I will be updating my blog as often as possible, hopefully soon I will have a phpbb forum running so I can send and recieve feedback.

Thanks for visiting,
Nic Foster

I've revamped the lessons section so that each lesson has its own individual page. This will make it easier to navigate through the lessons and easier to link outside sources to them, like my forum posts in the Creator's Club site :oP.

I've created a sample section for programs/code that is made more as a demo or base for others to work with.

I've uploaded a simple physics sample, and a 3D game template program which helps newbies get started with 3D games. However both samples are very very alpha, so no high expections please.

I've also uploaded two old programs from when I first started 3D programming in June 2006. They're in the projects section in chronological order, look for June 2006. They're not XNA like most samples, these ones are C++/DirectX 9.

I know the Lessons section hasn't been updated much recently. Part of that is due to my 40 hour/week job, part of it to full-time school, but for the most part I have been busy learning new programming techniques. So while you haven't seen many new lessons, you will see increased samples. What is the saying...."One sample is worth a thousand lessons?".....I dunno, I'm tired. If there are any lessons you guys want in particular, or in depth, feel free to email me.

Speaking of samples, I will be using the Ogre engine extensively over the next 4 months for school finals, be on the lookout for Ogre samples during that time.

Have been playing around with normal mapping, I uploaded a sample with full source. Enjoy.

Our entire class will be working together designing the final project game which is the final we turn in before we graduate. It will be a Diablo 2 style game, isometric view, however in 3D. We will be using the Ogre engine to create it. I'll post progress from time to time.

I've begun playing around with terrains, quad-trees, day/night lighting effects and some other stuff just so I can say I've learned it. I learned a lot I have. As always, I like to share. You can download the project from the main page, full source included.

After demoing our alpha release of Infection to a game company here in Colorado, I am finally posting it on the site. You can find it under the projects section on the nav bar on the left.

Details about XNA 2.0 are beginning to be released. Microsoft will be discussing many details at the GameFest convention on August 13th and 14th. XNA 2.0 looks like it may include support for networking through PC and 360 both! Sounds like quite a few other features will be added as well. I'm looking forward to it.

XNA is lacking several features key to today's games. One of the largest features completely missing is vertex read-in from the content pipeline. Without the vertices from a model there is no way to do a truly accurate collision with models. For instance, if you have two cars in a game and they want to collide, the best collision detail you can get is by the bounding spheres of a mesh in that car. What if you have a 3D game that includes walls? Walls certainly cannot be represented by spheres, the collisions would be horrible. You could emulate walls with a matching heightmap possibly. With a heightmap you have a set of vertices, however, the per-vertex math is still missing from XNA, so you would have to create your own. I realize XNA is a just a way to get programmers into the process, as it is much faster and simple than C++/DirectX, however, XNA has true potential if it were to include many of the main missing features.

Having to code from scratch land-based vehicle physics in which all 4 tires have independant velocities, heights, and positions. Having proper physics for falling over a cliff, hanging slightly off a cliff, jumping off ramps (while turning possibly), flipping, and more. Then taking the same vehicle and applying proper physics for collisions including spinning the vehicle in the right direction, for instance, if another player hits your car perpendicular, you should get push straight to the side, however if they come from the side and clip your back bumper, you should spin accordingly. Frustrating!