Reviews for 3D Programming For Windows: Three-Dimensional Graphics Programming for the Windows Presentation Foundation (Pro - Developer)

1. Must have for someone working with WPF 3D

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, November 12th, 2007

   If you've read Petzold's previous book on WPF "Applications = Code + Markup" the first thing you'll want to know about this book is 'Has Charles made the same mistake and conciously opted to use barely any images or diagrams?'. The good news is no, he hasn't. The book has plenty of screenshots and diagrams that really complement the text.
   
   Petzold has covered the subject in tremendous detail and with a thouroughness I really didn't expect, uncovering mathematical topics I haven't even thought about since I left University. For example, three of the chapters are called "Algorithmic Mesh Geometries", "Matrix Transforms" and "Quaternions" - 3D programming isn't for the mathematically impaired.
   
   As a reference, this book is a *must have* for anyone working with, or about to work with 3D in WPF. On the other hand, if you're looking for a quick overview of the 'art of the possible' with WPF 3D then this probably isn't the book for you. Indeed I think it might have benefited from a longer, gentler introduction to ease you into the subject matter; a 10,000 feet view, if you will.
   
   The prose of the book is very dry making it an almost impossible casual read but, given the subject matter, it would be hard to avoid this problem. So in summary: an OK read for the curious, a great reference and good book overall.