Creative Motion Mastery with Adobe After Effects. Learn the ins and outs of motion graphics, post-production, rotoscoping, and VFX

Vishu Aggarwal

Visual effects and motion graphics are everywhere, shaping the film, TV, games, websites, and application landscape. Navigating a field this complex and ever-expanding demands more than mere familiarity with tools; you need to stand out to get ahead. Creative Motion Mastery with Adobe After Effects is the definitive guide that not only equips you with the essential skills to distinguish yourself, but also takes you through real projects that you can add to your portfolio.Guided by a hands-on learning approach, you'll master the UI, workflow, and diverse projects such as text animation, shape layers, and rotoscoping. With this newfound knowledge, you’ll take your graphic design and post-production skills to the next level using chroma keying, particle simulations, and 2D and 3D tracking. You’ll progress faster than someone taking a formal course in Adobe After Effects! And it’s not all about creating; you’ll import graphics from Illustrator and Photoshop and apply post-production effects to give them a new life. Finally, you’ll discover how seamlessly you can export and manage your projects, ensuring end-to-end coverage of all you need.By the end of the book, you’ll have a thorough understanding of Adobe After Effects, equipped with the skills and practice you need to propel your career in graphic design.

Transformers for Natural Language Processing. Build innovative deep neural network architectures for NLP with Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, BERT, RoBERTa, and more

Denis Rothman

The transformer architecture has proved to be revolutionary in outperforming the classical RNN and CNN models in use today. With an apply-as-you-learn approach, Transformers for Natural Language Processing investigates in vast detail the deep learning for machine translations, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, language modeling, question answering, and many more NLP domains with transformers.The book takes you through NLP with Python and examines various eminent models and datasets within the transformer architecture created by pioneers such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Hugging Face.The book trains you in three stages. The first stage introduces you to transformer architectures, starting with the original transformer, before moving on to RoBERTa, BERT, and DistilBERT models. You will discover training methods for smaller transformers that can outperform GPT-3 in some cases. In the second stage, you will apply transformers for Natural Language Understanding (NLU) and Natural Language Generation (NLG). Finally, the third stage will help you grasp advanced language understanding techniques such as optimizing social network datasets and fake news identification.By the end of this NLP book, you will understand transformers from a cognitive science perspective and be proficient in applying pretrained transformer models by tech giants to various datasets.

Babylon.js Essentials. Understand, train, and be ready to develop 3D Web applications/video games using the Babylon.js framework, even for beginners

Julien Moreau-Mathis

Are you familiar with HTML5? Do you want to build exciting games and Web applications? Then explore the exciting world of game and Web development with one of the best frameworks out there: Babylon.JS.Starting from the beginning, the book introduces the required basics for 3D development and the knowledge you need to use the Babylon.js framework. It focuses on the simplicity provided by Babylon.js and uses a combination of theory and practice. All the chapters are provided with example files ready to run; each example file provides the previously learned features of the framework. Finally, developers will be ready to easily understand new features added to the framework in the future.

Unreal Engine 4 Shaders and Effects Cookbook. Over 70 recipes for mastering post-processing effects and advanced shading techniques

Brais Brenlla Ramos, John P. Doran

Unreal Engine 4 is a powerful game engine, one which has seen a recent boost in widespread adoption thanks to its ease of use and the powerful rendering pipeline that it packs. Seeing as how it's relatively easy to create stunning presentations and visuals, Unreal has quickly become a strong contender in industries where this kind of software had been previously denied entry.With that in mind, this book aims to help you get the most out of Unreal Engine 4 - from creating awe-inspiring graphics to delivering optimized experiences to your users. This is possible thanks to a mixture of hands-on experience with real materials and the theory behind them. You will immediately know how to create that material that you want to display, and you'll also end up with the knowledge that will let you know how to control it.All of this will be done without losing sight of two key components of any real-time application - optimization, and efficiency. The materials that you create will be light and efficient, and they will vary depending on your target platform. You'll know which techniques can be used in any kind of device and which ones should be kept to high-end machines, giving you the confidence to tackle any material-related task that you can imagine. Hop onboard and discover how!

Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design. Take your AuotoCAD design skills to the next dimension by creating powerful 3D models

JOAO ANTONIO C DOS SANTOS

AutoCAD is a computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. AutoCAD supports both 2D and 3D formats. AutoCAD is used in a range of industries and is utilized by architects, project managers, and engineers, among others.Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design will take you beyond the 2D frontier and help you create accurate 3D models that simulate reality. This book is crammed full of creative and practical tutorials which will help you master the third dimension. From exercises on coordinate systems to creating solids and surfaces from 2D, you will wonder how you ever designed without this resource by your side.Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design is full of hands-on studies and projects that will help develop your 3D skills. Starting from the assumption of only a very basic knowledge of AutoCAD, this book will help you master 3D visualization and coordinate systems, create 3D models from 2D drawings, and from basic shapes, measure volumes, and other information, obtain 2D construction drawings from 3D models as well as how to apply lights and materials to get photorealistic images.

