Inkscape Beginner's Guide. Create attractive layout designs, logos, brochures, icons, and more using the Inkscape vector graphics editor

Bethany Hiitola

Learning to use Inkscape, an exciting open-source vector graphics program, broadens your software toolkit as a graphic designer. Using practical, real-world examples, you'll learn everything about the software and its capabilities so you'll be able to design anything from logos to websites.Inkscape Beginner's Guide is a practical step-by-step guide for learning this exciting vector graphics software. Not only will it take you through each menu item and toolbar, but you will also learn about creating complex shapes, text styling, filters, working with images, extensions, and the XML editoróall using real world examples.The book starts with an overview of vector graphics and how best to use them when designing for digital and print mediums. Then we install Inkscape and start learning all the ins and outs of the software. You'll build your first vector graphic while learning best practices for using layers, and build simple and complex objects with shapes and paths that will ultimately become exciting graphics to be used in your designs. Beyond designing sample logos and brochures while learning the software, you'll also learn how to use filters, install and use extensions, and the ins-and-outs of SVG and the XML Editor in Inkscape.

Artificial Intelligence for Robotics. Build intelligent robots using ROS 2, Python, OpenCV, and AI/ML techniques for real-world tasks - Second Edition

Francis X. Govers III, Dr. Kamesh Namuduri

Unlock the potential of your robots by enhancing their perception with cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. From neural networks to computer vision, this second edition of the book equips you with the latest tools, new and expanded topics such as object recognition and creating artificial personality, and practical use cases to create truly smart robots.Starting with robotics basics, robot architecture, control systems, and decision-making theory, this book presents systems-engineering methods to design problem-solving robots with single-board computers. You'll explore object recognition using YOLO and genetic algorithms to teach your robot to identify and pick up objects, leverage natural language processing to give your robot a voice, and master neural networks to classify and separate objects and navigate autonomously, before advancing to guiding your robot arms using reinforcement learning and genetic algorithms. The book also covers path planning and goal-oriented programming to prioritize your robot's tasks, showing you how to connect all software using Python and ROS 2 for a seamless experience.By the end of this book, you'll have learned how to transform your robot into a helpful assistant with NLP and give it an artificial personality, ready to tackle real-world tasks and even crack jokes.

Instant Edublogs. Set up your blog, develop a thriving community of readers, and reach out to your students

Jason T. Bedell

Blogging is a way of publicly thinking and sharing. It allows us to connect with others, crystallize our thoughts, and get authentic feedback from others in education – parents, students, and educators from all over the world. This translates into becoming an effective practitioner. Edublogs allows you to build a platform where you can share your life and knowledge with others. Connect with other educators and support each other as you grow together.Instant Edublogs will show you how to start a blog and improve it with powerful plugins. It then goes into detail about how to choose and customize engaging themes, write and manage posts, and even more. It will delve into the most advanced features that Edublogs offers and help you start blogging collectively with your students.Instant Edublogs takes a systemic and step-by-step approach from the very beginning. It will show you how to start a blog, and choose a title and theme. It then moves onto the more advanced features, such as utilizing plugins for specialized functionality and growing readership through social media. This book also gives you tips and ideas on how to reach out to your students so that they can reap the benefits of community and public writing. Follow this book to become a pro at blogging with Edublogs.

iOS 14 Programming for Beginners. Get started with building iOS apps with Swift 5.3 and Xcode 12 - Fifth Edition

Ahmad Sahar

If you're looking to work and experiment with powerful iOS 14 features such as widgets and App Clips to create your own apps, this iOS programming guide is for you. The book offers a comprehensive introduction for experienced programmers who are new to iOS, taking you through the entire process of learning the Swift language, writing your own apps, and publishing them on the App Store.Fully updated to cover the new iOS 14 features, along with Xcode 12 and Swift 5.3, this fifth edition of iOS 14 Programming for Beginners starts with an introduction to the Swift programming language and shows you how to accomplish common programming tasks with it. You'll then start building the user interface (UI) of a complete real-world app using the storyboards feature in the latest version of Xcode and implement the code for views, view controllers, data managers, and other aspects of mobile apps. The book will also help you apply iOS 14 features to existing apps and introduce you to SwiftUI, a new way to build apps for all Apple devices. Finally, you’ll set up testers for your app and understand what you need to do to publish your app on the App Store.By the end of this book, you'll not only be well versed in writing and publishing applications, but you’ll also be able to apply your iOS development skills to enhance existing apps.

