Anyone suggest a good book on DirectX 9 programing with C#

Question

Hello I have been looking for a good book on DirectX 9.0 programming with C#. However all the available books have got rather poor reviews on Amazon.com. Can anyone suggest any decent books on the subject or readable tutorials sites (The SDK samples are not very readable.) I am inclined to wait until a good book is written on the subject. Thanks for any suggestions Julias

Julian.Winter · Answer

Sorted out my previous compilation problems. You need to install the DirectX9/0 SDK Update (Summer 2003) - provided on the books CD. In order to get the latest API and succesfully run the samples Great book

ssswamii · Answer

I also bought Managed DirectX 9 Kick Start: Graphics and Game Programming by Tom Miller last week. Overall I'd say it's a good read. The beginning is introductory to DirectX and has lots of examples and explanations doing the simple ins and outs of graphics display: rendering first a simple triangle then boxes then spinning boxes and so on until finally writing a complete basic 3d game using C# and managed DirectX. The book focuses almost entirely on Direct3D and only briefly cover the other areas of DirectX toward the end of the book. While advanced unmanaged DirectX developers may find this a put off as a newbie to DirectX I find it better to cover Direct3D more extensively as it is certainly the most vital part of the DirectX API for 3d applications. My only complaint would be that some of the explanations were rather dry and sometimes ambiguous...then again maybe I'm just so accustomed to the wonderful O'Reilly books everything else falls short. If you're interested in game programming for the .Net framework I do recommend this book for beginner DirectX programmers and even more advanced DirectX programmers looking for a head start on the managed DirectX SDK.

Julian.Winter · Answer

I have bought Managed DirectX9 by Tom Miller It a nice readable introduction to DirectX3D. All code in C# using the managed interfaces. It makes programming DirectX look easy. The book is written by the Microsoft developer of the Managed DirectX api - so it should be accurate and informed. or so I thought its a bit dissapointing to find hta some of the samples/example code doesn't compile ! (e.g. in Chap6: Font.DrawText does not take 5 paramters - I removed the first null parameter in each for it to work. In Chapt 13 MeshContainer abd Frame are sealed classes and cannot be inherited etc. ) Ho humm maybe I have disconnections with version of DirectX 9.0 Julias

Julian.Winter · Answer

I have been guided by the Reviewers comments on Amazon.com. None of the curent C# books on DirectX books have got any decent reviews. In fact they all have very poor reviews. Microsoft Press only provides the Pipeline which is a referebnce book and not an introduction/ user guide. Its seems a shame that Managed DirectX came out nearly a year ago and yet there are no decent books to introduce new users to DirectX. I have got the the Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9.0 by Frank D. Luna but it is based upon C++ and the old style DirectX interfaces. So I have to learn the old way. I am waiting for any reviews on Managed DirectX 9 Kick Start: Graphics and Game Programming by Tom Miller - released last month. I guess I will have to get stuck into the DirectX SDK samples. Julian

richard.mccarthy · Answer

I got the Apress book Although it gave me a good starting point for 3D Engines the book is really bad. Seems like the author wrote the code then tries to explain what all the code does in one go You cant build up a project bit by bit you need to download his code sample which doesn't work with the 2003 DX update (the author acknowledges the problems) and then read the book to explain what it does If your not prepared to spend a lot of time going through the code sample and trying to work out what each bit does dont buy the book It is not in introduction to directx just an explenation of his code which isn't all that great theres not much you'll get from the book appart from an overview of rendering pipelines and where various things happen in the code bad book

sailorfoley · Answer

check out the microsoft press www.microsoft.com/mspress. they have a few books on directX and also directshow.

Marcel Johnson · Answer

You could also just buy a DirectX9 book for C++ and port all the examples to C# its a bit harder to do but i guess you learn more from it Johnny

jcity444 · Answer

Looks like APress released one called DirectX 9.0 and C# although I'm not sure how good it is. I only got to glance at it briefly in barnes & noble. Here is the Amazon link to the book .NET Game Programming with DirectX 9.0 .