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Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus [With CD-Rom]
 
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Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus [With CD-Rom] (Paperback)

by Andre LaMothe (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 1040 pages
  • Publisher: Sams; 2nd Revised edition edition (10 Nov 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0672313618
  • ISBN-13: 978-0672313615
  • Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 18.5 x 5.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 490,178 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
New from bestselling video game guru, Andre LaMothe, Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus provides an incredibly rich tour of today's video game programming techniques for Microsoft's DirectX gaming platform. Filled with entertaining and challenging code examples in C, this book sets a high standard as a tutorial for getting started with game programming and will certainly earn a place on the bookshelf of any working (or aspiring) game developer.

The incredibly rich detail within this book on virtually all facets of game development on the DirectX platform is what sets it apart from other titles. The author, a truly legendary game programmer, conveys his expert knowledge with a sense of authority and flair in a massive format (with nearly 1,000 pages). After a tour of basic Windows C programming, this book centres on the Microsoft DirectX for game development. Though most of the printed book centres on DirectDraw (for 2D APIs), these APIs are used to render 3D worlds. (A wide variety of articles on Direct3D are included on the accompanying CD-ROM.) The author also shows how to get the most out of other Microsoft APIs for high-performance gaming, including sound(DirectSound and DirectMusic) and input (with DirectInput).

Rarely does the ordinary programmer get a glimpse into the high-powered world of video game development. That's what's offered here with plenty of techniques and tricks for creating leading-edge game effects (such as simulating the laws of physics in your games, like gravity or creating smarter characters with artificial intelligence). Whether you are an aspiring game developer or an interested game enthusiast with a programming background who wants a peek underneath the hood, Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus shows you how it's done in an exciting, technically rich and authoritatively told tutorial on how to use DirectX for creating realistic video games. --Richard Dragan, amazon.com

Topics covered: Game basics, history of video games, 3D modellers and graphics tools, Windows C programming primer, graphics, COM, DirectX and DirectDraw fundamentals, DirectDraw surfaces, double buffering, working with bitmaps, colour-keying, vector rasterisation, 2D transformations and clipping, input and DirectInput, sound effects with DirectSound and DirectMusic, binary search trees (BSTs) for 3D worlds, multi-threading, artificial intelligence for games, physics modelling, gravity, bouncinge ffects and particle systems and Direct3D and 3D programming (on CD-ROM).

Product Description

Tricks of the 3D Game Programming Gurus takes game programmers to the next level of programming, teaching them the latest techniques and tools: DirectX, 3D acceleration, Artificial Intelligence and explains, in detail, 3D algorithms including texture mapping and lighting.



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Customer Reviews

24 Reviews
5 star:
 (18)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Consider carefully before purchase, 17 Sep 2001
By A Customer
As usual, LaMothe's writing style is informative and entertaining. Unfortunately this volume fails to strike the mark.

Starting with a meaningless history of computer games, Tricks takes the reader on a slapdash journey through basic Windows development and bitmap theory before settling into DirectDraw and related 2D techniques.

Sadly, Tricks never rises above this standard. Aside from a 3D math primer in Appendix B you will never be introduced to Direct3D, nor shall you meet display modes above 256 colours. The graphics coverage in this book is strictly back-to-basics. If you've downloaded the DirectX8 SDK then you're in for a surprise. DirectDraw doesn't exist any more! That's right, the first 8 chapters of Tricks have zero relevance to the modern learning developer.

Fortunately coverage of DirectInput, DirectSound and DirectMusic are still largely worthwhile, and you can transfer this knowledge to a brave new API without too much hair-pulling.

What may save this book from budget oblivion are the chapters on physics and AI. While there's nothing here you didn't learn in high-school or can't find on the web, these chapters provide a solid primer to the uninitiated. Better still, the information is all in one place so you won't be forced to piece it together yourself.

Overall, Tricks might prove invaluable for a rank newbie with some C knowledge who is itching for a little creative work, or for math-illiterates like myself who would like a gentle introduction to physics.

If you are into this sort of thing, then check it out. But think carefully, shop around, and keep your credit card safe until you decide this book is good for you.

For me, Tricks scores 3 palletized pixels.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Great for the experienced C programmer beginning DirectX, 29 Dec 2000
By A Customer
The book begins by very neatly explaining the fundamentals of creating a Windows program (useful for the absolute Windows beginners). Then the fun part begins: learning how to activate DirectX and use it to create fast animations, sound, and to read input from the keyboard, mouse or joystick. It may seem hard at first (particularly if, like me, you've only "dabbled" in C/C++ programming) but once you've followed André LaMothe's teachings and let it sink in, you'll become experienced quickly.

Some areas you may be interested in may be a bit concise, which is unfortunate, but given the massive scale of some subjects, it's necessary, and Mr. LaMothe kindly gives you advice on what books to read when this occurs. Also, the occasional "joke" will creep in, usually based on something that no one outside of the United States would understand.

Aside from this, the book provides a solid foundation in DirectX programming and is perfect for those who know a bit of C and would like to learn how to make Windows games.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic! Carries on where normal C++ books finish!, 7 Feb 2002
Although I haven't read the whole book, only the first 3 chapters, this bloke knows his stuff! He starts off by showing you how to write Windows by hand, and explains why you have this flag | this flag. He also gives great tips on how to optimise your code, that, being a Software Engineer never thought of! The demostration game introduced is easy to follow, as long as you ignore most of the #defines, you'll get through it.

If you are interested in programming for games, I have found this a great help understanding some of the (basic) programming involved.

The book mentions 3D programming, but I don't think there was much in there. But as far as I understand, he has wrote another book continuing on from this which concentrates on the 3D and maths involved.

Hope this helps!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars book to read: Visual C++ in 12 easy lessons
this book is a great beginners guide to the world of computer game designing. However, a knowledge of programming is needed before you attempt to read this book (being good at... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Dorian Peake

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant introduction!
I'm a first year university student, and I am very interested in the genre of game programming. Being only a first year student with basic knowledge of Object Orientated... Read more
Published on 25 Dec 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, but NOT 3D!
As a programmer interested in getting into games with some rather rusty C++ experience this was perfect. Read more
Published on 17 Nov 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
I just finished reading this book and it's a great book. The chapters about DirectX teaches you some tricks and things that you would take some time to figure out yourself, and... Read more
Published on 10 Jul 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to DirectDraw
I knew plenty of C++, but little about Windows or DirectX. This book told me exactly what I needed to know to get a DirectDraw windows app up and running, and in a way that left... Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2001

1.0 out of 5 stars Do not expect to learn game programming from this book
I bought this book last year and was sorely disappointed. The majority of the book is a "how to guide" to the Win32 API and DirectX. Read more
Published on 29 Nov 2000 by kermitthefrag

1.0 out of 5 stars Very poorly written
I am sure that this book has some useful bits and pieces in it, however I found that the informal and poorly written chapters were annoying to read (way to many... Read more
Published on 26 Nov 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is good, as long as you know how to program
Don't get me wrong - this book is very good, except that it says it is for the beginner, and you do not need any previous programming experience.

Believe me, you do. Read more

Published on 2 Sep 2000 by podge@totalise.co.uk

5.0 out of 5 stars You must buy this book !
If you write computer games, want to write computer games or are thinking about writing computer games then buy this book now. Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST book on game programming, Bring on volume 2
There`s not much more i can say about this book that hasn`t already been said, its the best. Not only does it teach you about Direct X it covers all other aspects in game... Read more
Published on 6 Aug 2000

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