The Complete Guide to DAZ Studio 4. Bring your 3D characters to life with DAZ Studio

¬ŃWhile 3D technology can be intimidating, DAZ Studio provides a perfect entry point for anybody interested in it. DAZ Studio is designed to empower the readers with tools to manipulate ready to use models and figures. With DAZ Studio, you can use thousands of pre-made 3D models and create fantastic scenes without any hassle. Embark on a journey through the amazing world of 3Ddesigning and create great 3D art with DAZ Studio. This book will show you the way!The Complete Guide to DAZ Studio 4 shows you how to effectively use DAZ Studio 4 from start to finish. This guide takes you on a fun journey into the world of 3D art with DAZ Studio. Using everyday situations and practical examples, this book leads you from understanding the basics of 3D to the exploration of all the relevant topics, including posing, lighting, rendering, and content installation. You will follow step-by-step examples that will show you how to create great 3D art with fun and ease.With a free download code for Dawn: the brand new and hugely anticipated 3D figure by Hivewire3D and two free environments by renowned 3D artist Jack Tomalin, this book is a must-read for all aspiring 3D artists.

IoT and Edge Computing for Architects. Implementing edge and IoT systems from sensors to clouds with communication systems, analytics, and security - Second Edition

Perry Lea

Industries are embracing IoT technologies to improve operational expenses, product life, and people's well-being. An architectural guide is needed if you want to traverse the spectrum of technologies needed to build a successful IoT system, whether that's a single device or millions of IoT devices.IoT and Edge Computing for Architects, 2E encompasses the entire spectrum of IoT solutions, from IoT sensors to the cloud. It examines modern sensor systems, focusing on their power and functionality. It also looks at communication theory, paying close attention to near-range PAN, including the new Bluetooth® 5.0 specification and mesh networks. Then, the book explores IP-based communication in LAN and WAN, including 802.11ah, 5G LTE cellular, Sigfox, and LoRaWAN. It also explains edge computing, routing and gateways, and their role in fog computing, as well as the messaging protocols of MQTT 5.0 and CoAP.With the data now in internet form, you'll get an understanding of cloud and fog architectures, including the OpenFog standards. The book wraps up the analytics portion with the application of statistical analysis, complex event processing, and deep learning models. The book then concludes by providing a holistic view of IoT security, cryptography, and shell security in addition to software-defined perimeters and blockchains.

Office 365 User Guide. A comprehensive guide to increase collaboration and productivity with Microsoft Office 365

Nikkia Carter

Microsoft Office 365 combines the popular Office suite with next-generation cloud computing capabilities. With this user guide, you'll be able to implement its software features for effective business communication and collaboration. This book begins by providing you with a quick introduction to the user interface (UI) and the most commonly used features of Office 365. After covering the core aspects of this suite, you'll learn how to perform various email functions via Exchange. Next, you will learn how to communicate using Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams. To boost your productivity, this book will help you learn everything from using instant messaging to conducting audio and web conferences, and even accessing business information from any location. In the final chapters, you will learn to work in a systematic style using file management and collaboration with OneDrive for Business using SharePoint.By the end of this book, you'll be equipped with the knowledge you need to take full advantage of Office 365 and level up your organization's productivity.

Professional Azure SQL Database Administration. Equip yourself with the skills to manage and maintain data in the cloud - Second Edition

Ahmad Osama

Despite being the cloud version of SQL Server, Azure SQL Database differs in key ways when it comes to management, maintenance, and administration. This book shows you how to administer Azure SQL Database to fully benefit from its wide range of features and functionalities.Professional Azure SQL Database Administration begins by covering the architecture and explaining the difference between Azure SQL Database and the on-premise SQL Server to help you get comfortable with Azure SQL Database. You’ll perform common tasks such as migrating, backing up and restoring a SQL Server database to an Azure database. As you progress, you’ll understand how you can reduce costs, and manage and scale multiple SQL databases using elastic pools. You’ll also implement a disaster recovery solution using standard and active geo-replication. Whether it is learning different techniques to monitor and tune an Azure SQL Database or improving performance using in-memory technology, this book will enable you to make the most out of Azure SQL database features and functionality for data management solutions.By the end of this book, you’ll be well-versed with key aspects of an Azure SQL Database instance, such as migration, backup restorations, performance optimization, high availability, and disaster recovery.

SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines. A hands-on guide to provisioning Microsoft SQL Server on Azure VMs

Joey D'Antoni, Louis Davidson, Allan Hirt, John Martin, ...

Deploying SQL Server on Azure virtual machines allows you to work on full versions of SQL Server in the cloud without having to maintain on-premises hardware. The book begins by introducing you to the SQL portfolio in Azure and takes you through SQL Server IaaS scenarios, before explaining the factors that you need to consider while choosing an OS for SQL Server in Azure VMs. As you progress through the book, you'll explore different VM options and deployment choices for IaaS and understand platform availability, migration tools, and best practices in Azure. In later chapters, you'll learn how to configure storage to achieve optimized performance. Finally, you'll get to grips with the concept of Azure Hybrid Benefit and find out how you can use it to maximize the value of your existing on-premises SQL Server.By the end of this book, you'll be proficient in administering SQL Server on Microsoft Azure and leveraging the tools required for its deployment.

Azure Machine Learning Engineering. Deploy, fine-tune, and optimize ML models using Microsoft Azure

Sina Fakhraee, Balamurugan Balakreshnan, Megan Masanz

Data scientists working on productionizing machine learning (ML) workloads face a breadth of challenges at every step owing to the countless factors involved in getting ML models deployed and running. This book offers solutions to common issues, detailed explanations of essential concepts, and step-by-step instructions to productionize ML workloads using the Azure Machine Learning service. You’ll see how data scientists and ML engineers working with Microsoft Azure can train and deploy ML models at scale by putting their knowledge to work with this practical guide.Throughout the book, you’ll learn how to train, register, and productionize ML models by making use of the power of the Azure Machine Learning service. You’ll get to grips with scoring models in real time and batch, explaining models to earn business trust, mitigating model bias, and developing solutions using an MLOps framework.By the end of this Azure Machine Learning book, you’ll be ready to build and deploy end-to-end ML solutions into a production system using the Azure Machine Learning service for real-time scenarios.

Binary Analysis Cookbook. Actionable recipes for disassembling and analyzing binaries for security risks

Michael Born

Binary analysis is the process of examining a binary program to determine information security actions. It is a complex, constantly evolving, and challenging topic that crosses over into several domains of information technology and security. This binary analysis book is designed to help you get started with the basics, before gradually advancing to challenging topics. Using a recipe-based approach, this book guides you through building a lab of virtual machines and installing tools to analyze binaries effectively. You'll begin by learning about the IA32 and ELF32 as well as IA64 and ELF64 specifications. The book will then guide you in developing a methodology and exploring a variety of tools for Linux binary analysis. As you advance, you'll learn how to analyze malicious 32-bit and 64-bit binaries and identify vulnerabilities. You'll even examine obfuscation and anti-analysis techniques, analyze polymorphed malicious binaries, and get a high-level overview of dynamic taint analysis and binary instrumentation concepts. By the end of the book, you'll have gained comprehensive insights into binary analysis concepts and have developed the foundational skills to confidently delve into the realm of binary analysis.

LLM Engineer's Handbook. Master the art of engineering large language models from concept to production

Paul Iusztin, Maxime Labonne, Julien Chaumond, Hamza Tahir, ...

