Doug Bergman’s Beginner’s Guide to Kinect Programming

Created by Doug Bergman @ KinectEducation.com

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This is an introductory guide to getting started with Kinect programming and is broken up into three parts. Part I describes how to install the appropriate software and Parts II and III (in one video) help set up the coding environment to begin programming with Kinect

Part I: Installing Required Software

Requirements: To start developing with Kinect, you will need:

• 1. PC with Windows 7 OS
• 2. Visual Studio Express 2010 C# (free)
• 3. XNA 4.0 (free)
• 4. Kinect SDK Beta 2 (free)
• 5. Kinect Camera

You can buy just the Kinect (without the Xbox 360) camera for $100-$150. NOTE: If you use a camera that came with an Xbox system, it will not have the USB/Power cord with it, you’ll need one of those. You can purchase this online here. USB: HDE Power Supply Cable for Kinect.

Downloading & Installing Visual Studio C#:

1. 1. Download Visual Studio C# Express
2. 2. Click “Install NOW”
3. 3. On the next page, locate the blue link titled “Install Visual Studio 2010 Express C#” (do not click the TRIAL). This will install the Visual Studio installer on your computer.



Source: Visual Studio 2010

4. 4. Double click that file and it will complete the begin install process.
5. 5. Uncheck “SQL server.” You will then see the following screen:

Image Description: Beginning of installing Visual Studio Express

This download contains over 100 MB of information, so it may take a while to complete. Go get some coffee or wash your car .

Downloading & Installing XNA 4.0:

Now, we’re going to install the Xbox game programming environment called XNA 4.0. With XNA 4.0, you can also create games for Windows, Windows Phone or Xbox.

XNA 4.0: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=23714

Downloading & Installing Kinect SDK Beta 2:

Next, install the Kinect SDK Beta 2. This install allows the computer hardware and software to interact with the Kinect camera and the data it sends or receives.

First, determine whether your Windows 7 operating system is a 32-bit or 64-bit system. Check this by right-clicking on “My Computer” and selecting properties.

Download the Kinect SDK Beta 2 from http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=27876.

Find the appropriate download that matches your operating system.

Source: Kinect for Windows

After this final step, you’re finished with part one!

Parts II and III: Beginning Programming

The video below serves as an introductory guide for beginning with Kinect programming.

If you have any questions or run into any problems, feel free to contact us.

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Doug Bergman | KinectEducation | Microsoft Partner in Learning