Synopses & Reviews
Learn how to use programmable shaders in the DirectX 9 graphics pipeline—and deliver awesome 3-D graphics to your animations, games, and other multimedia applications. This book distills hundreds of hours of hands-on guidance from the developers on the Microsoft DirectX team—as well as insights from leading-edge video card manufacturers—into step-by-step instruction and best practices for exploiting the programmable pipeline. You’ll see how to program shaders in assembly-language as well as the new high-level shader language (HLSL)—and you get complete code walk throughs for all the sample programs and the DirectX 9 SDK on CD.
Discover how to:
- Program vertex shaders to create transformations, apply vertex fog, or deform geometry
- Generate 2-D image effects?such as output color inversion—with pixel shaders
- Use HLSL to add a semi-transparent glow effect by combining a vertex shader and frame buffer blending
- Produce a metallic paint effect by combining a vertex shader, a pixel shader, and a texture shader with multilayer texture blending
- Incorporate reflective surfaces into your 3-D scenes by applying an environment-map effect
- Experiment with the EffectEdit SDK sample to load and edit effect files and preview results on the fly
- Package multiple object-rendering techniques into a single effect for simpler pipeline state management
CD inside
Get code for all the sample programs plus SDKAbout Programmable Shaders. With programmable shaders, you get unprecedented control over rendering options in DirectX 9. You can use vertex shaders to deform geometry, apply procedural textures with pixel and texture shaders, and use effects to encapsulate shader and pipeline state—making code reuse a snap.
CD features: Sample programs that demonstrate:
- Vertex shader transformations, lighting, fog, vertex displacement, and vertex blending
- Pixel shader texturing, 2-D image processing, and lighting
- Texture shader generation of procedural textures
- Encapsulating assembly-language and HLSL shaders into an effect
- Interactive development of an effect using EffectEdit
- DirectX 9 SDK
- Fully searchable eBook
For customers who purchase an ebook version of this title, instructions for downloading the CD files can be found in the ebook.
Synopsis
Description: 25-Word Description Learn how to write high-performance graphics applications using DirectX 9-- the next generation of 3D graphics software from Microsoft--with information straight from the Microsoft DirectX development team. Get detailed technical guidance plus code samples and applications. 75-Word Description The Microsoft DirectX 3D graphics pipeline has undergone a major architectural shift with version 9, making it fully programmable--and this book lets you get in on the action! Discover how you can boost multimedia performance for all types of applications, including animation, texturing, modeling, and rendering, with this next generation of 3D graphics software. Providing a step-by-step tour through the graphics pipeline and its 3D utilities, the book covers fundamental features such as vertex shaders, pixel shaders, effect files, new 3D utilities, including mesh utilities, and DirectX 9 extensions. It also includes coded examples showing you how to use or mix and match blocks within the pipeline for unique graphics needs. Packed with how-to information and documentation straight from the Microsoft DirectX development team, this essential guide delivers everything you need for faster, leaner development--and more powerful results. Positioning Statement: The graphics programmer's essential guide to DirectX 9, straight from the Microsoft DirectX team
About the Author
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq ‘MSFT’) is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software—any time, any place and on any device.