The Essential Blender--New from No Starch Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Camille Herrera, camille@nostarch.com
+1 415.863.9900 x303

No Starch Press releases The Essential Blender: The official guide to
Blender, the powerful, cross-platform, and free 3D design and animation
tool.

No Starch Press has a long-standing relationship with the Blender
Foundation, the non-profit organization behind the Blender software. The
Essential Blender (No Starch Press, Oct 2007, $44.95, ISBN
978-1-59327-166-4) is the most recent product of that cooperation. "I've
always been amazed by the Blender community's base of knowledge and desire
to teach," said No Starch Press Publisher Bill Pollock. "They wowed us
with their Blender 2.3 Guide and they've done it again with The Essential
Blender. This is without a doubt the comprehensive and definitive guide to
using the latest version of Blender."

Blender is a free and open source 3D design and animation tool that is a
real alternative to commercially available 3D design software. A
cross-platform software package with millions of downloads annually,
Blender is now one of the world's most popular 3D design tools. And
although Blender is free, it's serious software--intended for design
professionals and others motivated to become 3D artists. That also means
that Blender can be just a bit more complex than your basic image editor.

As with prior Blender Foundation publications, amateurs and professionals
alike will find that The Essential Blender provides them with the hands-on
knowledge they need to help integrate Blender into their work and begin to
master its powerful creation tools. Those new to 3D design will find an
introductory chapter with relevant terminology and concepts. Then,
following a tour of Blender's 3D modeling, animation, and rendering
capabilities, readers will learn how best to use Blender for:

- Object manipulation and animation
- Mesh and sculpt modeling and shape animation
- Materials and texturing (including UV unwrapping)
- Lighting and rendering
- Particle animation
- Character rigging and animation
- Node-based composition

The Essential Blender is the product of the combined expertise of key
members of the Blender community, including Blender's founder Ton
Roosendaal, coupled with the experience of editor Roland Hess. The
information in The Essential Blender is sure to help readers at all levels
unlock their artistic potential and get the most out of this seriously
powerful--and fun--software. 

Includes a complete version of Blender 2.44 on the CD-ROM for Windows, Mac
OS X, Linux (x86 and PowerPC), Solaris, FreeBSD, and IRIX.

The Essential Blender: Guide to 3D Creation with the Open Source Suite
Blender
October 2007, 376 pp., ISBN 978-1-59327-166-4, US $44.95    

Additional Resources:
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index,
author bios, and cover graphic, see:
www.oreilly.com/catalog/9781593271664/index.html
Table of Contents: www.nostarch.com/eblender_toc.htm
Sample Chapter: Chapter 6: Character Animation
http://www.tinker.tv/download/eblender_ch6.pdf 

Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or
directly from No Starch Press (www.nostarch.com, orders@nostarch.com,
800.420.7240). 

ABOUT NO STARCH PRESS: Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few
remaining independent computer book publishers. We publish the finest in
geek entertainmentóunique books on technology, with a focus on Open
Source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, and
LEGO. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our
books tackle topics that people care about. See www.nostarch.com for more
information and our complete online catalog. (And most No Starch Press
books use RepKover, a lay-flat binding that won't snap shut.)    

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