Customer Reviews

Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus

5 star:		(95)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Andre Lamothe is one of the best game programming writers in terms of explaining complex matters clearly. So, this book looked like the Holy Grail of modern game programming. Well, not quite...

1) Until you get into the text itself, you don't find out that this is only volume one of a two-volume set. It is not mentioned anywhere on the book's cover, nor in any of the promotional material. If you're most interested in the 3D part (and who wouldn't be, since non-3D games are a dying breed, and good books on Direct3D Immediate Mode are practically nonexistent?), you'll have to wait until Lamothe finishes volume two. Since THIS volume shipped quite late, God only knows when you'll see THAT one. (There are some tutorials on 3D on the CD-ROM, but they're not written by Lamothe, which means that they don't have his trademark knack for explaining difficult concepts.)

2) Volume 1 is actually an extended re-write of his earlier "Windows Game Programming for Dummies." If you've read that book, you'll find that the vast majority of the topics (and the order they are presented in, such as: first general Windows programming, then GDI, then a game console framework, then COM, and finally DirectX itself) and even the "engine" source code comes directly from the "...Dummies" volume. Granted, "Tricks..." does go into a lot more detail and covers some newer features of DirectX (force-feedback, DirectMusic) that the earlier book didn't touch. Also, if you have any professional aspirations, it's a lot less embarrassing to say you picked up a technique from a book titled "Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus" instead of "Windows Game Programming for Dummies!" However, those who bought the latter volume should be aware that they're going to see a LOT of material, verbatim, for the second time.

3) Finally, there are a number of typos in the text and bugs in the sample source code. As an example of the former, look at the rotation matrix at the bottom of page 455. Owing to a bad choice of font, it has two elements missing! In terms of code bugs, look at Demo7_13 or Demo7_14. In Scan_Image_Bitmap(), the dest_ptr is being incremented by ddsd.dwWidth, when it should be by ddsd.lPitch. The fact that Lamothe has cautioned the user against making this VERY SAME MISTAKE earlier in the book adds insult to injury. (This is not unusual, by the way. I've read several of Lamothe's books, and have always found bugs in the sample source, which can be especially maddening for the student who may only know that something isn't working right, but might have no clue on how to even begin to fix it. Worse, these bugs should have been immediately apparent when the program was run, which leads me to suspect that Lamothe considers himself such a "guru" that he writes his code blind and doesn't always bother testing it before sending it out to the publisher.)

So, there you have it. Despite its faults, this book is one of the most comprehensive texts on the current iteration of DirectX (minus Direct3D), and contains other valuable information about AI, advanced algorithms and data structures, multithreading, game physics, etc. It is probably a "must buy" for anyone serious about game programming. However, until Lamothe gets around to finishing volume two, this is really nothing more than a "work in progress." Even as such, the reader had better be prepared to do some serious debugging on his or her own.

A lot of people are complaining about the lack of 3D info. This is entirely unwarranted because if you do any research at all, they say that there is 3D stuff on the cd and that LaMothe will go over it in Volume II.

I have both his original Gurus book and his Windows Dummies book. By the time I got this one I already knew a good deal of game programming, but this book was most definitely not a waste of time! All the stuff that was in Dummies is in here and explained more fully as well as for DirectX 6.0 (Dummies was some strange hybrid of 1.0 and 5.0). For those who haven't seen it in a while, or never quite got there, he also explains basic Linear Algebra in a very straight-forward manner. In addition he has chapters on physics and stae-of-the-art artificial intelligence(Fuzzy Logic and Neural Nets!). The physics chapter is very important because the next time I see a Mario clone where you float to the top of your jump, float back down to the bottom at the same speed, and can change direction in the middle, I'm going to blow chunks all over my computer!

Anyone who knows C and some C++ can pick up this book, learn Windows programming, and make a game within a month or two. Face it, as a beginning programmer, or even an advanced lone programmer, you're not going to write the next Quake. This book will make sure your game at least doesn't stink.

I can't recommend this book enough. If you buy only one book on game programming (and even if you don't), buy this one.

