Get to grips with building the foundations of an RPG using Unreal Engine 4About This BookUtilize a mixture of C++, Blueprints, and UMG to create a role playing game (RPG) efficientlyCreate reusable code chunks and elements that can easily be integrated into other gamesA cost effective, step-by-step guide to building and customizing an entire framework for your RPGWho This Book Is ForIf you are new to Unreal Engine and always wanted to * an RPG, you are this book’s target reader. The lessons assume you understand the conventions of RPG games and have some awareness of the basics of using the Unreal editor to build level.What You Will LearnProgram gameplay elements in C++ in UnrealCreate custom game data for entities such as players and enemiesCreate a turn-based combat engineDesign menu systems and blueprint logicCreate an NPC and dialog systemIntegrate equipment and itemsDevelop the foundations of a saving and loading systemIn DetailNow that Unreal Engine 4 has become one of the most cutting edge game engines in the world, developers are looking for the best ways of creating games of any genre in the engine. This book will lay out the foundation of creating a turn-based RPG in Unreal Engine 4.The book starts by walking you through creating a turn-based battle system that can hold commands for party members and enemies. You’ll get your hands dirty by creating NPCs such as shop owners, and important mechanics, that make up every RPG such as a currency system, inventory, dialogue, and character statistics. Although this book specifically focuses on the creation of a turn-based RPG, there are a variety of topics that can be utilized when creating many other types of genres.By the end of the book, you will be able to build upon core RPG framework elements to create your own game experience.Style and approachYou will follow a series of lessons detailing the elements that contribute to an RPG. By the end of the book, you will have considerably leveled up your ability to make your own game

Master the art of Shader programming to bring life to your Unity projectsAbout This BookThis book will help you master the technique of physically based shading in Unity 5 to add realism to your game quickly through precise recipesFrom an eminent author, this book offers you the fine technicalities of professional post-processing effects for stunning resultsThis book will help you master Shader programming through easy-to-follow examples to create stunning visual effects that can be used in 3D games and high quality graphics.Who This Book Is ForUnity Effects and Shader Cookbook is written for developers who want to create their first Shaders in Unity 5 or wish to take their game to a whole new level by adding professional post-processing effects. A solid understanding of Unity is required.What You Will LearnUnderstand physically based rendering to fit the aesthetic of your gameEnter the world of post-processing effects to make your game look visually stunningAdd life to your materials, complementing Shader programming with interactive *sDesign efficient Shaders for mobile platforms without sacrificing their realismUse state-of-the-art techniques such as volumetric explosions and fur shadingBuild your knowledge by understanding how Shader models have evolved and how you can create your ownDiscover what goes into the structure of Shaders and why lighting works the way it doesMaster the math and algorithms behind the most used lighting modelsIn DetailSince their introduction to Unity, Shaders have been notoriously difficult to understand and implement in games: complex mathematics have always stood in the way of creating your own Shaders and attaining that level of realism you crave. With Shaders, you can transform your game into a highly polished, refined product with Unity’s post-processing effects.Unity Shaders and Effects Cookbook is the first of its kind to bring you the secrets of creating Shaders for Unity3D—guiding you through the process of understanding vectors, how lighting is constructed with them, and also how textures are used to create complex effects without the heavy math.We’ll start with essential lighting and finishing up by creating stunning screen Effects just like those in high quality 3D and mobile games. You’ll discover techniques including normal mapping, image-based lighting, and how to animate your models inside a Shader. We’ll explore the secrets behind some of the most powerful techniques, such as physically based rendering! With Unity Shaders and Effects Cookbook, what seems like a dark art today will be second nature by tomorrow.Style and approachThe recipes in this book contain step-by-step instructions, complemented by screenshots and code, and real-world examples.

An example-based practical guide to get you up and running with Unity 5.x About This Book The most updated resource on Unity 5.x with comprehensive discussion on all the new features of Unity 5.x Understand the core concepts surrounding Unity5 game development with this power-packed hands-on guide Brush up your existing game development skills and create games that have a brilliant gameplay using the excellent examples from this book Who This Book Is For The ideal target audience for this book would be game developers. They need not have previous experience with Unity since this book will cover all the basics about game development with unity. This would also be a very good resource for Unity developers who want to brush up their basic Unity skills and also get up and running with creating interesting games with Unity 5.x. What You Will Learn Understand core Unity concepts, such as game objects, components, and scenes Learn level design techniques for building immersive and interesting worlds Learn to make functional games with C# *ing Use the toolset creatively to build games of different themes and styles Learn to handle player controls and input functionality Dive into the process of working with terrains and world-creation tools Import custom content into Unity from third-party tools, such as Maya and Blender Get to grips with making both 2D and 3D games In Detail Unity is an exciting and popular engine in the game industry. Throughout this book, you’ll learn how to use Unity by making four fun game projects, from shooters and platformers to exploration and adventure games. Unity 5 By Example is an easy-to-follow guide for quickly learning how to use Unity in practical context, step by step, by making real-world game projects. Even if you have no previous experience of Unity, this book will help you understand the toolset in depth. You'll learn how to create a time-critical collection game, a twin-stick space shooter, a platformer, and an action-fest game with intelligent enemies. In clear and accessible prose, this book will present you with step-by-step tutorials for making four interesting games in Unity 5 and explain all the fundamental concepts along the way. Starting from the ground up and moving toward an intermediate level, this book will help you establish a strong foundation in making games with Unity 5. Style and approach This book would be a very unique resource for any game developer who wants to get up and running with Unity. The unique example based approach will take you through the most basic games towards the more complex ones and will gradually build your skill level.

