Take your PhoneGap experience to the next level and create engaging real-world applicationsAbout This BookCreate a useful PhoneGap workflow for larger projects in order to simplify and manage the development processUse third-party plugins, IndexedDB, and SQLite for PhoneGap to develop large-scale, data-driven, and highly accessible applicationsA pragmatic guide to construct top-notch large-scale applications using PhoneGapWho This Book Is ForIf you have created simple applications using PhoneGap in the past and now want to take your workflow and apps to the next level, this book will help you reach your goals. You should have a good working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and prior experience with PhoneGap.What You Will LearnConstruct build workflows that simplify complex application developmentIntegrate the next version of JavaScript to simplify your codeCreate accessible hybrid applicationsPersist and query data using third-party database pluginsCreate your own PhoneGap plugins for your unique use casesCreate icons and splash screens suitable for submission to app storesPublish your app to the Google Play and Apple iTunes storesIn DetailPhoneGap is a useful and flexible tool that enables you to create complex hybrid applications for mobile platforms. In addition to the core technology, there is a large and vibrant community that creates third-party plugins that can take your app to the next level.This book will guide you through the process of creating a complex data-driven hybrid mobile application using PhoneGap, web technologies, and third-party plugins.A good foundation is critical, so you will learn how to create a useful workflow to make development easier. From there, the next version of JavaScript (ES6) and the CSS pre-processor SASS are introduced as a way to simplify creating the look of the mobile application. Responsive design techniques are also covered, including the flexbox layout module. As many apps are data-driven, you'll build an application throughout the course of the book that relies upon IndexedDB and SQLite. You'll also download additional content and address how to handle in-app purchases. Furthermore, you’ll build your own customized plugins for your particular use case. When the app is complete, the book will guide you through the steps necessary to submit your app to the Google Play and Apple iTunes stores.Style and approachThis book is a step-by-step guide, in which the concepts covered are explained with the help of hands-on examples

Get up and running with Magento 2 to create custom solutions, themes, and extensions effectivelyAbout This BookCreate unique solutions for Magento 2 by developing and implementing solutions, themes, and extensionsBe proficient in the main functionalities, resources, and system structure of Magento 2Get to grips with this practical and hands-on guide to raise your web development skills to the next levelWho This Book Is ForIf you are a PHP developer who wants to improve your skills in e-commerce development by creating themes and extensions for Magento 2, then this book is for you.What You Will LearnInstall and set up the Magento EcosystemChoose the best options for Magento’s Sell System featuresWork with Search Engine Optimization in MagentoCreate and customize themes for MagentoDevelop extensions for new Magento functionalitiesPackage extensions to publish in the Magento Connect networkCreate Magento solutions for mobile devicesCarry out performance adjustments to speed up your Magento systemIn DetailMagento is the e-commerce software and platform trusted by the world's leading brands. Used by thousands of merchants for their transactions worth billions, it provides the flexibility to customize the content and functionality of your website. By strengthening your fundamentals in Magento development, you can develop the best solutions and take advantage of the growing market.This fast-paced tutorial will provide you with skills you need to successfully create themes, extensions, and solutions to Magento 2 projects.This book begins by setting up Magento 2 before gradually moving onto setting the basic options of the Sell System. You will take advantage of Search Engine Optimization aspects, create design and customize theme layout, develop new extensions, and adjust the Magento System to achieve great performance. By sequentially working through the steps in each chapter, you will quickly explore all the features of Magento 2 to create a great solution.With ample examples and a practical approach, this book will ensure your success with this astonishing e-commerce management system.Style and approachThis book would be a fast-paced tutorial guide that uses hands-on examples to developing new solutions for Magento e-commerce system. Each topic is explained sequentially in the process of creating a Magento solution, along with detailed explanations of the basic and advanced features of Magento 2.

Arm yourself with over 65 hands-on recipes to master the skills of building scalable web applications with Ember.jsAbout This BookThis book is your one-stop solution to the key features of Ember.js. Become skilled in the art of building web-apps in a fraction of the code you'd write in other frameworks.Build JavaScript apps that don't break the web! Our 100 recipes will make this a cakewalk for you!This books makes learning Ember.js easy by breaking down each topic into simple-to-understand recipesWho This Book Is ForAnyone who wants to explore Ember.js and wishes to get hands on making sophisticated web apps with less coding will find this book handy. Prior experience in Coding and familiarity with JavaScript is recommended. If you’ve heard of Ember.js or are just curious on how a single-page application framework works, then this book is for you.What You Will LearnSkip the boilerplate code with Ember CLI generatorsCreate a component with actions and eventsSet up a model with Ember Data using fixture dataCreate several different types of test cases and run themManage and set up user authentication using Ember Simple AuthAdd animated transitions to your app with Liquid FireSet up a service and initializer with dependency injectionCreate a working chat applicationSet up an Ember Service and initializer with dependency injectionCreate a working chat applicationIn DetailEmber.js is an open source JavaScript framework that will make you more productive. It uses common idioms and practices, making it simple to create amazing single-page applications. It also lets you create code in a modular way using the latest JavaScript features. Not only that, it has a great set of APIs to get any task done. The Ember.js community is welcoming newcomers and is ready to help you when needed.This book provides in-depth explanations on how to use the Ember.js framework to take you from beginner to expert. You’ll start with some basic topics and by the end of the book, you’ll know everything you need to know to build a fully operational Ember application.We’ll begin by explaining key points on how to use the Ember.js framework and the associated tools. You’ll learn how to effectively use Ember CLI and how to create and deploy your application. We’ll take a close look at the Ember object model and templates by examining bindings and observers. We’ll then move onto Ember components, models, and Ember Data. We’ll show you examples on how to connect to RESTful databases. Next we’ll get to grips with testing with integration and acceptance tests using QUnit. We will conclude by covering authentication, services, and Ember add-ons. We’ll explore advanced topics such as services and initializers, and how to use them together to build real-time applications.Style and approachEach recipe in this book will make it that much easier to understand Ember.js. Recipe after recipe, you will learn the concepts of Ember.js by following the simple step-by-step processes

