DirectX 8 and Visual Basic Development [Paperback]

Keith Sink (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 6, 2001

DirectX 8 and Visual Basic Development fills an unmet need in the marketplace as the first book to explain how to use Visual Basic .NET and DirectX 8 to create sophisticated multi-media applications. Topics 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. Real world examples explain how to use these tools effectively, professionally, and quickly.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

DirectX 8 and Visual Basic Developmentfills an unmet need in the marketplace as the first book to explain how to use VB.NET and DirectX 8 to create sophisticated multi- media applications. Topics 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. Real world examples explain how to use these tools effectively, professionally, and quickly.

About the Author

Keith Sink is a Senior Technical Engineer for Capital Stream, a financial software company in Seattle, WA, where he has been involved in the design, development, and architecture of a number of successful applications. Keith has been a professional software developer for six years and an MCP since 1994, has taught numerous VB training courses, and has beta-tested Microsoft's DirectX since version 2.0. Keith has been animating and writing video games since the TRS-80 programming days in the early 1980s, and enjoys restoring classic video games. While working with Microsoft, Keith contributed to Office 97 Help content as well as content for the Word and PowerPoint Answer Wizards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Sams (December 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672322250
• ISBN-13: 978-0672322259
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,744,633 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Graphics & Multimedia > DirectX

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Rehash of SDK Documentation, December 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: DirectX 8 and Visual Basic Development (Paperback)

I am disappointed in this book because it is little more than a warmed-over version of the VBSDK for DirectX 8. Here are some specific weaknesses:

1. Much of the sample code is taken directly from the SDK samples with little value-added information.
2. No CD with the book
3. Key concepts are not extended beyond the SDK examples. This is particularly notable for the Direct3D section concerning lights, matrices, and vertices.
4. Many advanced topics are dealt with in an extremely light-weight manner. We are told that matrices are hard to understand and that classes are cool because they make programming easier.
5. Too many lightweight topics are covered. For example, we are told the value of having good error handling and knowing how to debug.

I think the book essentially suffers from lack of focus. Authors take note! Write a disclaimer at the beginning saying you must be a VB master to continue and then give us the hard stuff! Books are too short to cover everything, you must pick your audience carefully. There is no way this book can be for developers that do not understand error handling while simultaneously trying to teach advanced multimedia programming.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't Buy This Book, January 12, 2002

By 

Bob Howard (Flint, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DirectX 8 and Visual Basic Development (Paperback)

I just finished this book and not sure if I learned anything that wasn't already in the SDK documentation. I understand that writing a book would be hard, but it seems that they almost copied the information. There is another VB book that deals with DirectX by Crooks [...] that is very good as it helps you to build a complete game including all the 3D models, sound effects and other misc. items. You should buy that book instead -- Just MHO!!!![....]

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars BEWARE! This is NOT VB.NET!!! It is Visual Basic 6!!, December 17, 2001

By 

Thomas Testa "crelus318" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DirectX 8 and Visual Basic Development (Paperback)

I just want to warn anyone intersted in this book that this is a book about visual basic 6 and not VB.NET. It seems like the site has now been updated but my invoice, order confirmation, and cached pages all display it as VB.NET. Now that I have it in my hand I can see that this is not the case. There is a section at the back of the book that talks about VB.NET a little bit but all the code in the book is VB6. Don't get burned.