[cross-posted from a front-page post]

Today we have released four new and twelve updated pieces of educational content, all designed to support XNA Game Studio 2.0.  Each Thursday for the next three weeks, we will release more updated content until our entire catalog has been converted, as well as continuing to deliver new content.

New Samples
Collision Series 5: Heightmap Collision with Normals - A continuation of our popular Collision Series, this sample demonstrates how to use information about a heightmap's vertex normals to follow the contour of the terrain.

Sprite Sheet Sample - 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.
Note: The Font sample has been unsupported since XNA Game Studio 1.0 Refresh supplied the SpriteFont sample, but it was left in the catalog because it demonstrated a novel use of the XNA Content Pipeline. This sample uses a similar technique, so we have removed the Font sample from the catalog.


NEW - WinForms Series
Many users have been asking for the ability to use the XNA Framework within their WinForms applications. Our new WinForms series shows you how.

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 as opposed to building all the content ahead of time in the usual way.


Updated Samples
Billboard Sample - 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.

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

Particle Sample - 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.

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


Shader Series
Shader Series: Introduction (Article) - 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 1: Vertex Lighting Sample - This sample shows one of the most basic uses of shader effects—vertex lighting.

Shader Series 2: Textures and Colors Sample - This sample shows how to combine texture operations with mathematical color operations to blend colors and achieve interesting lighting effects.

Shader Series 3: Per-Pixel Lighting Sample - This sample shows how to use a pixel shader to perform per-pixel lighting with specular highlights that shift depending on the viewer's orientation.

Shader Series 4: Materials and Multiple Light Sources Sample - 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.

Shader Series: Fixed-Function to Programmable Pipeline (Article) - 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. Note: No changes were necessary to support XNA Game Studio 2.0.

Shader Series: Coordinate Systems (Article) - This supplemental article outlines the different coordinate spaces that are necessary to understand when creating shaders. Note: No changes were necessary to support XNA Game Studio 2.0.


Data Structures Series
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." Note: No changes were necessary to support XNA Game Studio 2.0.


Updated Tutorials
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.


Updated Mini Games
Minjie - The goal in Minjie is to flip your opponent’s pieces to your own color by surrounding them on two sides with your own pieces.

Pickture - The goal in Pickture is to slide the puzzle chips until the picture is complete. However, there is a twist: on the more difficult settings, the board is two sided and puzzle chips can be flipped.

As of this time, all existing Tutorials and Articles have been converted. There are still a few Samples, Mini Games, Utilities, and Starter Kits to be converted and released.

Our next content release is planned for January 17th, 2008.

As always, if you have suggestions for new and additional content, visit our content forums to discuss.