A Games Class Using XNA Game Studio Express

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A Games Class Using XNA Game Studio Express

• Art Gittleman
• California State University Long Beach
• artg_at_csulb.edu

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Goal

• Enable students to program games with graphics
  and sound in both 2D and 3D
• given
• a one-term course
• students with various backgrounds
• novice to experienced gamers
• perhaps some graphics or AI
• C or Java, but little C (no
  problem)
• not artists or storytellers

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XNA Game Studio Express

• Wraps DirectX in XNA API
• Adds to Visual C Express (free)
• Requires graphics card supporting pixel shader
  model 1.1 or above (at least 2.0, really). Cards
  later than 2003 should work.
• See http//xnamatrix.com/xnareq.php for a
  requirements checker.
• Deploys to XBox 360 -- requires Creators Club
  membership -- 99/yr,49/4 mo

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Graphics

• Graphics API
• DirectX (Microsoft)
• OpenGL (Cross-platform)
• DirectX more popular for games.
• Managed DirectX allows use of C and .NET rather
  than C
• Still a lot to learn. Difficult in one term to
  achieve objective.
• XNA makes it simpler.

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XNA code templates

• Game class
• Initialize Called once
• LoadGraphicsContent Once each refresh
• Update Game logic
• every
  1/60 sec.
• Draw Renders objects

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Resources (Overview)

• XNA Documentation -- tutorials, examples
• XNA Development tutorials, 2D games
• Creators Club Online Main XNA site
• Riemers XNA Tutorials Dozens, 3D
• My class site

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XNA Documentation

• Getting Started -- simple examples moving
• sprites
• Programming Guide
• Basics - loading content, drawing, camera,
• model, BasicEffect, sound
• Graphics
• 2D draw, rotate, scale, scroll
• 3D draw triangles, shaders (color,light)

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XNA Development

• Excellent 2D tutorials and games
• http//www.xnadevelopment.com/index.shtml
• Jellies A Plenty
• The Wizard
• Falling Blocks You Move to Make Lines
• Drive Fast and Dodge the Oncoming
• Obstacles

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Creators Club Online

• XNA Team Site
• http//creators.xna.com/
• Download XNA, Games
• Tutorials, Code examples
• New video tutorial Make a game in 60
  minutes
• create your own game a top-down space
  shooter featuring 3D graphics, input, audio,
  collision, and scoring. (42 Minutes, 44.2 MB .WMV
  format)

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Riemers XNA Tutorials

• Four series terrain, flight simulator,
  higher-level shader language, advanced terrain.
  I did 2, 1, and 3 in that order.
• Great intro to 3D games using XNA
• He answers questions.

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http//www.cecs.csulb.edu/artg/455/s07index.html

• C
• XNA
• Game Programming
• Game Design
• DirectX
• OpenGL
• Drawing Graphics

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XNA Books

• Professional XNA Game Programming
• for Xbox 360 and Windows
• Benjamin Nitschke
• Wrox (Wiley) 2007
• He created Rocket Commander XNA
• and Racing Game, both available for Windows and
  Xbox 360.
• Other books to appear.

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Evaluation

• Gaming is a huge subject can be an entire major
• Using XNA allows 2D and 3D game programming in
  one semester
• C no problem for C or Java programmers
• Want to add more on game design
• Just scratch the surface in 3D
• Use existing 3D models or collaborate