Artificial intelligence has undergone rapid advancements, and Large Language Models (LLMs) are at the forefront of this revolution. This LLM book offers insights into designing, training, and deploying LLMs in real-world scenarios by leveraging MLOps best practices. The guide walks you through building an LLM-powered twin that’s cost-effective, scalable, and modular. It moves beyond isolated Jupyter notebooks, focusing on how to build production-grade end-to-end LLM systems.Throughout this book, you will learn data engineering, supervised fine-tuning, and deployment. The hands-on approach to building the LLM Twin use case will help you implement MLOps components in your own projects. You will also explore cutting-edge advancements in the field, including inference optimization, preference alignment, and real-time data processing, making this a vital resource for those looking to apply LLMs in their projects.By the end of this book, you will be proficient in deploying LLMs that solve practical problems while maintaining low-latency and high-availability inference capabilities. Whether you are new to artificial intelligence or an experienced practitioner, this book delivers guidance and practical techniques that will deepen your understanding of LLMs and sharpen your ability to implement them effectively.

Programming Puzzles: Python Edition. The Guide to Sharpen Your Coding Skills with Engaging and Challenging Puzzles

Matthew Whiteside

Programming Puzzles is a meticulously crafted collection designed to elevate your coding skills through engaging and challenging exercises. The book begins with a helpful guide on getting started, ensuring that readers are well-prepared to tackle the puzzles ahead. As you delve deeper, you'll encounter a series of challenge puzzles that test your logical thinking and problem-solving abilities, followed by fun puzzles that offer a more relaxed yet equally rewarding experience.Hints are provided for the challenge puzzles to guide you through particularly tough spots, ensuring you stay motivated without giving away the solutions. Once you've worked through the puzzles, comprehensive solutions are provided, allowing you to understand different approaches and learn from your mistakes. Each section of the book is designed to progressively build your skills, from basic logic to advanced problem-solving techniques, making it an invaluable resource for anyone looking to improve their programming abilities.The journey through this book is not just about finding solutions; it's about developing a deeper understanding of how to approach and solve complex problems. By the end of this book, you'll have honed your coding skills, enhanced your logical thinking, and gained a new appreciation for the art of problem-solving in programming.

Mastering PowerShell Scripting. Automate repetitive tasks and simplify complex administrative tasks using PowerShell - Fifth Edition

Chris Dent

Mastering PowerShell Scripting, Fifth Edition, is your comprehensive guide to harnessing PowerShell’s full potential. This edition introduces new chapters on debugging, troubleshooting, and creating GUIs while covering the latest enhancements in PowerShell 7.3, including parameters, objects, and .NET classes.The book takes you from foundational concepts to advanced techniques, covering asynchronous processing, desired state configuration, and managing large datasets. You'll explore PowerShell’s automation features, error-handling strategies, and integration with external services. Additionally, this guide provides practical insights into working with regular expressions, Windows Management Instrumentation, and complex scripting methods.By the end of this book, you’ll have the skills to efficiently automate tasks, troubleshoot scripts, and leverage PowerShell’s advanced capabilities for real-world scenarios.

Clang Compiler Frontend. Get to grips with the internals of a C/C++ compiler frontend and create your own tools

Ivan Murashko

Discover the power of Clang, a versatile compiler known for its compilation speed and insightful error and warning messages. This book will get you acquainted with the capabilities of Clang, helping you harness its features for performance improvements and modularity by creating custom compiler tools.While focused on Clang compiler frontend, this book also covers other parts of LLVM, essential to understanding Clang's functionality, to keep up with the constantly evolving LLVM project.Starting with LLVM fundamentals, from installation procedures to development tools, this book walks you through Clang's internal architecture and its integral role within LLVM. As you progress, you’ll also tackle optimizing compilation performance through features such as C++ modules and header maps.The later chapters cover tools developed using the Clang/LLVM, including clang-tidy for linting, refactoring tools, and IDE support, and feature many examples to illustrate the material.By the end of this book, you’ll have a solid understanding of Clang, different Clang Tools, and how to use them to their fullest potential.

