Writing a Book
I know I haven’t updated anything for a long time, but there’s a good reason for it: I’m writing a book. It’s on 3D graphics with XNA, and it’ll likely be out sometime in October. As this site should be a good complement to the book, I’ll be continuing to update, clean up, and improve this site.
This does mean that I’ll be reworking the current tutorial series a bit though. As the book is an in depth look at 3D graphics techniques and effects, the tutorial series is going to be redesigned into two series: a 2D graphics tutorial and a simplified game engine tutorial. The 2D graphics series will cover the stuff not covered by the book–sprites, etc. The game engine series will have the stuff done so far plus the stuff in the non-graphics areas of the outline–scripting, etc.
So, hang in there. The site should start to improve to coincide with the book release, and you can all get excited about the book. 
Hey,
Any chance of outlining the table of contents?
Subject to change:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AfPiFViCOLwlZGQ2cXB6Yl8xMTRrZ2pyM2ZndA&hl=en
sweet deal!
how’d you land the deal? juicy details!
Well, I got an email one night a while ago from the publisher asking if I’d like to write a book on animation with XNA. It’s since developed into this book and it’s looking like the outline above is pretty final. So, I’ve been writing and will be writing until around the end of summer, and it’ll be released in October hopefully.
Awesome dude… Congratulations!
Looks very promising! Meanwhile, don’t forget to check the forums from time to time
The topiclist makes a nice impression. Makes me wanna read your book right now. If it’s only half as great as your tutorials are it’ll be awesome. Can you already say something about the price, or where to pre-order?
I don’t know anything about pricing or pre-ordering yet, sorry! I’ll post when I find out. All I know at the moment is that we’re shooting for a mid October release.
No problem dude. Take your time. Better aim for quality than just punching anything out ^^
Looks like I will be adding a New book to my collection in october, Congrats on the book.
Wooohooo!
A book sounds like a bloody good idea, from looking at the document outline I must say I really want it now, it really sounds like it will cover everything I need or want from head to toe.
Your tutorials have been outstanding and so I can see this book being a huge success where you will be raking in the money; I shall be one of those to contribute to that money of course, there is no way I wont get a copy.
Anyone that does not get a copy is a fool!
There was one slight question I have, and that is ‘whether or not you will be writing the scripting engine stuff into the book, or whether it will be an extension to the book on the website in tutorials and extra reading forms?’
Keep the writing going, be proud and see the future!
Thank you for everything Sean,
Shane
PS: October is near Christmas, so I think it can be my early christmas pessent from me to me!
hehe
The scripting stuff will be in the game engine tutorial. It’s actually great that the book offer came along because I can kind of “offload” the 3D stuff to the book. There’s just so much to talk about that it was making me circle around in the online stuff. Now I’m mainly focusing on 2D for the moment with the online stuff and that’ll let us get to the interesting stuff in engine development, like scripting or building editors and all that.
And I’m quite excited about the book as well.
Starting this website has led to some very cool stuff. I wouldn’t have thought a year and a half ago I’d be writing a book on XNA–or a book at all for that matter. 
I am not surprised, and it is a great opportunity to make money, and help others in another way other that the tutorials. Having the book and site support one another are good too.
Can’t wait to see it all move along now! It is going to be brilliant!
can you let us know what your writing about so maybe we can give you some perspective on what WE as a buyer would want to read about – cause if your doing “just another beginner book” – please make it different
no disrespect – I just want to see the best minds in XNA succeed and allow others to succeed with there contributions.
Can you incorporate Animation Blending for human figures. And possible Animation Blending where you can play multiple animations on a model (shooting gun and running and blinking at same time). (this hasn’t been documented before).
Also, maybe document some cool tricks with physics systems (not how to build it but how to use it properly) – the demo’s will look great if you do . Such as JiglibX or BePu. Maybe create a character running around on a physics world (using your animations). I’m almost sure your going to bring something new to the table if you do that.
Also, create a 3d character that can turn appropriately when you use the XBOX 360 controller. (avoid tank movement – make a code that’s like Mario movement or zelda movement). I think beginners want a simple solution for that.
Perhaps give us a RPG system that’s is as few lines as possible but explains the core (data storage and query techniques, display methods, inventory etc.. (basic but teach C# while your doing it)
These are just the issue’s i’ve ran into when I’m building my game and I struggled with it. I just think your book can hopefully touch on some of the topics above. I’m sure people will go “wow” when they read about it (especially beginners like my self)
The table of contents is posted above in the first few comments.
