What should I use to create graphics?

I'm not new to VB but I have not used graphics (other than icons and a few bitmaps) in my programs. I would like to create a pretty simple game that would work RTS style (ie: having a static map with animated characters that run around). Reference warcraft or starcraft at http://www.blizzard.com if you don't know what an RTS is.

Anyway, I was wondering if anybody had any suggestions for how I should go about creating graphics for this program. All I have currently to work with is the built in graphics programs in Windows 2000 professional and Windows 98. Should I download something else? Should I work with these? I'd rather not buy something, unless it's really, really worth it. I'm doing this project to learn. Not for profit or anything. By the way: none of these "graphics" should be animated on their own. I'm thinking of creating a few frames and animating them in code.

Secondly, once I determine what I should use to create my graphics: What should I use to implement them into my program? Should I use a simple picturebox control? Is there a better way to display graphics? (better can be faster, cleaner, simplier, or prettier; Im going for simplier the most, I think) If you suggest a way to display my graphics be sure to mention an easy way to animate them too (please). I don't need somebody to write my project for me. Just some ideas.

Finnally, is there a way to make a VB (graphical) project run in a full screen mode (without the window)? Certainly you could just make your main form maximized and make the border style none. But I'm just asking for a more game like interface. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

Thanks for your help
-Jeff

****. Wrote a response and it got nuked... Freakin computers.

Anyhoo, sounds like you want to use DirectX 7 or 8 from Microsoft. If you've got a broadband modem and can download 130 megs, it will be worth it. Otherwise you'll have to shell out $10 and get it on CD.

The DirectX 7 SDK includes DirectDraw, which is primarily geared towards 2D rendering. If you're not scared of 3D (I am), then you could go with DX8 and do all your 2D rendering on 3D surfaces. Really cool stuff. DirectX provides the full-screen functionality you desire as well as managing system resources and has much better performance than making 10 Billion API calls to the GDI32 library.

Just my 2 cents.
-Hand Out

"On a long enough timeline, everyone's life expectancy drops to zero." - Fight Club

You might want to download Paint Shop Pro 7.0 or 3.0 from http://www.jasc.com. It is an excellent drawing program, and as for the animation, you could do it as simply as have one image control on the form and put a timer on the form, set the interval to 100, and put this code inside the timer:

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
If Image1.Picture = "C:\Name of first picture and the location" Then
Image1.Picture = LoadPicture("C:\Next frame in animation"
ElseIf Image1.Picture = "C:\The second frame" Then
Image1.Picture = LoadPicture("C:\First frame")
End Sub

Hope this helps. Just a note, I think Paint Shop Pro 7 is about 28 MB, while Paint Shop Pro 3 is only 1.28 MB or so.

--Defiance



"Soon I will answer your questions, now you will answer mine..."