“Microsoft XNA 4.0 Game Development Cookbook” is a fast-paced cookbook for taking your knowledge of the framework further with advanced game development tasks. Packed with step-by-step instructions and screenshots, the book will solve an experienced developer’s everyday coding problems. If you are an XNA developer who has already successfully mastered simple 2D and 3D XNA tasks, dive into “Microsoft XNA 4.0 Game Development Cookbook” for something more challenging. You should be comfortable with the basics of the XNA framework, and have experience with C#.

Written with a fast-paced but friendly and engaging approach, this Packt Beginner's guide is designed to be placed alongside the computer as your guide and mentor. Step-by-step tutorials are bolstered by explanations of the reasoning behind what you are doing. You will quickly pick up the necessary skills, tips, and tricks for building a successful Joomla! website. This book is written for beginners to website design. By the end of the book you will have built a complete custom content managed website, and be ready to build any kind of website.

This beginner's guide focuses on getting you through all the major learning points in a smooth, logical order. You'll also see how to avoid some common pitfalls. This book is for brands, advertisers and developers who want to create compelling, emotive, iAd advertisements that generate revenue and increase brand awareness. You don’t need previous experience of creating adverts or apps for iPhone and iPad, as you’ll be taken through the entire process to make motion-rich, beautiful ads.

“Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Developer’s Compendium: The Best of Packt for Extending SharePoint” takes a less discussion, more value approach to helping you learn all that you can about extending SharePoint. A medley of a total of five Packt books, each chapter has its own unique style so that you can learn not only from content written in a step by step tutorial style, but also from handbook and cookbook chapters. If you are a developer who would like to enhance your knowledge of SharePoint development to create sites with great user experience, don’t miss “Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Developer’s Compendium: The Best of Packt for Extending SharePoint”. You should already be comfortable with general SharePoint development practices, though prior experience with PowerShell, Visual Studio, Silverlight and Windows 7 Phone is not a necessity.

If you are an administrator or partner who wants to plan, set up and maintain Windows Intune and manage a group of PCs then this book is for you . You should have a basic understanding of Windows administration, however, knowledge of Windows Intune would not be required.

Axure RP 6 Prototyping Essentials is a detailed, practical primer on the leading rapid prototyping tool. Short on jargon and high on concepts, real-life scenarios and step-by-step guidance through hands-on examples, this book will show you how to integrate Axure into your UX workflow. This book is written for UX practitioners, business analysts, product managers, and anyone else who is involved in UX projects. The book assumes that you have no or very little familiarity with Axure. It will help you if you are evaluating the tool for an upcoming project or are required to quickly get up to speed in a project you just joined. The book assumes some familiarity with the principles of the User Centred Design methodology.

This book is full of fun and engaging recipes with modular libraries that can be plugged into your project. Each recipe consists of explained code accompanied by screenshots for your understanding. If you want to elevate your basic Cocos2d project to the next level, this is the book for you. Some understanding of Objective-C and Cocos2d is recommended. People with some programming experience may also find this book useful.

This is a step-by-step book that builds on your knowledge by adding to an example game over the course of each chapter. Each topic uses example code that can be compiled and tested to show how things work instead of just telling you. Complicated tasks are broken down into easy to follow steps with clear explanations of what each line of code is doing. This book is written for beginners to UnrealScript, whether this is your first experience with programming or you're coming into it from another language and would like to learn how UnrealScript uses concepts you're already familiar with. If you would like to make games with the Unreal Development Kit, this book is for you.

Written in Packt’s Beginner’s Guide format, you can easily grasp the concepts and understand the techniques to perform wireless attacks in your lab. Every new attack is described in the form of a lab exercise with rich illustrations of all the steps associated. You will practically implement various attacks as you go along. If you are an IT security professional or a security consultant who wants to get started with wireless testing with Backtrack, or just plain inquisitive about wireless security and hacking, then this book is for you. The book assumes that you have familiarity with Backtrack and basic wireless concepts.

Written in a cookbook style, this book offers solutions using a recipe-based approach. Each recipe contains step-by-step instructions followed by an analysis of what was done in each task and other useful information. This Cookbook is targeted towards those with at least a basic understanding of the Flash Builder IDE and the Flex framework. No prior knowledge of the Facebook APIs is assumed or required. If you want to start building Flash Facebook apps quickly and effectively this is the book for you.

Part of Packt's Beginner's Guide series, each chapter looks at a different aspect of using Moodle in a business environment, and steadily guides the reader through setting Moodle up in their own business with the help of practical examples, accompanied by lots of screenshots. Each chapter also includes case studies from well-known companies that have already implemented Moodle. If you are responsible for training, recruitment, or maintaining any guidelines within your company, then this book is for you. No previous experience with Moodle is necessary as the examples are easy to follow

This book is a practical, stepbystep tutorial providing a complete reference guide to the setup, installation, and administration of ArcGIS Server technology. If you are a GIS user, analyst, DBA, or programmer with a basic knowledge of ESRI GIS, then this book is for you.

This book is for developers who want to use Python to write programs that lean heavily on functional programming design patterns. You should be comfortable with Python programming, but no knowledge of functional programming paradigms is needed.

This book is aimed at those familiar with the basics of Blender, looking to delve into the depths of the Cycles rendering engine to create an array of breath-taking materials and textures.