Django 3 By Example. Build powerful and reliable Python web applications from scratch - Third Edition

Antonio Melé

If you want to learn the entire process of developing professional web applications with Python and Django, then this book is for you. In the process of building four professional Django projects, you will learn about Django 3 features, how to solve common web development problems, how to implement best practices, and how to successfully deploy your applications. In this book, you will build a blog application, a social image bookmarking website, an online shop, and an e-learning platform. Step-by-step guidance will teach you how to integrate popular technologies, enhance your applications with AJAX, create RESTful APIs, and set up a production environment for your Django projects. By the end of this book, you will have mastered Django 3 by building advanced web applications.

Ouya Unity Game Development. Understanding Unity means you can quickly get the know-how to develop games for the Android-based Ouya console. This is the guide that will take you all the way from setting up the software to monetizing your games

Ouya is a microconsole running its own version of the Android operating system. The console features an exclusive Ouya store for applications and games designed specifically for the Ouya platform. It runs a modified version of Android 4.1 Jellybean, and is open to rooting without voiding the warranty. All systems can be used as development kits which allow any Ouya owner to be a developer without any licensing fee. Ouya Unity Game Development offers detailed, easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions which will help you learn the ins and outs of Ouya development in Unity.From connecting your device with Android Debug Bridge to publishing it on the Ouya Developer Portal, this book will explain the processes involved in creating a game from scratch. As you progress through the book, you will learn about scenes, prefabs, sounds, models, and animations. By the end of the seventh chapter, you will have a 3D game with multiple levels, the possibility of in-app purchases, and controller support that runs on both the Ouya and an Android phone. Starting with an introduction to Ouya, you will learn how to set up an environment and render game levels on Ouya. You will learn how to change levels and how to save the current level. You will then dive into Ouya controller integration and character animation. This book will also teach you the workings of audio source components, and will show you how to add textures to prefabs. Finally, you will learn how you can monetize the game. By the end of this book, you will have the game running on Ouya and geared up to create games on your own.

Mastering Apex Programming. A developer’s guide to learning advanced techniques and best practices for building robust Salesforce applications

Paul Battisson, Mike Wheeler

As applications built on the Salesforce platform are now a key part of many organizations, developers are shifting focus to Apex, Salesforce’s proprietary programming language. As a Salesforce developer, it is important to understand the range of tools at your disposal, how and when to use them, and best practices for working with Apex. Mastering Apex Programming will help you explore the advanced features of Apex programming and guide you in delivering robust solutions that scale.This book starts by taking you through common Apex mistakes, debugging, exception handling, and testing. You'll then discover different asynchronous Apex programming options and develop custom Apex REST web services. The book shows you how to define and utilize Batch Apex, Queueable Apex, and Scheduled Apex using common scenarios before teaching you how to define, publish, and consume platform events and RESTful endpoints with Apex. Finally, you'll learn how to profile and improve the performance of your Apex application, including architecture trade-offs.With code examples used to facilitate discussion throughout, by the end of the book, you'll have developed the skills needed to build robust and scalable applications in Apex.

Layered Design for Ruby on Rails Applications. Discover practical design patterns for maintainable web applications

Vladimir Dementyev

The Ruby on Rails framework boosts productivity by leveraging the convention-over-configuration principle and model-view-controller (MVC) pattern, enabling developers to build features efficiently. This initial simplicity often leads to complexity, making a well-structured codebase difficult to maintain. Written by a seasoned software engineer and award-winning contributor to many other open-source projects, including Ruby on Rails and Ruby, this book will help you keep your code maintainable while working on a Rails app.You’ll get to grips with the framework’s capabilities and principles to harness the full potential of Rails, and tackle many common design problems by discovering useful patterns and abstraction layers. By implementing abstraction and dividing the application into manageable modules, you’ll be able to concentrate on specific parts of the app development without getting overwhelmed by the entire codebase. This also encourages code reuse, simplifying the process of adding new features and enhancing the application's capabilities. Additionally, you’ll explore further steps in scaling Rails codebase, such as service extractions.By the end of this book, you’ll become a code design specialist with a deep understanding of the Rails framework principles.

