Hello all, sorry to impede on your fine forum, but PCFormat magazine (www.pcformat.co.uk) is looking for someone to write a series of entry-level tutorials on using DirectX (specifically Direct 3D). It'd be aimed at someone with basically no prior programming knowledge, and would need to have some specific goal at the end of the series - such as making a spinning cube, or a very basic game or interface. Would anyone here be up for it? Drop me an email on alec.meer(at)futurenet.co.uk if you're interested. cheers, Alec Meer, Features Editor, PCFormat

Quote:Original post by bonzrat
It'd be aimed at someone with basically no prior programming knowledge, and would need to have some specific goal at the end of the series - such as making a spinning cube, or a very basic game or interface.

That's either going to be a huge tutorial, or an unreachable goal. =S

Well, any kind of solid result, really. People are more inclined to follow tutorials if they have a clear idea of what they'll be able to do at the end of them.

No really. If you want any result with DirectX, just one magazine-tutorial is not enough, for people with no programming experience. It's not like 3D modelling or 3D-Game-Creation-Studio-V24.624.

I think you misunderstood what a programmer does. I could be wrong though..

To clarify: it's not a complete guide to understanding every facet of programming I'm after here, but more like: here's some lines of code that make a spinning sphere or whatever, here's some brief explanation of why some key lines do what they do and how you could tweak them, here's how to compile and run it, here's where to find out more if you think you could get into this. I'm in no way trying to put down what you guys do, just looking for someone who'd be up for writing what would be simply a fun project for PCF's readers to muck around with for a few evenings.
If you're interested, please drop me an email.

I am interested Alec. I will e-mail you.

Hi bonzrat,

any earnings involved ?
When is the deadline ?

regards,

atem

I'm afraid I disagree with these guys. I think we could get a DirectX novice with a minimal knowledge of C++ spinning a box in a single tutorial, while even covering the very basics of the matrix math behind it.

I'm a hobbiest, which might actually give me a better viewpoint for accomplishing this task. I also have a TON of experience with bringing users up to tasks which are considerably above their current level of understanding, I'm very experienced with communicating with users who are well below my level, and I've also done a lot of technical writing, very often aimed at users who are not technically oriented. I also volunteered to be the assistant coach for my daughters little league team, while having practically no idea how to play baseball and even less interest, if that means anything.

Currently I am a Systems Developer for the Vermont Secretary of States Office, where I spend my days dragging 65 very nice but not particularly computer savvy users kicking and screaming into the 21st century, and I spend my nights dragging myself kicking and screaming through the labryinth that is DirectX. Being an entirely self-taught programmer I think I've fallen into just about every hole that there is to fall into and made just about every mistake that there is to make, so I think I would be very good at guiding your readers around these pitfalls. Furthermore, I'm much more concerned with achieving the visual results that I'm looking for than understanding DirectX thoroughly. I use DirectX as an extension of my imagination.

If your readers are not extremely proficient programmers and are DirectX novices, we're going to need some foundation to work with. I think a recurring theme in my tutorial series would be "Don't be intimidated, relax, have fun, experiment, use your imagination, and use all of the resources at your disposal", to get them past the idea that this tutorial is above their heads right off the bat, and to show them that the concepts involved in spinning a box are many of the same concepts used in professional graphics programming. I might also break DirectX programming down into components that your readers can easily turn into goals, .i.e., : 3D Concepts, Understanding the Fixed Function Pipeline, Understanding Matrix and Vector math from an "I just want it to work" point of view, The Marriage of Art & Technology, and Advanced Concepts (such as texturing and creating meshes from .X files).

Let me know if you'd like a peek at my resume.

$?

danromeo1@juno.com

Hi all,
thanks for your replies. Turns out I received a ton of emails from talented folk here wanting to write the tutorials in the end, and it's been pretty stressful choosing one person to do it. I think I've found someone though - and will email the other respondents to let 'em know - so big thanks again for your help.
- Alec