workspace Looking at the workspace layout Customizing the workspace Introducing preferences Keyboard shortcuts Moving, backing up, and syncing user settings 2 Setting Up a Project Getting started Setting up a project Setting up a sequence 3 Importing Media Getting started Importing assets Working with ingest options and proxy media Working with the Media Browser Importing images Using Adobe Stock Customizing the media cache Recording a voice-over 4 Organizing Media Getting started Using the Project panel Working with bins Monitoring footage Modifying clips 5 Mastering the Essentials of Video Editing Getting started Using the Source Monitor Navigating the Timeline Using essential editing commands 6 Working with Clips and Markers Getting started Using Program Monitor controls Setting the playback resolution Playing back VR video Using markers Using Sync Lock and Track Lock Finding gaps in the Timeline Selecting clips Moving clips Extracting and deleting segments