O’Reilly Media has released “iPhone 3D Programming,” an US$39.99, 448-page book by Philip Rideout designed to each how to apply OpenGL graphics programming techniques to any device running the iPhone OS — including the iPad and iPod ouch — with no iPhone development or 3D graphics experience required.
The book provides step-by-step instructions, as well as lots of practical advice, for using the iPhone SDK and OpenGL, says Rideout. With “iPhone 3D Programming,” you’ll build several graphics programs–progressing from simple to more complex examples — that focus on lighting, textures, blending, augmented reality, optimization for performance and speed, and more. While reading this book, you will:
° Learn fundamental graphics concepts, including transformation matrices, quaternions, and more;
° Get set up for iPhone development with the Xcode environment;
° Become familiar with versions 1.1 and 2.0 of the OpenGL ES API, and learn to use vertex buffer objects, lighting, texturing, and shaders;
° Use the iPhone’s touch screen, compass, and accelerometer to build interactivity into graphics applications;
° Build iPhone graphics applications such as a 3D wireframe viewer, a simple augmented reality application, a spring system simulation, and more.
Rideout has years of professional experience with the OpenGL ES API at Nvidia, where his primary duty has been developing tools for the API. He has over 10 years of computer graphics experience, and has worked at several pioneering graphics companies, including Intergraph, 3DLabs, and NVIDIA. Rideout currently works at Medical Simulation Corporation in Denver, developing graphically-rich training software for heart surgeons.
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596804824 .
