Thread: Loading a Bitmap w/ DirectX

Originally Posted by BrodieBrodie

hmmmm... this article might be of interest: DirectDraw
seems to me DDraw 4.0 is getting a new lease of life in phone technology

If you're trying to make a case for its currentness I'm not sure pointing an 8 year old document about a 7 year old, outmoded tablet and PDA OS whose software is completely incompatible with current iterations of Windows Phone is the right way to go about it.

VirtualAce, I dont think Binks is planing on running his companie on Direct Draw, so who cares if it is deprecated. As long as it works, and one can use it. I think his intention was to have fun programming a game. Therefor I would, and continue to sugest, using Direct Draw.

Why would you and do you continue to push something that was completely out of date? And we are not talking about a few years here but almost more than a decade out of date. It makes no sense.

So then Binks, back to you, this is the best bet for learning 3D

You make no sense at all. First you push DirectDraw like it is the best thing since sliced bread and then you post a link to an article that completely supports everything I've been trying to convey and does not support anything you have been saying. And you think that somehow the folks over at gamedev are going to tout you as a sheer genius for attemping to tell someone to use something that completely unsupported on modern hardware? Last I checked most of gamedev was centered around XNA and the C++ DirectX questions were getting harder to find. Gamedev is a great source of information but don't act like they are somehow magically different than we are just b/c you think they won't think you are a total goofball for suggesting a new person attempt to continue to learn a completely outdated technology.

Binks just do yourself a favor and go buy a simple beginner's book on Direct3D.

This is an excellent book to start out with and I suggest it to all of the new members on our team at work. It is a great way to come up to speed on Direct3D and it also covers using HLSL via the effects framework.

http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-G...7783479&sr=8-7

I would not consider myself helping you if I pointed to in a direction that would only mislead you and cause more confusion later. You can continue to develop in DirectDraw but your options will be limited as will your book choices. Just move to Direct3D via that book and you will never look back.

If you find after reading the book and going through the samples that I am completely off my rocker then feel free to come back here and let me have it. I'm only trying to help you get into graphics and trust me that learning the Direct3D API is only the tip of the iceberg. Once you learn how to use the API (which is quite simple once you get used to it) the rest is about buying books like GPU Gems, Game programming gems, ShaderX series, etc., and learning new techniques and new approaches to graphics. If you seriously want to make a game I suggest you invest in a game engine like Torque or some other off the shelf engine. If you want to learn graphics then I suggest you attempt to roll your own simple little 2D or 3D system. It will never match the big boys but you will learn a lot along the way. Once you learn it then you can invest in an engine and make your game.

Along the way I also recommend you buy books about C++ programming, data structures, design patterns, software architecture, and software development in general. These types of books are invaluable as you begin to design and develop larger systems or components that integrate into larger systems.