Understand the philosophy of the Clojure language and dive into its inner workings to unlock its advanced features, methodologies, and constructs About This Book Learn to handle data using sequences, reducers, and transducers in Clojure Explore the lesser known and more advanced features, constructs, and methodologies of the Clojure language and its ecosystem, such as asynchronous channels, actors, logic programming, and reactive programming Sharpen your Clojure skills through illustrative and comprehensive examples Who This Book Is For If you’re looking to learn more about the core libraries and dive deep into the Clojure language, then this book is ideal for you. Prior knowledge of the Clojure language is required. What You Will Learn Maximize the impact of parallelization, functional composition, and process transformation by composing reducers and transducers Process and manipulate data using sequences, reducers, and transducers in Clojure Modify and add features to the Clojure language using macros Explore the features of category theory and custom data sources for logic programming in Clojure Orchestrate parallelism and concurrency using built-in primitives as well as community libraries in Clojure Handle data with asynchronous and reactive programming methodologies and leverage it using the core.async library Test your code with unit tests, specs, and type checks to write testable code Troubleshoot and style your Clojure code to make it more maintainable In Detail Clojure is a general-purpose language from the Lisp family with an emphasis on functional programming. It has some interesting concepts and features such as immutability, gradual typing, thread-safe concurrency primitives, and macro-based metaprogramming, which makes it a great choice to create modern, performant, and scalable applications. Mastering Clojure gives you an insight into the nitty-gritty details and more advanced features of the Clojure programming language to create more scalable, maintainable, and elegant applications. You’ll start off by learning the details of sequences, concurrency primitives, and macros. Packed with a lot of examples, you’ll get a walkthrough on orchestrating concurrency and parallelism, which will help you understand Clojure reducers, and we’ll walk through composing transducers so you know about functional composition and process transformation inside out. We also explain how reducers and transducers can be used to handle data in a more performant manner. Later on, we describe how Clojure also supports other programming paradigms such as pure functional programming and logic programming. Furthermore, you’ll level up your skills by taking advantage of Clojure's powerful macro system. Parallel, asynchronous, and reactive programming techniques are also described in detail. Lastly, we’ll show you how to test and troubleshoot your code to speed up your development cycles and allow you to deploy the code faster. Style and approach This is an easy-to-follow project-based guide that throws you directly into the excitement of Clojure code. Mastering Clojure is for anyone who is interested in expanding their knowledge of language features and advanced functional programming.

Learn the art of PHP programming through this example-rich book filled to the brim with tutorials every PHP developer needs to know About This Book Set up the PHP environment and get started with web programming Leverage the potential of PHP for server-side programming, memory management, and object-oriented programming (OOP) This book is packed with real-life examples to help you implement the concepts as you learn Who This Book Is For If you are a web developer or programmer who wants to create real-life web applications using PHP 7, or a beginner who wants to get started with PHP 7 programming, this book is for you. Prior knowledge of PHP, PHP 7, or programming is not mandatory. What You Will Learn Set up a server on your machine with PHP Use PHP syntax with the built-in server to create apps Apply the OOP paradigm to PHP to write richer code Use MySQL to manage data in your web applications Create a web application from scratch using MVC Add tests to your web application and write testable code Use an existing PHP framework to build and manage your applications Build REST APIs for your PHP applications Test the behavior of web applications with Behat In Detail PHP is a great language for building web applications. It is essentially a server-side *ing language that is also used for general purpose programming. PHP 7 is the latest version with a host of new features, and it provides major backwards-compatibility breaks. This book begins with the fundamentals of PHP programming by covering the basic concepts such as variables, functions, class, and objects. You will set up PHP server on your machine and learn to read and write procedural PHP code. After getting an understanding of OOP as a paradigm, you will execute MySQL queries on your database. Moving on, you will find out how to use MVC to create applications from scratch and add tests. Then, you will build REST APIs and perform behavioral tests on your applications. By the end of the book, you will have the skills required to read and write files, debug, test, and work with MySQL. Style and approach This book begins with the basics that all PHP developers use every day and then dives deep into detailed concepts and tricks to help you speed through development. You will be able to learn the concepts by performing practical tasks and implementing them in your daily activities, all at your own pace.