Identify and safeguard your network against both internal and external threats, hackers, and malware attacksAbout This BookLay your hands on physical and virtual evidence to understand the sort of crime committed by capturing and analyzing network trafficConnect the dots by understanding web proxies, firewalls, and routers to close in on your suspectA hands-on guide to help you solve your case with malware forensic methods and network behaviorsWho This Book Is ForIf you are a network administrator, system administrator, information security, or forensics professional and wish to learn network forensic to track the intrusions through network-based evidence, then this book is for you. Basic knowledge of Linux and networking concepts is expected.What You Will LearnUnderstand Internetworking, sources of network-based evidence and other basic technical fundamentals, including the tools that will be used throughout the bookAcquire evidence using traffic acquisition software and know how to manage and handle the evidencePerform packet analysis by capturing and collecting data, along with content analysisLocate wireless devices, as well as capturing and analyzing wireless traffic data packetsImplement protocol analysis and content matching; acquire evidence from NIDS/NIPSAct upon the data and evidence gathered by being able to connect the dots and draw links between various eventsApply logging and interfaces, along with analyzing web proxies and understanding encrypted web trafficUse IOCs (Indicators of Compromise) and build real-world forensic solutions, dealing with malwareIn DetailWe live in a highly networked world. Every digital device—phone, tablet, or computer is connected to each other, in one way or another. In this new age of connected networks, there is network crime. Network forensics is the brave new frontier of digital investigation and information security professionals to extend their abilities to catch miscreants on the network.The book starts with an introduction to the world of network forensics and investigations. You will begin by getting an understanding of how to gather both physical and virtual evidence, intercepting and analyzing network data, wireless data packets, investigating intrusions, and so on. You will further explore the technology, tools, and investigating methods using malware forensics, network tunneling, and behaviors. By the end of the book, you will gain a complete understanding of how to successfully close a case.Style and approachAn easy-to-follow book filled with real-world case studies and applications. Each topic is explained along with all the practical tools and software needed, allowing the reader to use a completely hands-on approach.

Master the principles and techniques of multithreaded programming with the Java 8 Concurrency APIAbout This BookImplement concurrent applications using the Java 8 Concurrency API and its new componentsImprove the performance of your applications or process more data at the same time, taking advantage of all of your resources.Construct real-world examples related to machine learning, data mining, image processing, and client/server environmentsWho This Book Is ForIf you are a competent Java developer with a good understanding of concurrency but have no knowledge of how to effectively implement concurrent programs or use streams to make processes more efficient, then this book is for you.What You Will LearnDesign concurrent applications by converting a sequential algorithm into a concurrent oneDiscover how to avoid all the possible problems you can get in concurrent algorithmsUse the Executor framework to manage concurrent tasks without creating threadsExtend and modify Executors to adapt their behavior to your needsSolve problems using the divide and conquer technique and the Fork/Join frameworkProcess massive data sets with parallel streams and Map/Reduce implementationControl data-race conditions using concurrent data structures and synchronization mechanismsTest and monitor concurrent applicationsIn DetailConcurrency programming allows several large tasks to be divided into smaller sub-tasks, which are further processed as individual tasks that run in parallel. All the sub-tasks are combined together once the required results are achieved; they are then merged to get the final output. The whole process is very complex. This process goes from the design of concurrent algorithms to the testing phase where concurrent applications need extra attention. Java includes a comprehensive API with a lot of ready-to-use components to implement powerful concurrency applications in an easy way, but with a high flexibility to adapt these components to your needs.The book starts with a full de*ion of design principles of concurrent applications and how to parallelize a sequential algorithm. We'll show you how to use all the components of the Java Concurrency API from basics to the most advanced techniques to implement them in powerful concurrency applications in Java.You will be using real-world examples of complex algorithms related to machine learning, data mining, natural language processing, image processing in client / server environments. Next, you will learn how to use the most important components of the Java 8 Concurrency API: the Executor framework to execute multiple tasks in your applications, the phaser class to implement concurrent tasks divided into phases, and the Fork/Join framework to implement concurrent tasks that can be split into smaller problems (using the divide and conquer technique). Toward the end, we will cover the new inclusions in Java 8 API, the Map and Reduce model, and the Map and Collect model. The book will also teach you about the data structures and synchronization utilities to avoid data-race conditions and other critical problems. Finally, the book ends with a detailed de*ion of the tools and techniques that you can use to test a Java concurrent application.Style and approach A complete guide implementing real-world examples with algorithms related to machine learning, data mining, and natural language processing in client/server environments. All the examples are explained in a step-by-step approach.