Unfortunately it’s mainly a book on 3D Graphics with XNA, so stuff like RPG systems would not be relevant to the book. However, as the book is dedicated almost entirely to graphics, the topics covered get to be quite in depth–advanced lighting with multiple lights and shadow casters, for example.
Animation with skinned models will be covered (in fact I’m writing that section in the coming week). I’ll try to take your comments there into account.
That said, if the other things would be of interest, I’ll consider writing about those kinds of topics here once the book is done (in the august-october area).
Hey Sean,
Sounds like you are having a blast writing this book and I am really excited for you. I am really looking forward to getting my hands on a copy and finally doing some good and useful stuff in XNA 3.0+
Do you have any idea about dates it would likely be out, or a place that we can now pre-order the book from?
Keep up the good work, sounds like this may become the best selling XNA Graphics book out there.
Best Regards,
Shane
Just curious any update on the book? Also are you done with the Game Engine Tutorial 2.0?
I believe, but don’t quote me, that he is going to come back to do the engine tutorial 2.0 after the book as been released.
He started doing Engine 2.0 tutorial as a 2d and 3d one with scripting, editors and more. Then someone approached him asking if he’d like to write a book, which is what he has spent the last 5 or 6 months doing. It is meant to be release this month, but we do not know an exact date as yet. The book will be on 3D graphics, and will not cover 2D. Therefore when his book is out I believe he will be working on the 2.0 engine again, but only covering 2D (that is not covered in the book) and such things as a scripting engine, level editor and more.
Sean, if you are reading this comment then could you please let us all know how the book is going. We are ALL very excited and dying to get our hands on a copy of it. Any chance you know what date it will be out now, or is it going to be delayed a little?
Keep up the good work, really looking forward to it.
Best Regards,
Shane
Correct, I’m still working on the book. I’m working on the second half of the final drafts now, and if all goes well all of the final drafts will be turned in next Thursday (October 15th). From there, the publisher’s editors need to finish their own edits, and they have people who have to test the code or something (not really sure.) I don’t have a release date myself except that they are hoping to publish it this month. I don’t know if that means it will be in stores this month or not, but either way it will be here very soon™.
The plan is still to return to editing the site after the book is finished. I want to continue the game engine series and maybe some other things if I think of them. I also want to make some attempt to support the book through this site. I’m not necessarily going to restrict the site to 2D just because the book is 3D, but honestly I think the book covers so many topics it would be redundant to go over too many of them here. Instead, I think that focusing on 2D will make game engine development/demonstration easier without getting bogged down in modeling, texturing, and all the 3D graphics stuff.
I should also mention that there was a bit of a delay because I really wanted to target XNA 4.0 but had to update all of the code in the book when 4.0 was released after having written for 3.0 already. I’m also still trying to fit a few extra treats in. Overall I’d say that, aside from being one of the early books targeting 4.0, the book also covers a lot of things not covered in other books which makes it really unique IMO.
Hey Sean,
Is there any update on the costs of the book when it gets released? I’m realy looking forward to it!
Besides, please tell me it’s XNA 4.0 for windows apps! Almost all, if not all, new examples and tutorials on the XNA site are for Windows Phone 7 sadly enough….
Greetz,
Thijs
The anticipation is killing me for this book! From the looks of it, this seems like it’s actually going to be a practical guide to 3D programming as opposed to all of the extremely boring and repetitive books we have all read. I’ll be ordering the second you let us know the order details.
Hey Sean,
I believe you said that it would be going to the editors last thursday to be looked over and the coded tested. Any news on the book?
Hopefully, he’ll come back and say it’s on shelves all across the world this Friday!
Yeah, and that he has a discount code for all people within this comments section!
I think the editors are making their own 3D XNA game right now before they publish the book, bad editors!
Any news on the book? Super interested in buying.
Should be some news soon, there was a possible mid month release which I’m assuming has been pushed back since there has been no news from Sean.
It looks like the book went up for pre-ordering last night!
https://www.packtpub.com/3d-graphics-with-xna-game-studio-4-0/book
It’s looking like we’re going to make the november release–there’s not much left to edit and the publisher gets through that very quickly.
Pre-Ordering as we speak!
OMFG WOOO HOOO!
Awesome book. I am preordering 5 copies for my students! Nice work.
looking forward to reading this sean as there is not alot or any 3d graphics xna 4.o books out there nice work :>