Create, analyze, and map your spatial data with ArcGIS for Desktop About This Book Learn how to use ArcGIS for Desktop to create and manage geographic data, perform vector and raster analysis, design maps, and share your results Solve real-world problems and share your valuable results using the powerful instruments of ArcGIS for Desktop Step-by-step tutorials cover the main editing, analyzing, and mapping tools in ArcGIS for Desktop Who This Book Is For This book is ideal for those who want to learn how to use the most important component of Esri’s ArcGIS platform, ArcGIS for Desktop. It would be helpful to have a bit of familiarity with the basic concepts of GIS. Even if you have no prior GIS experience, this book will get you up and running quickly. What You Will Learn Understand the functionality of ArcGIS for Desktop applications Explore coordinate reference system concepts and work with different map projections Create, populate, and document a file geodatabase Manage, create, and edit feature shapes and attributes Built automate analysis workfl ows with ModelBuilder Apply basic principles of map design to create good-looking maps Analyze raster and three-dimensional data with the Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst extensions In Detail ArcGIS for Desktop is one of the main components of the ESRI ArcGIS platform used to support decision making and solve real-world mapping problems. Learning ArcGIS for Desktop is a tutorial-based guide that provides a practical experience for those who are interested in start working with ArcGIS. The first five chapters cover the basic concepts of working with the File Geodatabase, as well as editing and symbolizing geospatial data. Then, the book focuses on planning and performing spatial analysis on vector and raster data using the geoprocessing and modeling tools. Finally, the basic principles of cartography design will be used to create a quality map that presents the information that resulted from the spatial analysis previously performed. To keep you learning throughout the chapters, all exercises have partial and final results stored in the dataset that accompanies the book. Finally, the book offers more than it promises by using the ArcGIS Online component in the tutorials as source of background data and for results sharing Style and approach This easy-to-follow guide is full of hands-on exercises that use open and free geospatial datasets. The basic features of the ArcGIS for Desktop are explained in a step-by-step style.

Explore the new frontier of virtual reality with the Oculus Rift and bring the VR revolution to your own projects About This Book Create immersive 3D games especially designed for the Oculus Rift platform Build complex realistic virtual reality (VR) games with the Unity Engine Create striking VR environments with advanced graphical techniques Who This Book Is For This book is for aspiring indie developers and VR enthusiasts who want to bring their ideas into virtual reality with a new platform that provides an unprecedented level of realism and immersion. What You Will Learn Increase immersion with 3D audio and intuitive interfaces Create group VR experiences using multi-player networking Design fun and engaging mechanics that utilize VR principles Explore the best ways to navigate and interact using the Oculus Rift Design intuitive ways to navigate and interact with scenes in VR Add stunning realism to a scene with three-dimensional audio Invent mechanics and features that take full advantage of VR hardware In Detail Virtual reality (VR) is changing the world of gaming and entertainment as we know it. VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift immerse players in a virtual world by tracking their head movements and simulating depth, giving them the feeling that they are actually present in the environment. We will first use the Oculus SDK in the book and will then move on to the widely popular Unity Engine, showing you how you can add that extra edge to your VR games using the power of Unity. In this book, you’ll learn how to take advantage of this new medium by designing around each of its unique features. This book will demonstrate the Unity 5 game engine, one of most widely-used engines for VR development, and will take you through a comprehensive project that covers everything necessary to create and publish a complete VR experience for the Oculus Rift. You will also be able to identify the common perils and pitfalls of VR development to ensure that your audience has the most comfortable experience possible. By the end of the book, you will be able to create an advanced VR game for the Oculus Rift, and you’ll have everything you need to bring your ideas into a new reality. Style and approach This book takes a step-by-step tutorial approach with illustrative examples to help you implement the projects on your own. The book lets you first get to grips with the Oculus SDK and then moves on to the Unity Engine to add realistic graphics and features in your games.

Recipes to help you build computer vision applications that make the most of the popular C++ library OpenCV 3 About This Book Written to the latest, gold-standard specification of OpenCV 3 Master OpenCV, the open source library of the computer vision community Master fundamental concepts in computer vision and image processing Learn about the important classes and functions of OpenCV with complete working examples applied to real images Who This Book Is For OpenCV 3 Computer Vision Application Programming Cookbook Third Edition is appropriate for novice C++ programmers who want to learn how to use the OpenCV library to build computer vision applications. It is also suitable for professional software developers who wish to be introduced to the concepts of computer vision programming. It can also be used as a companion book for university-level computer vision courses. It constitutes an excellent reference for graduate students and researchers in image processing and computer vision. What You Will Learn Install and create a program using the OpenCV library Process an image by manipulating its pixels Analyze an image using histograms Segment images into homogenous regions and extract meaningful objects Apply image filters to enhance image content Exploit the image geometry in order to relay different views of a pictured scene Calibrate the camera from different image observations Detect people and objects in images using machine learning techniques Reconstruct a 3D scene from images In Detail Making your applications see has never been easier with OpenCV. With it, you can teach your robot how to follow your cat, write a program to correctly identify the members of One Direction, or even help you find the right colors for your redecoration. OpenCV 3 Computer Vision Application Programming Cookbook Third Edition provides a complete introduction to the OpenCV library and explains how to build your first computer vision program. You will be presented with a variety of computer vision algorithms and exposed to important concepts in image and video analysis that will enable you to build your own computer vision applications. This book helps you to get started with the library, and shows you how to install and deploy the OpenCV library to write effective computer vision applications following good programming practices. You will learn how to read and write images and manipulate their pixels. Different techniques for image enhancement and shape analysis will be presented. You will learn how to detect specific image features such as lines, circles or corners. You will be introduced to the concepts of mathematical morphology and image filtering. The most recent methods for image matching and object recognition are described, and you’ll discover how to process video from files or cameras, as well as how to detect and track moving objects. Techniques to achieve camera calibration and perform multiple-view analysis will also be explained. Finally, you’ll also get acquainted with recent approaches in machine learning and object classification. Style and approach This book will arm you with the basics you need to start writing world-aware applications right from a pixel level all the way through to processing video sequences.

