No comments about The Sims 3: Prima Official Game Guide.

5 comments about Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9 (Wordware Game and Graphics Library).

1. I started DirectX programming recently. This book brings you upto speed very fast. It is well organized, written well, and is kept very simple. It's objective is to teach concepts and how to program specific concepts is C++. The examples and straightforward and illustrate whats in the text very well.
   
   Like all other reviewers, I should agree that the title of this book is misleading. There is very little, if any "Game development". The book is all about the basics of 3D drawing using drect X
   
   If you want to start programming DirectX over the weekend with some nice 3D graphics including textures, lights and terrains and even fireworks, this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.



2. I guess this book delivers what it promises, more or less. It effectively introduces you to directx. It devotes 20 or so pages to each of 20 or so topics (the dimensions of the book are real small though, so the page counts are somewhat misleading). By the end of the book you'll understand what directx is and what directx can do, but what I found is that there just isn't enough "meat" there to learn any part of directx well enough to do anything useful with this knowledge.



3. This review covers the first 13 chapters. It is a book that you will definitely learn from; however, beware that it is not written for users of C#. C# samples can be downloaded from the book's web site and I talk extensively about that in this review. This review is more a How-To than anything else - it documents my experience with the book and using the sample code from the book's web site. I am new to 3D game programming so I started out with giving myself a crash course in Linear Algebra (for this I studied the book, "3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development").
   
   In Part 1 the author could do a better job of explaining how a vector cross product is calculated. He refers to "formula (4)" which is a formula in final form (i.e. it does not show the steps). Furthermore, "formula (4)" comes seven pages after the first three formulas, so when you come to "(4)" (on page 13) you may have already forgotten about (1), (2) and (3) (which are on page 6) -- it is awkward. It should be highlighted and labeled as "FORMULA 4:" or something like that.
   
   In Part II, Chapter 1 (Direct3D Initialization), section 1.4.1 describes initializing a pointer to an IDirect3D9 interface as...
   IDirect3D9* _d3d9;
   however, in section 1.4.2 the code for checking the capabilities of the primary display adapter shows this code...
   d3d9->GetDeviceCaps...
   The underscore character is missing from the IDirect3D9 object. It should read...
   _d3d9->GetDeviceCaps
   
   The source code can be downloaded from http://www.moon-labs.com/ml_book_samples.htm. C# versions of the sample programs are available. The download instructions include a username/password but I was able to download the files without having to provide them. Should you be prompted for a username/password the author's instructions state, "The user name is exactly the second word on page 212 in the first paragraph of Chapter 13. The password is exactly the fourth word on page 213 in the first paragraph of section 13.1." Let's cut to the chase, its "terrain/heightmap" (without the quotation marks or forward slash).
   
   The code in the book is meant to be used in a C++ development environment. I use C# 2005 Express Edition therefore there wasn't anything I could do with the code in the book. When you open a sample code project (one from the C# versions available at the web site) in the C# 2005 Express Edition, a "Visual Studio Conversion Wizard" will prompt you to convert the project to the current edition's format. Just go ahead and click on "Finish." As I mentioned in a previous paragraph, there is a C# version of the sample programs provided on the web site.
   
   Beginning with Chapter 3's sample and in all of the samples I could not understand why the 'Window' parameter would not work the way I understood it to work. In Form1.cs, when a d3d object is instantiated with a 'true' instead of 'false' for the Window parameter (the 3rd parameter), nothing worked. This works...
   d3d = new D3DInit.D3DInit(800, 600, false, DeviceType.Hardware, ref device);
   but this does not...
   d3d = new D3DInit.D3DInit(800, 600, true, DeviceType.Hardware, ref device);
   
   I had trouble with the sample for Chapter 6 (Texturing). The problem was due to the sample program's inability to find the texture image. To fix it, all I had to do was change the source code to reflect the FULL path to the image file. I'll clarify... this is the original line 136 in D3DInit.cs...
   
   tex = Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.TextureLoader.FromFile(device, "dx5_logo.bmp");
   
   I modified it to...
   
   tex = Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.TextureLoader.FromFile(device, "D:\\david.emmith\\Books\\Intro to 3D Game Programming\\Part II CS\\Chapter6\\dx5_logo.bmp");
   (Note: Remember to escape backslashes in path names by making double-backslashes, otherwise you'll get an error.)
   
