Apologies for the specific but also cross topic post which 'possibly' belongs in the Beginners section. I'm just looking for a solid starting block - I feel like I have gone 20 setps forward but 100 back each time. I am using .NET for the first time (used to VS6), programming in C++ using/learning the world of 3D graphics via DirectX 9. I am a newb to DirectX but have followed all the numerous tuorials for lighing,texture mapping, mesh loading etc which as you all know have their own framework depending on author and function. I also have written my own 3D planet application bolting on the various tutorails as we go. But making a framework knightmare. So.... all I want is one simple but extenable framework where I can start from scratch and slot everything together. After I was happy with DirectX and its concepts via the tutorials and their modification - I started looking into the C++ Empty project supplied by MS - but then I started looking into the Empty Keyboard and Mouse project also supplied for Direct Input so I can zoom my camera around my spinning/rotating planets - but they don't even seem to use the same framework as the Empty project and it all became a mess. I started with the basics and am now wondering if I'm over complicating things by trying to use the MS framework to fit everything into ? Or should I use another framework ? Everytime I try to learn another thing - such as bounding boxes or different lighting etc. it takes me more time trying to fit it into the official framework I'm almost giving up.... For example the concept of DirectInput rather than normal windows proc catching seems a better way to go ? Should I just keep on patching with success .... but in the future when I want to write new apps I have no proper framework to adjust .. ? I hope some of this makes sense ? Anyone experienced the same problem when learning DirectX and staring to get somewhere ? Yours fustratedly ScottyB

Yep! Been there, done that. I had same difficulties a couple of years ago and finally I realised where it came from. It was the way I thinked how the "stuff" should work.

The framework(s) I used at the time didn't fit into my way to think how things should work together so, I finally managed to build my own framework from piece to piece one part at the time. It was set up very slowly, but now it can be used just the way I want it to do and learning the new "stuffs" is more joy than frustrating as it used to be.

So, I might encourage you to build up your own framework if you can. If you have some parts you don't know how to do find it out. Begin building from the tasks you know and try to resolve parts you don't know (ask here for example). And when you are finally satisfied for your framework making the rest is more clear than water (okey of course it's not that simple, but....).

My point here is. Do the things at the way you like to do. Do not copy from others if it doesn't fit.

Yay, Thanks for the confirmation Spoogy.

I was beginning to feel like I was the only one out there choosing what flavour of functionality I should use and finding problems shoe-horning everything into one framework.

I came to the conclusion to start from scratch and right my own - but thought I would be missing out on the benefits of some standard for the future.

Even mixing between windows C and C++ is sill ok if it works for you and what you want.

Anyway armed with knowledge so far - I will develop my own framework.

Cheers,
ScottyB