I am an amature game programmer, and have been trying to learn for the past 3 or so years how to code games. My expirence began with Interplay''s Learn to Program Basic, then I graduated to QuickBasic, then to DarkBasic. I have finally made the leap to join the ranks of real programmers, learning C/C++, and am doing pretty well. I have made a few simple but awesome(considering they are made totally by me) 2D games using raw DirectDraw. It wasn''t so bad, with a few helper functions I learned to load and display sprites in just a line or two of code, and could abstract all the junk away from my game code. Now, I am ready to move into the realm of 3D. I took one look at the direct3D code and just about wet my pants. That stuff looks nasty. That I could learn it eventually I don''t doubt, and I plan to, but from what I saw, it seems that you need to fill out multiple massive structs just to display a cube on the screen. Now, there is no way anyone could write a game like that. So they must abstract the hairy, confused code away, and have a nice clean set of functions to use within thier actual game. So, I need to make a wrapper, I think it is called. So far, so good. But now I come to a hard thing. The Documentation isn''t that great, and the only way I can learn to code is by doing. This has held true for every language or API I have learned. But I cannot do it all at once. Or I could, but it would take forever, and result in massive frustration, with most of the code simply copied from tutorials, and me not really understanding it. This leads us to my question. Is there a good open source wrapper for Direct3D that comes with basic functions such as load object, place object, rotate object, ect. Similar to the commands in DarkBasic? To tell you the truth I liked darkbasic''s 3D commands a lot, but after using C++ I cannot endure using BASIC code any more. So I think a wrapper that provided some simple functions like that, but that was open source, allowing me to tweak and experiment with it, and add my own directX commands would simply be great. It would allow me to ease into Direct3D relativly painlessly, while still having fun coding. Thanks. P.S. If you know of such a wrapper, even if it isn''t open source, could you tell me as well? I really want to make 3D games, but learning Direct3D from scratch would take months, and yet be really boring, so I would want somthing to program with, even if it isn''t as professional as Direct3D.

Or, you could do what I did, and use OpenGL, which doesn''t have such a horrific initialization routine.

I too looked at the code for D3D, just a while after starting to learn OpenGL, to compare the two. I downloaded some sample code, and after looking through the four pages of it required just to set up the window, I decided to stay with OpenGL.

Don''t get me wrong. D3D is probably just as good as OpenGL, and perhaps has a little more flexibility, as you can delve a little deeper into it, but I personally don''t like D3D that much. With OpenGL, you can still use DirectInput for keyboard stuff, DirectSound, DirectSound3D and DirectMIDI for sound and music, and DirectPlay for networking...

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Insanity is right in that to begin with, OGL is easier. Using GLUT for a window and basic feedback you can have a interactive cube on the screen in 2 pages of code. However as you move along to Windows for interaction and advanced 3D, they completely level out. Niether is superior. Ask that question on these forums and i will find you and mercilessly pester you.

I can''t really suggest you put a wrapper on D3D before you learn it. I really suggest you stick with it for a week and learn the opening calls and get a cube on the screen. Keep using it until you start to understand what calls are doing what, then write your own wrapper. That will really make you an expert at beggining D3D. D3D is very popular and finding info is really simple. If you haven''t yet, go to nexe.gamedev.net. Also try Monopolsoft website and google. Just keep learning! A wrapper will just make you learn someone''s wrapper and not the REAL D3D!

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Ok, thanks everyone. I think I will go with learning raw Direct3D. It''ll be hard, but since you advise it, I''ll give it a try, if you are honest when you say it is easier then it looks at first glance.

One thing about not needing helper functions though, how is that possible? I mean, even in directdraw to load a bitmap you need to fill out a BITMAP struct, create a HBITMAP, load it into the DirectDraw Surface, delete the HBITMAP, ect. Like at least thirty lines of code, if I recall correctly. Way to much to have right in the middle of my game. So I made a function that loaded a bitmap into a DirectDraw surface. Much easier to use. But if I don''t even have to do that with Direct3D, it will be much easier.

Use DirectX 8.1 it is pretty simple to get started in, it even includes an App wizard for VC++. Thats the place to start for learning D3D the API, but if u don''t know the theory it will be rough going. So if u don''t know any 3d theory I would suggest learning the theory, making a really simple 3d game or demo with your own 3d code using directdraw since u said you need to ''do'' in order to learn. Once u learn enough to do that start browsing the D3D SDK and code generated by the app wizard. You should be comfortable with D3D by then. Oh and alot of tutorials on the Net can help u out.