If you are an Android developer looking to test your applications or optimize your application development process, then this book is for you. No previous experience in application testing is required.

A practical cookbook, filled with advanced recipes , and plenty of code and commands used for illustration,which will make your learning curve easy and quick. This book is for anyone who wants to learn more about databases in general or MariaDB in particular. Some familiarity with SQL databases is assumed, but the recipes are approachable to almost anyone with basic database skills.

Gain expertise in Flask to create dynamic and powerful web applications About This Book Work with scalable Flask application structures to create complex web apps Discover the most powerful Flask extensions and learn how to create one Deploy your application to real-world platforms using this step-by-step guide Who This Book Is For If you are a Flask user who knows the basics of the library and how to create basic web pages with HTML and CSS, and you want to take your applications to the next level, this is the book for you. Harnessing the full power of Flask will allow you to create complex web applications with ease. What You Will Learn Set up a best practices Python environment Use SQLAlchemy to programmatically query a database Develop templates in Jinja Set up an MVC environment for Flask Discover NoSQL, when to use it, when not to, and how to use it Develop a custom Flask extension Use Celery to create asynchronous tasks In Detail Flask is a library that allows programmers to create web applications in Python. Flask is a micro-framework that boasts a low learning curve, a large community, and the power to create complex web apps. However, Flask is easy to learn but difficult to master. Starting from a simple Flask app, this book will walk through advanced topics while providing practical examples of the lessons learned. After building a simple Flask app, a proper app structure is demonstrated by transforming the app to use a Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture. With a scalable structure in hand, the next chapters use Flask extensions to provide extra functionality to the app, including user login and registration, NoSQL querying, a REST API, an admin interface, and more. Next, you’ll discover how to use unit testing to take the guesswork away from making sure the code is performing as it should. The book closes with a discussion of the different platforms that are available to deploy a Flask app on, the pros and cons of each one, and how to deploy on each one. Style and approach With plenty of useful examples, this guide introduces new concepts and then shows you how those concepts can be used in a real-world environment. Most sections are based around a single example app that is developed throughout the book.

Master the fundamentals of malware analysis for the Windows platform and enhance your anti-malware skill set About This Book Set the baseline towards performing malware analysis on the Windows platform and how to use the tools required to deal with malware Understand how to decipher x86 assembly code from source code inside your favourite development environment A step-by-step based guide that reveals malware analysis from an industry insider and demystifies the process Who This Book Is For This book is best for someone who has prior experience with reverse engineering Windows executables and wants to specialize in malware analysis. The book presents the malware analysis thought process using a show-and-tell approach, and the examples included will give any analyst confidence in how to approach this task on their own the next time around. What You Will Learn Use the positional number system for clear conception of Boolean algebra, that applies to malware research purposes Get introduced to static and dynamic analysis methodologies and build your own malware lab Analyse destructive malware samples from the real world (ITW) from fingerprinting and static/dynamic analysis to the final debrief Understand different modes of linking and how to compile your own libraries from assembly code and integrate the codein your final program Get to know about the various emulators, debuggers and their features, and sandboxes and set them up effectively depending on the required scenario Deal with other malware vectors such as pdf and MS-Office based malware as well as *s and shellcode In Detail Windows OS is the most used operating system in the world and hence is targeted by malware writers. There are strong ramifications if things go awry. Things will go wrong if they can, and hence we see a salvo of attacks that have continued to disrupt the normal scheme of things in our day to day lives. This book will guide you on how to use essential tools such as debuggers, disassemblers, and sandboxes to dissect malware samples. It will expose your innards and then build a report of their indicators of compromise along with detection rule sets that will enable you to help contain the outbreak when faced with such a situation. We will start with the basics of computing fundamentals such as number systems and Boolean algebra. Further, you'll learn about x86 assembly programming and its integration with high level languages such as C++.You'll understand how to decipher disassembly code obtained from the compiled source code and map it back to its original design goals. By delving into end to end analysis with real-world malware samples to solidify your understanding, you'll sharpen your technique of handling destructive malware binaries and vector mechanisms. You will also be encouraged to consider analysis lab safety measures so that there is no infection in the process. Finally, we'll have a rounded tour of various emulations, sandboxing, and debugging options so that you know what is at your disposal when you need a specific kind of weapon in order to nullify the malware. Style and approach An easy to follow, hands-on guide with de*ions and screenshots that will help you execute effective malicious software investigations and conjure up solutions creatively and confidently.

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.

Written in a friendly, Beginner's Guide format, showing the user how to use the digital media aspects of Matlab (image, video, sound) in a practical, tutorial-based style.This is great for novice programmers in any language who would like to use Matlab as a tool for their image and video processing needs, and also comes in handy for photographers or video editors with even less programming experience wanting to find an all-in-one tool for their tasks.

A fast-paced, task-oriented Cookbook covering recipes on the installation and configuration of vSphere 5.1 components. The recipes are accompanied with relevant screenshots with an intention to provide a visual guidance as well. The book concentrates more on the actual task rather than the theory around it, making it easier to understand what is really needed to achieve the task. This book is a guide for anyone who wants to learn how to install and configure VMware vSphere components. This is an excellent handbook for support professionals or for anyone intending to give themselves a head start in learning how to install and configure vSphere 5.1 components. It is also a good task-oriented reference material for consultants who design and deploy vSphere environments.