   The same problem occurred again in Chapter 7's sample.
   
   In Chapter 11's sample you may find a similar problem to the ones I described above for Chapter's 6 and 7. In Chapter 11 there is a line in D3DInit.cs (line #55) that reads...
   
   private string shipFilename = "bigship1.x";
   
   You may need to modify it to reflect the full path name.
   
   If you are writing your own app and using the .NET samples as a guide you may run into a few problems when you build the solution. You may see a "... has more than one entry point defined" error. This will happen if you have the following code in your Form1.cs file...
   
   [STAThread]
   static void Main()
   {
   Application.Run(new Form1());
   }
   
   There is no need to have those lines in your Form1.cs (or whatever filename you are using in place of Form1.cs). A Program.cs file should have automatically been created in your project (click on the 'Show All Files' icon in Solution Explorer). You can do one of two things to rectify this problem:
   (1) Comment out or delete the code shown above in your Form1.cs (or its equivalent) file.
   *** OR ***
   (2) Exclude Program.cs from your project (right click the Program.cs icon and select 'Exclude From Project').
   
   There is a similar situation in the D3DInit.cs file. There is no need to include the Dispose() method - it will already be in the D3DInit.Designer.cs file (this file, like Program.cs, is automatically created by the Visual C# IDE).
   
   Another problem you may encounter if you are trying to use the Esc key to terminate your DirectX app is the Esc key not working. To solve this problem open your Form1.Designer.cs file and add the following line at the end of the InitializeComponent() method...
   this.KeyUp += new System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventHandler(this.Form1_KeyUp);
   Then make sure you have this method in your Form1.cs file...
   
   private void Form1_KeyUp(object sender, System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs e)
   {
   d3d.CloseD3DInit();
   Close();
   }
   
   And of course your D3DInit.cs file should have the CloseD3DInit() method defined. If not it should look like this...
   
   public void CloseD3DInit()
   {
   displayThread.Abort();
   Close();
   }
   
   In Chapter 11, as I mentioned earlier, there is a reference to a file named bigship1.x which is provided in the sample project. This is a mesh file which is nothing more than a geometric description of an object - in this case, a spaceship. If you're like me and you want to workout your own example you would like to create your own mesh file and test it in your own application. To create a mesh of your own design you will need the aid of a program. DirectX uses the .x file format for its mesh files. Some of the more popular 3D design programs do not readily provide a method for turning their meshes into the .x format. I will describe as briefly as possible the steps I took to create a simple mesh, convert it to a .x file and use it in my own program. There is probably a better way but this is the way I did it.
   
   (1) Find a FREE 3D design program. I downloaded and installed two programs:
   
   (a) Maya 7.0 Personal Learning Edition
   
   (a.1) Can be found at the Autodesk web site.
   
   (b) Autodesk 3DS Max 9 (30-day trial)
   
   (b.1) Can be found at the Autodesk web site.
   I was more interested in 3DS Max because I have my eyes on some aircraft models I want to use and they were created in the .max file format. So this is the program I used to create a very simple model.
   
   (2) Create a model. I created a sphere with a green texture in 3DS Max. I won't go into the details of how I did that because it is not that difficult to figure out on your own. You may want to create something a little more 'elaborate' than a green sphere. Have at it.
   
   (3) Convert the model into an x-file. This sounds simple enough but try doing it on the cheap, i.e. $0.00.
   
   (a) If you want to pay for a conversion utility up front then check out two products from Okino Computer Graphics:
   
   (a.1) NuGraf
   
   (a.2) Polytrans (a simpler version of NuGraf)
   It should be noted that Robert Lansdale (lansd[at]okino.com) offered to do a one-time conversion for me. I emailed him my .max file and he sent me back a .x file. I had already done the conversion by the time he sent the file back but I certainly appreciated his kind gesture.
   
