It's an okay beginner's guide, but by no means the "definitive" guide.

This book is a decent introduction to Direct3D graphics, but it's by no means a definitive guide, nor is it a guide to Direct3D9 graphics. A discussion of the real meat and potatoes of Direct3D9, the facet that makes the API so exciting for developers, pixel and vertex shaders, is completely omitted. So it's essentially a Direct3D7 level text.

The discussion of 3D mathematics was abysmal, a lot of the actual math isn't really shown, but how to use the D3DX helper functions are. Worst of all, Thorn didn't show us how to multiply matrices -- LUDICROUS! If anyone wants to be a professional graphics programmer, implementing and developing new algorithms, they're going to need to get to grips with the, sometimes grueling, mathematics.

The discussion of 3D concepts is okay, but it's all extremely basic. I was able to get a very simple, fixed-function game engine running using this book as a reference for some of the API functions, but if you want to make more cutting edge graphics programs, you need pixel shaders to do that.

If you can get this book used and dirt cheap, then it'll be a decent intro to Direct3D, but I suggest you pick up either Wolfgang Engel's Beginning Direct3D Game Programming and/or Frank Luna's book -- both of which introduce pixel/vertex shaders.

After you read the forementioned, "Programming Vertex And Pixel Shaders" by Wolfgang Engel will be most useful, as well as the ShaderX series (also edited by Engel).

Other Reviews

• It's an okay beginner's guide, but by no means the "definitive" guide.
• Overview and that's all
• This is the best direct3d book ?
• good start for direct3d intro