Discover over 90 practical and exciting recipes that leverage the power of OpenVPN 2.4 to help you obtain a reliable and secure VPN About This Book Master the skills of configuring, managing, and securing your VPN using the latest OpenVPN Gain expertise in establishing IPv6 connections and understand PolarSSL using the latest version of OpenVPN This book contains enticing recipes about OpenVPN functionalities that cater to mission critical applications Who This Book Is For This book is for system administrators who have a basic knowledge of OpenVPN and are eagerly waiting to build, secure, and manage VPNs using the latest version. This book assumes some prior knowledge of TCP/IP networking and OpenVPN and you must have network administration skills to get the most out of this book. What You Will Learn Determine the best type of OpenVPN setup for your networking needs Get to grips with the encryption, authentication, and certifications features of OpenSSL. Integrate an OpenVPN server into the local IT infrastructure with the *ing features of OpenVPN Ease the integration of Windows clients into the VPN using Windows-specific client-side configuration Understand the authentication plugins for PAM and LDAP Get to know the difference between TUN-style and TAP-style networks and when to use what Troubleshoot your VPN setup Establish a connection via IPv6 along with demonstrations In Detail OpenVPN provides an extensible VPN framework that has been designed to ease site-specific customization, such as providing the capability to distribute a customized installation package to clients, and supporting alternative authentication methods via OpenVPN’s plugin module interface. This book provides you with many different recipes to help you set up, monitor, and troubleshoot an OpenVPN network. You will learn to configure a scalable, load-balanced VPN server farm that can handle thousands of dynamic connections from incoming VPN clients. You will also get to grips with the encryption, authentication, security, extensibility, and certifications features of OpenSSL. You will also get an understanding of IPv6 support and will get a demonstration of how to establish a connection via IPv64. This book will explore all the advanced features of OpenVPN and even some undocumented options, covering all the common network setups such as point-to-point networks and multi-client TUN-style and TAP-style networks. Finally, you will learn to manage, secure, and troubleshoot your virtual private networks using OpenVPN 2.4. Style and approach This practical, recipe-based book covers the core functionalities of OpenVPN ending with troubleshooting, performance tuning and making the readers inquisitive about the advanced features.

The latest in modern Python recipes for the busy modern programmer About This Book Develop succinct, expressive programs in Python Learn the best practices and common idioms through carefully explained and structured recipes Discover new ways to apply Python for the new age of development Who This Book Is For The book is for web developers, programmers, enterprise programmers, engineers, big data scientist, and so on. If you are a beginner, Python Cookbook will get you started. If you are experienced, it will expand your knowledge base. A basic knowledge of programming would help. What You Will Learn See the intricate details of the Python syntax and how to use it to your advantage Improve your code readability through functions in Python Manipulate data effectively using built-in data structures Get acquainted with advanced programming techniques in Python Equip yourself with functional and statistical programming features Write proper tests to be sure a program works as advertised Integrate application software using Python In Detail Python is the preferred choice of developers, engineers, data scientists, and hobbyists everywhere. It is a great *ing language that can power your applications and provide great speed, safety, and scalability. By exposing Python as a series of simple recipes, you can gain insight into specific language features in a particular context. Having a tangible context helps make the language or standard library feature easier to understand. This book comes with over 100 recipes on the latest version of Python. The recipes will benefit everyone ranging from beginner to an expert. The book is broken down into 13 chapters that build from simple language concepts to more complex applications of the language. The recipes will touch upon all the necessary Python concepts related to data structures, OOP, functional programming, as well as statistical programming. You will get acquainted with the nuances of Python syntax and how to effectively use the advantages that it offers. You will end the book equipped with the knowledge of testing, web services, and configuration and application integration tips and tricks. The recipes take a problem-solution approach to resolve issues commonly faced by Python programmers across the globe. You will be armed with the knowledge of creating applications with flexible logging, powerful configuration, and command-line options, automated unit tests, and good documentation. Style and approach This book takes a recipe-based approach, where each recipe addresses specific problems and issues. The recipes provide discussions and insights and an explanation of the problems.