Learn Ethereum. A practical guide to help developers set up and run decentralized applications with Ethereum 2.0 - Second Edition

Xun (Brian) Wu, Zhihong Zou, Dongying Song

Ethereum is a blockchain-based, decentralized computing platform that allows you to run smart contracts. With this book, you’ll discover the latest Ethereum tools, frameworks, wallets, and layer 2, along with setting up and running decentralized applications for the complete, end-to-end development experience.Learn Ethereum, 2nd Edition is a comprehensive overview of the Ethereum ecosystem, exploring its concepts, mechanisms, and decentralized application development process. You’ll delve into Ethereum's internals, technologies, and tools, including Ethereum 2.0 and the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), gas, and its account systems. You’ll also explore Ethereum's transition to proof of stake, L1/L2 scaling solutions, DeFi protocols, and the current marketplace. Additionally, you’ll learn about EVM-compatible blockchains, connectivity techniques, and advanced topics such as sharding, off-chain scaling, DAOs, Metaverse, and NFTs.By the end of this book, you’ll be well-equipped to write smart contracts and develop, test, and deploy DApps using various tools, wallets, and frameworks.

Learn T-SQL Querying. A guide to developing efficient and elegant T-SQL code

Pedro Lopes, Pam Lahoud

Transact-SQL (T-SQL) is Microsoft's proprietary extension to the SQL language used with Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL Database. This book will be a usefu to learning the art of writing efficient T-SQL code in modern SQL Server versions as well as the Azure SQL Database.The book will get you started with query processing fundamentals to help you write powerful, performant T-SQL queries. You will then focus on query execution plans and leverage them for troubleshooting. In later chapters, you will explain how to identify various T-SQL patterns and anti-patterns. This will help you analyze execution plans to gain insights into current performance, and determine whether or not a query is scalable. You will also build diagnostic queries using dynamic management views (DMVs) and dynamic management functions (DMFs) to address various challenges in T-SQL execution. Next, you will work with the built-in tools of SQL Server to shorten the time taken to address query performance and scalability issues. In the concluding chapters, this will guide you through implementing various features, such as Extended Events, Query Store, and Query Tuning Assistant, using hands-on examples.By the end of the book, you will have developed the skills to determine query performance bottlenecks, avoid pitfalls, and discover the anti-patterns in use.

Decoding Large Language Models. An exhaustive guide to understanding, implementing, and optimizing LLMs for NLP applications

Irena Cronin

Ever wondered how large language models (LLMs) work and how they're shaping the future of artificial intelligence? Written by a renowned author and AI, AR, and data expert, Decoding Large Language Models is a combination of deep technical insights and practical use cases that not only demystifies complex AI concepts, but also guides you through the implementation and optimization of LLMs for real-world applications.You’ll learn about the structure of LLMs, how they're developed, and how to utilize them in various ways. The chapters will help you explore strategies for improving these models and testing them to ensure effective deployment. Packed with real-life examples, this book covers ethical considerations, offering a balanced perspective on their societal impact. You’ll be able to leverage and fine-tune LLMs for optimal performance with the help of detailed explanations. You’ll also master techniques for training, deploying, and scaling models to be able to overcome complex data challenges with confidence and precision. This book will prepare you for future challenges in the ever-evolving fields of AI and NLP.By the end of this book, you’ll have gained a solid understanding of the architecture, development, applications, and ethical use of LLMs and be up to date with emerging trends, such as GPT-5.

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.This book 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.

