XNA Creators Club - Education Catalog List

Primitives3D

This sample provides easily reusable code for drawing basic geometric primitives.

Skinned Model Extensions Tutorial

This tutorial will teach you how to extend the Skinned Model sample by directly accessing and manipulating the positions of specific bones to add three new features.

What is Reputation?

How you make your mark on XNA Creators Club Online

Custom Avatar Animation Sample

This sample shows how to load and process a custom animation for an avatar by using the XNA Framework Content Pipeline.

Avatar Animation Rig

The avatar rig is a model and animation rig setup for authoring custom avatar animations.

Avatar Animation Pack

21 custom avatar animations.

SoundLab

XACT project for Game Studio 3.0; available to Premium Creators Only.

Object Placement On Avatar Sample

This sample shows how to draw a model on part of an avatar. In this case, a baseball bat is placed in the avatar's right hand.

Avatar Multiple Animations Sample

This sample demonstrates how to play two animations simultaneously on different parts of a single avatar

Avatar Animation Blending Sample

This sample shows how to blend two avatar animations together so that they smoothly transition from one animation to the next

Avatars: What Can You Do?

Learn what Avatars are NOT allowed to do in Xbox LIVE Indie Games

Convert 3.0 Projects to XNA Game Studio 3.1

Want to sell your Creation on Marketplace? Read this article to learn more about it!

XNA Game Studio 3.1: What's new?

A list of changes in XNA Game Studio 3.1

GDC 2009 Presentations Now Available

Several exciting presentations around XNA Game Studio were shown at this year’s Game Developers Conference.

Spaceshooter Minigame

This Spaceshooter Minigame includes elements of AI, Collision Detection, and other awesome Outer Space Battle features.

Alien Game

Alien Game is a complete XNA Game Studio sample game designed to run on Zune.

Official XNA Logo Pack

This Logo pack is for use in Xbox LIVE Indie Games or with XNA related materials. It is available to Premium Creators Only.

Input Sequence Sample

Learn how to detect sequences of input such as: combo moves or cheat codes!

Invites

This sample shows how to support invites in a networked XNA Framework game.

Spacewar

Spacewar is a complete starship combat game. It comes in two versions: Retro and Evolved.

Safe Area

This sample shows how to make an XNA Framework game display correctly on a wide range of different televisions.

Localization

This sample shows how to localize an XNA Framework game into multiple languages.

Waypoint Navigation

This sample demonstrates basic artificial intelligence navigation in 2D, using waypoints.

Shader Series 5: Multipass Lighting

This sample uses blend states to add the effects of individual draws to the back buffer, allowing multiple draws to light the same piece of geometry.

Flocking

This sample demonstrates how AIs can use simple rules to move together and create complex behaviors.

Shadow Series 1: Basic Shadow Mapping

This sample shows you how to implement basic shadow mapping from a directional light where the view and projection of the shadow map adapt to the viewing frustum of the viewer's camera.

SpriteBatch Shader

This utility provides the HLSL source code for the SpriteBatch shader that comes built into the XNA Framework, so you can make your own improvements and additions to the sprite drawing process.

BasicEffect Shader

This utility provides the HLSL source code for the BasicEffect shader that comes built into the XNA Framework. You can use it to extend the simple 3D transform and lighting capabilities of BasicEffect and add your own 3D effects.

Movipa

Movipa is a puzzle game that demonstrates game features such as non-continuous rendering, asynchronous asset loading, game state saving and loading, multiple gameplay modes and complex scene-description system for layered 2D scenes.

Robot Game

Robot Game is a 3D robot combat mini game. It demonstrates advanced graphics using shaders and post-processing effects, advanced particle systems and 3D positional sound for both single-player and split-screen two-player versus mode.

Role-Playing Game

This starter kit contains a two-dimensional role-playing game that utilizes a tile engine, complete with character classes, multiple party members, items, and quests.

Fuzzy Logic

This sample shows how an AI can use fuzzy logic to make decisions. It also demonstrates a method for organizing different AI behaviors, similar to a state machine.

Lens Flare

This sample shows you how to implement a lens flare effect by using occlusion queries to detect when the sun is hidden behind the landscape.

Sprite Sheet

This sample shows how to implement sprite sheets, combining many separate sprite images into a single larger texture that will be more efficient for the graphics card.

WinForms Series 1: Graphics Device

This sample shows you how to use an XNA Framework GraphicsDevice object to display 3D graphics inside a WinForms application.

