Question (i Speak For All Newbies)

Ok, let me explain, then I will ask the question. I go to gamedev.net and download some of the user-created games on there. I look at these things and wonder how they got all of those things to happen. MAIN QUESTION: How do you get your program to run OUT OF THE DOS CONSOLE, and make it come up like an actual game. For example, I wrote this tic tac toe game that, of course, runs in the dos console. How do I make it so it pops up like an actual game, with nice big colorful words, and pictures perhaps. Like an actual game. How do I do this?

The fact : The more you want to do the more you have to learn

Look into WinAPI and a graphics API like OpenGL or DirectX

I have msvc++ 6.0 and this book called deitel & deitel third edition. What does that mean, WinAPI blah blah? Remember, you are speaking to a newbie. Talk in newbie language.

an API is a set of functions (you know, like printf, or pow, or maybe even clrscr) which let you do lots of fun stuff, the Win32 API lets you manage windows, graphics, sound and lots of stuff, but if you want full power, you can use another API, such as DirectX: http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx , or openGL: http://www.opengl.org

Oskilian

Yes, I have direct x 8. I thought it was only for making my games (that i bought) to run. I didnt know i could use it. How do i use it or open gl?

well, there are two editions of DirectX, one is the retail edition, which is most likely the one you have, and there's the Developer edition, go to microsoft's page and download it.

as for opengl, no, I've never used it, I just know the website

Oskilian

OpenGL:(your compiler comes with everything you need to use it)

http://nehe.gamedev.net
http://www.opengl.org

Direct-X:(you must download a massive SDK)

http://nexe.gamedev.net
http://www.microsoft.com/direct-x

overall resources for everything

http://msdn.microsoft.com
http://www.google.com

if there is a term or something you dont know, just go to www.google.com and run a search, i promise you will find something on it.

Or, see my reply to your other post. ;)http://www.cprogramming.com/cboard/s...&threadid=4222

-Justin