Book Image

Mathematics for Game Programming and Computer Graphics

By : Penny de Byl
5 (1)
Book Image

Mathematics for Game Programming and Computer Graphics

5 (1)
By: Penny de Byl

Overview of this book

Mathematics is an essential skill when it comes to graphics and game development, particularly if you want to understand the generation of real-time computer graphics and the manipulation of objects and environments in a detailed way. Python, together with Pygame and PyOpenGL, provides you with the opportunity to explore these features under the hood, revealing how computers generate and manipulate 3D environments. Mathematics for Game Programming and Computer Graphics is an exhaustive guide to getting “back to the basics” of mathematics, using a series of problem-based, practical exercises to explore ideas around drawing graphic lines and shapes, applying vectors and vertices, constructing and rendering meshes, and working with vertex shaders. By leveraging Python, Pygame, and PyOpenGL, you’ll be able to create your own mathematics-based engine and API that will be used throughout to build applications. By the end of this graphics focussed book, you’ll have gained a thorough understanding of how essential mathematics is for creating, rendering, and manipulating 3D virtual environments and know the secrets behind today’s top graphics and game engines.
Table of Contents (26 chapters)
1
Part 1 – Essential Tools
9
Part 2 – Essential Trigonometry
14
Part 3 – Essential Transformations
20
Part 4 – Essential Rendering Techniques

To get the most out of this book

The scripting language used in this book is Python. You should be familiar with coding in Python or at the very least have a working knowledge of an object-orientated programming language, such as C# or C++. Later in the book, when the OpenGL Shader Language is introduced, skills in this area are not required. Though an understanding of how procedural languages, such as C, are formatted would be beneficial. The projects created herein have been tested in the macOS and Windows environments.

Software covered in the book

Operating system requirements

Python

Windows or macOS

Pygame

Windows or macOS

PyOpenGL

Windows or macOS

PyCharm

Windows or macOS

OpenGL Shader Language (GLSL)

Windows or macOS

The downloading and setup instructions for this list of software are covered in the book as they are required.

If you are using the digital version of this book, we advise you to type the code yourself or access the code from the book’s GitHub repository (a link is available in the next section). Doing so will help you avoid any potential errors related to the copying and pasting of code.