[color="#333333"]I want to use textures on quads in my game instead of an actual model (for the HUD), so what I currently do is I make a quad, draw the texture on to it, and then rotate it a bit. However, this gives the impression that the tool is flat and 2D, and doesn't have any width to it.
[color=#333333]The best example I can think of is probably Minecraft. If you hold a tool in Minecraft (such as a pickaxe), the texture is drawn and it has an "edge". The color of the edge isn't just a random color, but rather it is about the same color of the edge on the actual face of the tool.

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[color=#333333]How can I do this with XNA?
[color="#333333"]As stated before, I currently construct a quad and render an image to it.

I'm quite sure in Minecraft it isn't a textured quad but a 3D model.
And I cannot think of any way how to "fake" those sides in DX9 (XNA) without actually having them in the model - but that doesn't mean such a way doesn't exist ;)

There are 2 ways to achieve this:
-create a mesh for every weapon
-make a voxelsystem:
I think in minecraft the texture is getting voxelized(is this a word?^^)

I can´t think of any other possible way...

I'm quite sure in Minecraft it isn't a textured quad but a 3D model.
And I cannot think of any way how to "fake" those sides in DX9 (XNA) without actually having them in the model - but that doesn't mean such a way doesn't exist ;)

There are 2 ways to achieve this:
-create a mesh for every weapon
-make a voxelsystem:
I think in minecraft the texture is getting voxelized(is this a word?^^)

I can´t think of any other possible way...

I took a look in MCP a bit, and it appears that Notch draws quads with a "cross-hatching method". By that, I mean I think he draws 16 horizontal and 16 vertical quads, and that allows for the thickness.