Microsoft Visual Basic Game Programming With Directx

This volume shows how to couple the powers of Microsoft Visual Basic and DirectX to design and program simulation games. It covers game programming code in Visual Basic while giving hints and ideas for the use of Visual Basic.NET.

The book shows the reader hands-on game programming and guides them through concepts that form the foundations of good game design.

Topics in DirectX 8 and Visual Basic.NET Development include networked games, 3D multimedia applications, enable Force Feedback joystick devices in their own applications, multimedia applications that allow for multiple user input devices, and multimedia applications that use music and sound.

This is a fun book that teaches fundamental concepts of object-oriented programming using games as example applications.

Managed DirectX was released with the latest version of the core DirectX libraries in DirectX9. It enables developers using the new .NET languages (i.e. C#, VB.NET, etc.) to develop rich multimedia applications with DirectX. Unfortunately the Managed DirectX runtime was released without adequate documentation, and developers are having a hard time figuring out the best way to write managed applications. This book covers how to use the Managed DirectX objects, how they differ from the core DirectX libraries, and how to create these rich multimedia applications in C#. It also covers in depth graphics techniques and the new high-level shader language shipping with DirectX9.

The first part of this book covers playing-field design, creating and moving objects using the Windows BitBlt API, detecting collisions, and adding sound, with example code given with each topic. Part 2 covers in-depth everything that game developers should know to create addicting action games. Part 3 contains several game projects.

There are many programming hobbyists who write 2D games but there are far fewer that grasp the concepts of 3D programming. This book will provide a practical, example driven approach to learning the unique art of 3D Game Development that even the beginner can grasp.