Vertices and Indices

Hi all.
I am having a bit of trouble understanding vertices and indices...

Code:

Vertex* vertices;
/*Lock the Vertex buffer to access it's memory*/
VB->Lock(
        0, /*Offset, in bytes, from the start of the buffer to the location to begin the lock*/ 
        0, /*Number of bytes to lock*/
        (void**)&vertices, /*A pointer to the start of the locked memory, converted from Vertex** to void** */ 
        0); /*Flags describing how the lock is done*/

/*Vertices of a unit cube*/
vertices[0] = Vertex(-1.0f, -1.0f, -1.0f);
vertices[1] = Vertex(-1.0f, 1.0f, -1.0f);
vertices[2] = Vertex(1.0f, 1.0f, -1.0f);
vertices[3] = Vertex(1.0f, -1.0f, -1.0f);
vertices[4] = Vertex(-1.0f, -1.0f, 1.0f);
vertices[5] = Vertex(-1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
vertices[6] = Vertex(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
vertices[7] = Vertex(1.0f, -1.0f, 1.0f);

VB->Unlock(); /*Unlock the Vertex buffer*/

I understand the Lock/Unlock concept but i don't get this part...

Code:

/*Vertices of a unit cube*/
vertices[0] = Vertex(-1.0f, -1.0f, -1.0f);
vertices[1] = Vertex(-1.0f, 1.0f, -1.0f);
vertices[2] = Vertex(1.0f, 1.0f, -1.0f);
vertices[3] = Vertex(1.0f, -1.0f, -1.0f);
vertices[4] = Vertex(-1.0f, -1.0f, 1.0f);
vertices[5] = Vertex(-1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
vertices[6] = Vertex(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
vertices[7] = Vertex(1.0f, -1.0f, 1.0f);

Mayby if you help me understand this i might not have to ask about indices... Hopefully

They are the eight 3-D coordinates of the corners of the cube, stored sequentially in an array.

So.... why does it have -1.0f and 1.0f in the paremeters? What does that do?

Those are the actual coordinates of the vertices corresponding to the corners of the cube.

(-1.0f, -1.0f, -1.0f) is coordinate in 3-space (lower left back corner)
(-1.0f, 1.0f, -1.0f) is another coordinate (upper left back corner)
etc...

Thanks, i think i'm starting to gradually understand it, but how do you know it's the lower left back corner and such?

Because the way the X, Y and Z axis (sp?) are oriented is fixed in the base DirectX coordinate system: X points right, Y points up, and Z points ... can't remember. Either towards the viewer or away. It's one of the points where OpenGL and DirectX differ, and I can never remember which is which.

Oh ok, i get it now, thanks...

Right... with Vertices i had an idea what was going on, but with Indices, i am completely stumped.

Code:

/*Define the triangles of the cube*/
WORD* indices = 0;
/*Lock the index buffer to access it's memory*/
IB->Lock(
      0, /*Offset, in bytes, from the start of the buffer to the location to begin the lock*/
      0, /*Number of bytes to lock*/
      (void**)&indices, /*A pointer to the start of the locked memory, converted from WORD** to void** */ 
      0); /*Flags describing how the lock is done*/

/*Front side*/
indices[0]  = 0; indices[1]  = 1; indices[2]  = 2;
indices[3]  = 0; indices[4]  = 2; indices[5]  = 3;
/*Back side*/
indices[6]  = 4; indices[7]  = 6; indices[8]  = 5;
indices[9]  = 4; indices[10] = 7; indices[11] = 6;
/*Left side*/
indices[12] = 4; indices[13] = 5; indices[14] = 1;
indices[15] = 4; indices[16] = 1; indices[17] = 0;
/*Right side*/
indices[18] = 3; indices[19] = 2; indices[20] = 6;
indices[21] = 3; indices[22] = 6; indices[23] = 7;
/*Top*/
indices[24] = 1; indices[25] = 5; indices[26] = 6;
indices[27] = 1; indices[28] = 6; indices[29] = 2;
/*Bottom*/
indices[30] = 4; indices[31] = 0; indices[32] = 3;
indices[33] = 4; indices[34] = 3; indices[35] = 7;

IB->Unlock(); /*Unlock the Index buffer*/

Has anyone any idea what this means?
I know, i'm a complete n00b.

Pretty simple. When you define a cube using vertices only, you need 12 triangles (2 per side) and thus 36 vertices. Yet among these 36 vertices, there are only 8 distinct ones. That's a huge waste of space, not to mention a lot of work to change.
A better way is to define the 8 distinct vertices as an array and then compose the triangles of indices into this array. That's what the index buffer is for.

Basically, replace every entry indices[i] with the expression vertices[indices[i]] and you've got the vertices that make up the triangles of the cube.

This follows the old programming proverb, "Every problem can be solved by adding another level of indirection."

Direct3D Z increases into the screen - or away from the camera. OpenGL is just the opposite.

So... (-1.0f, -1.0f, -1.0f) would be the lower left front corner?

the lower left back corner if I understand well

No, front corner is correct in DirectX.

Eh, but that would meen that the z axis would point toward the camera.
I'm confused....

eh?
http://www.wonko.info/vrml/axis.gif