Create responsive and intelligent game AI using Blueprints in Unreal Engine 4 About This Book Understand and apply your Game AI better through various projects such as adding randomness and probability, and introducing movement Configure and debug Game AI logic using multiple methodologies Bridge the gap between your knowledge and Game AI in Unreal Engine 4 Who This Book Is For This book is for programmers and artists who want to expand their knowledge of Game AI in relation to Unreal Engine 4. You are recommended to have some experience of exploring Unreal Engine 4 prior to this book because we jump straight into Game AI. What You Will Learn Understand the fundamental components of Game AI within Unreal Engine 4 Skillfully introduce Game AI within Unreal Engine 4 Configure, customize, and assign Navigation and AI components to your pawn Create, debug, and analyze Game AI behavior Design responsive Game AI using the Behavior Tree methodology Create smart objects designed to interact with AI Utilize advanced AI features within your project to maximize the user experience In Detail Unreal Engine is a powerful game development engine that provides rich functionalities to create 2D and 3D games. It is one of the three big game engines used, alongside Unity and CryEngine. Developers have the opportunity to build cross-platform mobile and desktop games from scratch. With Blueprints in Unreal Engine 4, you’re able to fully leverage the visual aid that Behavior Trees are built on. Rarely has there been an opportunity to prototype powerful Game AI and have immediate control over constructing, *ing, and viewing the response in a live gaming environment. This book will show you how to apply artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to your Unreal Script using C++ as your *ing language through multiple projects. With the knowledge gained through this book, you’ll be able to leverage the benefits of Unreal Engine 4. We’ll start with an introduction to AI, and you’ll learn how it is applied to gaming. Then you’ll jump right in and create a simple AI bot and apply basic behaviors to allow it to move randomly. Furthermore, you will get to know the difference between an AI Controller and a Player Controller. As you progress, you’ll find out how to implement randomness and probability traits. Using Navmesh, we will impart navigation components such as Character Movement, MoveTo Nodes, Settings, and World Objects, and implement behavior trees. You will see different techniques to sense the environment and create your own sensory system, and will implement Steering Behaviors, Path Following, Avoidance, and Projectiles. At the end of the book, we will troubleshoot any issues that might crop up while building the entire game. Style and approach This easy-to-follow project-based guide throws you directly into the excitement of Game AI in an approachable and comprehensive manner.

Customize and automate Google Applications using Apps Script About This Book Gain insight into customizing and automating Google applications with JavaScript Create add-ons for Google Sheets, Docs, or Forms; automate your workflow; integrate with external APIs; and more. A step-by-step guide to building real-world solutions Who This Book Is For Newbies to google apps * but having practical experience in Java*. What You Will Learn Learn about the Google Apps * platform and work with *s to develop Google apps Create custom menus and dialogs Parse and send emails Generate Google calendar events Build Translator and RSS reader applications Develop interactive web pages Design interactive web-forms Form a workflow application In Detail Google Apps Script is a cloud-based *ing language based on JavaScript to customize and automate Google applications. Apps Script makes it easy to create and publish add-ons in an online store for Google Sheets, Docs, and Forms. It serves as one single platform to build, code, and ultimately share your App on the Web store. This book begins by covering the basics of the Google application platform and goes on to empower you to automate most of the Google applications. You will learn the concepts of creating a menu, sending mails, building interactive web pages, and implementing all these techniques to develop an interactive Web page as a form to submit sheets You will be guided through all these tasks with plenty of screenshots and code snippets that will ensure your success in customizing and automating various Google applications This guide is an invaluable tutorial for beginners who intend to develop the skills to automate and customize Google applications Style and approach An easy-to-follow yet comprehensive guide, filled with many code examples and screenshots illustrating various Google Apps *s.

Absorb the knowledge required to utilize, manage, and deploy RethinkDB using Node.js About This Book Make the most of this open source, scalable database—RethinkDB —to ease the construction of web applications Run powerful queries using ReQL, which is the most convenient language to manipulate JSON documents with Develop fully-fledged real-time web apps using Node.js and RethinkDB Who This Book Is For Getting Started with RethinkDB is ideal for developers who are new to RethinkDB and need a practical understanding to start working with it. No previous knowledge of database programming is required, although a basic knowledge of JavaScript or Node.js would be helpful. What You Will Learn Download and install the database on your system Configure RethinkDB’s settings and start using the web interface Import data into RethinkDB Run queries using the ReQL language Create shards, replicas, and RethinkDB clusters Use an index to improve database performance Get to know all the RethinkDB deployment techniques In Detail RethinkDB is a high-performance document-oriented database with a unique set of features. This increasingly popular NoSQL database is used to develop real-time web applications and, together with Node.js, it can be used to easily deploy them to the cloud with very little difficulty. Getting Started with RethinkDB is designed to get you working with RethinkDB as quickly as possible. Starting with the installation and configuration process, you will learn how to start importing data into the database and run simple queries using the intuitive ReQL query language. After successfully running a few simple queries, you will be introduced to other topics such as clustering and sharding. You will get to know how to set up a cluster of RethinkDB nodes and spread database load across multiple machines. We will then move on to advanced queries and optimization techniques. You will discover how to work with RethinkDB from a Node.js environment and find out all about deployment techniques. Finally, we’ll finish by working on a fully-fledged example that uses the Node.js framework and advanced features such as Changefeeds to develop a real-time web application. Style and approach This is a step-by-step book that provides a practical approach to RethinkDB programming, and is explained in a conversational, easy-to-follow style.