I own over 20 books on: C/C++, MFC, Algorithms, Graphics Math, DirectX, and the like. I never quite got there. Don't get me wrong--I'm no novice: I'm a VB lead programmer on a corporate database project, but Windows programming is not trivial! The first three chapters, which step you through basic windows programming, are worth the price of the book.

LaMothe writes in a clear, engaging style. Windows, DirectX, COM, GDI, physics modeling, game AI, and other topics are covered well. LaMothe has put some serious thought in these things.

If you've given DirectX programming a try and you just can't seem to get off the blocks, try 'Tips and Tricks'. This book will make the pieces fall into place.

One final note: Unlike every other author I have ever come across, LaMothe answers his e-mail. I sent him a note and got a response back in 20 minutes. This is a little like buying your old, favorite professor for the price of a book.

Too many people are upset that this book does not hand hold them from no programming experience to making top quality games - please! Game programming is one of the hardest kinds of programming there is, and no one can jump from "Hello World" to Quake in the time it takes to read a book. That is like taking a high school class in physics and expecting to learn enough to debate Kip Thorne on the latest theories.

There is also criticism that the title is misleading. I agree it is, but that is probably not the fault of the writer. Computer book authors usually have little input on cover design or the writing on it. They may get lucky enough to see it before the book is printed. NEVER buy a computer book based on what the cover says. Look at the inside. That nice big book on Direct3D could just be 80% "Appendix A - List of All Functions".

But there are lots of small mistakes in the book - simply knowing there are will save a lot of trouble. The math derivations are particularly troublesome - there are a number of times that negative signs or reciprocals were not shown. McMillian should have sprung for a better tech editor (fat chance for that).

This is currently the best book on Windows Game Programming in existence, and I would not expect better ones anytime soon. Writing computer books of this quality is hard work and the money the writers get is not worth it for most qualified programmers. We are just lucky that LaMothe lives like he is constantly on speed (if you met him you know what I am talking about). To get anything out of this book you need to know C(C++), some basic ideas about graphics, algebra. And not to be afraid of coding on your own.

Many people have complained about the title, and yes, there is NO coverage of 3D game programming in this book. The articles on the CD don't really do that well, and as such I realize that people SHOULD be upset that this book has the words 3D in the title.

However, the book is, hands down, the greatest BEGINNER'S game programming book of all time. Have you gone through C or C++ books, have mastered the syntax, but are completely stumped on where to go now? BUY THIS!!! He starts you on basic Windows programming, teaching you the outer shell of any program and a small sample of Windows GUI drawing to get you up to speed enough to make you own Paint program. Then he spends a short amount of time on COM objects, giving the reader an essential basic understand of what DirectX objects are, and then spends over 600 pages explaining DirectDraw, DirectSound, DirectMusic, DirectInput, and basic physics models. This is the book that gets you from stumped to understand enough of DirectX to plunge into 3D programming, which can be taught by any number of books on the market, not the least of which being Volume 2 of this series, to be published January 1, 2002. This is the essential beginner's book to DirectX, despite the title. All you newbies (and me) need this book! Luckily I have my copy ;)

As expected, Andre did a fine job writing this book. Hell, its entertainment reading through it, a fact barely seen in a WIndows programming book! And no, it is not "Windows Game Programming for Dummies deluxe"... Andre just had to stick the beginners Windows chapters into this book, so people could get started without buying the for Dummies book. The coverage of in-game physics and AI is very helpful and complete. However, the book only gets 4 out of 5 from me because of the fact that its not really teaching you Direct3d, and I was a bit disapointed by that. if I am buying a book, i do not want to read 1000 pages of docs on my monitor.

Still, the best book out there to get on Windows Graphics Programming, and another fine piece by Andre LaMothe, who is in my opinion the only writer out there who can wrap complicated Windows concepts in easy-to-follow, yet challenging and entertaining-to-read chapters.

Buy it if youre a beginner/intermediate that wants to know about either DirectDraw/AI/Physics/Trigonometry.

Let me start by saying something. I never NEEDED this book. I happen to like his writing style. With that said, allow me to address some sticky points before my final assessment.

