This book is for programmers of all skill levels. I’ve written some newbie stuff that will bring you up-to-speed if you’re new to DirectX or Windows programming. And even if these technologies are old friends, you can still get something out of Part 1, “The Basics,” since I’ve augmented it with a lot of tips and uicks for advanced programmers.
The second and third parts are die jelly inside die donut. Part 2, “2D Effects,” describes 2D special effects—effects that rely 011 your 3D card to work their magic, but diat are essentially 2D, such as transitions (fading in/out, cross fading) and image warping. These 2D effects are suitable for any 3D accelerated game, 2D or 3D.
Part 3, “3D Effects,” describes 3D effects, tricks designed to simulate die cool stuff as accurately as
possible, without killing die frame rate. Explosions, water, lens flare, magic spells, transporters— anything and everything to turn your “app” into a sensor)' overload that people can’t help but spend time playing.
Finally, there’s an appendix on C++ and STL (die C++ Standard Template Library). The book uses some advanced C++ features (templates, structured exception handling, std::vectors) diat not all programmers are familiar with. So there are a few pages diat give you a crash course 011 these so that you will feel comfortable reading and messing with the sample programs. And I provide an appendix at die end diat provides a brief introduction to DevStudio.