WinForms Series 2: Content Loading

This sample shows you how to import arbitrary 3D models at run time by running the Content Pipeline importers and processors dynamically on the fly.

Collision Series 5: Heightmap Collision with Normals

This sample demonstrates how to use information about a heightmap's vertex normals to follow the contour of the terrain.

Network Prediction

This sample shows how to use prediction and smoothing algorithms to compensate for network lag, making remotely controlled objects appear to move smoothly even when there is a significant delay in packets being delivered over the network.

Network Lobby and Chat Icons

This set of images is designed for displaying status within a networking game, including voice-chat and readiness.

Network Game State Management

This sample shows how to implement the user interface for a multiplayer networked game. It provide menus for creating, finding, and joining sessions, a lobby screen, and robust network error handling.

Network Architecture: Peer-to-Peer

This sample implements a simple multiplayer network session, using a peer-to-peer network topology where each computer is responsible for updating the state of its locally controlled players.

Network Architecture: Client/Server

This sample implements a simple multiplayer network session, using a client/server network topology where each computer sends its player input to the server, which updates the state of everyone in the session and sends results back to the clients.

Redistributable Font Pack

These OpenType fonts, created by Ascender Corporation and licensed by Microsoft, are free for you to use in your XNA Game Studio game.

Net Rumble

Showcasing the new multiplayer features in XNA Game Studio, Net Rumble is a two-dimensional shooter where up to sixteen players compete online in a death match arena filled with asteroids and power-ups.

Mesh Instancing

This sample shows how to efficiently render many copies of the same model, using GPU instancing techniques to reduce the cost of repeated draw calls.

Custom Model Class

This sample shows how to go beyond the limits of the standard Model class, loading geometry data into an entirely custom class that can be extended more easily to cope with specialized requirements.

Collision Series 4: Collision with a Heightmap

This sample demonstrates how to move objects along a heightmap, useful when creating a game that requires interaction between moving objects and terrain.

Xbox 360 Controller Button Images

This utility is a set of images that represent the buttons, thumbsticks, and triggers on the Xbox 360 Controller.

Shatter

This sample shows how you can apply an effect on any model in your game to shatter it apart.

Curve Editor

This utility provides an easy-to-use visual editor for creating curves for use with the XNA Framework Curve class. The curve control used to display and edit curves inside the editor can also be imported into your own applications.

Input Reporter

This utility displays input data for all controllers connected to the system. It supports multiple controller types, including flight sticks, dance pads, and guitars.

Distortion

This sample demonstrates how to implement a variety of screen-space distortion effects with a general post-processing technique.

Optimization: Particles and High-Frequency Code

This tutorial teaches you how to find and correct performance problems in your game. It highlights solutions to common performance problems on Xbox 360, using a particle system as an example.

Shader Series 4: Materials and Multiple Light Sources

This sample is an example of how a developer might combine the techniques leading up to this sample into a usable system for composing a 3D scene.

Ship Game

Ship Game is a 3D spaceship combat game set inside a complex tunnel system. It features advanced lighting and textures, a full GPU particle system, and advanced physics. Explore the tunnels on your own, or take on a friend head-to-head.

Vector Rumble

The Vector Rumble mini-game is a two-dimensional shooter, pitting up to four players against one another in a death match arena filled with asteroids and power-ups.

Chase & Evade

Featuring a cat, a mouse, and a tank, this sample demonstrates how to implement several simple behaviors for AI, including chasing, evading, and wandering.

Collision Series 3: 2D Collision with Transformed Objects

This tutorial explains how to perform per-pixel collision detection in two dimensions on sprites that use linear transformations such as rotation or scale.

Pickture

The Pickture mini-game is a photo-based puzzle game with a twist: on the more difficult settings, the board is two sided and puzzle chips can be flipped.

Shader Series 3: Per-Pixel Lighting

This sample explains how to move lighting calculations to the pixel shader for high-quality per-pixel lighting.

Authoring Particle Systems Using XML and the Content Pipeline

This tutorial teaches you how to extend the Particle 3D sample so the particle systems are defined by XML files loaded with the XNA Content Pipeline.

Non-Realistic Rendering

This sample shows how to implement stylized, non-photorealistic rendering techniques, such as cartoon shading, edge detection, and a pencil sketch effect.

