I've been wondering about this too.

Is XNA a simple library that takes control over everything, and you can't customize anything? Can I load my own 3d model format, or write my own mesh renderer, or is it all forced to be handled by a pre written XNA routine?

Is there built in skeletal animation stuff, and how limited is it? I hate when all that is supported is simple playback of single animations with no ability to tweak things (like bending a head to look at another object).

What can you do with stuff you create in XNA? Commericial release? Or is it just for hobbyists?

Quote:Original post by ChurchSkiz
I had never used C# when XNA came out. I decided to create a pong game to get a feel for the language and the toolset. I had it done in about 2 hours (again I had 0 experience with the language). After doing the pong game I made a couple of prototypes in under 30 minutes and I felt pretty comfortable with the language.

It's a really easy language to pick up on (assuming you already know a class based language) and XNA is a great tool. It really does take out all the annoying things of game creation. If I want to create even a simple game in Direct3D I have to create a crapton of framework files, set up all sorts of parameters and devices, and making sure I am freeing up resources properly. With XNA you can spend a lot more time on the meat of the game.

At this point I'm going to say your better that I. I'm finding it all sort of a jumbled mess. The classes, classes, and more classes thing is hard for me to follow around. Its sort of like trying to pick out words in alphabet soup. Then the documentation is kinda like having a spiderweb for a road map. Seems like I had less trouble with the Raw DirectX SDK docs.(though I never got into the hard stuff). Maybe its just because I'm not used to it but Its a lot of pieces which I can't figure out how they all fit together. I tend to get real uncomfortable when I don't know how everything ties in together making me very not happy right now.

I get alot of what I see but I'm not real sure what I need know and what is documentation for things I don't need to understand just be able to use. I get all the stuff in the getting started videos for the most part but I want to be able to do better than that. Otherwise its kinda like what's the point.

I'm sure I can make the puzzle game I want but I can't do it the way I want, until I can get the blocks to look right. I can get a solid colored block in but I need it to shine. I want shiny irregular blocks simmilar to those polished rocks you can buy. From what I see on XNA sites I like the look of the normal and cubemaping. However even tough the demos work great I haven't had much luck using my own model. Then there is the whole issue that I want to be able to color the cubes, and randomly use several deformations to make the blocks less repeditive. After that can they even be mixed? Its looking like I will actually have to learn about a bunch of stuff which may or may not be over my head. This is starting to look less like simple side project and more like a project.

Quote:Original post by Zanshibumi
Ok, yes, it's perfectly prepared to make professional games with it, but take into account many games have requirements that need unmanaged code (if your c++ games sometimes use assembler for critical parts, forget about making them in xna).

you can still use assembler with XNA but only for PC Builds. I am not sure if the 360 accepts the same assembler instructions that your PC would as the 360 uses a light version of .Net 2.0 and a go between model of DX9.0c and DX10 as far as i know. But as microsoft currently only allow non-commercial(free) games to be made for the 360 all commercial ventures will no doubt be made for the PC meaning assembler instructions are still valid.

If anyone knows more recent info it would be interesting to know.

Quote:Original post by Zanshibumi

Quote:Original post by Vampyre_Dark
Is XNA a simple library that takes control over everything, and you can't customize anything?

Almost every single tiny piece of XNA can be replaced by a custom tiny piece made by you that modifies this particular behavior. However, You won't use this "feature" in any simple project or most of the non-simple ones.

Quote:Original post by Vampyre_Dark
Can I load my own 3d model format, or write my own mesh renderer, or is it all forced to be handled by a pre written XNA routine?

You can. If I understand correctly what you want, though, it would require quite a lot of work. Just out of curiosity ¿Why would yo want to make your own mesh renderer?

Quote:Original post by Vampyre_Dark
What can you do with stuff you create in XNA? Commericial release? Or is it just for hobbyists?

It's meant to make hobbyists use it for simple things so they learn it and use it in professional environments. Then Microsoft will be able to monopolize the commercial game business for some more time.

Ok, yes, it's perfectly prepared to make professional games with it, but take into account many games have requirements that need unmanaged code (if your c++ games sometimes use assembler for critical parts, forget about making them in xna).

I have no need to make a custom renderer, I was just trying to understand what XNA was. I tried it out last night, I built the space shooter demo, but after it built, I couldn't find a 'run' option anywhere, only a publish option. [lol]

Quote:Original post by Vampyre_Dark
I have no need to make a custom renderer, I was just trying to understand what XNA was. I tried it out last night, I built the space shooter demo, but after it built, I couldn't find a 'run' option anywhere, only a publish option. [lol]

F5/Ctrl+F5 or Debug | Start Debugging/Start Without Debuggin on the menu.

Quote:Original post by Machaira

Quote:Original post by Vampyre_Dark
I have no need to make a custom renderer, I was just trying to understand what XNA was. I tried it out last night, I built the space shooter demo, but after it built, I couldn't find a 'run' option anywhere, only a publish option. [lol]

F5/Ctrl+F5 or Debug | Start Debugging/Start Without Debuggin on the menu.

Where is this in the menus at the top? I looked all over, I looked in the solution menu with right click.

Quote:Original post by Vampyre_Dark

Quote:Original post by Machaira

Quote:Original post by Vampyre_Dark
I have no need to make a custom renderer, I was just trying to understand what XNA was. I tried it out last night, I built the space shooter demo, but after it built, I couldn't find a 'run' option anywhere, only a publish option. [lol]

F5/Ctrl+F5 or Debug | Start Debugging/Start Without Debuggin on the menu.

Where is this in the menus at the top? I looked all over, I looked in the solution menu with right click.

I don't think its there. You can press the little green play Icon up top though.