Microsoft XNA Unleashed provides comprehensive coverage and solid instruction on how to leverage the XNA Framework to create high quality games for Windows and the Xbox 360. The author shows you how to take full advantage of the many features the XNA Framework provides; you will learn the intricacies of important tasks such as adding sound and music to games, as well as creating, loading, and texturing 3D objects. In addition to providing coverage of 2D programming, the author shows you how to create sophisticated 3D games. All the important topics such as physics, artificial intelligence, and special effects are covered in detail. Chad Carter is the CTO at Robertson Marketing Group. Many Fortune 500 companies use the ecommerce system he architected and developed from the ground up for the promotional business sector. He has been creating DirectX applications since 1996 and has developed games using Managed DirectX. Chad created a 3D locomotive simulator for Norfolk Southern that is used to teach children to obey railroad crossings signals. Chad's website devoted to the XNA Framework can be found at www.xnaessentials.com.

Learn how to install and use XNA Game Studio Express

Discover how to build, deploy, and debug games for the Xbox 360 and Windows

Examine the XNA Framework in depth: 2D, 3D, sound, input, and HLSL

Learn how to create game components and game services

Delve into performance tuning techniques

Discover how to extend the Content Pipeline

Learn how to use the Microsoft Cross-Platform Audio Creation Tool (XACT) to add sound and music to games

Create a full 2D parallax side-scroller game

Discover how to use sprite batches

Learn to make the most of sprite fonts

Create 2D components such as splash screens and progress bars

Examine the different sprite batch blending modes

Discover 2D cel animation

Examine the High Level Shader Language (HLSL) in detail covering basic HLSL as well as vertex deformations and post-processing effects

Create a full 3D game that includes a 2D radar in the Heads Up Display (HUD), and much, much more

CD-ROM includes

• All C# examples and source code presented in this book.

• Explosion Generator tool for generating explosion animations.

Introduction

Part I      Get Up and Running with XNA on Your PC and Xbox 360

1              Introducing XNA and XNA Game Studio Express

2              XNA and the Xbox 360

3              Performance Considerations

Part II     Understanding XNA Basics

4              Creating 3D Objects

5              Input Devices and Cameras

Part III    Content Pipeline

6              Loading and Texturing 3D Objects

7              Sound and Music

8              Extending the Content Pipeline

Part IV   2D in XNA

9              2D Basics

10           2D Effects

11           Creating a 2D Game

Part V    High Level Shader Language

12           HLSL Basics

13           Advanced HLSL

Part VI   Physics and Artificial Intelligence

14           Physics Basics

15           Finite State Machines and Game State Management

16           AI Algorithms

Part VII  3D Effects

17           Advanced Texturing Techniques

18           Special Effects

19           Particle System

Part VIII Putting It Into Practice

20           Creating a 3D Game

21           Improving the Game

22           Finishing Touches

Index

About the Author