cheating or not?
You need to program most of your graphics functions on your own, even if you're using DirectX. D3D does some things for you like sending the polys to the hardware and initializing things and ... but not all.
Or do they laboriously code their own routines?
They have to, D3D is fast, but not all needed functions are supported, so it's the only way to implement some effects.
I know that you shouldn't reinvent the wheel, but then if you want cutting edge graphics in your game then wont you have to wait until microsoft releases directX x.y?
The actual cutting edge games are done using DX or OpenGL, so I don't really see any sense in your question. You can't do anything using DirectX, but you need hardware-acceleration which you get easily by using DX or OpenGL. If you do not, you won't be able to create cutting-edge graphics (Outcast looks nice but is tooooooo slow), because speed is a main point.
IMO having those standard-routines for accesing hardware is the best what could have happened. Do you remember the old DOS times when you had to write hardware-support for specific graphics cards on your own ? Anyone wanted a standard and now all those guys who wanted a standard want something new. This seems a bit stupid to me, but it's another discussion.
CU
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Skullpture Entertainment
#40842461
MS has literally dozens of professional programmers working 40 hours a week on DirectX. Do you really think that one garage developer can outprogram that team?
Use DirectX; the advantages of it far outweigh any disadvantages caused by Microsoft's release schedule.
Mason McCuskey
Spin Studios
www.spin-studios.com
--TheGoop
Sorry if I offended anyone there, bit of a misunderstanding on my part.
How does one get started with directX?
Do most of you people use direct x or something or do you program your own graphics functions?
The reason I'm asking is that I used Allegro, which is a library for DJGPP, for a while, but I decided to stop using it and write 100% my own code, so that I would actually learn how to do this stuff.
I mean, do most (professional and ammature) programmers just type something like:
make_directx_3d_object(sphere,x,y,z);
Or do they laboriously code their own routines? Is using directX cheating in a way?
I know that you shouldn't reinvent the wheel, but then if you want cutting edge graphics in your game then wont you have to wait until microsoft releases directX x.y?
Maybe I am completely wrong, but I would like to hear what you think.
Shifty Bastard
The easiest way to learn DirectX is using André LaMothe's Windows Game Programming for Dummies. There are a few other good books, but that one presents it in a very easy to understand way. Check out our book reviews section for it and other DirectX books.