Create exciting projects by connecting the Raspberry Pi to your Android phone About This Book Manage most of the fundamental functions of Raspberry Pi from your Android phone Use the projects created in this book to develop even more exciting projects in the future A project-based learning experience to help you discover amazing ways to combine the power of Android and Raspberry Pi Who This Book Is For The target audience for this book includes Raspberry Pi enthusiasts, hobbyists, and anyone who wants to create engaging projects with Android OS. Some knowledge of Android programming would be helpful. What You Will Learn Install the tools required on your Pi and Android to manage and administer the Pi from Android Share your files between different Android devices using the Pi as a server Set up the Pi to live-stream the camera in surveillance mode and customize Android to receive this content Turn your Pi into a media center and control it from your Android See your Android display on a large screen using Raspberry Pi Connect your car's dashboard to your Android device using Raspberry Pi In Detail Raspberry Pi is the credit card-sized, general purpose computer which has revolutionized portable technology. Android is an operating system that widely used in mobile phones today both on the high and low ends of the mobile phone market. However, there is little information about how to connect the two in spite of how popular both of them are. Raspberry Pi Android Projects starts with simple projects that help you access the command prompt and the desktop environment of Raspberry Pi from the comfort of your Android phone or tablet. Then, you will be introduced to more complex projects that combine the strengths of the Pi and Android in amazing ways. These projects will teach you how to manage services on the Pi from Android, share files between Android devices using the Pi as a server, administer and view the Pi’s camera from Android in surveillance mode, and connect your car to the Pi and make data more accessible using Android. The introductory projects covered will be useful each time you need to access or administer your Pi for other purposes, and the more advanced projects will continue to be valuable even after you become an expert on Pi. By the end of this book, you will be able to create engaging and useful projects that will help you combine the powers of both Android and Raspberry Pi. Style and approach A quick and easy-to-follow guide that will show how you can add up the power of Pi and Android by combining them.

Over 90 hands-on recipes to help you create digital comics from page setup to exporting the final product About This Book Design creative and custom digital comics with the perfection equivalent of pen-and-paper drawings Explore the latest features from Manga Studio EX 5 such as custom brush effects, layers, masks, 3D objects, panels, and multiple-page story layout A pragmatic manual with engaging recipes and attractive screenshots that make comic creation fun and easy Who This Book Is For This book is intended for competent comic artists working on Manga Studio who want to create more attractive comics by using powerful tools and features from software for digital comic creation. What You Will Learn Create story files and custom pages for any Web or publishing project Customize brushes for special ink effects, hatching and cross-hatching, and much more Work with vector images in Manga Studio EX 5 Use the new Symmetry ruler and the new Line tools to create your illustrations faster and more efficiently Make and save custom screentones, and add them to your comic pages Punch up your illustrations with color palettes and special effects Add 3D models to create or accentuate your comic scenes Finish a project by exporting it for the Web or for a printed collection In Detail Manga Studio is a software application for the digital creation of comics and manga. Manga Studio EX 5 has all the features of Manga Studio 5, professional story creation tools, and other special features that make it the ultimate illustration tool for serious comic, manga, and graphic artists. Made specifically for comic artists and illustrators, it has some of the most powerful digital art creation tools available. From digital perspective rulers to a library of screentones, Manga Studio 5 works for the artist with an intuitive, customizable interface and tools. With Manga Studio EX 5, you can create custom page templates, save commonly used designs, make custom brushes, mimic traditional media, pose 3D objects directly on the art canvas, and export all of your comic pages for print or the Web. The book starts with everything you need to know to set up custom pages for your comic or Manga project. These recipes will take you all the way through to exporting your illustrations for print or to display them on the Web. You will learn how to create custom brushes that you will use for inking, or for repetitive tasks such as drawing foliage or rubble. Next, you will move on to understanding Layer Modes and Layer Masks. Then, you'll learn how to finish up your illustrations with color, screentones, special effects, and 3D objects. Finally, you will be taught to export your hard work and share it with the world, either through the Web or in print. This cookbook will give you just the right recipes to turn on the power of Manga Studio EX 5 and get you creating more illustrations faster and more efficiently. Style and approach An easy-to-follow, and informative book full of recipes that explore real-world topics for the comic creator. Each recipe is explained with detailed steps and interesting screenshots.