Learn Blender Simulations the Right Way. Create attractive and realistic animations with Mantaflow, rigid and soft bodies, and Dynamic Paint

Stephen Pearson

Blender is a free, open source 3D software that allows you to create stunning visual graphics, animation, VFX, and much more!This book is an in-depth guide to creating realistic and eye-catching simulations, understanding the various settings and options around their creation, and learning how to troubleshoot solutions to your own Blender problems. In addition, this book can also be used to simulate the behavior of certain physics effects, such as fire, fluid, soft bodies, and rigid bodies.You’ll learn how to use Mantaflow, an open source framework within Blender software, to create fire, smoke, and fluid simulations. As you progress, you’ll understand how to easily produce satisfying rigid and soft body simulations, along with cloth simulations. Finally, you’ll use Dynamic Paint, Blender’s modifier, and the physics system to create eye-catching animations.By the end of this Blender book, you’ll have created a number of animations on your own, such as a campfire, waterfalls, and explosions. You’ll also have gained a deeper understanding of all the simulation options in Blender, which you can use to create portfolio-ready animations.

Micro State Management with React Hooks. Explore custom hooks libraries like Zustand, Jotai, and Valtio to manage global states

Daishi Kato

State management is one of the most complex concepts in React. Traditionally, developers have used monolithic state management solutions. Thanks to React Hooks, micro state management is something tuned for moving your application from a monolith to a microservice.This book provides a hands-on approach to the implementation of micro state management that will have you up and running and productive in no time. You’ll learn basic patterns for state management in React and understand how to overcome the challenges encountered when you need to make the state global. Later chapters will show you how slicing a state into pieces is the way to overcome limitations. Using hooks, you'll see how you can easily reuse logic and have several solutions for specific domains, such as form state and server cache state. Finally, you'll explore how to use libraries such as Zustand, Jotai, and Valtio to organize state and manage development efficiently.By the end of this React book, you'll have learned how to choose the right global state management solution for your app requirement.

Data Governance Handbook. A practical approach to building trust in data

Wendy S. Batchelder

2.5 quintillion bytes! This is the amount of data being generated every single day across the globe. As this number continues to grow, understanding and managing data becomes more complex. Data professionals know that it’s their responsibility to navigate this complexity and ensure effective governance, empowering businesses with the right data, at the right time, and with the right controls.If you are a data professional, this book will equip you with valuable guidance to conquer data governance complexities with ease. Written by a three-time chief data officer in global Fortune 500 companies, the Data Governance Handbook is an exhaustive guide to understanding data governance, its key components, and how to successfully position solutions in a way that translates into tangible business outcomes.By the end, you’ll be able to successfully pitch and gain support for your data governance program, demonstrating tangible outcomes that resonate with key stakeholders.

Cloud-Native Development and Migration to Jakarta EE. Transform your legacy Java EE project into a cloud-native application

Ron Veen, David Vlijmincx

Cloud-Native Development and Migration to Jakarta EE will help you unlock the secrets of Jakarta EE's evolution as you explore the migration and modernization of your applications. You’ll discover how to make your code compatible with the latest Jakarta EE version and how to leverage its modern features effectively.First, you’ll navigate the realm of cloud-native development as you demystify containers and get introduced to the Eclipse MicroProfile, a powerful tool in your toolkit. Next, you’ll take the bold step of transitioning your applications from local hardware to the limitless possibilities of the cloud. By following the author’s expert guidance to deploy your Jakarta EE applications on Microsoft Azure, you’ll gain hands-on experience in managing cloud resources.In the final leg of your journey, you’ll explore the world of serverless architecture. You’ll learn to design and run services that are truly serverless, harnessing the potential of the event-driven paradigm for scalability and cost-efficiency.By the end of this book, you’ll have mastered Jakarta EE and become a proficient cloud-native developer. Join us on this exciting journey of transformation and innovation as you pave the way for the future of Jakarta EE and cloud-native development.