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I'm fairly good ar c++ and I want to move on to something other the the dos window.
I'm trying to figure out which graphics library to use.
Keep in mind that I'm sort of a noob.
Anyone got any opinions what's the best for beginners or what is best overall?
Thanks in advance,
TWIXX
Well SDL and Allegro are not graphics libraries, OpenGL and Direct3D are graphics libraries.
Now do you want to actually program a game, or are you just looking to program some sort of GUI?
I think for some one new to game programming, allegro would be the easiest.
SDL reminds me of an easy to learn DirectX (even though its 3d is powered by OpenGL).
OpenGL and DirectX will be harder to learn because you also need to learn the WinAPI.
You don't need to learn WAPI for OpenGL, SDL is cross-platform and you can use it with that.
You can also use GLUT which is a cross platform library which uses openGL. If you use GLUT, then you dont have to use the windows API either.
Ummm bitub Im not sure what you mean I guess you mean you can't "create" your own graphics with either but anyways. Either one is good. Ive used both and its all really a matter of preference Im personally using Allegro at this point but others here use SDL and both can do some nice things.
What I meant was what I said. Neither Allegro or SDL are graphics libraries. Both Allegro and SDL use either openGL or direct3D to do their graphics.
Think of SDL or Allegro as wrappers around graphics libraries which makes them easier to use. I dont know much about Allegro, but I believe SDL also has wrappers which help with networking programming, sound, and user I/O.
I'm just pointing this out so that the poster doesnt confuse those things with graphic libraries. This is just to keep him from getting confused later on down the road.
I really just wanted to do some 2d graphic games.
anyone got any tutorials for any of these?
www.libsdl.org - There are links to some tutorials there.
How is Allegro not a graphics programming library?
I stand corrected (like I said, I wasnt that familiar with Allegro). Allegro does appear to have its own graphics library.
SDL is not a graphics library though.
just becuase one library uses another doesnt mean its not a library. If i write a library that uses opengl, directx, and allegro all at the same time for rendering, its still a rendering library. Thats like saying 'fopen" isnt a file IO function because it uses "open"Quote:
Originally Posted by bithub
I did not say SDL is not a library. I said it was not a graphics library.Quote:
just becuase one library uses another doesnt mean its not a library
I'm just saying this because if you ask for help on gamedev.net, and answer "SDL" when people ask what graphics library you are using, you will instantly get corrected that SDL is not a graphics library.
But why would you answer OpenGL when your actually using SDL. SDL and OpenGL are different in many ways. As a matter of fact I think SDL only uses OpenGL for 3d graphics. I am pretty sure that it is not simply an OpenGL wrapper.
But there are many differences like, in SDL you have to lock the surface before drawing to it.
[EDIT]
I checked SDL's site (www.libsdl.org) and found this
So OpenGL is only used to provide access to 3d capabilities.Quote:
Simple DirectMedia Layer is a cross-platform multimedia library designed to provide low level access to audio, keyboard, mouse, joystick, 3D hardware via OpenGL, and 2D video framebuffer
[/EDIT]
Not true.Quote:
Originally Posted by bithub
my point still stands. If a library can be used for graphics, it is totaly legit to call it a graphics library.Quote:
Originally Posted by bithub
Actully I belive that both Allegro and SDL use DirectX for windows graphics but even though I still think they are libraries like perspective said :)
If it is not a library, then what would you call it, bithub?
Quote:
www.libsdl.org
Simple DirectMedia Layer is a cross-platform multimedia library designed to provide low level access to audio, keyboard, mouse, joystick, 3D hardware via OpenGL, and 2D video framebuffer. It is used by MPEG playback software, emulators, and many popular games, including the award winning Linux port of "Civilization: Call To Power."
Allegro uses DX? Now I've heard everything.
Well, I am pretty sure that SDL is not dependant on any other libraries except when it comes to 3d. SDL gets access to 3d hardware by going through OpenGL. But other than that its functions and the low-level things they do are completely independant.
[note] These are my personal opinions and should not be held against me :) [/note]
If you check out the source to SDL, you'll find out it uses DirectX if that is available and if not goes with GDI instead. This is all under Win32 of course and I'm not sure what it uses under the other platforms.
Taken From Allegro's website http://www.talula.demon.co.uk/allegr...en/readme.html400th post Party? ;)Quote:
# DOS graphics drivers for VGA mode 13h, mode-X (twenty three tweaked VGA resolutions plus unchained 640x400 Xtended mode), and SVGA modes with 8, 15, 16, 24, and 32 bit color depths, taking full advantage of VBE 2.0 linear framebuffers and the VBE/AF hardware accelerator API if they are available. Additional video hardware support is available from the FreeBE/AF project (http://www.talula.demon.co.uk/freebe/).
# Windows graphics drivers using DirectX in fullscreen and windowed modes, plus routines for drawing onto GDI device contexts.
# Unix graphics drivers for X, DGA, fbcon, SVGAlib, VBE/AF, mode-X, and standard VGA.
# BeOS graphics drivers using BWindowScreen in fullscreen and BDirectWindow in windowed modes.
# MacOS X native graphics drivers using CGDirectDisplay API for direct fullscreen gfx access and QuickDraw in a Cocoa window in windowed mode.
Well, isnt this interesting.
I guess it stands to reason. I just really had no idea. I have used allegro, and now that I think of it allegro does have 3d support, so that could be routed through DirectX.
Ah, the truths are uncovered.
Actully if you want to do 3d in Allegro You would use allegroGL which uses big shocker OpenGL :) I think that Allegro just uses the 2d stuff of DX same with SDL
Oh this is confusing...
Next you'll tell me that I can use directX with DevCpp...
Oh the humanity.
I think im just going to stick with a WinAPI/OpenGL combo...
Actully you can use direct x with dev-c++ :) but hey openGL and win32 is not a bad combo even though i can't do it :)
Holy mother of shiznit... I give up..Quote:
Actully you can use direct x with dev-c++
Im sorry i ruinied your day :) but heres a link to a whole bunch of add-ons to Dev I gave it out earlier in rod's thread but you should check it too http://devpaks.org/
Geez people just get MSVC, dump DOS, Allegro and all that and choose:
OpenGL or Direct3D.
It's that simple.
Well, unless we start some kind of fund raiser for vicious, MSVC is out of the question.
And I do choose OpenGL, I fins it quite wonderful. I would try DirectX but its hard to find any up-to-date tutorials that will work with the 9 SDK and I havent quite gotten it set up with Dev yet either.