Move beyond basic games and explore the limits of AndEngine About This Book Extend the basic AndEngine features without modifying any of AndEngine's code Understand advanced technologies and gain the skills to create the ultimate games in AndEngine Theory supported with practical examples to stimulate your imagination and creativity Who This Book Is For This book is aimed at developers who have gone through all the basic AndEngine tutorials and books, and are looking for something more. It's also very suitable for developers with knowledge of other game engines who are looking to develop with AndEngine. Knowledge of Java, C++ and Android development are a prerequisite for getting the most out of this book. What You Will Learn Extend AndEngine to use and render 3D models Integrate and use various physics engines with AndEngine Advanced animations and their implementation in AndEngine Lighting theory and its application for both 2D and 3D objects Using skeletal animation with AndEngine Use GLSL shaders with AndEngine for effects and anti-aliasing Add sounds and effects to AndEngine using both basic and 3D audio libraries Efficient network implementations with AndEngine for multi-players In Detail AndEngine is a popular and easy-to-use game framework, best suited for Android game development. After learning the basics of creating an Android game using AndEngine it's time you move beyond the basics to explore further. For this you need to understand the theory behind many of the technologies AndEngine uses. This book aims to provide all the skills and tools you need to learn more about Android game development using AndEngine. With this book you will get a quick overview of the basics of AndEngine and Android application development. From there, you will learn how to use 3D models in a 2D scene, render a visual representation of a scene's objects, and create interaction between these objects. You will explore frame-based animations and learn to use skeletal animations. As the book progresses, you will be guided through exploring all the relevant aspects of rendering graphics with OpenGL ES, generating audio using OpenSL ES and OpenAL, making the best use of Android's network API, implementing anti-aliasing algorithms, shaders, dynamic lighting and much more. With all this, you will be ready to enhance the look and feel of your game with its user interface, sound effects and background music. After an in-depth study of 2D and 3D worlds and multi-player implementations, you will be a master in AndEngine and Android game development. Style and approach This book takes an in-depth tour of the many aspects of Android game development with the use of AndEngine. Each topic is covered extensively to act both as a practical guide as well as a reference.

Learn to develop high performance applications with Dart 1.10 About This Book Develop apps for the modern web using Dart and HTML5 Clarify and shorten your Dart code using enums Build a complex UI for business applications with Dart's Polymer framework, based on web components Who This Book Is For If you want to become a developer for the modern web, or wish to add Dart to your tool belt, then this book is for you. The book assumes you have basic HTML experience and know how web applications work. Some previous programming experience, preferably in a modern language like C#, Java, Python, Ruby or JavaScript, will give you a head start. You can work with Dart on your preferred platform, be it Linux, Mac OS X or Windows. What You Will Learn Structure your code using functions, classes, generics, packages and libraries Use the power of modern browsers to process and store data Make games by drawing, and using audio and video in the browser Develop an application with a model-driven and spiral-paced approach Discover the Observatory tools for profiling memory and CPU usage of Dart programs Store your app's data in MySQL and MongoDB through Dart Build powerful HTML5 forms, validate and store data in local storage, and use web components to build your own user interface Run your Dart server on an App Engine Managed VM In Detail Dart is an open source programming language for the web, developed at Google, with a steadily growing community. It is a single language for both client and server, appropriate for the full range of devices on the web – including phones, tablets, laptops, and servers. It encompasses the lessons of the last two decades of web programming. This book will give you a thorough overview of Dart, taking you through its ecosystem, syntax, and development principles. With this book, you will build web games using HTML5, audio, and video, and also dive into processing and displaying data in HTML5 forms with Dart. You will also learn how web components fit together with HTML5, and how to apply them in business web applications of the future. You will discover how to store data on the client, communicate data between client and server with JSON, and store JSON data with MongoDB and MySQL. Stop solving new challenges with the same old tools – let Dart show you a whole new way. Style and approach This book provides you a project-based approach, with everything you need to start or enhance your career in the future of web development with Dart. It follows the spiral approach: each project builds up in successive spirals, adding new features in each step.

A detailed guide to the complex new animation tools in Unity, packed with clear instructions and illustrated with original content in the context of a next generation zombie apocalypse adventure game About This Book Create and export models and animation sequences to Unity from 3ds max and Maya Prepare character models and animation for games using Mecanim’s rigging tools Retarget, adjust, and mix and match motion capture and other animation data Write and edit *s compatible with Mecanim Animation Controllers Who This Book Is For If you are a Unity developer looking to get to grips with the character animation specific tools, a 3D software user who is new to Unity, or a beginner game developer who is interested in character animation and interaction, this book is ideal for you. Some experience with either the Unity interface or basic 3D coordinates is recommended, but not required. What You Will Learn Learn how to prepare a rigged character model to receive animation within Unity Acquire efficient techniques to refine and optimize motion capture data Retarget animation sequences between different character rigs Discover how to rig a humanoid character and export for use in Unity Script character interaction for a First Person character model Create dynamic animation sequences from scratch using keyframe techniques, in a variety of 3D software packages Learn Project Management in Unity Understand how to set up a complex facial rig for speech Set up Animation Controllers with masked states and blend trees to create seamless and additive animation transitions Construct a ragdoll game object and instantiate it in a game Devise Mecanim animation integration for the player and AI driven animation for enemy characters In Detail Game animation for independent developers has taken a giant leap forward with Unity's Mecanim toolset, which streamlines the import/export, retargeting, and many other aspects of the character animation workflow. Unity Character Animation with Mecanim is a great primer for getting to know the nuts and bolts of Mecanim and other character animation related tools in Unity. It offers you step-by-step instructions for preparing and exporting rigged models and animation sequences from commonly used 3D packages, such as Maya, 3ds Max and Blender. This book explores the new set of animation tools introduced with Mecanim in Unity. Approaching its subject matter through a typical genre–a zombie action game, character animation techniques are explored using real examples of player input and interaction, enemy behavior, and other aspects of game dynamics. As the book progresses, the reader will understand how these elements fit together in a small game development workflow. We will begin with a demonstration of the process of getting a rigged character into Unity and setting it up to use provided animation sequences. We will also consider a few industry standard 3D packages and how these can be used to rig a humanoid character for use in Unity. We will demonstrate the retargeting capabilities of Mecanim’s Humanoid Animation type by adjusting motion sequences to fit disparate character types in our game. After this, we will look at Ragdoll physics and the implementation of this commonly used technique in a Mecanim workflow. The book culminates with a thorough dissection of the enemy character AI * incorporating the Mecanim elements detailed in the previous chapters. Unity Character Animation with Mecanim will provide you with a detailed exploration of the interaction between game development and character animation, and will broaden your understanding of the rich animation toolset within Unity. Style and approach A comprehensive guide, featuring step- by- step practical tutorials using sample assets, showing you how to build fully controllable characters and non-player characters/enemies.

