Phatt
06-23-2002, 07:12 AM
G'day,
I just wanted to know how difficult it is to use Direct X with Visual Basic. Also, does it require much more programming knowledge? Does its controls come with Visual Basic 6, or do I have to download them? Thankyou for any help.
I also like the colours of this forum! :D
Phatt
Squirm
06-23-2002, 09:34 AM
Also, does it require much more programming knowledge?
More programming knowledge than what?
Does its controls come with Visual Basic 6, or do I have to download them?
The DirectX typelibs for VB are installed with DirectX itself
www.directx4vb.com
Phatt
06-25-2002, 05:21 AM
More programming knowledge than pretty good VB. Is it difficult?
Phatt
Squirm
06-25-2002, 05:35 AM
As with everything, its all relative, and depends how complex your program gets. If you're doing simple DirectDraw, then apart from the surface creation, its as easy as using GDI API. Direct3D may be more complex, but if you're good at vector maths and know about 3D transformations then you pick it up pretty quickly. The other elements of DirectX have varying degrees of difficulty. DirectMusic is amazingly simple, and DirectSound can be also. DirectInput and DirectPlay are more tricky.
AcidBoot
06-29-2002, 03:24 AM
In my opinion, DirectX is easier than Windows API. 3D is fairly tricky, but WinAPI doesn't have the capabilities of DirectX in this area..
Phatt
07-07-2002, 06:58 AM
I'm interested in this surface creation. What can it do? I want to have a 2D map. What can be done with that in DirectX?
Phatt
Iceplug
07-07-2002, 12:59 PM
A surface in DirectDraw is like an artboard. You can have any number of boards, each of which you can draw on...
Usually, you'll have a Primary surface, which is hooked directly to the screen... whatever you draw here goes directly to the display.
Then you have backbuffers, which work in the background to give artwork to the primary. You can make a backbuffer that will continuously update the primary for more of a graphical interface environment :). You can load bitmaps onto a surface for your painting needs.
I posted a 2D map game in the Game Programming Forum... check it out!
I used the ASCII key characters and have them reference a bitmap, which paints to the background surface that paints to the foreground (primary).