Im 16 i started programming late in 7th grade i started with python, worked my way up with java.
i've been coding java for about a year or so now and i've made several java 2d games and lots of console based programs. However, Now i wanted to just begin into very basic 2d and 3d mechanics of c++.
I know that opengl is mainly meant for c++ and that there is java 3d but i want to be a game programmer and i need to start with c++ early on. So my question is what should i start with first?
I was thinking something along the lines of looking at an open source simple game, however i doubt i would know where to go with it as of right now.
Also I tried finding some source for a rotating cube but when i compiled it in dev C++ it got an error on the imports in fact the only bit of source that worked for me was the example provided with the ide, which i could not for the life of me decipher.
any info helps guys but im not new to programming so i just need to know how YOU all started in the simplest fashion, unfortunately the high school programming at my school is a joke and consists of a football coach that copies and pastes code off of google and presents everything in powerpoint so you guys are my only hope right now lol please any info appreciated.
NOTE: Please no engines unless they are intermediate level no Game Maker or Unity 3D thanx.
oh also here's the example provided with dev c++ it makes a spinning RGB triangle.
/**************************
* Includes
*
**************************/
#include <windows.h>
#include <gl/gl.h>
/**************************
* Function Declarations
*
**************************/
LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc (HWND hWnd, UINT message,
WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam);
void EnableOpenGL (HWND hWnd, HDC *hDC, HGLRC *hRC);
void DisableOpenGL (HWND hWnd, HDC hDC, HGLRC hRC);
/**************************
* WinMain
*
**************************/
int WINAPI WinMain (HINSTANCE hInstance,
HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
LPSTR lpCmdLine,
int iCmdShow)
{
WNDCLASS wc;
HWND hWnd;
HDC hDC;
HGLRC hRC;
MSG msg;
BOOL bQuit = FALSE;
float theta = 0.0f;
/* register window class */
wc.style = CS_OWNDC;
wc.lpfnWndProc = WndProc;
wc.cbClsExtra = 0;
wc.cbWndExtra = 0;
wc.hInstance = hInstance;
wc.hIcon = LoadIcon (NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);
wc.hCursor = LoadCursor (NULL, IDC_ARROW);
wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH) GetStockObject (BLACK_BRUSH);
wc.lpszMenuName = NULL;
wc.lpszClassName = "GLSample";
RegisterClass (&wc);
/* create main window */
hWnd = CreateWindow (
"GLSample", "OpenGL Sample",
WS_CAPTION | WS_POPUPWINDOW | WS_VISIBLE,
0, 0, 256, 256,
NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);
/* enable OpenGL for the window */
EnableOpenGL (hWnd, &hDC, &hRC);
/* program main loop */
while (!bQuit)
{
/* check for messages */
if (PeekMessage (&msg, NULL, 0, 0, PM_REMOVE))
{
/* handle or dispatch messages */
if (msg.message == WM_QUIT)
{
bQuit = TRUE;
}
else
{
TranslateMessage (&msg);
DispatchMessage (&msg);
}
}
else
{
/* OpenGL animation code goes here */
glClearColor (0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f);
glClear (GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
glPushMatrix ();
glRotatef (theta, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
glBegin (GL_TRIANGLES);
glColor3f (1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f); glVertex2f (0.0f, 1.0f); /* I DID NOTICE THAT COLOR3f IS THE RGB COLORS HOWEVER I DONT UNDERSTAND 1.0 is that out of 255 colors?*/
glColor3f (0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f); glVertex2f (0.87f, -0.5f);
glColor3f (0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f); glVertex2f (-0.87f, -0.5f);
glEnd ();
glPopMatrix ();
SwapBuffers (hDC);
theta += 1.0f;
Sleep (1);
}
}
/* shutdown OpenGL */
DisableOpenGL (hWnd, hDC, hRC);
/* destroy the window explicitly */
DestroyWindow (hWnd);
return msg.wParam;
}
/********************
* Window Procedure
*
********************/
LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc (HWND hWnd, UINT message,
WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
switch (message)
{
case WM_CREATE:
return 0;
case WM_CLOSE:
PostQuitMessage (0);
return 0;
case WM_DESTROY:
return 0;
case WM_KEYDOWN:
switch (wParam)
{
case VK_ESCAPE:
PostQuitMessage(0);
return 0;
}
return 0;
default:
return DefWindowProc (hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);
}
}
/*******************
* Enable OpenGL
*
*******************/
void EnableOpenGL (HWND hWnd, HDC *hDC, HGLRC *hRC)
{
PIXELFORMATDESCRIPTOR pfd;
int iFormat;
/* get the device context (DC) */
*hDC = GetDC (hWnd);
/* set the pixel format for the DC */
ZeroMemory (&pfd, sizeof (pfd));
pfd.nSize = sizeof (pfd);
pfd.nVersion = 1;
pfd.dwFlags = PFD_DRAW_TO_WINDOW |
PFD_SUPPORT_OPENGL | PFD_DOUBLEBUFFER;
pfd.iPixelType = PFD_TYPE_RGBA;
pfd.cColorBits = 24;
pfd.cDepthBits = 16;
pfd.iLayerType = PFD_MAIN_PLANE;
iFormat = ChoosePixelFormat (*hDC, &pfd);
SetPixelFormat (*hDC, iFormat, &pfd);
/* create and enable the render context (RC) */
*hRC = wglCreateContext( *hDC );
wglMakeCurrent( *hDC, *hRC );
}
/******************
* Disable OpenGL
*
******************/
void DisableOpenGL (HWND hWnd, HDC hDC, HGLRC hRC)
{
wglMakeCurrent (NULL, NULL);
wglDeleteContext (hRC);
ReleaseDC (hWnd, hDC);
}