Learn the art of regression analysis with PythonAbout This BookBecome competent at implementing regression analysis in PythonSolve some of the complex data science problems related to predicting outcomesGet to grips with various types of regression for effective data analysisWho This Book Is ForThe book targets Python developers, with a basic understanding of data science, statistics, and math, who want to learn how to do regression analysis on a dataset. It is beneficial if you have some knowledge of statistics and data science.What You Will LearnFormat a dataset for regression and evaluate its performanceApply multiple linear regression to real-world problemsLearn to classify training pointsCreate an observation matrix, using different techniques of data analysis and cleaningApply several techniques to decrease (and eventually fix) any overfitting problemLearn to scale linear models to a big dataset and deal with incremental dataIn DetailRegression is the process of learning relationships between inputs and continuous outputs from example data, which enables predictions for novel inputs. There are many kinds of regression algorithms, and the aim of this book is to explain which is the right one to use for each set of problems and how to prepare real-world data for it. With this book you will learn to define a simple regression problem and evaluate its performance. The book will help you understand how to properly parse a dataset, clean it, and create an output matrix optimally built for regression. You will begin with a simple regression algorithm to solve some data science problems and then progress to more complex algorithms. The book will enable you to use regression models to predict outcomes and take critical business decisions. Through the book, you will gain knowledge to use Python for building fast better linear models and to apply the results in Python or in any computer language you prefer.Style and approach This is a practical tutorial-based book. You will be given an example problem and then supplied with the relevant code and how to walk through it. The details are provided in a step by step manner, followed by a thorough explanation of the math underlying the solution. This approach will help you leverage your own data using the same techniques.

Over 100 effective recipes to help you design, implement, and manage the software-defined and massively scalable Ceph storage systemAbout This BookImplement a Ceph cluster successfully and gain deep insights into its best practicesHarness the abilities of experienced storage administrators and architects, and run your own software-defined storage systemThis comprehensive, step-by-step guide will show you how to build and manage Ceph storage in production environmentWho This Book Is ForThis book is aimed at storage and cloud system engineers, system administrators, and technical architects who are interested in building software-defined storage solutions to power their cloud and virtual infrastructure. If you have basic knowledge of GNU/Linux and storage systems, with no experience of software defined storage solutions and Ceph, but eager to learn this book is for you.What You Will LearnUnderstand, install, configure, and manage the Ceph storage systemGet to grips with performance tuning and benchmarking, and gain practical tips to run Ceph in productionIntegrate Ceph with OpenStack Cinder, Glance, and nova componentsDeep dive into Ceph object storage, including s3, swift, and keystone integrationBuild a Dropbox-like file sync and share service and Ceph federated gateway setupGain hands-on experience with Calamari and VSM for cluster monitoringFamiliarize yourself with Ceph operations such as maintenance, monitoring, and troubleshootingUnderstand advanced topics including erasure coding, CRUSH map, cache pool, and system maintenanceIn DetailCeph is a unified, distributed storage system designed for excellent performance, reliability, and scalability. This cutting-edge technology has been transforming the storage industry, and is evolving rapidly as a leader in software-defined storage space, extending full support to cloud platforms such as Openstack and Cloudstack, including virtualization platforms. It is the most popular storage backend for Openstack, public, and private clouds, so is the first choice for a storage solution. Ceph is backed by RedHat and is developed by a thriving open source community of individual developers as well as several companies across the globe.This book takes you from a basic knowledge of Ceph to an expert understanding of the most advanced features, walking you through building up a production-grade Ceph storage cluster and helping you develop all the skills you need to plan, deploy, and effectively manage your Ceph cluster. Beginning with the basics, you’ll create a Ceph cluster, followed by block, object, and file storage provisioning. Next, you’ll get a step-by-step tutorial on integrating it with OpenStack and building a Dropbox-like object storage solution. We’ll also take a look at federated architecture and CephFS, and you’ll dive into Calamari and VSM for monitoring the Ceph environment. You’ll develop expert knowledge on troubleshooting and benchmarking your Ceph storage cluster. Finally, you’ll get to grips with the best practices to operate Ceph in a production environment.Style and approach This step-by-step guide is filled with practical tutorials, making complex scenarios easy to understand.