Accelerate Model Training with PyTorch 2.X. Build more accurate models by boosting the model training process

Maicon Melo Alves, Lúcia Maria de Assumpçao Drummond

This book, written by an HPC expert with over 25 years of experience, guides you through enhancing model training performance using PyTorch. Here you’ll learn how model complexity impacts training time and discover performance tuning levels to expedite the process, as well as utilize PyTorch features, specialized libraries, and efficient data pipelines to optimize training on CPUs and accelerators. You’ll also reduce model complexity, adopt mixed precision, and harness the power of multicore systems and multi-GPU environments for distributed training. By the end, you'll be equipped with techniques and strategies to speed up training and focus on building stunning models.

FL Studio Cookbook. The lofi, retrowave, and horror music chef's guide to FL Studio music production

Chris Rena

Whether it's overcoming creative blocks, troubleshooting technical issues, or refining your workflow, every budding producer faces challenges. The FL Studio Cookbook is here to provide practical solutions to common problems, empowering you to navigate any obstacle with ease by exploring one of the most renowned, industry-standard DAWs.The recipe-based approach of this book means that you’ll unlock the secrets of crafting captivating melodies and learn the art of composition with practical, step-by-step instructions, discovering how to construct melodies that evoke emotion and leave a lasting impression. From chord progressions to counterpoint, you’ll get actionable insights to help you compose music that resonates with your audience. You’ll also master the intricacies of mixing and mastering, by familiarizing yourself with the entire process from balancing levels and sculpting sounds to applying effects. You’ll also explore the endless possibilities of sculpting sound from scratch, whether you're crafting custom synths, designing unique textures, or layering effects to create otherworldly sounds.By the end of this book, you'll have acquired the skills to confidently craft professional-quality lofi, retrowave, and horror music tracks, gaining the expertise to express your musical vision and take your music production to new heights.

Instant OpenCV for iOS. Learn how to build real-time computer vision applications for the iOS platform using the OpenCV library

Kirill Kornyakov, Aleksander Shishkov

Computer vision on mobile devices is becoming more and more popular. Personal gadgets are now powerful enough to process high-resolution images, stitch panoramas, and detect and track objects. OpenCV, with its decent performance and wide range of functionality, can be an extremely useful tool in the hands of iOS developers.Instant OpenCV for iOS is a practical guide that walks you through every important step for building a computer vision application for the iOS platform. It will help you to port your OpenCV code, profile and optimize it, and wrap it into a GUI application. Each recipe is accompanied by a sample project or an example that helps you focus on a particular aspect of the technology.Instant OpenCV for iOS starts by creating a simple iOS application and linking OpenCV before moving on to processing images and videos in real-time. It covers the major ways to retrieve images, process them, and view or export results. Special attention is also given to performance issues, as they greatly affect the user experience.Several computer vision projects will be considered throughout the book. These include a couple of photo filters that help you to print a postcard or add a retro effect to your images. Another one is a demonstration of the facial feature detection algorithm. In several time-critical cases, the processing speed is measured and optimized using ARM NEON and the Accelerate framework.OpenCV for iOS gives you all the information you need to build a high-performance computer vision application for iOS devices.

SQL Server 2014 Development Essentials. Design, implement, and deliver a successful database solution with Microsoft SQL Server 2014

Basit A. Masood-Al-Farooq

Efficient Algorithm Design. Unlock the power of algorithms to optimize computer programming

Masoud Makrehchi

Efficient Algorithm Design redefines algorithms, tracing the evolution of computer science as a discipline bridging natural science and mathematics. Author Masoud Makrehchi, PhD, with his extensive experience in delivering publications and presentations, explores the duality of computers as mortal hardware and immortal algorithms. The book guides you through essential aspects of algorithm design and analysis, including proving correctness and the importance of repetition and loops. This groundwork sets the stage for exploring algorithm complexity, with practical exercises in design and analysis using sorting and search as examples. Each chapter delves into critical topics such as recursion and dynamic programming, reinforced with practical examples and exercises that link theory with real-world applications. What sets this book apart is its focus on the practical application of algorithm design and analysis, equipping you to solve real programming challenges effectively.By the end of this book, you’ll have a deep understanding of algorithmic foundations and gain proficiency in designing efficient algorithms, empowering you to develop more robust and optimized software solutions.

