Virtual Filmmaking with Unreal Engine 5. A step-by-step guide to creating a complete animated short film

Hussin Khan, HaZ Dulull

Virtual Filmmaking with Unreal Engine 5 is the first Unreal Engine book to guide you through the complete process of virtual film production. Encompassing the full spectrum of filmmaking, this book demonstrates the use of an industry-standard tool used by studios such as Disney, ILM, DNEG, and Framestore.Walking through the process systematically, you’ll collect references and create a simple storyboard to plan your shots. You'll create virtual environments, import 3D models and add materials and textures to build photorealistic, dynamic worlds. You'll also create actors using highly customizable MetaHumans, understand how to import, re-target, and animate them. You’ll bring it all together with cinematic lighting and camera animation before exporting your film.By the end of this book, you’ll have discovered new tools for your toolkit to work on your virtual film projects in Unreal Engine 5, leveraging Quixel Megascans, Lumen, Nanite, and MetaHuman technology.

Building Business Websites with Squarespace 7. Master the tools and techniques of using Squarespace to create professional websites

Tiffanie Miko Coffey, Miko Coffey

Linux Kernel Debugging. Leverage proven tools and advanced techniques to effectively debug Linux kernels and kernel modules

Kaiwan N. Billimoria

The Linux kernel is at the very core of arguably the world’s best production-quality OS. Debugging it, though, can be a complex endeavor.Linux Kernel Debugging is a comprehensive guide to learning all about advanced kernel debugging. This book covers many areas in-depth, such as instrumentation-based debugging techniques (printk and the dynamic debug framework), and shows you how to use Kprobes. Memory-related bugs tend to be a nightmare – two chapters are packed with tools and techniques devoted to debugging them. When the kernel gifts you an Oops, how exactly do you interpret it to be able to debug the underlying issue? We’ve got you covered. Concurrency tends to be an inherently complex topic, so a chapter on lock debugging will help you to learn precisely what data races are, including using KCSAN to detect them. Some thorny issues, both debug- and performance-wise, require detailed kernel-level tracing; you’ll learn to wield the impressive power of Ftrace and its frontends. You’ll also discover how to handle kernel lockups, hangs, and the dreaded kernel panic, as well as leverage the venerable GDB tool within the kernel (KGDB), along with much more.By the end of this book, you will have at your disposal a wide range of powerful kernel debugging tools and techniques, along with a keen sense of when to use which.

Web App Testing Using Knockout.JS. Design, implement, and maintain a fully tested JavaScript web application using Knockout.JS

Roberto Messora

Practical Game Design. Learn the art of game design through applicable skills and cutting-edge insights

Adam Kramarzewski, Ennio De Nucci

If you are looking for an up-to-date and highly applicable guide to game design, then you have come to the right place! Immerse yourself in the fundamentals of game design with this book, written by two highly experienced industry professionals to share their profound insights as well as give valuable advice on creating games across genres and development platforms.Practical Game Design covers the basics of game design one piece at a time. Starting with learning how to conceptualize a game idea and present it to the development team, you will gradually move on to devising a design plan for the whole project and adapting solutions from other games. You will also discover how to produce original game mechanics without relying on existing reference material, and test and eliminate anticipated design risks. You will then design elements that compose the playtime of a game, followed by making game mechanics, content, and interface accessible to all players. You will also find out how to simultaneously ensure that the gameplay mechanics and content are working as intended.As the book reaches its final chapters, you will learn to wrap up a game ahead of its release date, work through the different challenges of designing free-to-play games, and understand how to significantly improve their quality through iteration, polishing and playtesting.

Mastering SQL Server 2017. Build smart and efficient database applications for your organization with SQL Server 2017

Milo?° Radivojevifá, Dejan Sarka, William Durkin, Christian Cote, ...