Instant OSSEC Host-based Intrusion Detection System. A hands-on guide exploring OSSEC HIDS for operational and security awareness

Brad Lhotsky

Security software is often expensive, restricting, burdensome, and noisy. OSSEC-HIDS was designed to avoid getting in your way and to allow you to take control of and extract real value from industry security requirements. OSSEC-HIDS is a comprehensive, robust solution to many common security problems faced in organizations of all sizes.Instant OSSEC-HIDS is a practical guide to take you from beginner to power user through recipes designed based on real- world experiences. Recipes are designed to provide instant impact while containing enough detail to allow the reader to further explore the possibilities. Using real world examples, this book will take you from installing a simple, local OSSEC-HIDS service to commanding a network of servers running OSSEC-HIDS with customized checks, alerts, and automatic responses.You will learn how to maximise the accuracy, effectiveness, and performance of OSSEC-HIDS' analyser, file integrity monitor, and malware detection module. You will flip the table on security software and put OSSEC-HIDS to work validating its own alerts before escalating them. You will also learn how to write your own rules, decoders, and active responses. You will rest easy knowing your servers can protect themselves from most attacks while being intelligent enough to notify you when they need help!You will learn how to use OSSEC-HIDS to save time, meet security requirements, provide insight into your network, and protect your assets.

Mastering Spring Boot 3.0. A comprehensive guide to building scalable and efficient backend systems with Java and Spring

Ahmet Meric

Mastering Spring Boot 3.0 is your gateway to building scalable and robust backend systems using the latest techniques. Penned by a seasoned software developer with 20+ years of experience in the tech industry, this book follows a hands-on, step-by-step approach to helping you understand Spring Boot concepts and apply them to real-world projects.You’ll start by exploring key architectural patterns such as DDD, CQRS, and event sourcing. Next, you’ll focus on the nuances of reactive REST development, delve into advanced testing strategies, and fortify your applications' security. You’ll also discover the power of containerization and orchestration with Spring Boot 3.0 and unlock its potential for smooth deployments. Additionally, by integrating Kafka, you’ll be able to build robust event-driven systems.By the end of this book, you’ll have become proficient in architectural patterns, testing strategies, and application security. Whether you’re an architect, backend developer, or DevOps engineer, this book will help you leverage the advanced features of Spring Boot 3.0 for secure and efficient backend development.

Learning Veeam Backup & Replication for VMware vSphere. Learn how to protect your data in your VMware vSphere infrastructure with Veeam Backup & Replication

Christian Mohn

CompTIA Security+: SY0-601 Certification Guide. Complete coverage of the new CompTIA Security+ (SY0-601) exam to help you pass on the first attempt - Second Edition

Ian Neil

The CompTIA Security+ certification validates the fundamental knowledge required to perform core security functions and pursue a career in IT security. Authored by Ian Neil, a world-class CompTIA certification trainer, this book is a best-in-class study guide that fully covers the CompTIA Security+ 601 exam objectives.Complete with chapter review questions, realistic mock exams, and worked solutions, this guide will help you master the core concepts to pass the exam the first time you take it. With the help of relevant examples, you'll learn fundamental security concepts from certificates and encryption to identity and access management (IAM). As you progress, you'll delve into the important domains of the exam, including cloud security, threats, attacks and vulnerabilities, technologies and tools, architecture and design, risk management, cryptography, and public key infrastructure (PKI).You can access extra practice materials, including flashcards, performance-based questions, practical labs, mock exams, key terms glossary, and exam tips on the author's website at securityplus.training.By the end of this Security+ book, you'll have gained the knowledge and understanding to take the CompTIA exam with confidence.

Mastering Linux Shell Scripting. Master the complexities of Bash shell scripting and unlock the power of shell for your enterprise

Shell scripting is a quick method to prototype a complex application or a problem by automating tasks when working on Linux-based systems. Using both simple one-line commands and command sequences complex problems can be solved with ease, from text processing to backing up sysadmin tools.In this book, you’ll discover everything you need to know to master shell scripting and make informed choices about the elements you employ. Get to grips with the fundamentals of creating and running a script in normal mode, and in debug mode. Learn about various conditional statements' code snippets, and realize the power of repetition and loops in your shell script. Implement functions and edit files using the Stream Editor, script in Perl, program in Python – as well as complete coverage of other scripting languages to ensure you can choose the best tool for your project.