[share_ebook] Game Institute C Modules I and II and DirectX Module I and II

In this first C++ course, you will become proficient with core C++ topics such as variables, console input and output, functions, loops, programming logic, pointers, strings, classes, and object oriented design and methodologies. In addition, you will study more complex C++ subject matter, such as operator overloading, file input and output, inheritance, and polymorphism. When practical to do so, game related examples are used to motivate the discussions.

In this second C++ course, you will begin to move away from the text-based console applications we built in Module I, and begin to examine Windows programming with the Win32 API. With the Win32 API, you will be able to write programs that look a lot more like those that you are probably very familiar with; ones with resizable windows, mouse input, graphics, menus, toolbars, scroll bars, dialog boxes, and controls.

Of particular interest to us as game programmers is the ability to do graphics with the Win32 API, something which is not possible with pure C++. You will learn about fundamental graphic concepts such as double buffering, sprites, animation and timing, and masking. By the end of the course, you will have developed a fully functional 2D game, complete with graphics, physics, artificial intelligence, and input via the mouse. After completing this course, you will be adequately prepared for your first course in 3D graphics programming.

Most game developers work only with software-based hardware abstraction layers (i.e. DirectX, OpenGL) and are comfortable knowing that they can make a function call and draw a set of nicely shaded triangles onscreen. These abstraction layers hide a lot of detail from the user, which is great for fast development across many different platforms, but unfortunately they also deprive the student of an abundance of knowledge that the top game developers used to have, but few nowadays do.

To develop a game for a console that you not only designed, but also hand-built with your own soldering iron, is one of the most enriching learning experiences you will ever have as a game developer or software engineer. There is no better way to develop a fundamental understanding of console architecture, or give you that sense of total ownership and mastery of a subject, than doing it yourself. This lost art is what this course is all about: learning how to design, build, and modify your own game consoles from scratch.

The 3D Engine Programming Series represents the central part of your video game developer training here at Game Institute. This is a series of courses and workshops in which you will learn how to build a modern three-dimensional game engine with supporting tools, from scratch. This series also represents the most thorough training you will find anywhere on the planet regarding the DirectX 9 API. So it should come as no surprise to you that it will be here that you will spend the majority of your time, resources, and brainpower.

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