Training Resources for native C++ and C++CX programming, graphics and gaming

Looking for a great set of C++ resources out there? There is an increasing focus on native programming on our client stack, especially with gaming and high fidelity graphics being super important. If you look at the number of sessions dedicated to DirectX and C++ in the recently concluded //build, it should be obvious. Clearly not all of us will focus in this area, but if you are interested in building an expertise in the area, I wanted to collect some of the training resources available for you to use.

C++

(Obviously a drop in the ocean compared to what’s out there)

• http://www.syncfusion.com/resources/techportal/ebooks/cplusplus

If you are new to the language, you can start with the following Pluralsight courses:

• http://pluralsight.com/training/Courses/TableOfContents/cpp-fundamentals
• http://pluralsight.com/training/Courses/TableOfContents/cppfund2

For a little more advanced treatment

• http://pluralsight.com/training/Courses/TableOfContents/adv-cpp

Also excellent is Stephan T. Lavavej (STL)’ s series on C9

• http://channel9.msdn.com/Series/C9-Lectures-Stephan-T-Lavavej-Core-C-

Standard Library and Containers

• Again Stephan Lavavej’s C9 series is excellent - http://channel9.msdn.com/Series/C9-Lectures-Stephan-T-Lavavej-Advanced-STL

C++ 11 Additions

• List of C++ 11 features in VC 11 http://blogs.msdn.com/b/vcblog/archive/2011/09/12/10209291.aspx OR http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/hh409293.aspx

Visual C++ blog - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/vcblog/

• If you are not subscribing and you are interested in C++ - this should be the first thing on your to do list

All C++ sessions at //build 2012

• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/vcblog/archive/2012/10/29/c-at-build-2012.aspx

Asynchrony & parallelism in C++

• PPL - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd504870.aspx
• GPGPU/C++ AMP - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh265137.aspx
• Native parallelism blog - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/nativeconcurrency/

Communications

• Casablanca - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/devlabs/casablanca.aspx

An excellent book

• C++ Primer (Stan Lippman et al) - http://www.amazon.com/Primer-5th-Edition-Stanley-Lippman/dp/0321714113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352328582&sr=8-1&keywords=C%2B%2B+Primer – this is an excellent classic – latest edition has great coverage of C++ 11 features, the name Primer is really misleading.

Graphics/Gaming with DirectX

DirectX is a very large landscape. The best way to learn it from my personal, limited experience is to break it down into 2D and 3D, and then attack one at a time (assuming you need to learn both – if not just stick to one).

Direct3D Tutorials – I found the first one to be pretty easy to digest, and fairly well organized. If you are not interested in desktop apps, just go through the one for D3D 11.1 for Windows 8

• http://www.directxtutorial.com/
• This one is focused on the desktop and a little dated and focused on D3D9, but it does lay out the concepts pretty nicely.

DirectWrite Tutorial

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd368152(v=vs.85).aspx

Direct2D page on MSDN

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd370990(v=vs.85).aspx

DirectX/XAML interop

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd370990(v=vs.85).aspx

DirectX tooling support in VS 2012

• http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2012/2-032

Direct3D Starter Kit

• http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/blog/Getting-started-with-C3DWinStore-Game-Dev-with-the-Visual-Studio-3D-Starter-Kit 

An Excellent book – 3D Game Programming with DirectX 11 by Frank Luna

All DirectX related videos from //build

• http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2012/3-109
• http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2012/2-032
• http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2012/4-102
• http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2012/3-107
• http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2012/3-112
• http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2012/3-113
• http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2012/4-001

Some good blogs to read

• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/directx/
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/chuckw/
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/shawnhar/
• http://directx.com/

Do you have any recommendations?

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