Confused Beginner
Author
hello there,
I'm currently learning C++ and thought of going into game development field once im done (i'll finish learning it soon).
I've read about many APIs for games such as OpenGL , DirectX and Allegro (spelling?) but i don't know wich one suits me. I want to make 2D scrolling games that use sprites. Wich API would be best for this kind of games? And where can i find simple and good tutorials for it?
Appreciate your help :)
You will want to research SDL, just type that into google. SDL is a wrapper for openGL. This mean that it takes many of the functions and routines common to opengl and simplifies them for a spefic purpose. In this case for setting up the DC(device context) for 2D rasterizing and bitmap manipulation.
SDL is the roxors for anything 2D, its comparitively difficult setting up opengl and directx for a 2d type of game. So go type "sdl" in google and and gl.
clicky Here's sdl's homepage.
SDL is the roxors for anything 2D, its comparitively difficult setting up opengl and directx for a 2d type of game. So go type "sdl" in google and and gl.
clicky Here's sdl's homepage.
I use Dev-C++ with SDL. It's a REALLY good api for beginners and its cross-platform!!! :O
You can find SDL at the following URL:
http://www.libsdl.org
ALSO:
www.gamedev.net
Has some great tutorials and links to tutorials for SDL. Just look in the articles section under game programming. I think the link is Simple Directmedia Layer. You'll see it.
Hope this helps!
You can find SDL at the following URL:
http://www.libsdl.org
ALSO:
www.gamedev.net
Has some great tutorials and links to tutorials for SDL. Just look in the articles section under game programming. I think the link is Simple Directmedia Layer. You'll see it.
Hope this helps!
Author
Thanks for mentioning SDL xorjesus and toXic1337 , but i couldn't find a good tutorial for them. Almost all tutorial are written by stupid people because they always assume that we , beginners , already know what they're talking about.
One of the tutorials from the SDK site thats supposed to be for beginners (http://sol.planet-d.net/gp/index.html) keeps telling us to copy and paste code , never explain in detail and assume that we already have a background of graphics stuff.
Isn't there a single tutorial that teach game programming properly?
ProPuke : I ment finish learning the basics like classes templates ...etc , not the whole language.
One of the tutorials from the SDK site thats supposed to be for beginners (http://sol.planet-d.net/gp/index.html) keeps telling us to copy and paste code , never explain in detail and assume that we already have a background of graphics stuff.
Isn't there a single tutorial that teach game programming properly?
ProPuke : I ment finish learning the basics like classes templates ...etc , not the whole language.
http://cone3d.gamedev.net/
This is where i learned everything. Basically go read this and learn the basics. After I learned the different functions for all the different features of just the graphics part of sdl, I went and found a game someone had written in SDL just to figure out the different ways of implementing it. Private message me and I'll try to send you some stuff I've found/worked on.
This is where i learned everything. Basically go read this and learn the basics. After I learned the different functions for all the different features of just the graphics part of sdl, I went and found a game someone had written in SDL just to figure out the different ways of implementing it. Private message me and I'll try to send you some stuff I've found/worked on.
If I read correctly, he wants to be in the field later. In this case, if you want to get paid, learn APIs that businesses use frequently. Which ones are used? See how many games want you to install the DirectX runtime files before you play. Then you know what API the market mostly uses. Knowing me, I'd stick with ones that are used often to garentee me a job later.
To be fair, if you want to do game programming only as a hobby, SDL is a good choice.
To be fair, if you want to do game programming only as a hobby, SDL is a good choice.
Quote:Original post by Coder21
Isn't there a single tutorial that teach game programming properly?
The age-old question of documentation.
The documentation that helped me (with SDL) the most was the basic HTML docs that they have on their web site. From there, I did a lot of trial and error experimenting with example source.
Game development is 70% tenacity. Patience is a game developer's strongest virtue.
Most anybody here has background in basics of game development and has probably asked the same questions you do. Try searching in the forums on on this web site.
Cheers!
Ishpeck
----------------
The Ishpeckian Network: A Game Developer's Web BBS
http://www.ishpeck.net/
Quote:Original post by xorjesus
SDL is a wrapper for openGL.
That's incorrect. SDL is a wrapper for whatever hardware drivers are on the computer. If the computer is running Windows, it uses DirectX (SDL stands for Simple DirectMedia layer. DirectMedia is part of DirectX (or it was).that's where the name comes from). If it is running Linux, it runs something else, but I forget what its called.
In other words, SDL is an extension of DirectX, not OpenGL.
I started learning specifically for games programming about 6 months ago. I have an academic background in programming and so I pick up stuff pretty fast. I have based all my work around C++ and DirectX. I am currently programming a 2D top-down driving game, details of which can be found at http://members.gamedev.net/ols/journal.
I trawled the internet for MONTHS before I actually got down to any proper learning, looking for the best way to learn the languages and specifically for help with game programming. The site that was the core for all my initial knowledge was www.gameinstitute.com. You have to pay for the courses, but I have done both the C++ and the first of their DirectX courses and found them fantastic for teaching and also as a valuable resource now that I am coding.
I have supplemented this work with constant checking/searching of websites such as this (nearly always my first port of call), www.flipcode.com, www.gamasutra.com and anything else that google throws me.
I am hoping to get a games programming job in the near future - fingers crossed - and would definitely recommend the use of DirectX over most other SDKs. Even though it is that much trickier to get set-up, I have found that once it is running there are very few porblems with it - and if I have any I can always come to gamedev to try and find an answer!
As far as writing a 2D game in it is concerned, I am doing that right now and thre is really not too much of a problem - although tehre can be some confusing 3D->2D maths to get your head round.
Hope this gives you a bit more of an insight; let me know if you need any more info
Ols
I trawled the internet for MONTHS before I actually got down to any proper learning, looking for the best way to learn the languages and specifically for help with game programming. The site that was the core for all my initial knowledge was www.gameinstitute.com. You have to pay for the courses, but I have done both the C++ and the first of their DirectX courses and found them fantastic for teaching and also as a valuable resource now that I am coding.
I have supplemented this work with constant checking/searching of websites such as this (nearly always my first port of call), www.flipcode.com, www.gamasutra.com and anything else that google throws me.
I am hoping to get a games programming job in the near future - fingers crossed - and would definitely recommend the use of DirectX over most other SDKs. Even though it is that much trickier to get set-up, I have found that once it is running there are very few porblems with it - and if I have any I can always come to gamedev to try and find an answer!
As far as writing a 2D game in it is concerned, I am doing that right now and thre is really not too much of a problem - although tehre can be some confusing 3D->2D maths to get your head round.
Hope this gives you a bit more of an insight; let me know if you need any more info
Ols
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