Sams Teach Yourself Game Programming with DirectX in 21 Days [With CDROM]

by Clayton Walnum

Learn everything you need to program 2D games with DirectX 8.1 This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0672324199
• ISBN13: 9780672324192
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Sams
• Length: 720 Pages
• Weight: 2.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 7.4" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Hobbyists should enjoy

This book shows the reader how to create a simple 2D RPG engine. Though it is written in DirectX, the code is easily portable. I actually wrote my own version in SDL with relative ease. Though DirectX is in the title, the book isn't really about DX, it's more about developing 2D RPGs, similar to the classic game Ultima. While there is some technical stuff relating to DX, it's fairly simple and by no means exhaustive. The majority of the book is about building the RPG engine, not DX. I had a great deal of fun building the engine as I progressed through the book, and I'm not even that big on RPGs. My only caution is this: The book is a good book, but it's not for everyone. Someone looking to code the next Quake should wake up and smell the coffee--there's no book out there that can teach you how to become a professional game programmer. Hobbyists should love it, I know I did.

Good, Very Good, and Extremely Good.

This book is good for a beginner-intermediate programmer. Don't get it unless you have a solid understanding of C++, Visual C++, and basic Windows programming. The author uses pretty good humour to keep you amused enough to read more. I enjoy reading it. A programmer that is 11 years old that is not the fat soul who climbs in through the chimney on Christmas Eve, but has a good understanding of C++.

Definitely for DirectX newbies.

*** First of all Matt Weisbard, I'm afraid that the correct spelling is "grammar", NOT "grammer". ***I agree with Matt Weisbard, the book doesn't dive into advanced topics. This book is suitable for beginners and intermediates.Included an RPG game on CD-ROM.

Great for beginners

This book introduces DirectX 8 to beginners in a easy and clear way. I bought this book a year ago without any knowledge of DirectX and had a lot of funs with it. The whole book focuses on DirectX 2D programming and the way the author explains it is very clear. DirectX is not easy but this book definitely will give you the good start.

Useful, although misleading and slightly annoying at times

The author definitely sets out what he intends to accomplish, although it may not be what the reader was expecting. Everything in this book is essentially geared toward 2D game development, and covers what used to be called the DirectDraw API. The book is poorly titled, although I'd be more likely to blame the publisher than Walnum himself for that.The tone of the book is very down-to-earth, and it reads fairly easily. It even borders on being patronizing, and the humor reminds me of how I act when there's a girl around that I really, really like--one just gets the feeling that he's trying too hard.All in all, Teach Yourself Game Programming with DirectX is an excellent introduction to the basic features of the former DirectDraw, but anyone wanting to make a remotely modern-looking game will want to look elsewhere, or at least pick up a companion to this book.