Taking SketchUp Pro to the Next Level. Go beyond the basics and develop custom 3D modeling workflows to become a SketchUp ninja

Aaron Dietzen aka 'The SketchUp Guy'

Anyone who’s worked with it will know that SketchUp is the quickest and easiest way to create 3D models. While its approachable interface makes it super easy to learn, this book will show you how the extremely capable SketchUp software can take you far beyond what you may have initially thought possible. Get ready to level up from a basic user to becoming a SketchUp ninja!Each chapter will take you through the capabilities of SketchUp, challenging you to use tools in innovative ways. This includes organizing your model, modifying native commands, customizing your interface, utilizing inferencing, and much more. Additionally, you’ll learn about the extensions that can be added to SketchUp to supplement the tools you have been using, allowing you to make your 3D modeling process quicker, easier, and more powerful.By the end of this SketchUp book, you’ll have an enhanced understanding of how to use the impressive range of tools and be on your way to customizing SketchUp for your one-of-a-kind workflow.

Apache Flume: Distributed Log Collection for Hadoop. If your role includes moving datasets into Hadoop, this book will help you do it more efficiently using Apache Flume. From installation to customization, it's a complete step-by-step guide on making the service work for you

Steve Hoffman, Steven Hoffman, Kevin A. McGrail

Apache Flume is a distributed, reliable, and available service for efficiently collecting, aggregating, and moving large amounts of log data. Its main goal is to deliver data from applications to Apache Hadoop's HDFS. It has a simple and flexible architecture based on streaming data flows. It is robust and fault tolerant with many failover and recovery mechanisms.Apache Flume: Distributed Log Collection for Hadoop covers problems with HDFS and streaming data/logs, and how Flume can resolve these problems. This book explains the generalized architecture of Flume, which includes moving data to/from databases, NO-SQL-ish data stores, as well as optimizing performance. This book includes real-world scenarios on Flume implementation.Apache Flume: Distributed Log Collection for Hadoop starts with an architectural overview of Flume and then discusses each component in detail. It guides you through the complete installation process and compilation of Flume.It will give you a heads-up on how to use channels and channel selectors. For each architectural component (Sources, Channels, Sinks, Channel Processors, Sink Groups, and so on) the various implementations will be covered in detail along with configuration options. You can use it to customize Flume to your specific needs. There are pointers given on writing custom implementations as well that would help you learn and implement them.By the end, you should be able to construct a series of Flume agents to transport your streaming data and logs from your systems into Hadoop in near real time.

Distributed Machine Learning with Python. Accelerating model training and serving with distributed systems

Guanhua Wang

Reducing time cost in machine learning leads to a shorter waiting time for model training and a faster model updating cycle. Distributed machine learning enables machine learning practitioners to shorten model training and inference time by orders of magnitude. With the help of this practical guide, you'll be able to put your Python development knowledge to work to get up and running with the implementation of distributed machine learning, including multi-node machine learning systems, in no time. You'll begin by exploring how distributed systems work in the machine learning area and how distributed machine learning is applied to state-of-the-art deep learning models. As you advance, you'll see how to use distributed systems to enhance machine learning model training and serving speed. You'll also get to grips with applying data parallel and model parallel approaches before optimizing the in-parallel model training and serving pipeline in local clusters or cloud environments. By the end of this book, you'll have gained the knowledge and skills needed to build and deploy an efficient data processing pipeline for machine learning model training and inference in a distributed manner.

Natural Language Processing with Java and LingPipe Cookbook. Over 60 effective recipes to develop your Natural Language Processing (NLP) skills quickly and effectively

Frederick Baldwin, Krishna Dayanidhi

Instant SQL Server Analysis Services 2012 Cube Security. Analyze and secure cubes in the SQL Server 2012 development environment in no time using this hands-on guide