Microsoft SQL Server 2017 uses the power of R and Python for machine learning and containerization-based deployment on Windows and Linux. By learning how to use the features of SQL Server 2017 effectively, you can build scalable apps and easily perform data integration and transformation. You’ll start by brushing up on the features of SQL Server 2017. This Learning Path will then demonstrate how you can use Query Store, columnstore indexes, and In-Memory OLTP in your apps. You'll also learn to integrate Python code in SQL Server and graph database implementations for development and testing. Next, you'll get up to speed with designing and building SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) data warehouse packages using SQL server data tools. Toward the concluding chapters, you’ll discover how to develop SSIS packages designed to maintain a data warehouse using the data flow and other control flow tasks.By the end of this Learning Path, you'll be equipped with the skills you need to design efficient, high-performance database applications with confidence.This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt books: SQL Server 2017 Developer's Guide by Miloš Radivojevi?, Dejan Sarka, et. al SQL Server 2017 Integration Services Cookbook by Christian Cote, Dejan Sarka, et. al

AWS Certified Advanced Networking - Specialty Exam Guide. Build your knowledge and technical expertise as an AWS-certified networking specialist

Marko Sluga

Amazon has recently come up a with specialty certifications which validates a particular user's expertise that he/she would want to build a career in. Since the Cloud market now demands of AWS networking skills this becomes the most wanted certification to upheld ones industry portfolio. This book would be your ideal companion to getting skilled with complex and creative networking solutions. Cloud practitioners or associate-level certified individuals interested in validating advanced skills in networking can opt for this practical guide.This book will include topics that will help you design and implement AWS and hybrid IT network architectures along with some network automation tasks. You will also delve deep into topics that will help you design and maintain network architecture for all AWS services. Like most of our certification guides this book will also follow a unique approach of testing your learning with chapter-level practice exercises and certification-based mock tests. The exam mock tests will help you gauge whether you are ready to take the certification exam or not. This book will also be an advanced guide for networking professionals to enhance their networking skills and get certified. By the end of this book, you will be all equipped with AWS networking concepts and techniques and will have mastered core architectural best practices.

Google Cloud Digital Leader Certification Guide. A comprehensive study guide to Google Cloud concepts and technologies

Bruno Beraldo Rodrigues

To thrive in today's world, leaders and technologists must understand how technology shapes businesses. As organizations shift from self-hosted to cloud-native solutions, embracing serverless systems, strategizing data use, and defining monetization becomes imperative. The Google Cloud Digital Leader Certification Guide lays a solid foundation of industry knowledge, focused on the Google Cloud platform and the innovative ways in which customers leverage its technologies.The book starts by helping you grasp the essence of digital transformation within the Google Cloud context. You’ll then cover core components of the platform, such as infrastructure and application modernization, data innovation, and best practices for environment management and security. With a series of practice exam questions included, this book ensures that you build comprehensive knowledge and prepare to certify as a Google Cloud Digital Leader. Going beyond the exam essentials, you’ll also explore how companies are modernizing infrastructure, data ecosystems, and teams in order to capitalize on new market opportunities through platform expertise, best practices, and real-world scenarios.By the end of this book, you'll have learned everything you need to pass the Google Cloud Digital Leader certification exam and have a reference guide for future requirements.

Practical Finite Element Simulations with SOLIDWORKS 2022. An illustrated guide to performing static analysis with SOLIDWORKS Simulation

Khameel B. Mustapha

SOLIDWORKS is a dominant computer-aided design (CAD) software for the 3D modeling, designing, and analysis of components. This book helps you get to grips with SOLIDWORKS Simulation, which is a remarkable and integral part of SOLIDWORKS predominantly deployed for advanced product performance assessment and virtual prototyping.With this book, you'll take a hands-on approach to learning SOLIDWORKS Simulation with the help of step-by-step guidelines on various aspects of the simulation workflow. You'll begin by learning about the requirements for effective simulation of parts and components, along with the idealization of physical components and their representation with finite element models. As you progress through the book, you'll find exercises at the end of each chapter, and you'll be able to download the geometry models used in all the chapters from GitHub. Finally, you’ll discover how to set up finite element simulations for the static analysis of components under various types of loads, and with different types of materials, from simple isotropic to composite, and different boundary conditions.By the end of this SOLIDWORKS 2022 book, you'll be able to conduct basic and advanced static analyses with SOLIDWORKS Simulation and have practical knowledge of how to best use the family of elements in the SOLIDWORKS Simulation library.