   (b) If your cheap like me you want to do this for free because afterall, you're just trying to learn how all this works. I contacted a 3D guru by the name of Chad Vernon. Chad was very helpful in pointing out a couple of free conversion tools:
   
   (b.1) kiloWatt X file Exporter
   
   (b.2) Pandasoft's Panda Xporter Tool
   
   (c) I used Panda Xporter. After you unzip the .zip file you have a file named PandaDirectXMaxExporter.dle. This is a 'plugin'. So what you need to do next is to make this file known to 3DS Max and the way you do that is place the file in 3DS Max's plugin folder. On my machine this folder is located at D:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 9\plugins. Now you are ready to convert your model to the .x file format.
   
   (d) Launch 3DS Max (close the Welcome Screen if it appears) and open your model file (File | Open Recent). The first time I did this with the Panda Xporter in place 3DS Max crashed. I removed the Xporter from the plugin folder and re-launched 3DS Max. It crashed again. I eventually got it to work and put the Xporter back in the plugin folder. 3DS Max did not crash after that. This remains a mystery. The problem appeared to have fixed itself.
   
   (e) Select File | Export. Click on the down arrow for 'Save as type' and choose Panda DirectX (*.X). Click in the 'File name' textbox and enter a file name without a file extension. Note where the file is being saved to. You will need to know the full path to your .x file when you create your own 3D app. Click on 'Save'.
   
   (f) In the 'PandaSoft DirectX Exporter' dialog, '3DS Max Objects' tab, uncheck 'Include Animation' if your object is not animated. In the 'XFile Settings' tab, the 'DX File Type' of either 'Text' or 'Binary' worked for me. I believe the default is text. Click 'OK'.
   
   (4) Create your own 3D app. Again, I am using Visual C# 2005 Express Edition. Use the C# samples provided at the book's web site to guide you. Remember, as I have pointed above, that there are some differences that come into play between the samples and what you create in a Visual Studio 2005 environment. Read through my earlier comments.
   
   I hope this helps. Now on to the review.
   
   In Chapter 12's sample, line #138 of D3DInit.cs needs the full path to dx5_logo.bmp. I described this same problem in earlier chapter reviews.
   
   In Chapter 13's sample, line #601 of D3DInit.cs refers to a temp.raw file. This file, as far as I can tell, is not included in the managed (.NET) sample files. So I came up with my own work around which I describe below...
   
   (1) Download Terragen which is a free terrain generation tool. Look for the link labeled, "Install Terragen v0.9.43 (1.6Mb)" in the download page. Now install Terragen.
   
   The following steps are for once you have launched Terragen.
   
   (2) Click on the 'Landscape' icon in Terragen and then click on the 'Generate Terrain' button.
   
   (3) Click on the 'Export' button.
   
   (4) In the 'Terrain Export' dialog click on the 'Export Method' dropdown listbox and choose 'Raw 8 bits'.
   
   (5) Click on the 'Select File and Save' button and choose the name for your .raw file and its location.
   
   Now that you have your own raw file you can insert the file's full pathname into the Chapter 13 sample.
   
   If you have found or already have Terragen .ter files you can convert them to .raw files with a little free utility named 'Terrify'.
   
   The book's web site has some additional information pertaining to Chapter 13. You can go to the Resources page and scroll down to 'Basic Terrain Rendering Part II'. The 'Download Code' link will give you a file named 'TexBlendTerrain.zip' which, according to my WinZip utility, is not a recognized Zip file. The links in 'Remark 2' do not work (they take you to some useless page).
   
   This is the extent of my review. This is a very good book but I wish it were geared towards .NET developers.



4. This is the best intro to Direct3d book I have. For the game programming aspect, it sucks, but there are so many books that tell you how to make a certain type of game (Premier Press come to mind).
   
   The first section is purely math! This surprised me since it's the only Direct3d book I have found that covered that much math.
   
