Now considered an essential reference in the game industry, 3D Game Engine Design is the first book to go beyond basic descriptions of algorithms and accurately demonstrate the complex engineering process required to design and build a real-time graphics engine to support physical realism. Faster algorithms will always win out over faster processors and assembly-language optimization techniques. Implementing those algorithms, however, can be a challenge for even experienced programmers.
This book provides rigorous explanations and derivations of all the essential concepts and techniques. Ideas are revealed step by step with numerous code examples and illustrations. Source code implementations are included on the companion CD-ROM to help you understand the full progression from idea, to algorithm, to working code. Since algorithms are not used in isolation, the source code for a complete engine is provided to bring crucial context to the implementations. This book and CD-ROM offer the most comprehensive professional reference available for the development of 3D game engines.

*Designed for professionals working in game development, simulation, scientific visualization, or virtual worlds.
*Written by a respected game engineer and designer of a leading commercial game engine.
*Thoroughly describes the algorithmsfully implemented in working codethat are the key to writing the fastest, most efficient code possible.
*Provides source code for Windows 95/98/NT/2000, Linux/Unix, and Macintosh platforms.
Customer Review: Very math heavy, but still good
Reviewing this post I cannot change the rating, otherwise I would give it a 4 star rating.

This book contains many different functions, formulas, and concepts that are relavent to building a functioning 3d game. On the down side, it talks and feels like a math book, not so much a computer science book. That is fine since game engine design is inheritly math heavy, but also very bad because math formulas and derivations are fine, but *ONLY* with accompanying explanations written in plain english (which are lacking in several areas).

For example, trying to explain what formula is used to indicate what array index one would use to grab a quad tree in a quad tree array (as opposed to a linked list/tree structure), he starts off with writing “Given a…” - you can tell within the first two words, no, this is not how to explain what you’re doing. Something more along the lines of “To determine the index offset…”, much better.

The chapter that I especially dislike is the terrain rendering chapter. I have yet to make up my mind what algorithm he is using (I think ROAM?), but the explanation in the book takes off at tangent pace from the start and leaves you wondering what he is getting at. Obviously, we’re going to render terrain, but the methodolgy of the deliverance of the information is simply… lets say for sake of argument, unfollowable. It is like a mad scientist wrote it.

One thing I definately liked was that he presents a lot of pseudo code for MANY of the problems he covers. This was exceptionally helpful, and fairly well done. More comments would be even better, but still as it stands is not bad.

However, let me make sure that people realize, you need to be at least comfortable with math AND programming in order to get anything from this book. I would recommend at least up to a level of CS III (or equivalent) college course at the minimum (maybe less if you know C++). Also, an understanding of Linear Algebra is extremely helpful.

There is another review on here that says that this book doesn’t cover networking or some of those other things, but I don’t feel that it makes this book any less worthwhile. Although, yes, it would be better if it did contain a networking chapter.

Overall though, there are a few sections that I wish the author would have expanded on (especially the appendix 2 stuff - was some really good C++ problems I’ve bumped into myself). The next edition should be an improvement, but for the time being I am fairly pleased with this book. Not neccessarily high on my recommendation list, but good enough to get information out of.

Eberly has a follow-up book entitled “Game Engine Architecture” where he goes on an overview of his Wild Magic engine. Fairly good book as well, a lot less math happy too (he even makes mention of the number one complaint of this book being its math heaviness).

JW Buy It Now At Amazon!