Bypassing 'Missing D3D8.dll' message?
Author
How do you bypass the ''Missing D3D8.DLL'' message when running a Dx8 game without DX8 installed?
I would like my game to display a message like "DirectX8 not installed, please download it from www.microsoft.com/directx" when receiving a failure error from Direct3DCreate8().
Demo Download: www.angelfire.com/realm/zeroone
There''s two ways (that I can think of). One is to not statically link to the .dll. That is, load it with LoadLibrary() and then use GetProcAddress() to get pointers to all the functions you use. This shouldn''t be much of a problem, since you only need a couple (since after calling CreateDirect3D8() or whatever, all other methods are members of the IDirect3D8 interface)
The other way is to have two execultables, one which just checkes for DirectX, and the other which is the actual game. The one that checks for DirectX doesn''t need to link to the DirectX .dll since it only needs to do a LoadLibrary( "d3d8.dll" ); to see if you have DirectX 8. Once it checks, it can just call your normal executable.
The second method is best done in an install program though - have the installer detect for DirectX. If it''s not there, you can have it direct the user to the microsoft web page.
War Worlds - A 3D Real-Time Strategy game in development.
The other way is to have two execultables, one which just checkes for DirectX, and the other which is the actual game. The one that checks for DirectX doesn''t need to link to the DirectX .dll since it only needs to do a LoadLibrary( "d3d8.dll" ); to see if you have DirectX 8. Once it checks, it can just call your normal executable.
The second method is best done in an install program though - have the installer detect for DirectX. If it''s not there, you can have it direct the user to the microsoft web page.
War Worlds - A 3D Real-Time Strategy game in development.
Author
Thanks Dean for the info, ill try it when I get the chance.
Demo Download: www.angelfire.com/realm/zeroone
Demo Download: www.angelfire.com/realm/zeroone
I''d go with the first choice and not statically linked. This way you don''t have to worry about a missing game .exe and provide messages for that.
Here''s some quick code for that:
Here''s some quick code for that:
typedef IDirect3D8* (WINAPI* DIRECT3DCREATE8)(UINT);void DirectX8Message(){ MessageBox(0, "DirectX 8 not installed. Please download it from http://www.microsoft.com/directx", "Error", MB_ICONEXCLAMATION);}int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow){ HINSTANCE hD3d = LoadLibrary("d3d8.dll"); if (!hD3d) { DirectX8Message(); return -1; } DIRECT3DCREATE8 _Direct3DCreate8 = (DIRECT3DCREATE8)GetProcAddress(hD3d, "Direct3DCreate8"); if (!_Direct3DCreate8) { DirectX8Message(); return -1; } // now you can use _Direct3DCreate8 as if it was the actual // dx function // rememember to FreeLibrary(hD3d) at the end of the program // continue with the game...} 
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