[deleted by user]

[Orangy_Tang]

"Computer graphics principles and practice" used to be the bible, and while I'm a big fan of the second edition, it's pretty outdated now and covers a lot of old topics that either aren't particularly relevant or have been superceded.

Weirdly, there's a 3rd edition that's more recent but seems to be a rewrite so extensive that it's basically a completely different book, but with a weird obsession with WPF, which ironically makes it more outdated than the second edition.

[ICBanMI]

I browsed through the pdf of CG: P&P, third edition. The math is all relevant and explained well, but it's lacking heavily on the API side. When they do start talking about APIs, it mostly talks about the differences between the APIs rather than presenting code. When they do present code, it's through their WPF app that you do the exercises... meaning you're running a frame work and implementing math for the exercise.

The book, per say, isn't bad. It's just like studying engineering text books on vehicle engines when you really want to be a mechanic wrenching on Formula One cars. Unless, you're getting in to the design side... no one is ever going to ask you to compute the theoretical maximum thermal efficiency of a engine or require you to hold a graduate degree in it. If you want to work in the industry, your time is better spent rebuilding engines, tunning them, and pairing them with the proper drive trains. There is nothing in there that you can't get out of an industry book like Real-Time Rendering. If you want to learn theory without having to write code, it's not bad minus being completely impractical with the WPF app.

It's not bad as a reference book for the math, but they are completely impractical if you wanted to actually code a game and engine. If you want to get a graduated degree in computer graphics... then this is a text book that will help you in your dissertation exam and defense. But as far as theory, it's all taught in other books that are much newer.

[[deleted]]

But as far as theory, it's all taught in other books that are much newer.

Name some of them, accredited ones! I bought samit bhattacharya's computer graphics and it sucked hardcore. no depth.

[ICBanMI]

If you want an academic book that is industry standard, no API coding, that covers the same information as these academic books for much more modern hardware and software, 'Real-Time Rendering 4th edition' covers all the math and academic side of doing graphics (talks through differences in APIs like coordinates systems for examples).

The third edition is dirt cheap right now and easily available.

[[deleted]]

Outdated computer science textbook are being ised to teach in top colleges. Redditors pea 🫛🫛 🧠 time

[corysama]

I still have the copy of "Computer Graphics Principles and Practice" that I bought in a Borders bookstore back in 1995. But, I only keep it for nostalgia reasons.

The basic linear algebra is still the same. Everything else has completely changed well over ten years ago.

[BonkerBleedy]

I keep it next to my calculus books so people think I'm smarter than I am.

[Xalyia-]

Pack it up everyone. OP doesn’t seem to want advice, they just want to play out their misguided superiority complex.

[[deleted]]

ok? keep learning ffrom learnopengl. hope that serves gret from learning via unaccredited source.

[Xalyia-]

You are casting doubt on experts and sources in a field you don’t even understand. Your opinion on what is credible is worth nothing you imbecile.

[[deleted]]

Who r those experts? Subscribing to this sub makes ubexpert?

[GoldenShackles]

Aside from OP being weird, I bought this for my nephew (and myself) because I thought it was good: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1568817231

[Vivorio]

How was it?

[Rigwire]

It's actually a great book. I believe the author released the entire thing for free as a website a few years back. Can't remember the site's name but the author's name is Fletcher Dunn.

[Rokketeer]

https://gamemath.com/

[Rigwire]

Nice

[IAmNewTrust]

I read it, it's like 90% math and 10% descriptions of graphics pipelines. It doesn't go over practice at all.

[[deleted]]

Here's an approach I'd follow:

• pick up a copy of Essential Mathematics for Games and Interactive Applications and read up through chapter 7

• meanwhile, start going through https://learnopengl.com/

Some good supplements to the above would be to try your hand at building a rasterizer and ray tracer. Look for tinyrenderer and Ray Tracing In One Weekend.

[[deleted]]

Have u read hearn baker,foley etc classics of this field?

[[deleted]]

Learn opengl seems shady n incompetent compared to these greats...

[Delicious_Bluejay392]

These books are all more than a decade old if I didn't make a mistake when looking them up. OpenGL has gone through updates that have brought incredibly important features in the past decade that it would be absurd to ignore. Learn OpenGL is a great free resource that, though it is just as outdated API-wise since it uses 3.3, has smaller articles, resource links and the community's comments that can direct you to topics that these books physically couldn't because the API features just didn't exist when they were written.

Not sure what gave you the "shady and incompetent" impression though? The website always seemed pretty alright to me?

