You say that you have a C# background so I am going to assume you are more comfortable with C# then C++. Also, you say that you have knowledge of C++ so I will assume that you already have an understanding of memory management.

If you just want to learn and become more comfortable with the graphics pipeline you should check out SlimDX and XNA. They both allow you to use DirectX without having to dive into C/C++.

As for whether to learn the theory or API first I don t think you should do either one first. It makes sense to learn them asynchronously. Pick up a book on the theory but mess around with an API at the same time.

I highly recommend XNA. People commonly say that you should stick with C++ if you want to develop games but I strongly disagree. XNA will allow you to learn more high level game concepts in less time than if you use C++ and DirectX alone. You will be able to focus on learning why you are doing something rather than how to manage the memory. If in the future you decide that game development is a serious passion then by all means C++ is the way to go. You will find that XNA s graphics pipeline closely mirrors DirectX 9 and wont have much trouble moving to C++.

Also, DirectX 9 should be good enough for any beginner and it will give you a better understanding of how and why things have changed in 10 and 11. However, if you really want bleeding edge technologies you can try out SlimDX which is a C# wrapper for DirectX.

With all this said, XNA offers many easy to understand samples that you can start playing with on their educational catalog page. Also, check out ziggyware (great collection of xna tutorials).

Also, there are many blogs you can check out. A lot of them have excellent tutorials on them. Here are some off the top of my head:

• Reimer Grootjans
• Shawn Hargreaves
• Richard Dodsworth
• Renaud Bédard
• Nick Gravelyn

Finally, here are 2 graphics books that I highly recommend (they are pretty complex and will last you a long time):

• Fundamentals of Computer Graphics
• Real-Time Rendering

They are not directly related to DirectX, but rather they cover the theory every graphics developer should know. (from linear algebra to texture mapping to volumetrix rendering...)

Well I have to disagree with the C# option. If you don t have a deadline to finish the game, then I recommend using the language that teach you most. Working with 3d graphics is A LOT about management so if you are avoding it you are not actually learning but just using it, ie. you not only have to manage memory but the actual render calls you make and the device state changes, a lot of things that you will never know by avoding lower level, and which applies for other APIs too such as OpenGL or for other kind of devices. I think the best way of knowing how the api works is by using the api, instead of a bunch of helper libraries. You can use the helper libraries when you really need it instead (which you can find in their C++ version anyway).

In the DX SDK you can also find the Sample Browser with some sample applications with their documentation and you have the DirectX Utility Toolkit which contains a framework and libraries to make a DirectX app without having to worry much about the nasty device things such as enumeration and config. It also comes with a GUI system and a settings dialog for the device config. I doubt you can find those in C# and they are very good if you want to start with DX.

Some resources that helped me when I started were the zophusX tutorials

and a book called "Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9.0c", by Frank D. Luna (there is the DX10 version now) and probably the book 3d Game Engine Programming by Stephan Zerbst also helped me to understand some things about how to work better with the apis. Though you may have to buy them in order to read them. They are helpful to start with both some theory and using the API at the same time.

I think if your target is to learn how to make a game then you can use any language/library you want you don t even need to know a programming language :) but if your target is learning DirectX and graphics APIs you should definitively start with the C++ api which is the "actual" DX.

If you have a bit of extra money, I was very impressed with the DirectX graphics courses from http://www.gameinstitute.com. The textbook they provide was very good as far as the other DirectX books I ve seen are concerned. The first module DirectX Graphics I starts off with a bit of a math review and some 3D fundamentals before diving into setting up and using DirectX. By the end of the first module you will have built a textured terrain renderer and an indoor scene.

Overall the courses are not that expensive when you consider how much books on the subject cost. I would definitely recommend checking it out!