Satya SK Jayanty, Satya Shyam K Jayanty

SQL Server 2012 includes BI-specific features such as cube analytics, reporting-related features, multidimensional BI semantic models, and many more. This is a new addition that is of great use to Business Analysts, who can now build BI semantic models using the relational tables from the database engine rather than the dimensions from analysis services.Instant Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services 2012 Cube Security is a practical, hands-on guide that provides clear, step-by-step recipes for getting started with cube security. As a Database Administrator and Data Architect, data security is of prime concern, and this book highlights the key concepts of securing cubes. By the end of this book, you will understand the SQL Server security model and how to effectively implement the same on the data platform.Security is paramount within a data platform, and thankfully, the issues surrounding data access can be fixed in the initial stages of its design. This allows you to avoid any breach of data access layers. The recipes in this book consist of the required ingredients to implement and administer OLAP & BI security management for your cubes. With this book, you will master the key aspects of implementing and managing security essentials and securing data layers.The recipes in this book incorporate best practice implementation, which include step-by-step instructions for creating models that implement security based on the currently logged on Windows user name or based on custom data passed to analysis services. The new BI platform features will help end users, business users, and technology users by providing a robust environment for IT, planning, budgeting, forecasting with scorecards, and reporting capabilities for the business users. These analytics will help end users to create a comprehensive management application to view the data with ease.

Extending Jenkins. Get a complete walkthrough of the many interfaces available in Jenkins with the help of real-world examples to take you to the next level with Jenkins

Donald Simpson

Jenkins CI is the leading open source continuous integration server. It is written in Java and has a wealth of plugins to support the building and testing of virtually any project. Jenkins supports multiple Software Configuration Management tools such as Git, Subversion, and Mercurial.This book explores and explains the many extension points and customizations that Jenkins offers its users, and teaches you how to develop your own Jenkins extensions and plugins.First, you will learn how to adapt Jenkins and leverage its abilities to empower DevOps, Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, and Agile projects. Next, you will find out how to reduce the cost of modern software development, increase the quality of deliveries, and thereby reduce the time to market. We will also teach you how to create your own custom plugins using Extension points.Finally, we will show you how to combine everything you learned over the course of the book into one real-world scenario.

Java Concurrency and Parallelism. Master advanced Java techniques for cloud-based applications through concurrency and parallelism

Jay Wang

If you’re a software developer, architect, or systems engineer, exploring Java’s concurrency utilities and synchronization in the cloud, this book is an essential resource. Tech visionary Jay Wang, with over three decades of experience transforming industry giants, brings unparalleled expertise to guide you through Java’s concurrency and parallel processing in cloud computing.This comprehensive book starts by establishing the foundational concepts of concurrency and parallelism, vital for cloud-native development, and gives you a complete overview, highlighting challenges and best practices. Wang expertly demonstrates Java’s role in big data, machine learning, microservices, and serverless computing, shedding light on how Java’s tools are effectively utilized in these domains. Complete with practical examples and insights, this book bridges theory with real-world applications, ensuring a holistic understanding of Java in cloud-based scenarios. You’ll navigate advanced topics, such as synchronizing Java’s concurrency with cloud auto-scaling and GPU computing, and be equipped with the skills and foresight to tackle upcoming trends in cloud technology.This book serves as your roadmap to innovation and excellence in Java cloud applications, giving you in-depth knowledge and hands-on practice for mastering Java in the cloud era.

Elixir Cookbook. Unleash the full power of programming in Elixir with over 60 incredibly effective recipes

Paulo Pereira

Neuro-Symbolic AI. Design transparent and trustworthy systems that understand the world as you do

Alexiei Dingli, David Farrugia

Neuro-symbolic AI offers the potential to create intelligent systems that possess both the reasoning capabilities of symbolic AI along with the learning capabilities of neural networks. This book provides an overview of AI and its inner mechanics, covering both symbolic and neural network approaches.You’ll begin by exploring the decline of symbolic AI and the recent neural network revolution, as well as their limitations. The book then delves into the importance of building trustworthy and transparent AI solutions using explainable AI techniques. As you advance, you’ll explore the emerging field of neuro-symbolic AI, which combines symbolic AI and modern neural networks to improve performance and transparency. You’ll also learn how to get started with neuro-symbolic AI using Python with the help of practical examples. In addition, the book covers the most promising technologies in the field, providing insights into the future of AI.Upon completing this book, you will acquire a profound comprehension of neuro-symbolic AI and its practical implications. Additionally, you will cultivate the essential abilities to conceptualize, design, and execute neuro-symbolic AI solutions.

Interactive Visualization and Plotting with Julia. Create impressive data visualizations through Julia packages such as Plots, Makie, Gadfly, and more

Diego Javier Zea

The Julia programming language offers a fresh perspective into the data visualization field.Interactive Visualization and Plotting with Julia begins by introducing the Julia language and the Plots package. The book then gives a quick overview of the Julia plotting ecosystem to help you choose the best library for your task. In particular, you will discover the many ways to create interactive visualizations with its packages. You’ll also leverage Pluto notebooks to gain interactivity and use them intensively through this book. You’ll find out how to create animations, a handy skill for communication and teaching. Then, the book shows how to solve data analysis problems using DataFrames and various plotting packages based on the grammar of graphics. Furthermore, you’ll discover how to create the most common statistical plots for data exploration. Also, you’ll learn to visualize geographically distributed data, graphs and networks, and biological data. Lastly, this book will go deeper into plot customizations with Plots, Makie, and Gadfly—focusing on the former—teaching you to create plot themes, arrange multiple plots into a single figure, and build new plot types.By the end of this Julia book, you’ll be able to create interactive and publication-quality static plots for data analysis and exploration tasks using Julia.

