Publisher's Synopsis
Game Animation Programming with C++: Master Real-Time Character and Motion Systems Using Modern C++, OpenGL, and Vulkan is a comprehensive, hands-on guide for developers who want to build professional-grade animation systems from the ground up.
This book takes you deep into the core of how modern 3D games animate characters in real time. You'll learn exactly how to load and process animation data, manage skeletal hierarchies, blend and interpolate motion, implement inverse kinematics (IK), and render skinning on the GPU using OpenGL and Vulkan. Everything is written with modern C++ in mind, with clear architectural patterns, real-world code, and production-ready examples.
From importing animation assets with Assimp, to building efficient blend trees, debugging animation states, and synchronizing gameplay with character motion-every technique is explained clearly and implemented in full. Whether you're designing your own engine or upgrading an existing system, you'll gain deep knowledge of animation runtime behavior, transform math, GPU pipelines, and real-time IK solutions.
You'll also explore advanced topics such as procedural animation with spring-damper systems, blending between physics and keyframe control, visualizing animation states, compressing animation data, and profiling GPU-bound bottlenecks. The book concludes with a full third-person character case study, showing how to connect input, animation, and visual feedback into a fluid, responsive game experience.
What You'll Learn- Implement skeletal animation using modern C++ and matrix math
- Use Assimp to load meshes, skeletons, and animation clips
- Apply forward and inverse kinematics for foot placement and aiming
- Build animation state machines, blend trees, and event systems
- Write efficient skinning shaders in GLSL and Vulkan
- Compress, stream, and optimize animation for real-time performance
- Debug and visualize character rigs, IK targets, and animation flow
- Create a production-ready third-person animation system from start to finish
Whether you're a systems programmer, technical animator, graphics engineer, or indie developer, this book gives you everything you need to understand, build, and optimize animation pipelines for modern games.
Stop treating animation as a black box. Learn how it really works-and start building it yourself. Get your copy today and master the systems behind every expressive, responsive, and believable character in games.
