And no matter what software you use, your success in creating realistic-looking illumination, shadows and textures depends on your professional lighting and rendering techniques. In this lavishly illustrated new edition, Pixar's Jeremy Birn shows you how to:Master Hollywood lighting techniques to produce professional results in any 3D application Convincingly composite 3D models into real-world environments Apply advanced rendering techniques using subsurface scattering, global illumination, caustics, occlusion, and high dynamic range images Design realistic materials and paint detailed texture maps Mimic real-life camera properties such as f-stops, exposure times, depth-of-field, and natural color temperatures for photorealistic renderings Render in multiple passes for greater efficiency and creative control Understand production pipelines at visual effects and animation studios Develop your lighting reel to get a job in the industry

    

    If the Shifter Council decides against her, Wicked could be banished from Assjacket indefinitely.The women of the town side with Wicked and are up in arms as they strike against the men of Assjacket causing chaos in wicked proportions.Welcome back to the town of Assjacket for more wickedly hilarious mixtures of paranormal personalities.

    Green's agile imagination constantly wrong-foots the reader. A delight."-Peter Ingham, The Telegraph"The work of a talented writer having lots of very smart fun"-- S F Winser, Booksquawk.comLittlestar hugely expands on the universe established in Smallworld, with an astounding story arc that follows troopers Beguiled-of-the-Serpent and Only-Begotten as they become embroiled in the second star-spanning war against the Made.Man, a bigoted species brooking no other intelligent life but him- and herself, is spread across a thousand worlds, ruled with a designer-gloved fist by Leader Ottilia Vos. The Made, intelligences both biological and technological, were engineered by human beings, then betrayed and hunted down by them. Now they are back, and this time, it's the Made who have the numbers.Some have no choice in being caught up in events - troopers Beguiled-of-the-Serpent and Only-Begotten, who took Leader Vos's shilling in order to avoid murder charges. Some don't think twice about choices - the tramp trader *Prodigal Son*, unhesitatingly ferrying war refugees back to Earth, mankind's only remaining stronghold. Some people's choices have to be thought through very well indeed - the outlawed dictator Button Humpage, wondering whether to assist the species that betrayed him.Humanity has some surprising allies, many of whom it formerly counted as its fiercest enemies. The biggest question, however, is - what is Littlestar? How did Button Humpage come to control it? And is it the secret weapon that can win the war?

    NEW, edited and updated version. (Formatting, spelling and grammar corrections made, plus some new material added) Please note, this is a politically incorrect story. It bashes the current administration. Irony is winning the Powerball lottery six months before the world's economies meltdown. The Shelter tells the story of a family who wins $27 million in the lottery, they pull roots and move to Nashville where they buy a large home bordered by three farms. With the money in hand the world's economies in the process of melting down. They 'buy the farm.' They purchase the three farms and the 7,000 square foot house. The farms are able to provide food when the economies collapse. The house is large enough to hold all of their extended family. To ensure their survival, Jay decides to build a large shelter under the farmland. Jay befriends the local Mafia 'Don', Tony, who helps him in exchange for a ticket in the shelter. Book one tells the story of Jay and Lacy, winning the lottery, their move to Nashville, buying the farms and building the shelter while the world goes to hell around them. The world starts to melt down when the people of Greece elect a new Prime Minister, who defaults on their loans to Germany. The EU falls apart when the other European Nations follow Greece's lead. China demands payment of its debt from America or the state of Hawaii. The President increases taxes to raise the $1.4 trillion needed to pay China back, putting enormous stress on the American economy. Russia adds gasoline to the fire by dumping their dollars. Russia helps destabilize the EU so they can invade by offering humanitarian aid. When the American economy collapses, distribution of food stops, starvation becomes a real problem. The cities explode in violence due to the lack of food and clean water. As the insanity spreads, Jay builds a shelter complex to house over 40 people for more than a year without surfacing. A shelter, he thinks, is an insurance policy, one he hopes he'll never have to use. A shelter complex he and his neighbors, need in order to survive an invasion of their farms. All of their winnings are worthless when the only real currency is a loaf of bread and a bottle of clean water. There's a special sneak preview of my next book, "In the Year 2050. America's Religious Civil War" included at the end of the "The Shelter."

    Everyone was cheerful, but I was reminded of the one thing that I didn’t have, family. I had more than enough of everything, except the one thing that mattered during the holidays. All of that changed though, when I met Cara. She was smart-mouthed and not afraid to tell me exactly what was on her mind. Paired with an incredible body and eyes that called to me, she was just what I was looking for. Before I even knew I was looking. Our kisses were electric and I wanted more. Cara was reluctant at first, because of our professional relationship. But nothing was off limits to a guy like me. I am Nick Sampson; Billionaire business man and the biggest playboy in the city. I always get what I want. This year, all I want for Christmas is Cara. CHRISTMAS PRESENT She was a present that I was dying to open. Watching my friend fall for his wife was hard to see. They were so happy. It made me realize that something was missing. The women in my life were just temporary and I was looking for something more concrete. But finding that special one was hard. Then I met Celia and all of that changed. Her smile was soft and her mouth was sassy. She was everything that I was looking for in a woman. I just had to convince her that I wasn’t the man she thought I was. She was my Christmas Present from the universe and I wasn’t going to mess it up this time. I had to make her fall for me and all I needed was one chance to get my hands on her. I was going to make her scream until she was hoarse. Then there would be no running. She was going to be mine. But she did leave and I was going to need a Christmas miracle to get her back. Celia would be mine once more, wrapped up with a bow.