Drupal 7 Social Networking. Build a social or community website with friends lists, groups, custom user profiles, and much more

MICHAEL KEITH PEACOCK, Dries Buytaert

Drupal is ideally equipped to serve as a base system for creating a custom social networking site like Facebook or MySpace. While these large social networks have their place, niche social networking websites can help promote businesses, products, projects, and hobbies of any nature.Drupal 7 Social Networking provides careful instructions and clear explanations to take you through the setup and management of your social network site, covering topics from users, to marketing, to maintenance. It will help you create your own social networking site, suitable for whatever audience you choose!Starting from the very basics of both Drupal and Social Networking, right through to more complicated aspects, you will progressively learn how to add to and expand your social networking site and add more features. You will learn how to secure your social network, deploy it on the Internet, and keep it running and well maintained. As social networking sites rely on the participation of their users, this book helps you to structure your site in such a way so that users can easily and enjoyably contribute, thus creating a powerful social network.

ChatGPT for Cybersecurity Cookbook. Learn practical generative AI recipes to supercharge your cybersecurity skills

Clint Bodungen, Aaron Crow

Are you ready to unleash the potential of AI-driven cybersecurity? This cookbook takes you on a journey toward enhancing your cybersecurity skills, whether you’re a novice or a seasoned professional. By leveraging cutting-edge generative AI and large language models such as ChatGPT, you'll gain a competitive advantage in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape.ChatGPT for Cybersecurity Cookbook shows you how to automate and optimize various cybersecurity tasks, including penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, risk assessment, and threat detection. Each recipe demonstrates step by step how to utilize ChatGPT and the OpenAI API to generate complex commands, write code, and even create complete tools. You’ll discover how AI-powered cybersecurity can revolutionize your approach to security, providing you with new strategies and techniques for tackling challenges. As you progress, you’ll dive into detailed recipes covering attack vector automation, vulnerability scanning, GPT-assisted code analysis, and more. By learning to harness the power of generative AI, you'll not only expand your skillset but also increase your efficiency.By the end of this cybersecurity book, you’ll have the confidence and knowledge you need to stay ahead of the curve, mastering the latest generative AI tools and techniques in cybersecurity.

Amazon EC2 Cookbook. Over 40 hands-on recipes to develop and deploy real-world applications using Amazon EC2

Sekhar Reddy, Aurobindo Sarkar

Discover how to perform a complete forensic investigation of large-scale Hadoop clusters using the same tools and techniques employed by forensic experts. This book begins by taking you through the process of forensic investigation and the pitfalls to avoid. It will walk you through Hadoop’s internals and architecture, and you will discover what types of information Hadoop stores and how to access that data. You will learn to identify Big Data evidence using techniques to survey a live system and interview witnesses. After setting up your own Hadoop system, you will collect evidence using techniques such as forensic imaging and application-based extractions. You will analyze Hadoop evidence using advanced tools and techniques to uncover events and statistical information. Finally, data visualization and evidence presentation techniques are covered to help you properly communicate your findings to any audience.

Mastering JavaScript Design Patterns. Write reliable code to create powerful applications by mastering advanced JavaScript design patterns - Second Edition

Simon Timms

With the recent release of ES-2015, there are several new object-oriented features and functions introduced in JavaScript. These new features enhance the capabilities of JavaScript to utilize design patterns and software design methodologies to write powerful code.Through this book, you will explore how design patterns can help you improve and organize your JavaScript code. You’ll get to grips with creational, structural and behavioral patterns as you discover how to put them to work in different scenarios. Then, you'll get a deeper look at patterns used in functional programming, as well as model view patterns and patterns to build web applications. This updated edition will also delve into reactive design patterns and microservices as they are a growing phenomenon in the world of web development. You will also find patterns to improve the testability of your code using mock objects, mocking frameworks, and monkey patching. We’ll also show you some advanced patterns including dependency injection and live post processing.By the end of the book, you'll be saved of a lot of trial and error and developmental headaches, and you will be on the road to becoming a JavaScript expert.