DirectX - Starting Guide?

Ok i have a few questions, keep in mind my knowlage of API's is very very very limited. I do know that using such an advanced api such as DX or OpenGL is going to be hard, and that Win32 experience is required, but i still wish to give it a try.

Now could you enlighten me on a few things and answer the following hopefully painless questions?

1. First off, i heard full OpenGL libraries is not free, is DirectX? In otherwords can i code fully in DirectX without paying a dime? (legally :p)

2. If DirectX is free, where can i download it at?

3. Are there any good tutorial / newbie DirectX sites that anyone knows of? I havent been able to find squat for DX or OGL.

4. What is a good DirectX book, for a beginner. Now DirectX is insanely complicated for a newbie to C++ in general (knowlage is there, however not yet applied), so i need a heavily explanitory type book. Any ideas?


Thanks, please forgive my nub ness lol. At the moment i am wanting to go OpenGL or DX (pref DX because id rather be there at the end), but all i can come up with is Allegro which is extremely not where i want to be lol. I mean it works great for beginning, but personally i want to spend time learning all this and not learn allegro, build my planned programs/games, then revamp everytime i need a little more with a more advanced API.

Anyway, thanks again to anyone who responds :)

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Originally Posted by Zeusbwr

Ok i have a few questions, keep in mind my knowlage of API's is very very very limited. I do know that using such an advanced api such as DX or OpenGL is going to be hard, and that Win32 experience is required, but i still wish to give it a try.

Now could you enlighten me on a few things and answer the following hopefully painless questions?

1. First off, i heard full OpenGL libraries is not free, is DirectX? In otherwords can i code fully in DirectX without paying a dime? (legally :p)

2. If DirectX is free, where can i download it at?

3. Are there any good tutorial / newbie DirectX sites that anyone knows of? I havent been able to find squat for DX or OGL.

4. What is a good DirectX book, for a beginner. Now DirectX is insanely complicated for a newbie to C++ in general (knowlage is there, however not yet applied), so i need a heavily explanitory type book. Any ideas?


Thanks, please forgive my nub ness lol. At the moment i am wanting to go OpenGL or DX (pref DX because id rather be there at the end), but all i can come up with is Allegro which is extremely not where i want to be lol. I mean it works great for beginning, but personally i want to spend time learning all this and not learn allegro, build my planned programs/games, then revamp everytime i need a little more with a more advanced API.

Anyway, thanks again to anyone who responds :)

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1) You heard wrong, you can code in either DirectX or OpenGL without paying a dime, legally.

2) You can get the latest DirectX SDK at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

3) Check the thread titled "Game Programming Links" on this board for a lot of really good sites.

4) Before you go rushing out to buy all the latest and greatest DirectX books, I would start off with some of the tutorials and read up on Win32 if you are developing for a windows based platform(which you will be if you are using directx). I might even pick up a good book on Win32 Programming if I were you. Take a look at getting Petzold's book. Then you will know what to look for in a good book.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846

1. Wow, you dont pay anything for anypart of OpenGL? I mean i figured you could get some ifnot most of it free, but the way i was told it i thought something was free. Seeing as i can run small tutorial OpenGL programs.

4. Ya sorry, if i didnt say that it was in my head about wanting sites befor i buy the book. Its what i did with C++. I would like tutorials and to play around with DX first, so i know what i am doing enough to get a book that i KNOW will fit my needs and learning style.

Big thanks :)

sigh, and sorry lol. Im not on my comp, since i just moved i dont have access to broadband either sigh. Do you know if that link you gave me is DirectX's API for coding only?
Like do i need "DirectX 9.0c Runtime"? Because im on 56k and 227 meg on 56, let alone a none dedicated 56k as we need the line during the day, i cant do 227 megs lol. Anyway i can dl this peice by peice? Or something? Grr damnit lol.

Well there is no choice but to download it. I guess the only way is to use a download manager so you can resume your download later on.
I know you want to learn DX but OpenGL on the other hand you dont need to download anything :)

Ya, i was thinkin maybe just for ease of everything i will go opengl. Its still very robust.

Also, one last thing about DX. Is MSVS Needed to code DX? Or anything outside of that 227meg package needed? Clients? ect.? In otherwords, with plain code and my current Compiler(GNU++/Dev C++) can i code DX?

im a little late here but Win32 knowledge is not required for openGL. Libraries like GLUT make windowing very easy and is multi-platform.

see here: http://cboard.cprogramming.com/showthread.php?t=56045

k thx :), but ya, assuming DX has any more problems, like requirements, coding, ect, im not ganna bother and instead just go with OGL. Iv already got it installed and running simple tut programs works just fine so i dunno lol.

Like perspective said about window manager's i use SDL and not win32 with opengl

Poor DirectX. It's not that bad....really, it's not.

lol hey i like DX from the sounds of it, its just that its making itself hard to setup in my case. OpenGL is already setup, and has many tuts on webpages and whatnot (nehe's site is a great example).

Personally id rather go DirectX, but i gatta work with the limited tools at hand, and thus far they are pointing me twords OpenGL.

The only thing that stopped me from learning DirectX is that I don't know Win32 API and I didnt really want to learn 2 things at the same time.

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Originally Posted by Bubba

Poor DirectX. It's not that bad....really, it's not.

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Ofcourse it's not :) Everyone makes their choice based on whatever reason.

Well i know Win32 a bit, but overall not enough to heavily code in it. However i wouldent mind coding with Win32 API in OpenGL, its just atm my compiler and me are having issues with the beginner tutorials i am downloading from NeHe's site. Mainly the old format he used which he says is now formatted out, "Glaux". Theres replacement code but i couldent code my way out of a wet paper opengl bag atm ;P

For a DirectX app about 2% of it is Win32 (enough to tell Windows to leave you alone) and 98% of it is either DirectX API and/or your own classes.