Picking with Triangle Accuracy

This sample extends the Picking sample with a more accurate picking algorithm, which tests against individual triangles that make up a mesh.

Color Replacement

This sample demonstrates how to render parts of an object with a user-defined color.

Chase Camera

This sample demonstrates how to create a simple chase camera with spring physics.

Custom Model Importer

This sample shows how to implement a custom model importer for the XNA Content Pipeline.

Catapult

The Catapult mini-game is a quick, addictive game where the goal is to send a pumpkin flying as far as possible.

Collision Series 1: 2D Rectangle Collision

This tutorial details several simple techniques for constraining motion and collision detection in two dimensions.

Collision Series 2: 2D Per-Pixel Collision

This tutorial details how to perform per-pixel collision detection in two dimensions.

Picking

This sample shows how to determine whether a player's cursor is over an object, and how to find out where on the screen an object is.

Shader Series 2: Textures and Colors

This sample shows how to combine texture operations with mathematical color operations to blend colors and achieve interesting lighting effects.

Particle 3D

This sample shows how to implement a 3D particle system using point sprites. The sample builds on the ideas introduced in the Particle sample, showing how those principles can be extended to work in 3D and optimized through the use of shaders.

Aiming

This sample shows how to turn one object to face another. This can be useful for aiming, for example.

3D Audio

This sample shows how to position sounds in 3D space, implementing panning, Doppler, and distance attenuation effects.

Racing Game

Racing Game is a 3D auto racing game that features advanced graphics, audio, and input processing. Race around the track and try to beat the ghost car to achieve the best time.

Game State Management

This sample shows how to manage the transitions between different menus and gameplay states.

Bitmap Font Maker

This utility converts Windows TrueType fonts into .bmp files, allowing you to modify the rendered font .bmp file before loading it into your game and add effects such as drop shadows.

Bloom Postprocess

This sample shows how to use bloom post-processing filters to add a glow effect over the top of an existing scene.

Primitives

This sample shows how to extend the Spacewar VectorShape code to create PrimitiveBatch, which can be used to easily draw points, lines, and triangles on the screen.

Particles

This sample introduces the concept of a particle system, and shows how to draw particle effects by using SpriteBatch. Two particle effects are demonstrated: an explosion and a rising plume of smoke.

Shader Series 1: Vertex Lighting

This sample shows one of the most basic uses of shader effects — vertex lighting.

Xbox 360 Controller Images

This utility is a set of Xbox 360 Controller graphics that you can use in your game.

Shader Series: Coordinate Spaces

This supplemental article outlines the different coordinate spaces that are necessary when creating shaders.

Data Structures

This series of articles is an introduction to using data structures in games, with several game-specific examples of using data structures, and a quick-reference data structure performance "cheat sheet."

Shader Series: Introduction

This article is an introduction to the Shader Series, a set of samples and articles that allow an intermediate 3D developer to begin to explore the programmable graphics pipeline.

Shader Series: Fixed Function to Programmable Pipeline

This supplemental article is a quick guide to the differences between fixed-function graphics architecture present in Direct3D9 and the programmable pipeline architecture used in the XNA Framework.

Sprite Effects

This sample shows how shaders can be used to implement special effects when drawing 2D graphics with SpriteBatch.

Generated Geometry

This sample shows how 3D models can be generated by code during the XNA Content Pipeline build process.

Marblets

Marblets is a puzzle-style game that challenges you to eliminate groups of same-colored bubbles. This starter kit version offers only a few game modes, providing ample opportunity to add your own unique game types and modes.

Minjie

The Minjie mini-game is a puzzle game that challenges you to flip your opponent’s pieces to your own color by surrounding them on two sides with your own pieces.

Normal Mapping

This sample applies a normal mapping effect to a mesh, and uses a custom content processor to demonstrate adding and removing per-vertex data and reading opaque data.

Custom Model Effect

This sample shows how custom effects can be applied to a model using the XNA Content Pipeline.

Billboards

This sample shows how to efficiently render large numbers of billboard sprites, using a vertex shader to perform the billboard computations entirely on the GPU.

Tiled Sprites

This sample shows how to manage data for tiling, animation, visibility determination, and virtualization of a 2D camera.

Skinned Model

This sample shows how to process and render a skinned character model using the XNA Framework Content Pipeline.

Simple Animation

This sample shows how to apply simple program controlled rigid body animation to a model rendered using the XNA Framework.