Blender 3D 2.49 Incredible Machines

Allan Brito, Ton Roosendaal

Blender 3D provides all the features you need to create super-realistic 3D models of machines for use in artwork, movies, and computer games. Blender 3D 2.49 Incredible Machines gives you step-by-step instructions for building weapons, vehicles, robots, and more.This book will show you how to use Blender 3D for mechanical modeling and product visualization. Through the pages of the book, you will find a step-by-step guide to create three different projects: a fantasy weapon, a spacecraft, and a giant robot. Even though these machines are not realistic, you will be able to build your own sensible and incredible machines with the techniques that you will learn in this book along with the exercises and examples.All the three sections of this book, which cover three projects, are planned to have an increasing learning curve. The first project is about a hand weapon, and with that we can image a small-sized object with tiny details. This first part of the book will show you how to deal with these details and model them in Blender 3D.In the second project, we will create a spacecraft, adding a bit of scale to the project, and new materials and textures as well. With this project, we will be working with metal, glass, and other elements that make the spacecraft. Along with the object, a new space environment will be created in the book too.At the end we have a big and complex object, which is the transforming robot. This last part of the book will cover the modeling of two objects and show how you can make one transform into the other. The scale and number of objects in this project are quite big, but the same principles as in the other projects are applied here with a step-by-step guide on how to go through the workflow of the project.

VMware Virtual SAN Cookbook. The perfect guide to successful VMware Virtual SAN implementation and operations, with recipes to guide you through the process

Jeffrey M Ransom Taylor, Patrick Carmichael, Simon Gallagher, Jeffrey Taylor

Architecting ASP.NET Core Applications. An atypical design patterns guide for .NET 8, C# 12, and beyond - Third Edition

Carl-Hugo Marcotte, Nick Cosentino

This unique ASP.NET Core book will fill in the gaps in your REST API and backend designs. Learn how to build robust, maintainable, and flexible apps using Gang of Four (GoF) design patterns and modern architectural principles. This new edition is updated for .NET 8 and focuses exclusively on the backend, with new content on REST APIs, the REPR pattern, and building modular monoliths.You’ll start by covering foundational concepts like REST, the SOLID principles, Minimal APIs, dependency injection in .NET, and other ASP.NET Core 8 mechanisms. Then, you’ll learn to develop components using design patterns, including many from the GoF. Finally, you’ll explore organizing your application code with patterns that vary from layers to feature-oriented vertical slice designs, covering CQS and a deep dive into microservices along the way. A brand-new e-commerce project at the end of the book will tie it all together.This how-to guide will teach you how to assemble your own APIs from building blocks, to suit whatever real-world requirements you may have.

Modern Game Testing. Learn how to test games like a pro, optimize testing effort, and skyrocket your QA career

Nikolina Finska

Few things are more annoying for gamers than encountering a buggy new game. This often leads to negative reviews, and in turn, you’ll find that demand for your games declines. The solution lies in better quality assurance (QA) – and Modern Game Testing will show you how to achieve just that. Whether you’re a new tester, developer or producer, the QA testing techniques shown in this book, using modern methodologies and the latest technology, will have you releasing quality games that are on time and, most importantly, on budget.The book begins by introducing you to QA and the various types of tests that are performed on games. You’ll then explore test cases and bug reporting, building tests for different platforms (even consoles and PCs), and LiveOps and test management. As you advance, you’ll build a QA team from scratch and work with remote QA testers. The chapters help you take a more traditional approach to learning lessons, enabling you to examine the modern agile approach and various testing strategies that you can then adopt. All angles are covered with oodles of examples, so you’ll have everything you need to implement QA strategies in your organization.By the end of this book, you’ll have a clear understanding of the modern methodologies of QA testing for games, and be able to build efficient, reliable, and long-lasting QA teams.

Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step 2010. The smart guide to the successful delivery of your Dynamics business solutions

Vincent Bellefroid, Chandru Shankar

Delivering business solutions is more than just product play. Software is often viewed as the enabler; however, the key to success is how the solution is implemented and how the implementations are managed. With this as the background, Microsoft has developed Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step as the full lifecycle methodology for the Dynamics business solutions portfolio. Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step enables you to maximize your Dynamics investments and increase your efficiency to select, sell, deliver, operate and support your business solution.This book details the use of the Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step methodology to enable the full lifecycle of Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step business solutions engagements. Guidance is provided on the due diligence process for the customer that overlaps the solution selling cycle for the service provider, through to the solution implementation phases, encompassing on-going maintenance and upgrades.This book provides detailed coverage of how to use Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step to successfully deliver Dynamics solutions for your business.The book begins by focusing on the aspects of due diligence and solution selling– whether you are the customer or the service provider, you can learn how you work together to select the right solution to meet the organization’s needs.In the ensuing chapters, you will learn how Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step can help improve the overall quality of your Dynamics business solution, including coverage of proactive and post go-live optimization offerings and a thorough explanation of how to upgrade your Dynamics solutions to the latest release of the products.Finally, the book discusses the essence of Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step projects and how to successfully deliver these business solutions, including project and change management disciplines and processes.Additional key topics such as a guide to adopting Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step are also provided if you are looking to develop a consistent process in your organization.

Gideros Mobile Game Development. With Gideros you can develop games for both iOS and Android faster and more simply. This book shows you how with a real-life project you undertake yourself. All that's required is a little familiarity with Lua

Arturs Sosins

Have you ever had an interesting idea for a mobile game? Have you ever wanted to jump on the mobile app bandwagon? Developing a mobile game has never been so fun and easy, and with the vast amount of smartphone users, it may also become a profitable thing to do. Gideros is a Lua-based framework that facilitates effortless native iOS and Android application development along with hardware acceleration. Gideros also comes with a built-in box2D physics engine and extended memory management features to make mobile game development a breeze.Gideros Mobile Game Development shows you how to develop an original and exciting game in Gideros, helping you create your very first project and guiding you through the configuration of settings and assets to help you target devices with different resolutions.This book teaches you everything you need to know about Gideros, from installing Gideros on your operating system to creating and efficiently managing your Gideros projects and creating your very first game, all with the help of well explained examples.You will learn how to quickly create game prototypes in Gideros, how to test and set up projects to automatically target devices with different resolutions, and how to polish your prototype with animations, sounds, tweens, and even physics to create your very first cross-platform game.By the end of this book, you will have learned everything you need to create visually stunning physics and exciting cross-platform games using Gideros.

Limitless Analytics with Azure Synapse. An end-to-end analytics service for data processing, management, and ingestion for BI and ML

Prashant Kumar Mishra, Mukesh Kumar

Azure Synapse Analytics, which Microsoft describes as the next evolution of Azure SQL Data Warehouse, is a limitless analytics service that brings enterprise data warehousing and big data analytics together. With this book, you'll learn how to discover insights from your data effectively using this platform.The book starts with an overview of Azure Synapse Analytics, its architecture, and how it can be used to improve business intelligence and machine learning capabilities. Next, you'll go on to choose and set up the correct environment for your business problem. You'll also learn a variety of ways to ingest data from various sources and orchestrate the data using transformation techniques offered by Azure Synapse. Later, you'll explore how to handle both relational and non-relational data using the SQL language. As you progress, you'll perform real-time streaming and execute data analysis operations on your data using various languages, before going on to apply ML techniques to derive accurate and granular insights from data. Finally, you'll discover how to protect sensitive data in real time by using security and privacy features.By the end of this Azure book, you'll be able to build end-to-end analytics solutions while focusing on data prep, data management, data warehousing, and AI tasks.