The ultimate guide to successful interviews for Enterprise, Business, Domain, Solution, and Technical Architect roles as well as IT Advisory Consultant and Software Designer roles About This Book Learn about Enterprise Architects IT strategy and NFR – this book provides you with methodologies, best practices, and frameworks to ace your interview A holistic view of key architectural skills and competencies with 500+ questions that cover 12 domains 100+ diagrams depicting scenarios, models, and methodologies designed to help you prepare for your interview Who This Book Is For This book is for aspiring enterprise, business, domain, solution, and technical architects. It is also ideal for IT advisory consultants and IT designers who wish to interview for such a role. Interviewers will be able leverage this book to make sure they hire candidates with the right competencies to meet the role requirements. What You Will Learn Learn about IT strategies, NFR, methodologies, best practices, and frameworks to ace your interview Get a holistic view of key concepts, design principles, and patterns related to evangelizing web and Java enterprise applications Discover interview preparation guidelines through case studies Use this as a reference guide for adopting best practices, standards, and design guidelines Get a better understanding with 60+ diagrams depicting various scenarios, models, and methodologies Benefit from coverage of all architecture domains including EA (Business, Data, Infrastructure, and Application), SA, integration, NFRs, security, and SOA, with extended coverage from IT strategies to the NFR domain In Detail An architect attends multiple interviews for jobs or projects during the course of his or her career. This book is an interview resource created for designers, consultants, technical, solution, domain, enterprise, and chief architects to help them perform well in interview discussions and launch a successful career. The book begins by providing de*ions of architecture skills and competencies that cover the 12 key domains, including 350+ questions relating to these domains. The goal of this book is to cover all the core architectural domains. From an architect’s perspective, it is impossible to revise or learn about all these key areas without a good reference guide – this book is the solution. It shares experiences, learning, insights, and proven methodologies that will benefit practitioners, SMEs, and aspirants in the long run. This book will help you tackle the NFR domain, which is a key aspect pertaining to architecting applications. It typically takes years to understand the core concepts, fundamentals, patterns, and principles related to architecture and designs. This book is a goldmine for the typical questions asked during an interview and will help prepare you for success! Style and approach This book will help you prepare for interviews for architectural profiles by providing likely questions, explanations, and expected answers. It is an insight-rich guide that will help you develop strategic, tactical, and operational thinking for your interview.

Over 60 recipes to help you build, configure, and orchestrate RHEL 7 Server to make your everyday administration experience seamless About This Book Create fully unattended installations and deploy configurations without breaking a sweat Discover and kick-start the newest RHEL 7 configuration and management tools through an easy-to-follow, practical approach for a lazy system management Be guided by an experienced RHEL expert who is a certified Linux engineer with a passion for open source and open standards Who This Book Is For Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Cookbook is for RHEL 7 system administrators and DevOps in need of a practical reference guide to troubleshoot common issues and quickly perform tasks. What You Will Learn Set up and configure RHEL 7 Server Use NetworkManager to configure all aspects of your network Manage virtual environments using libvirt Set up software repositories Secure and monitor your RHEL environment Configure SELinux, and create and apply its policies Create kickstart *s to automatically deploy RHEL 7 systems Use Orchestration and configuration management tools to manage your environment In Detail Dominating the server market, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system gives you the support you need to modernize your infrastructure and boost your organization’s efficiency. Combining both stability and flexibility, RHEL helps you meet the challenges of today and adapt to the demands of tomorrow. This practical Cookbook guide will help you get to grips with RHEL 7 Server and automating its installation. Designed to provide targeted assistance through hands-on recipe guidance, it will introduce you to everything you need to know about KVM guests and deploying multiple standardized RHEL systems effortlessly. Get practical reference advice that will make complex networks setups look like child’s play, and dive into in-depth coverage of configuring a RHEL system. Also including full recipe coverage of how to set up, configuring, and troubleshoot SELinux, you’ll also discover how secure your operating system, as well as how to monitor it. Style and approach This practical guide is packed full of hands-on recipes that provide quick solutions to the problems faced when building your RHEL 7 system from scratch using orchestration tools. Each topic is explained sequentially in the process of setting up a system and binding everything together.

Over 60 recipes that will tailor and customize your experience with Magento 2 About This Book Solve common problems encountered while extending your Magento 2 store to fit your business needs Delve into the exciting and enhanced features of Magento 2 such as customizing security permissions, intelligent filtered search options, easy third-party integration, among others Learn to build and maintain a Magento 2 shop via a visual-based page editor and customize the look and feel using Magento 2’s offerings on the go Who This Book Is For This book is for every developer who has knowledge of PHP and wants to extend or customize the functionality of their Magento 2 system. If you have prior experience of the Magento platform, you will find this book useful in exploring the advanced features. What You Will Learn Install a Magento 2 shop with sample data Upgrade the data in a Magento 1 shop to a Magento 2 shop Manage the look and feel of the shop with custom themes Extend the shop with custom functionality such as forms, grids, and more Accelerate your store with some performance tool Build and structure your own shipping module Test your shop with automated tests and manage your product display In Detail With the challenges of growing an online business, Magento 2 is an open source e-commerce platform with innumerable functionalities that gives you the freedom to make on-the-fly decisions. It allows you to customize multiple levels of security permissions and enhance the look and feel of your website, and thus gives you a personalized experience in promoting your business. Style and approach This book is packed with a wide range of techniques to modify and extend the functionality of your online store. It contains easy-to-understand recipes starting with the basics and moving on to cover advanced topics. Many recipes work with code examples that can be downloaded from the book’s website.