   The reasons why I gave it 4 out of 5: could be better. It needs more complete sample code. I mean, there's sample code on his web page, but the sample code starts at chapter 9! However, the (incomplete) code before chapter 9 is pretty easy to follow. Whenever he omits a piece of information, it's minor details like
   
   int stuff[10] = { ... }; // fill stuff in with stuff
   
   The book provides a very detailed explanation on how Direct3d works. Sure, there are times where he puts "see the MSDN for this struct", but that's usually when there's not much explaining he could do that's not in the MSDN already. I like that it feels like the author took a good deal of time to figure out how to explain every topic. The information is incredibly clear.
   
   If you are like me and look at a bunch of DirectX books and just have no idea what the author(s) is talking about, you should try this book, especially if you have a good math background. And if this dude releases a book on DirectX 10, I'll definitely get it. If you know DirectX and are looking for a book on game programming, look for another book.



5. Recently i decided to get a little into Direct3D Programming. I had absolutely no background on 3D Programming, because i am developing Business Software on a daily basis. I reviewed a few other Books on the Thematic but stayed with this one - and it was a good decision, basically because of:
   
   *) It explains the Mathematics necessary for understanding the inner workings in a simple and easy understandable way. The last time i did Vector and Matrix Algebra was over ten years ago in school and i had no problems following.
   
   *) It explains the necessary Terms (like Vertices, Transformations) very detailed and also understandable.
   
   *) It does not use a Framework throughout the Book like others do. You are doing all the Stuff by yourself (ok, there is a little framework: The one which initializes a Win32 Window DirectX draws into...)
   
   *) It's not written in a Kiddy Beginner Style. You have to know the Language and how to use your Tools to follow.
   
   If you have a good understanding of C++ and want to join the Microsoft side of doing 3D Graphics this Book is for you.

5 comments about Banjo - Kazooie (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. The guide is in depth and informative.It has a good map sestem and is a big help if you are ever stuck.I was stuck serveral times were this book helped.I suggest you try the game without the book but you will probably need it.The game is somewhat simple but the puzzles are hard.All in all a very good book.



2. This is the worst strategy guide I have ever bought. What a totally waste of money. I should have bought a Redwall book instead.



3. Really liked the way this book was set-up. Has all of the info. you need to get through the game. Also, has info that you need to just "do it yourself".



4. The description at the beggining is very informative, but that's where everything goes down. They randomly place the location of Notes, Jiggys and Jinjos below pictures describing where is it. But they put it unorganized.

   Next time, i'll test-read a guide before i buy it.




5. This guide provides a lot of help if you are stuck on one of the confusing worlds or if you need to find Jiggys and Jinjos. The one problem: it doesn't really provide where the note location are or in detail where the jiggys are at. It just shows you a very small picture and a brief description. Overall, great guide. This is a must buy.

2 comments about The State of Play: Law, Games, and Virtual Worlds (Ex Machina: Law, Technology, and Society).

1. Great book, interesting essays about where our digital lives are going.



2. When Judge Richard Posner first called himself and other legal academics "intellectual entrepreneurs," he was at least half-kidding (in a Chicago kind of way). But in recent years the "market" for legal scholarship has become among the most cutthroat in the world. Professors seem desperate to be the first to homestead new territory in any emerging market.
   
   The work of economists like Edward Castronova has demonstrated that virtual worlds constitute a new frontier, ripe for cutting edge scholarship. The authors in this book are staking their claim to its legal issues. But just being the first to a topic does not mean you have anything interesting to say about it. Castronova's work is interesting, but you don't need this book to understand it. The remaining essays in this book reminded me of cyber-squatted domain names. "What will happen?" they all seem to ask, but they don't offer many answers or even interesting speculations.
   
   The real problem here is that law exists to dealing with real-world consequences, while virtual worlds exist to eliminate them. Law may eventually get some traction in virtual reality, but it hasn't happened yet. If you want to be there when it does, don't read a law book - get yourself into a MMPORG. Just don't plan on keeping your job or your marriage.

1 comments about Black (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. I bought this guide hoping,as if falesly claims, to give the complete stats for the weapons in the game.
   