1. False advertising. The book shouldn't have even had 3D in the title. The on CD 3D docs are available on the net. Anybody looking for 3D in this book could've just downloaded the docs themselves. I did. Not worth the price of admission alone. (download the docs. save $$$) 2. Rehash. Okay, I own every LaMothe book. This book is very well written, but fairly redundant. He should have started off with Volume 2. Newbie books are plentiful, but true GURU books are rare. If you don't own any of his other books, THEN pick up this book. Then pick up "Black Art" and the "Foley - Van Dam" text for 3D. 3. Poor CD production. I don't know what happened, but like others several chapters of the online books are damaged. Luckily I already owned the texts. To others, download the original docs. To the publisher, replace the CDs. 4. Visual C++ 6 being included should be a good thing right? Not necessarily. You get a good compiler, but one that ultimately doesn't allow you to redistribute any cool game you make. (dumb popup message)

With all that said and done, this is still a good book, but not what it claims to be. Had they re-titled the book "Teach Yourself Windows Game Programming in 21 Days" then this book would have been given 5 stars. The addition of the compiler is good, but imagine this.... You create "The Next Big Thing". You actually created a game that could kill Quake and Half-Life. (Unlikely the first time though.) Unfortunately, you can't sell it. For a newbie, this sucks. Newbies can barely afford this book much less Visual C++ Professional or Enterprise (forget Standard). That's just a side note.

A good book for the collector. A great book for the newbie. A bad book for those expecting to kill Quake.

The main criticism of Andre` LaMothe's works is that he doesn't cover enough advanced topics. Realize that his books are aimed at beginners who may not know much more than standard C/C++.

That's not to say that it's easy. In fact, this will be far more difficult than that "21 Days" you learned C++ with. It is written for intelligent, motivated individuals. On the other hand, his style is very easy-going with plenty off humor, etc., and, despite his 20 hour work day, he never loses sight of the fact that the book is aimed at beginners and fully explains everything in a very straightforward manner.

By the end of the book, you will be able to sit down and make a small 2D Windows game in DirectX. Also realize that there should be a Vol. 2, so if you are interested in advanced topics, this book still provides a great reference while you wait.

As a book on 3D games programming, I'd give this book one star, because it doesn't teach you anything about the fundamentals of 3D programming, with the exception of the two mini-books on the CD--but those are definitely not enough to warrant the title of this book.

As a book that has nothing to do with 3D programming, however, Lamothe's latest work is a wonderful foray into the fundamentals (and actually a lot of seemingly cutting-edge concepts) of 2D game programming. Just don't let the "2D" part take your attention away from this book... Anyone can blit a sprite and make it move across the screen using double buffering, but few can weld together disparate components like AI, physics, game logic, and system & graphics programming into the complex whole that is a computer game. That's what this book teaches, and you'll probably want to know how to do it before you try making that 3D engine with volumetric lighting, bump mapping, and realtime reflections. Lamothe decided to split his work into two volumes for this reason; instead of scrambling to squeeze information about game programming and cutting-edge 3D graphics programming into a mere 1000 pages, he decided to make one book on game programming and the other on 3D programming.

So my only real gripe about this book is its advertising. Instead of titling it "Fundamentals of 2D and 3D Game Programming," they should have called it "Volume I: Fundamentals of 2D Game Programming," because that's what it is. Amazon.com also needs to put the actual title of the book in here--currently they think it's called "Tricks of the 3D Windows Game Programming Gurus," which is even more misleading than the book's actual title. This is probably because Lamothe's decision to split the book into two volumes was made at the last minute; but still, SAMS could've at least taken the time to change the title of the book before sending it to press.

I bought this book expecting to get some serious "tricks," however it turned out to be just a poor rehash of material from Tricks of the Game Programming Gurus. ALL, and I mean every last scrap of the information was basic, introductorly level material. But the most obvious problem with the book is that is cover so little on DirectX. Lamothe basically gives you a shabbily done version of the help files included with the Directx SDK. Information on 3d graphics is glaringly absent. The Directx portion of the book covers maybe 150-200 pages, the rest is banal knowledge on physics, Win32, and AI. All of it done in a cursory, unprofessional manner. This book is *not* worth the asking price. It WILL NOT teach you how to program in Directx, and if you already know how, it will not teach you anything new or usefull.