XNA Game Studio 4.0 Programming: Developing for Windows

Chapter 8. Introduction to Custom Effects

If you want the ultimate control over the graphics in your game you will want to write your own custom shader effects. Writing your own effects allows you the developer to control how the graphics hardware renders the geometry in your game.

In this chapter you will learn:

• The different parts that make up a custom effect file

• How to create your first custom effect file

• Vertex coloring and texturing

• Numerious lighting models for directional and point lights

• Setting effect states using an effect

Although XNA Game Studio 4.0 provides five built-in effects to use in your game, you are not limited to just these five for your Windows and Xbox 360 games. Underneath the five built-in effects are compiled ...