Beginning Direct 3D Game Programming

DirectX is difficult to master. Even drilling down into just D3D is exceptionally challenging for most students. I have been looking for a DX book to use on an undergraduate course and in the process I have reviewd a few. While most books have something to offer few have drawn the whole of any of the DX modules together. Given the standard of the SDK documentation there is a clear need for good textbooks. My reaction to the present text is that it is very unsutiable for beginners. In the first place, it is not well written. Secondly,some of the code is way beyond what beginners could grasp and there is very little hand holding to reassure pedagogues like me. Thirdly, the material of matrices could do with being looked at again. However, it is not all gloom. The chapter on animation is really very good and well worth spending the time on.All too frequently we see computer programming texts come out without proper regard for the readership. Occasionally the reading public have the right to expect publishers to get material out there that was written to be read by others. I don't blame the authors, but the publishers who don't put enough editorial weight behind their offerings. I have no doubt but that this book could have been a much more useful book with appropriate editorial input. May be the 3rd edition will be.

This Book focuses on DirectX applications. if you ever tried writting your own vertices , planes ,....etc. this is the book you need to use the already built in features of Direct-X , even if you are an OPEN_GL programmer. i mixed the structures and data types in DirectX with the existing Open GL programs to reduce the code. i feel sorry i did not read this book before, it is like reading the mind of a graphics programmer and tell you what you need in the next page. i recommend this book for any one started programming 3D and wants to make a quick advance or wants to modify the macaroni codes he created and wants to simplify it extreamly and get a better performance (both Direct3D or Open GL).reagrdsJunk Man

This book covers the usage of DirectX 9.0. Note, this book is not a cook-book type book where it tells you how to program a game in DirectX 9.0.I would not buy this book again (ie future version/revision).