    

    100% complete coverage of all objectives for exam RH302 Exam Readiness Checklist at the front of the book--you're ready for the exam when all objectives on the list are checked off Inside the Exam sections in every chapter highlight key exam topics covered Real-world exercises modeled after hands-on exam scenarios Two complete lab-based exams simulate the format, tone, topics, and difficulty of the real exam Bonus content (available for download) includes installation screen review, basic instructions for using VMware and Xen as testbeds, and paper and pencil versions of the lab exams Covers all RH302 exam topics, including: Hardware installation and configuration The boot process Linux filesystem administration Package management and Kickstart User and group administration System administration tools Kernel services and configuration Apache and Squid Network file sharing services (NFS, FTP, and Samba) Domain Name System (DNS) E-mail (servers and clients) Extended Internet Services Daemon (xinetd), the Secure package, and DHCP The X Window System Firewalls, SELinux, and troubleshooting

    This text provides a basic treatment of discrete-event simulation, including the proper collection and analysis of data, the use of analytic techniques, verification and validation of models, and designing simulation experiments. It offers an up-to-date treatment of simulation of manufacturing and material handling systems, computer systems, and computer networks. Students and instructors will find a variety of resources at the associated website, www.bcnn.net, including simulation source code for download, additional exercises and solutions, web links and errata.

    The bullet that ripped my girlfriend away from me in Iraq, ripped a May shaped hole in my heart that I don't want to fill. The only time my lungs fully remember how to do something as simple as breathing air is when I'm with a woman who can never be mine. In a relationship? I'll take it. Engaged? Yes please. Married? Hell yeah. Then I met her. The blonde with the boyfriend who's involved with everything I hate. I don't know if she knows what he's into, all I know is that my pants aren't the only thing that tighten when I'm around her. And now history is trying to repeat itself and I'm letting it happen over my dead body. Juliana: My life is comfortable. My boyfriend is seriously good-looking and my best friend is fun, supportive and always up for having a good time. I'm content, until I'm not. My perfectly constructed life comes crashing down around me and it's a mysterious, super hunky ex- SEAL who's suddenly at the right place at the right time. Every time. But when choices I didn't make impact my life in ways I never thought possible, I'm alone. Screwed. Terrified. When everything is on the line and your life is on the wrong side of the plumbing system, what do you do? I don't know... I don't know because this wasn't my mess to clean up. I like to think I'm an optimist, but how is it possible that anything good can come of this?

    A divine spat leaves French medic Viv stranded in the middle of an arcane disaster zone crawling with undead horrors. Thankfully, there are strange allies to be found, not least the mysterious interface that helps humans survive in this merciless world.Viv will have to progress fast to survive this calamity and find civilisation. She will also need a bit of luck. Unless, of course, she becomes the calamity herself. After all, luck is such a fickle thing.

    Objects are introduced early, right after control structures and before arrays and pointers. The STL string class is used throughout. As with all Gaddis books, there is a strong emphasis on problem solving and program design, a careful step-by-step introduction of each new topic, clear and easy to read code listings, concise and practical real world examples, and an abundance of exercises in each chapter.

    As for the latter, are you a programmer and curious about being your own boss? Where do you turn for information? Until now, online and traditional literature havent caught up with the reality of the post-dot com bust.Micro-ISV: From Vision to Reality explains what works and why in today's emerging micro-ISV sector. Currently, thousands of programmers build and deliver great solutions ISV-style, earning success and revenues much larger than you might guess. Written by and for micro-ISVs, with help from some of the leaders of the field, this book takes you beyond just daydreaming to running your own business. It thoroughly explores how it is indeed possible to launch and maintain a small and successful ISV business, and is an ideal read if you're interested in getting started.

    Ree's love story with Marlboro Man will sweep you off your feet.

    He leaves the fast-paced life of the city for the Outer Hebrides, where traditional values and beliefs are adhered to and respected. It is a life he neither belongs to nor understands. When she goes he will be the last of the family line and he couldn't care less. Family and history are just bonds to tie him down. Reluctantly, he sets out to do his duty and stumbles across questions that challenge everything he ever knew about himself and the people from whom he came. In the days between his aunt's death and funeral he is drawn into the role of genealogy detective. In a place where everyone knows everything about everybody, Cal finds that secrets are buried deep. Mairi, a young widow, knows far more than she is willing to tell. Kate Anna, his aunt's lifelong friend, avoids his questions. And what of Finlay, who lays claim to the house? Cal begins to understand that Aunt Mary was not the woman he knew and the secret she kept hidden for so long means he might not be the person he thought he was. "Last of the Line" is a story that explores the part in all of us that wants to know who we are and where we are from.