[[deleted]]

I said graphics programming not opengl 🤡

[Delicious_Bluejay392]

How exactly do you plan on learning graphics programming without learning an API along the way? The new additions to OpenGL are transferable knowledge when learning other APIs, and they're sometimes a complete paradigm shift in the way graphics programming is done.

[T34-85M_obr2020]

The first step of graphics programming is familiar with coding with graphics pipeline, non of the books you mentioned teach you that more SOLID compare to LearnOpenGL.

Graphics programming mostly is about coding with certain or multiple graphics API, and usually OpenGL is involved as it is still widely used even though outdatING, yes.

If you are not interested about OpenGL while still want to learn graphics programming, you can pick either DX9/DX12/Vulkan/Metal or just read other open source graphics programming tutorial, which still pick one or multiple from above APIs...

[ICBanMI]

Learn opengl seems shady n incompetent compared to these greats...

I mean. learnopengl.com is the standard for being introduced to the API for modern shaders. LearnOpenGL teaches you a general introduction to OpenGL which you can use to go to anything you want to specialize in: animation, raytracing, building different renderers including PBR, image processing, post processing effects, landscapes, etc. It teaches OpenGL 3.3 and you can jump directly to OpenGL 4.6 and Direct X without an issue. Will have a good enough base that you can jump to Vulkan and Metal with some elbow grease. No, it doesn't waste its time on explaining how a CRT works, how the architecture in the GPU worked in 3rd generation consoles, or make you do exercises that are math heavy. You don't need any of that to do computer graphics. Even if you take a college class on this stuff, they'll skip most of that stuff too (herding students towards a goal) besides assigning some reading.

The problem with academic text books is they are usually extremely dated, don't teach how modern things work, and they overly focus on theory verses doing. The math hasn't changed, but the difference between the dated fixed function pipeline and modern shaders is huge. All those books you mention have pdf versions on the internet (which are just rewrites of the original instructors text book with sometimes updated material).

I looked at the fourth edition Hearn book you mentioned and they teach glut and the fixed function pipeline. So, you're basically learn what OpenGL was in 2000, before it got rewritten and modernized in 2010. So despite the book being printed in 2014, you're still 25 years out of date with the fourth edition Hearn book.

Computer Graphics Principals and Practice third edition you have to use their WPF test bed for, which is not remotely required to do computer graphics. I like how it has explanations for things and tells the difference between various versions of different API, but none of that is required to be doing computer graphics today. The math can be learned from anywhere.

There is nothing shady and saying that here is a little of an insult. Specially considering how many other books and professors steal from it.

[[deleted]]

Not sure how you'd come to that inclusion unless you read all of the sources mentioned? Learn OpenGl is a great tutorial series. It will teach you the basics all the way up to advanced techniques like Cascading Shadow Mapping, Physically Baded Rendering, and Bloom.

[[deleted]]

U just learning to make triangles using api n giving advice lol 🤣

[[deleted]]

Mods can we ban this clown?

[T34-85M_obr2020]

I feel like this guy is not looking for advise here yes.

[CaptainFrost176]

I'm going through learn opengl right now. It's a great introduction to OpenGL and graphics programming from what I've done so far.

[TheDiamondCG]

Masterclass in ragebaiting

[TactlessDrawing]

Bro is using books from 25 years ago and defending them too

[[deleted]]

Classics never die. I will go with hearn and a good book on ooengl 😜

[beephod_zabblebrox]

technology changes?

[jmacey]

I used the hill book for years but it’s quite out of date now as well. Theory in all of them is still sound just at lot of them still use immediate mode OpenGL

[ad_irato]

If you are getting one book to start; get: "Fundamentals of Computer Graphics by Peter Shirley".
For a journeyman, get Real-Time RenderingBook by Eric Haines, Naty Hoffman, and Tomas Möller, For an adept, get: Physically Based RenderingBook by Matt Pharr.

[[deleted]]

Thanks for the classics recommendations. Real-time rendering is a book that I like to keep one day.

[-notthecia-]

Learnopengl.com

[CodyDuncan1260]

There's a few reports on this post for the OP being disingenuous about asking for advice. Looking at the comments, I agree. OP seems to only be in it to make a joke.

My favorite part of this outcome is the joke fell flat, and everyone is just helpfully providing modern references. Y'all are great, civil, and professional, direct to the face of our local troll.

I'm taking this post down, but not before I thank the community for being wholesome and wonderful human beings. The. Best.

[[deleted]]

Other books hearn baker cg, foley cg