September Content Update

A new content update for creators club and a lot of cool new demo’s for us to play with!

This week brought us some great new content for the XNA Creators Club Online website. Included in the release are the following.

Samples
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.

Custom Model Class - This sample shows how to go beyond the limits of the Model class that comes built in to the XNA Framework, loading geometry data into an entirely custom class that can be extended more easily to cope with specialized requirements.

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.

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

Utilities
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. The utility supports multiple controller types, including flight sticks, dance pads, and guitars.

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

Other
Ship Game Article - 3D Collision using the BoxCollider library - This supplemental article introduces the BoxCollider library provided in Ship Game. BoxCollider is a collision detection and response library that features an octree implementation, collision response with friction effects, and prebuilt collision-aware camera classes.

Enjoy!!