Discover exciting and fun projects by building brilliant applications for the Apple WatchAbout This BookExplore the opportunities opened up to developers by Apple’s latest device: the Apple WatchBe a crackerjack at developing software across a broad range of watch app categoriesFrom an eminent author, master all stages of development, from the first stage through to a completed projectWho This Book Is ForIf you have some basic knowledge of programming in Swift and are looking for the best way to get started with Apple Watch development, this book is just the right one for you!What You Will LearnUnderstand the concept of the Apple Watch as an autonomous device as well as it being paired with the iPhoneGet your app up and runningDesign exciting, inspiring, and attractive layouts for your appsMake your user interface more engaging using images and animationEnable your Watch and iPhone apps to transport and share dataLeverage the feature-rich set of WatchKit technologies provided by AppleConnect your apps to the InternetSubmit your app to the App StoreIn DetailWith Apple’s eagerly anticipated entry into the wearable arena, the field is wide open for a new era of app development. The Apple Watch is one of the most important technologies of our time.This easy-to-understand book takes beginners on a delightful journey of discovering the features available to the developer, right up to the completion of medium-level projects ready for App Store submission. It provides the fastest way to develop real-world apps for the Apple Watch by teaching you the concepts of Watch UI, visual haptic and audio, message and data exchange between watch and phone, Web communication, and finally Visual, haptic as well as audio feedback for users.By the end of this book, you will have developed at least four fully functioning apps for deployment on watchOS 2.Style and approachThis is a step-by-step guide to developing apps for the Apple Watch with the help of screenshots and fully coded working examples.

Understand, train, and be ready to develop 3D Web applications/video games using the Babylon.js framework, even for beginners About This Book Understand the basics of 3D (along with the theory) before practicing Each mini-project provides previous features, alongside the new feature you are learning, to supply the examples Learn from the best of the best, a developer at Microsoft, France Who This Book Is For Babylon.JS Essentials is intended for developers who want to enter the world of 3D development for the Web, or developers who want to add the Babylon.js framework to their skill set. The notion of Oriented Object Programming would be helpful to understand the architecture of the Babylon.js framework. Also, a familiarity with Web development would be useful, to understand the principles used. What You Will Learn Understand what the TypeScript language is and its benefits (compared to JavaScript) in large projects such as 3D engines Learn the basics of 3D using Babylon.js without too much theory but with an emphasis on practice, for a better understanding of the architecture Know the usage of Material—a fundamental principle of 3D engines in Babylon.js—and then customize the appearance of 3D objects Integrate collisions and physics in gameplay. Understand the notion of impostor for physics simulation Manage, create, and spatialize audio tracks in 3D scenes Go further with the Babylon.js framework to create actions on events Create rendering effects provided by the Babylon.js framework, such as post-processes In Detail Are you familiar with HTML5Do you want to build exciting games and Web applicationsThen 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. Style and approach The book is a comprehensive guide packed with ready-to-run examples with a mix of theory and practice.

Master the art of developing message-based applications with RabbitMQAbout This BookLearn how to administer, manage, and extend your own message broker, RabbitMQDevelop clients to make a message bridge between your software systems using RabbitMQDiscover how to achieve proficiency with RabbitMQ with the well-defined de*ions of the topicsWho This Book Is ForIf you are an intermediate-level RabbitMQ developer, who wants to achieve professional-level expertise in the subject, this book is for you. You’ll also need to have a decent understanding of message queuing.What You Will LearnAdminister RabbitMQ using different toolsUnderstand the roots and details of messaging, message brokers, and AMQP protocolScale the RabbitMQ server using the clusters and high availability techniquesExtend RabbitMQ by developing the Erlang OTP-based applications that use the RabbitMQ APIManage the RabbitMQ server using its powerful toolsMonitor the RabbitMQ Server using different open source tools such as Nagios, Munin, and ZabbixEnsure your RabbitMQ’s security using SSL, SASL, and access controlDevelop RabbitMQ clients using Java, Python, and C# with an industry exampleIn DetailRabbitMQ is one of the most powerful Open Source message broker software, which is widely used in tech companies such as Mozilla, VMware, Google, AT&T, and so on. RabbitMQ gives you lots of fantastic and easy-to-manage functionalities to control and manage the messaging facility with lots of community support. As scalability is one of our major modern problems, messaging with RabbitMQ is the main part of the solution to this problem.This book explains and demonstrates the RabbitMQ server in a detailed way. It provides you with lots of real-world examples and advanced solutions to tackle the scalability issues.You’ll begin your journey with the installation and configuration of the RabbitMQ server, while also being given specific details pertaining to the subject. Next, you’ll study the major problems that our server faces, including scalability and high availability, and try to get the solutions for both of these issues by using the RabbitMQ mechanisms. Following on from this, you’ll get to design and develop your own plugins using the Erlang language and RabbitMQ’s internal API. This knowledge will help you to start with the management and monitoring of the messages, tools, and applications. You’ll also gain an understanding of the security and integrity of the messaging facilities that RabbitMQ provides. In the last few chapters, you will build and keep track of your clients (senders and receivers) using Java, Python, and C#.Style and approach An easy-to-follow guide, full of hands-on examples based around managing, monitoring, extending, and securing RabbitMQ and its internal tools. You will learn how to develop your own clients using Java, Python, and C#.