   Well,if complete stats for weapons means, "this gun is heavy",then I suppose its true. Forget about rating the damage or the rate of fire for each gun - these things are NOT listed! But it will tell you what kind of sight the gun utilizes. Worthless.
   
   The walkthrough and maps are good. Just don't get your hopes up to find out about the "Stars of the Game", the guns.
   
   Im so disappointed....

3 comments about Cheating: Gaining Advantage in Videogames.

1. In this book, Mia Consalvo thoroughly exposes the various layers of cheating in relation to video game playing. She also elegantly develops the notion of how players develop gaming capital through their experience and expertise in playing games. This combined with her concluding thoughts on ethics got me thinking about video games in new ways.



2. If you're looking for an academic discussion of gameplay and player behavior and attitudes, this is the book for you. It covers topics like the magic circle of gameplay, types of cheating, and what players consider acceptable or unacceptable cheating. It's well researched and unusually interesting to read for an academic study.
   
   If you're a gamer interested in a journalistic look into the world of modders, botters, and gold sellers, you won't find it here. People who sell in-game currency for real money or hack into video game code aren't discussed. The book focuses on normal players, some of whom cheat at video games. If you have a level 70 Hunter or are playing Halo 3 on heroic, you probably won't learn anything new because this book is really about you.



3. This discussion of cheating in video games was surprisingly dry. Not very much in the way of interesting stories. If you've played a few video games, and thought a little about the nature of cheating in those games, you won't find much insight here. There is a little insight into how cheating makes people feel in the games, but not enough for a whole book. The book attempts to build on an extended theory of why people cheat, but the theory mostly bookends the chapters on types of cheating, and doesn't provide much insight.

2 comments about World in Conflict: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. I am age old gamer. I love these type of games that are similar to the C&C games. A totally great feel and the AI will kick your butt if you not sharp. This is all about Kill. Not farming for resources. Kill, Kill and get resources. That the game. I love the view zoom. Down to my shoes almost totally free moving around the field of view. It a Winner to any gamer collection.



2. This is a well-written guide for new players. It focuses on the single player campaign, but much of what you learn can be used in multi-player. I would purchase it again.

1 comments about Resident Evil?: Outbreak 2 Official Strategy Guide.

1. This is a good item for die-hard Resident Evil fans. It offers in-depth strategies, character/enemy profiles, and weapon/item assessments that are valuable to beginners. I am very pleased with this purchase.

5 comments about Prince of Persia(R): Warrior Within Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. I have been using Prima strategy guides for years now. They are quite frankly simply the best. They are easy to read and follow. I like to use them only if I get in a jam and have no idea how to get around it! POP: Warrior Within is a fun excellent game, and I would reccomend it to anybody.



2. This book has gotten me through some confusing situations in the game. My feeling of accomplishment doesn't come from figuring out how to do something - it comes from actually being able to do it! One of the frustrations I have is that the guide is written so that it's not specific to a system, so you have to know the generic names of the control buttons. This is not a criticism of the product, just a fact when a game can be played on different delivery systems. I would like some of the pictures to be larger and clearer - I need the visual aids to help me along. Overall, without this book, I would have been stuck early in the game and stopped playing.



3. Though I purchased this strategy guide, I haven't yet utilized it. My process for purchasing any game or guide is subscribing to game magazines and reading the reviews for the game. Also, if I can get a demo for the game this helps a great deal in getting a feel for it--(control scheme). Purchasing a guide is helpful only if I get stuck in the game. Its more economical than calling a help/support/cheat number. I do hope this is a valid review and is useful to whomever reads it.



4. this is a great tutorial for those seeking extra help in this game riddled with puzzles. it requires careful reading here and there though it is overall a great help.



5. Item was recieved in a timely fashion. The book is very detailed and has helped me get through some of the tougher mazes, and traps. Easy to read and follow.

2 comments about Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. This guide won't be that helpful for PC users, since it is based on X360.
   The game is actually very hard.



2. i have heard people bought this strategy guide for the PC version. This is a 360 version. that cleared, the info in the guide help you plan your movements and has great specs on the weapons. many dont like it because it dos not tell you how to beat the game. to that i say. than what the fun of beating the game!