Create and develop exciting games from start to finish using SFML About This Book Familiarize yourself with the SFML library and explore additional game development techniques Craft, shape, and improve your games with SFML and common game design elements A practical guide that will teach you how to use utilize the SFML library to build your own, fully functional applications Who This Book Is For This book is intended for game development enthusiasts with at least decent knowledge of the C++ programming language and an optional background in game design. What You Will Learn Create and open a window by using SFML Utilize, manage, and apply all of the features and properties of the SFML library Employ some basic game development techniques to make your game tick Build your own code base to make your game more robust and flexible Apply common game development and programming patterns to solve design problems Handle your visual and auditory resources properly Construct a robust system for user input and interfacing Develop and provide networking capabilities to your game< In Detail Simple and Fast Multimedia Library (SFML) is a simple interface comprising five modules, namely, the audio, graphics, network, system, and window modules, which help to develop cross-platform media applications. By utilizing the SFML library, you are provided with the ability to craft games quickly and easily, without going through an extensive learning curve. This effectively serves as a confidence booster, as well as a way to delve into the game development process itself, before having to worry about more advanced topics such as “rendering pipelines” or “shaders.” With just an investment of moderate C++ knowledge, this book will guide you all the way through the journey of game development. The book starts by building a clone of the classical snake game where you will learn how to open a window and render a basic sprite, write well-structured code to implement the design of the game, and use the AABB bounding box collision concept. The next game is a simple platformer with enemies, obstacles and a few different stages. Here, we will be creating states that will provide custom application flow and explore the most common yet often overlooked design patterns used in game development. Last but not the least, we will create a small RPG game where we will be using common game design patterns, multiple GUI. elements, advanced graphical features, and sounds and music features. We will also be implementing networking features that will allow other players to join and play together. By the end of the book, you will be an expert in using the SFML library to its full potential. Style and approach An elaborate take on the game development process in a way that compliments the reader’s existing knowledge, this book provides plenty of examples and is kind to the uninitiated. Each chapter builds upon the knowledge gained from the previous one and offers clarifications on common issues while still remaining within the scope of its own subject and retaining clarity.

Harness the power of Linux to create versatile and robust embedded solutions About This Book Create efficient and secure embedded devices using Linux Minimize project costs by using open source tools and programs Explore each component technology in depth, using sample implementations as a guide Who This Book Is For This book is ideal for Linux developers and system programmers who are already familiar with embedded systems and who want to know how to create best-in-class devices. A basic understanding of C programming and experience with systems programming is needed. What You Will Learn Understand the role of the Linux kernel and select an appropriate role for your application Use Buildroot and Yocto to create embedded Linux systems quickly and efficiently Create customized bootloaders using U-Boot Employ perf and ftrace to identify performance bottlenecks Understand device trees and make changes to accommodate new hardware on your device Write applications that interact with Linux device drivers Design and write multi-threaded applications using POSIX threads Measure real-time latencies and tune the Linux kernel to minimize them In Detail Mastering Embedded Linux Programming takes you through the product cycle and gives you an in-depth de*ion of the components and options that are available at each stage. You will begin by learning about toolchains, bootloaders, the Linux kernel, and how to configure a root filesystem to create a basic working device. You will then learn how to use the two most commonly used build systems, Buildroot and Yocto, to speed up and simplify the development process. Building on this solid base, the next section considers how to make best use of raw NAND/NOR flash memory and managed flash eMMC chips, including mechanisms for increasing the lifetime of the devices and to perform reliable in-field updates. Next, you need to consider what techniques are best suited to writing applications for your device. We will then see how functions are split between processes and the usage of POSIX threads, which have a big impact on the responsiveness and performance of the final device The closing sections look at the techniques available to developers for profiling and tracing applications and kernel code using perf and ftrace. Style and approach This book is an easy-to-follow and pragmatic guide consisting of an in-depth analysis of the implementation of embedded devices. Each topic has a logical approach to it; this coupled with hints and best practices helps you understand embedded Linux better.

Leverage the capability of Banana Pi with exciting real-world projects About This Book Delve into the expanse of Banana Pi’s self-managing functionalities and develop real-world projects Gain hands-on experience of developing various wireless, multimedia, robotic, and sensor-based applications with Banana Pi Develop your applications using Banana Pi through a project-based approach Who This Book Is For This book is designed for those who are interested in exploring the capabilities of Banana Pro. Basic know-how of Linux and embedded systems would be an added advantage. What You Will Learn Remotely connect to Banana Pro and program the embedded board Use Banana Pro as a hotspot or provide an AirPlay server for wireless audio transmission Find out about the different programming languages that can be used with Banana Pro Build and program your own multimedia centre in order to watch television and movies Connect peripherals such as a camera, LCD, or hard disk to Banana Pro Manage and regulate your Linux system with Banana Pro Stream music wirelessly from your mobile phone to Banana Pro In Detail This book follows a tactical plan that will guide you through the implementation of Banana Pro and its configurations. You will then learn the various programming languages used with Banana Pi with the help of examples. In no time at all, you’ll be working on a wireless project that implements AirPlay servers, hotspots, and so on. Following this, you’ll develop a retro-style arcade kiosk game. Then we’ll move on to explore the multimedia features of Banana Pro by designing and building an enclosure for it. After this, you’ll learn to build a remote-controlled smart car and we’ll examine how to control a robotic arm. The book will conclude with the creation of a home sensor system that has the ability to expand or shrink to suit any home. Style and approach This book follows a project-based approach that covers the most important features of Banana Pro. Every chapter dives into the practical side of the implementation.

