D3DX Line Pattern (stipple)
Author
I was reading the DirectX C++ docs and it says that D3DX supports single-pixel-wide antialiased lines and that Line patterns are no longer supported. Yet I see functions for the ID3DXLine interface called SetGLLines, SetPattern and SetPatternScale.
If line patterns are no longer supported, how can I draw a line using a stipple or pattern effect like a dash line? I want to use it for my selection tool.
I could be wrong here, but I believe that ID3DXLine uses textured triangles to do its business. Have you tried using it to do what your want? When you use a line strip or line list you are limited to one pixel with no patterns, but I think that the ID3DXLine stuff works just fine.
turnpast is correct, ID3DXLine is indeed implemented using polygons; I'd definately suggest trying it.
The lines referred to when the docs talk about line patterns no longer being supported are line primitives, i.e. D3DPT_LINELIST and D3DPT_LINESTRIP.
The problem with D3DPT_LINELIST and D3DPT_LINESTRIP is graphics hardware/driver support for them has always been extremely inconsistent e.g. some hardware supports textures on lines, some doesn't; some hardware supports Gouraud shaded lines, others doesn't; some drivers emulate lines using polygons, etc
Most games don't use line primitives, which is why driver and/or hardware support from IHVs has been bad. AFAIK most games that do have lines use polygons with textures for lines (just like ID3DXLine does) because of the extra flexibility; because single pixel width lines look ugly; and because of the poor hardware support for D3D line primitives (if you're targetting a wide range of gaming graphics cards, all you can guarantee is single pixel width, untextured, unpatterned, unshaded/single colour lines without any anti-aliasing).
The lines referred to when the docs talk about line patterns no longer being supported are line primitives, i.e. D3DPT_LINELIST and D3DPT_LINESTRIP.
The problem with D3DPT_LINELIST and D3DPT_LINESTRIP is graphics hardware/driver support for them has always been extremely inconsistent e.g. some hardware supports textures on lines, some doesn't; some hardware supports Gouraud shaded lines, others doesn't; some drivers emulate lines using polygons, etc
Most games don't use line primitives, which is why driver and/or hardware support from IHVs has been bad. AFAIK most games that do have lines use polygons with textures for lines (just like ID3DXLine does) because of the extra flexibility; because single pixel width lines look ugly; and because of the poor hardware support for D3D line primitives (if you're targetting a wide range of gaming graphics cards, all you can guarantee is single pixel width, untextured, unpatterned, unshaded/single colour lines without any anti-aliasing).
Author
Thanks for replying, I really appreciate it.
So ID3DXLine is drawn using something like D3DPT_TRIANGLELIST, D3DPT_TRIANGLESTRIP, D3DPT_TRIANGLEFAN to draw its textured polygons that look like lines? How is it that ID3DXLine is able to create the dash line effect? Is that a texture that sits on top of the polygon, were the empty spaces are some sort of alpha color (if you know what I mean)? Or is each separate segment of the dash line it's own polygon? Just trying to figure out how it works.
Sorry for being so ignorant on the subject, but I couldn't find anything on google or in the DirectX docs and the search doesn't appear to be working on the forum.
So ID3DXLine is drawn using something like D3DPT_TRIANGLELIST, D3DPT_TRIANGLESTRIP, D3DPT_TRIANGLEFAN to draw its textured polygons that look like lines? How is it that ID3DXLine is able to create the dash line effect? Is that a texture that sits on top of the polygon, were the empty spaces are some sort of alpha color (if you know what I mean)? Or is each separate segment of the dash line it's own polygon? Just trying to figure out how it works.
Sorry for being so ignorant on the subject, but I couldn't find anything on google or in the DirectX docs and the search doesn't appear to be working on the forum.
ID3DXLine actually uses an alpha-only texture and alpha blending or alpha test to achieve the stipple pattern.
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