Review of Focus On Photon Mapping (Game Development) [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

I've implemented photon mapping myself in the past, and this book presents one of the worst attempts at "searching in the dark" (pun intended) I've ever seen.The author obviously does NOT understand photon mapping, neither the concepts behind it or nor its proper usage.Even the "sample images" presented lack the quality and correctness of a proper implementation.The author presents ludicrous methods of "improving performance," by reducing the number of photons (which only increases error), and calculating light only at vertices (whats the point of emitting photons at all then?).

Photon mapping is a technique for generating realistic lighting phenomenon, such as diffuse effects, caustics, and soft shadows, efficiently.This book teaches methods that are not only incorrect, but no better than standard, low quality lighting techniques.People who are serious about implementing photon mapping should invest their money in a book that actually teaches the background and methods necessary to understand the technique, not one that blindly tries to pass off sub-standard results as the product of a realistic method.

Product Description
Game developers, now create real-world lighting simulation in your games! This Focus On book isolates the topic of photon mapping, explaining its practical use in C and C++ languages.You will build your existing knowledge with the hands-on approach to implementing this algorithm and applying it to games and graphics applications. Focus On Photon Mapping includes a basic overview on the physics of light to help you visualize and understand how light works before moving on to implementing the simulated lighting techniques.

About the Author
At 22, Marlon John is already a veteran of the computer world. He first began developing HTML pages a a hobby shortly after receiving his first computer at age 14. Two years later, Marlon took his first job with a computer new media company, Advanced Media Concepts. Marlon's computer graphics skills expanded to include Director, Authorware, Freehand, Frontpage, Lightwave, Photoshop, Illustrator, and more. In 1998, he began programming in C++ and developing games. Marlon started his own company, Advanced Internet Technologies, in 2000.

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