Learn all the Java and Android skills you need to start making powerful mobile applications About This Book Kick-start your Android programming career, or just have fun publishing apps to the Google Play marketplace A first-principles introduction to Java, via Android, which means you’ll be able to start building your own applications from scratch Learn by example and build three real-world apps and over 40 mini apps throughout the book Who This Book Is For Are you trying to start a career in programming, but haven’t found the right way inDo you have a great idea for an app, but don’t know how to make it a realityOr maybe you’re just frustrated that “to learn Android, you must know java.” If so, Android Programming for Beginners is for you. You don’t need any programming experience to follow along with this book, just a computer and a sense of adventure. What You Will Learn Master the fundamentals of coding Java for Android Install and set up your Android development environment Build functional user interfaces with the Android Studio visual designer Add user interaction, data captures, sound, and animation to your apps Manage your apps’ data using the built-in Android SQLite database Find out about the design patterns used by professionals to make top-grade applications Build, deploy, and publish real Android applications to the Google Play marketplace In Detail Android is the most popular OS in the world. There are millions of devices accessing tens of thousands of applications. It is many people's entry point into the world of technology; it is an operating system for everyone. Despite this, the entry-fee to actually make Android applications is usually a computer science degree, or five years’ worth of Java experience. Android Programming for Beginners will be your companion to create Android applications from scratch—whether you’re looking to start your programming career, make an application for work, be reintroduced to mobile development, or are just looking to program for fun. We will introduce you to all the fundamental concepts of programming in an Android context, from the Java basics to working with the Android API. All examples are created from within Android Studio, the official Android development environment that helps supercharge your application development process. After this crash-course, we’ll dive deeper into Android programming and you’ll learn how to create applications with a professional-standard UI through fragments, make location-aware apps with Google Maps integration, and store your user’s data with SQLite. In addition, you’ll see how to make your apps multilingual, capture images from a device’s camera, and work with graphics, sound, and animations too. By the end of this book, you’ll be ready to start building your own custom applications in Android and Java. Style and approach With more than 40 mini apps to code and run, Android Programming for Beginners is a hands-on guide to learning Android and Java. Each example application demonstrates a different aspect of Android programming. Alongside these mini apps, we push your abilities by building three larger applications to demonstrate Android application development in context.

Begin your iOS mobile application development journey with this accessible, practical guide About This Book Use Swift 3 and latest iOS 10 features to build awesome apps for iPhone and iPad Explore and use a wide range of Apple development tools to become a confident iOS developer From prototype to App Store—find out how to build an app from start to finish! Who This Book Is For This book is for beginners who want to be able to create iOS applications. If you have some programming experience, this book is a great way to get a full understanding of how to create an iOS application from scratch and submit it to the App Store. You do not need any knowledge of Swift or any prior programming experience. What You Will Learn Get to grips with Swift 3 and Xcode, the building blocks of Apple development Get to know the fundamentals of Swift, including variables, constants, and control flow Discover the distinctive design principles that define the iOS user experience See how to prototype your app with Swift’s Playgrounds feature Build a responsive UI that looks great on a range of devices Find out how to use CoreLocation to add location services to your app Add push notifications to your app Make your app able to be used on both iPhone and iPad In Detail You want to build iOS applications for iPhone and iPad—but where do you startForget sifting through tutorials and blog posts, this is a direct route into iOS development, taking you through the basics and showing you how to put the principles into practice. With every update, iOS has become more and more developer-friendly, so take advantage of it and begin building applications that might just take the App Store by storm! Whether you’re an experienced programmer or a complete novice, this book guides you through every facet of iOS development. From Xcode and Swift—the building blocks of modern Apple development—and Playgrounds for beginners, one of the most popular features of the iOS development experience, you’ll quickly gain a solid foundation to begin venturing deeper into your development journey. For the experienced programmer, jump right in and learn the latest iOS 10 features. You’ll also learn the core elements of iOS design, from tables to tab bars, as well as more advanced topics such as gestures and animations that can give your app the edge. Find out how to manage databases, as well as integrating standard elements such as photos, GPS into your app. With further guidance on beta testing with TestFlight, you’ll quickly learn everything you need to get your project on the App Store! Style and approach Created for anyone that wants to build their first iOS application, this book offers practical, actionable guidance through iOS development. Combining engaging visuals with accessible, step-by-step instructiona and explanation, this book will not only develop the your understanding, but also show you how to put your knowledge to work.

