Couple of weeks ago I sent a message in the forum about me coding minesweeper for fun.
Now I get a least 1 message a day asking for help, where to get started.

Most of what I know I learned from here http://www.xfactordev.net. There are some really good tutorials.
There is also some source code for xinvaders on this site. I read this to understand a bit.

If you have done anything in directx before then you have no problem. It is the same.
If you are new to directx then don't bother with the XBOX YET!!
Just code stuff in the directx on your PC, it much quicker.

This is a site good for this http://www.xbdev.net/ for both Xbox & PC tutorials.

Start with the PC stuff at the beginning with the most simple tutorial.
Understand it before you move on, it will make you life easier later on. Trust me :-)

Google search for loads more http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=direc...ctx%20tutorials

nexe & andypick are both good sites for the PC. Use them.

In the XDK itself, there are loads of examples, and they are good to play with.
X:\Program Files\MS Xbox SDK\Samples\Xbox\Graphics\Tutorials

Three weeks ago is the first time I have started anything in Directx.
And I have almost finished two games. You must start simple. Don't start thinking you going to code QUAKE4, you are not. Think of a simple game and try.

I have 10 year of C programming, almost no C++. Not a lot of programming on the PC.
No maths, so a lot of the time I get very lost in what is going on.
It will take a long time, a lot of frustrations. But it can also be a lot of fun.

I started badly as I never used the XDK examples/XTL framework.
Use it!!

Edit: Visual Basic is a no no for XBOX, if you aim is to code on the xbox then you will never be able to code with Visual Basic.

Good luck and here are the links:
Fr*shgloop - wishi's site, with source code
xfactordev - one of the best but not updated anymore

Freakdave made a good comment, we are talking DirectX + C, but what maybe is a good step is SDL + C
http://www.lantus-x.com/SDLx/
I would think it is a lot easier to get started. I found DirectX fun and I had been wanting to learn it.
SDL has been around for a long while. There is a lot of good games + scores out there to play with.


jippie

PS maybe someone can add stuff to explain the debug bios??

This post has been edited by jippie: Apr 30 2004, 06:06 AM

BTW, XFactorDev.Net and xbdev.net is kinda the same thing but the XFactorDev.Net is solely for Xbox and so will have Xbox specific features etc.

Just wanted to let everyone know that after an extended break of ... too long, we're now updating the site pretty regularly with new tutorials and classes.

Oh, and if you want to speak to any of us, we're in #xfactor on EFnet.

Yes, MS don't give it away, but it's around.... *he says mysteriously (or not)*

When, if, OpenXDK reemerges we'll gladly start supporting but at the moment, it's pretty useless for any serious software.

heh, right now im trying to port dosrar to the xbox

Hello folks..

I´m trying to learn to use DirectX, and i have a problem.

I´ve read a couple of tutorials on how to start using DirX on PC. (The goal is programming the X-Box).
But the tutorials i´ve read refers to directxlibraries. (d3dx8.h,d3d8.lib,d3dx8.lib)

In the tutorial i read that i had to download headers and libraries from www.MS.com/directx.

I´ve looked allover the site, but found nothing.
Downloaded directx9.0a (No header files included in package??)

Can anybody out there help me ??

I have now search for 2 days after these files.
(The files must be top secret )

Best Regards
Terje.

Thanks !!

I´ve found it.

I was inside msdn yesterday, but missed the last chapter with the links.

Now i have to download and learn

Thanks again.

Terje

Hello Again.

I´ve installed the DirectX SDK and Visual C++.

All the tutorials i have tested on internet does not work.

(Yes, i think it is something wrong in my linkersettings).

I have newer used C++ before.

Linker says :

--------------------Configuration: Cube - Win32 Debug--------------------
Linking...
d3d1.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol _Direct3DCreate9@4
Debug/Cube.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 1 unresolved externals
Error executing link.exe.

Cube.exe - 2 error(s), 0 warning(s)

Its the same error if i use DirectX8 includefiles.

What went wrong for me ?

Best Regards
Terje

Hello !!

I´ve found the problem.

It look like it´s something wrong with the linker.

In options->directory i showed where the lib and include file for sdk is found.

But the linker does not se the lib files.

So solve this problem by writing this line in the code.

#pragma comment(lib,"d3d8.lib")

Okay. 0 errors.

Best Regards
Terje.

will it do me any good to learn to program direct x on visual basic then xbox?

aw man hehe ok well your the pro thanx man ill do that

so why is it so hard to program on xbox not enough tutorials?

I'm a bit late with this reply.........but this topic is of intrest to me has i have modded my xbox my self and done the hd transplant on my dinner table
NOw i would like to give somthing back to the scene
i have read the threads with intrest, i was going to teach my self C and have taken out a book titled " C Programming in easy steps" by Mike Mcgrath from my local library.
How ever since reading the threads it seems like this would be like running before learning to walk.
Would i be better of learning vb.net if so can you recommend any books for a total beginner?

If you've got a book called "C Programming in easy steps", then it's probably gonna be at the right level for the absolute beginner I'd think. All I recommend is keep reading and trying. So what if you don't need some pointless calculator or classes which figure how many boxes can fit into other boxes, just keep trying.

And reading other people's code can help, but you'll be confused if you take a look at a complex app before you're ready. After you've finished that book, go down to the library and look for another.. and another. They'll probably cover similar topics but in different ways and it's always best to get a rounded view instead of relying on one author.

Persistence and determination is key.

That sounds like me Persistent and determined, all ways wanting to know how things tick over if u know what i mean.
Only one thing left do i start with c or visual basic.net ?
which would u recommend?
ps thanks for the rapid reply.