This book is a self-study text intended for personal computer owners who are interested in writing efficient graphics programs in BASIC. The reader can study theoretical concepts relating to animation, simulation, and 3D images on microcomputers by means of fully-explained, specific programming examples of fast-running, high-quality graphics applications.

The book is organized in six parts. The first three include some general theoretical concepts and the last three introduce different techniques for fast animation and simulation on microcomputers. Part 1 is primarily theory, including graphics concepts described by the BASIC commands useful to the graphics programmer, the advantage of properly structured programs, the theory and application of bit tiling, and fundamentals of good graphic design. Part 2 deals with simulation techniques for backgrounds, cartoon illustrations, human faces, oversized alphanumeric titles, and realistic sound effects. Part 3 introduces 3D graphics concepts such as different types of perspective, translation and rotation of 3D objects, pre-deletion of hidden lines, and contour plotting of 3D objects, and then applies them to the creation of cubes, spheres, and cylinders, architecture, interior design, and flight simulation. Part 4 defines techniques of full screen animation using double buffer page flipping and explores them via the creation of 3D objects in a flight simulation environment. Part 5 explores the faster technique of partial screen animation using the concept of bit array animation by means of demonstration programs for simulation of human motion and placement of multicolored objects on complex backgrounds. Part 6 is a study of the fastest form of animation and simulation on computers, full-screen interactive animation.

An appendix containing the mathematical formulas used in animation and simulation programs is presented at the end of the book. There are nine other appendices referring to new demonstration programs and offering practical guidelines for testing the whole range of examples included in the book on IBM PCs equipped with EGA or CGA as well as on other types of microcomputers (Apple and Amiga). All of the demonstration programs mentioned in the main body of the text are provided on companion diskettes.

Each part of the book is divided into several chapters; each of these is prefaced by a brief commentary identifying the topics to be covered. Every chapter is extensively illustrated with drawings and photographs to clarify all major concepts discussed in the text. Listings of program source provide explicit examples of fast-running graphics applications. In many cases the video output of the program under discussion is illustrated, enabling the reader to verify the results generated by his or her own microcomputer. All the demonstration programs are written in BASIC, so the reader should possess some working knowledge of this language.

All other theoretical concepts, especially the mathematical ones, are presented at a low level, enabling the reader to get a quick insight into the topics discussed throughout the book. The theoretical level of the presentation corresponds to the structure of the book. Every effort to introduce a new concept or technique is fully based upon practical examples in order to motivate the reader to start testing and programming as soon as he or she reads this book. However, for the next, more advanced and generalized developments of animation and simulation algorithms, a more thorough presentation of mathematical concepts, or at least some better references, should have been included in some parts of this book (for example, in part 3, 3D Graphics).