Uncover the secrets of functional programming using C# and change the way you approach your applications forever About This Book This book focuses on the functional paradigm of C#, which will give you a whole new angle on coding with C# It illustrates the advantages that functional programming brings to the table and the associated coding benefits This practical guide covers all the aspects of functional programming and provides solutions that can be applied in business scenarios Who This Book Is For This book is suitable for C# developers with basic prior knowledge of C# and with no functional programming experience at all. What You Will Learn Develop an application using the functional approach Implement unit testing to functionally program code Create efficient code using functional programming Work through a LINQ query so you can work with data Compose asynchronous programs to create a responsive application Use recursion in function programming in order to simplify code Optimize the program code using Laziness and Caching Techniques In Detail Functional programming makes your application faster, improves performance, and increases your productivity. C# code is written at a higher level of abstraction, so that code will be closer to business requirements, abstracting away many low-level implementation details. This book bridges the language gap for C# developers by showing you how to create and consume functional constructs in C#. We also bridge the domain gap by showing how functional constructs can be applied in business scenarios. We’ll take you through lambda expressions and extension methods, and help you develop a deep understanding of the concepts and practices of LINQ and recursion in C#. By the end of the book, you will be able to write code using the best approach and will be able to perform unit testing in functional programming, changing how you write your applications and revolutionizing your projects. Style and approach This book takes a pragmatic approach and shows you techniques to write better functional constructs in C#. We’ll also show you how these concepts can be applied in business scenarios.

Configure, manage, and customize Odoo to build professional-level business applications About This Book Build an Odoo module and integrate it with other platforms through this practical guide This book is the perfect companion to help you customize your Odoo installations for your enterprise requirements Use project management along with analytics for better reporting Who This Book Is For This book is for those who have not used Odoo before, allowing you to learn advanced-level features with Odoo such as creating your own custom modules. You do not need any knowledge of Odoo. What You Will Learn Configure a functioning customer relationship management system Set up a purchasing and receiving system Implement manufacturing operations and processes using real-world examples Discover the capabilities of Odoo's financial accounting and reporting features Integrate powerful human resource applications Utilize Odoo's project management application to organize tasks Customize Odoo without writing a line a code In Detail Odoo is a comprehensive set of open-source enterprise management applications. Now with Odoo 10, you have access to a powerful website builder, integrated e-commerce features, and a fast-growing community to help transform and modernize your business. You will start with how to set up Odoo online and on your own server. You’ll then configure the basic company settings required to quickly getting your first Odoo system up and running. Later you’ll explore Customer Relationship Management in Odoo and and their importance in today's modern business environment. Next we will deep dive into purchasing application with Odoo and learn some of the primary functionalities of ERP systems for manufacturing operations. You will then use analytic accounting to provide better reporting. Finally you will walk through the recent Odoo 10 features with respect to the community and enterprise edition giving you complete understanding of what Odoo can do for you no matter the reason! Style and approach This fast-paced, step-by-step guide will show you everything you need to know about the Odoo module ecosystem through practical and real-world examples.

Create amazing games with solid gameplay features, using a professional-grade workflow inside the Unity engine! About This Book Become a Unity master by creating a practical, in-depth game-development project with Unity Use advanced C# *ing to unlock the complete potential of Unity 5 Use Version Control to Effectively Manage and Scale your workflow Who This Book Is For If you are a Unity developer who now wants to develop and deploy interesting games by leveraging the new features of Unity 5.x, then this is the book for you. Basic knowledge of C# programming is assumed. What You Will Learn Explore hands-on tasks and real-world scenarios to make a Unity horror adventure game Create enemy characters that act intelligently and make reasoned decisions Use data files to save and restore game data in a way that is platform-agnostic Get started with VR development Use Navigation Meshes, Occlusion Culling, and the Profiler tools Work confidently with GameObjects, Rotations, and Transformations Understand specific gameplay features such as AI enemies, inventory systems, and level design In Detail Do you want to take the leap from being an everyday Unity developer to being a pro game developerThen look no further! This book is your one stop solution to creating mesmerizing games with lifelike features and amazing gameplay. This book takes an in-depth focus on a practical project with Unity, building a first-person game with many features. You’ll dive deep into the architecture of a Unity game, creating expansive worlds, interesting render effects, and other features to make your games special. You will create individual game components, use efficient animation techniques, and implement collision and physics effectively. Specifically, we’ll explore optimal techniques for importing game assets, such as meshes and textures; tips and tricks for effective level design; how to animate and * NPCs; how to configure and deploy to mobile devices; how to prepare for VR development; and how to work with version control, and more. By the end of this book, you’ll have developed sufficient competency in Unity development to produce fun games with confidence. Style and approach This book takes a step-by-step, practical tutorial approach. You will create an advanced level Unity game with an emphasis on leveraging the advanced Unity 5 features. You will make the most of the Unity 5 advanced features while you develop the game in its entirety.