Synopses & Reviews
Are you ready to take your game development skills to the cutting edge? Advanced Visual Effects with Direct3D takes you on an incredible journey through the world of advanced game development. Learn the hottest topics and newest techniques to make your games a step above the rest. Using the Direct3D programming language, Advanced Visual Effects with Direct3D combines production-quality and fully optimized code with simple language so that you can quickly and easily expand your game development knowledge without being bogged down in confusing jargon or game development basics. This book covers the high-level skills that you are required to know in the competitive game development industry. You will learn everything from how to implement HLSL shaders into an engine to how to write an advanced particle system, how to use volumetric shadowing, and how to develop advanced vertex skinned animations-and everything in between! A sample application at the end of this book shows you the incredible results that come from combining these advanced level game development skills and techniques. Are you ready to be unstoppable?
Synopsis
"Advanced Visual Effects with Direct3D" offers coverage of the latest need-to-know topics in the game industry. It covers advanced topics that have not been covered in other books on the market that have focused on introductory material necessary to educate the reader about Direct3D. If you're already experienced with Direct3D and have conquered the basics, this advanced level book offers the coverage you're searching for. By not concentrating on introductory coverage, far more space is available to provide rich coverage of advanced topics not adequately covered in current books on the market.
About the Author
Peter has five years experience working in the games industry as a software engineer. Previous titles include F1 Career Challenge, Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun, Disney?s Action Figure Face Off, and an upcoming Microsoft title. The author has several books and derivations on the market, The Zen of Direct 3D Game Programming, Advanced 3D Game Programming with DirectX 8.0, Advanced 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9.0, Advanced 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9.0 Chinese Edition, and The Zen of Direct 3D Game Programming IRK.
Peter has worked with many publishers on technical authoring projects in the past including Prima Press, Course Technology, and Wordware.
Table of Contents
1. The New World 2. The Programmable Pipeline 3. Pimp My Engine 4. Particle Systems Part 1 [md] Coding and Optimization Techniques 5. Particle Systems Part 2 [md] Implementation 6. Alias Maya API Model Exporters 7. Applies HLSL [md] Water 8. Introduction to Vertex Skinned Animation 9. Advanced Animation Techniques 10. Implementing Scripting 11. Volumetric Shadowing with Stencil Buffers 12. Environment Generation 13. Advanced Spline and Route Systems 14. Xbox 360 Controllers on the PC and Video Playback 15. Putting it All Together