Unveil many hidden gems of programming functionally by taking the foundational steps with ElixirAbout This BookExplore the functional paradigms of programming with Elixir through use of helpful examplesConcise step-by-step instructions to teach you difficult technical conceptsBridge the gap between functional programming and ElixirWho This Book Is ForThis book targets developers new to Elixir, as well as Erlang, in order to make them feel comfortable in functional programming with Elixir, thus enabling them to develop more scalable and fault-tolerant applications.Although no knowledge of Elixir is assumed, some programming experience with mainstream Object-Oriented programming languages such a Ruby, Python, Java, C# would be beneficial.What You Will LearnExplore Elixir to create resilient, scalable applicationsCreate fault-tolerant applicationsBecome better acquainted with Elixir code and see how it is structured to build and develop functional programsLearn the basics of functional programmingGain an understanding of effective OTP principlesDesign program-distributed applications and systemsWrite and create branching statements in ElixirLearn to do more with less using Elixir's metaprogrammingBe familiar with the facilities Elixir provides for metaprogramming, macros, and extending the Elixir languageIn DetailElixir, based on Erlang’s virtual machine and ecosystem, makes it easier to achieve scalability, concurrency, fault tolerance, and high availability goals that are pursued by developers using any programming language or programming paradigm. Elixir is a modern programming language that utilizes the benefits offered by Erlang VM without really incorporating the complex syntaxes of Erlang.Learning to program using Elixir will teach many things that are very beneficial to programming as a craft, even if at the end of the day, the programmer isn't using Elixir. This book will teach you concepts and principles important to any complex, scalable, and resilient application. Mostly, applications are historically difficult to reason about, but using the concepts in this book, they will become easy and enjoyable. It will teach you the functional programing ropes, to enable them to create better and more scalable applications, and you will explore how Elixir can help you achieve new programming heights. You will also glean a firm understanding of basics of OTP and the available generic, provided functionality for creating resilient complex systems. Furthermore, you will learn the basics of metaprogramming: modifying and extending Elixir to suite your needs.Style and approach An exploration of functional programming and Elixir with easy to follow examples using Elixir and the functional style. All the topics, concepts, and principles covered are clearly and concisely explained with either code examples or in depth discussions, or both!

Learn the essence of data science and visualization using R in no time at allAbout This BookBecome a pro at making stunning visualizations and dashboards quickly and without hassleFor better decision making in business, apply the R programming language with the help of useful statistical techniques.From seasoned authors comes a book that offers you a plethora of fast-paced techniques to detect and analyze data patternsWho This Book Is ForIf you are an aspiring data scientist or analyst who has a basic understanding of data science and has basic hands-on experience in R or any other analytics tool, then R Data Science Essentials is the book for you.What You Will LearnPerform data preprocessing and basic operations on dataImplement visual and non-visual implementation data exploration techniquesMine patterns from data using affinity and sequential analysisUse different clustering algorithms and visualize themImplement logistic and linear regression and find out how to evaluate and improve the performance of an algorithmExtract patterns through visualization and build a forecasting algorithmBuild a recommendation engine using different collaborative filtering algorithmsMake a stunning visualization and dashboard using ggplot and R shinyIn DetailWith organizations increasingly embedding data science across their enterprise and with management becoming more data-driven it is an urgent requirement for analysts and managers to understand the key concept of data science. The data science concepts discussed in this book will help you make key decisions and solve the complex problems you will inevitably face in this new world.R Data Science Essentials will introduce you to various important concepts in the field of data science using R. We start by reading data from multiple sources, then move on to processing the data, extracting hidden patterns, building predictive and forecasting models, building a recommendation engine, and communicating to the user through stunning visualizations and dashboards.By the end of this book, you will have an understanding of some very important techniques in data science, be able to implement them using R, understand and interpret the outcomes, and know how they helps businesses make a decision.Style and approachThis easy-to-follow guide contains hands-on examples of the concepts of data science using R.

Get up and running with developing effective Hybrid Mobile Apps with IonicAbout This BookDevelop engaging mobile experiences with a native-looking UI in Ionic and AngularJSBuild mobile applications with a native UI and interactions with device APIs using popular web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScriptCreate an e-commerce mobile app using tutorials and code samplesWho This Book Is ForThis book is ideal for any web developer who wants to enter into the world of mobile app development but has no clue where to start. Ionic is an ideal starting point and provides a smooth learning curve to help you build hybrid apps using web technologies and to develop native apps for iOS and Android, you do not need to know multiple languages. This book will also be useful for Hybrid App developers who have not found the perfect framework to ensure users get a rich experience from your apps.What You Will LearnGet to know about Hybrid Apps and AngularJSSet up a development environment to build Hybrid AppsNavigate around the components and routing in IonicUse different Ionic directives for a mobile-specific experienceIntegrate an Ionic App with backend web servicesWork with plugins to include native functionality in your hybrid appsTest your apps on real devicesBuild an e-commerce app for iOS and Android from scratchIn DetailHybrid Apps are a promising choice in mobile app development to achieve cost effectiveness and rapid development. However, they were not preferred over native apps until few years back due to a poor performance and bad user experience, but everything has changed with the release of Ionic. It has evolved as the most popular choice for Hybrid Mobile App development as it tends to match the native experience and provides robust components/tools to build apps.Getting Started with Ionic equips any web developer with the basic knowledge needed to use modern web technologies to build amazing hybrid mobile apps using Ionic.This fast-paced, practical book explains all the important concepts of AngularJS and Cordova Framework required to develop apps, then gives you a brief introduction to hybrid mobile applications. It will guide you through setting up the environment to develop mobile apps, and through the multiple options and features available in Ionic so you can use them in your mobile apps. Features such as the Side Menu, Tabs, Touch Interactions, and native features such as Bar Code, Camera, and Geolocations are all covered.. Finally, we’ll show you how to use Cordova plugins and publish your apps.Style and approachGetting started with Ionic is a compact, easy-to-follow guide to developing hybrid mobile apps using Ionic with real world examples of building an e-commerce app.