01.03 - Comments and Suggestions

Great Job!

Great Job!

Keep up the good work

totally great!

How many people here are interested in learning game development on a platform different from that one Teej will be teaching (Win32/DirectX)?

I''d like to develop for something cross-platform, so my games could run on more systems than those with windows installed. So, I got a look at SDL, a cross-platform library for gaming development.

If there are enough people interested, I''ll try to "port" the articles and examples to another platform (say, GNU/Linux using SDL). Please note that I''m just learning game programming as you are. It could be a real challenge doing this, but heck... it would be fun.

So, if you feel like learning game development on another platform, comment here. And if you fell like helping to complement this forum porting articles and examples to that other platform, even better. I''m sure I''ll need lots of help.

Great job so far Teej.

As for programming on different platforms, I''d be willing to help out with Java implementations of code, which would work on any platform, so long as they have the proper VM installed (free, of course). If anyone is interested in learning Java game programming, or using Java development tools, then I can provide links. Else, I can just provide the source that I come up with for the projects in Java.

I am interested in learning about cross-platforms. I actually operate now in a UNIX/Linux environment and have been struggling a bit to learn OpenGL. I haven''t heard of SDL, but if there is interest from others, I am interested. I am a real believer in the UNIX OS, and I swoon at the idea of being able to program good games for it.

I have been part of this forum since the beginning (last time) and my biggest problem was trying to rig up a box that could run DX7/8. I ended up editing all the code to run with DX3 (I have WinNT) but I don''t have the DX3 documentation, so I could not figure out how to transfer some code (e.g., Direct Sound). I expect this to be a problem again, but if people in the know are helping to explain the differences between Graphics Libraries, I might be able to concentrate more on learning good game writing techniques and less on why my code won''t seem to compile.

As for Java, I know nothing about it, but am starting a course in the next few months. I would be interested in that too.

Talk to you soon

Hi there, I think that ti should be created a section with Direct3D/OpenGL programming because the DirectDraw Topics soon will finish and the show must go on.I looked a bit into programming 3d Games but I need help(Everyone needs help to begin).

d00dzs

I turn pixels into gold.

For a cross-platform library, Allegro would be a good choice. It supports Unix/linux, Windows(VC, Borland, mingw), Dos, and even BeOS.
http://www.talula.demon.co.uk/allegro/

Great Job!

(o= erydo =o)

Great job!
Just a small suggestion... Make the code source bigger (-:
It's a bit too small...

EDIT: Oh, and another thing... Will the tutorials be about DirectX 7 or 8? Since DirectX 8 has a lot of diffrences then ver. 7 (like deleting DirectDraw) I don't see the point to waste time about writing a tutorial for an older version...

Edited by - BenB on April 10, 2001 9:04:14 AM

I just wondered if you had any idea when you would be coming onto Directx? I feel comfortable with everything else, and DirectX is really the area I am interested in.

It seems that there''s some really strong tides for hosting different platform content in the forum. I''ll have to give it some serious consideration...I have no problems with any of your suggestions -- I''m just thinking about making it all work in the forum in an orderly fashion. Let me get back to you all on this issue.

BenB: I''m using special UBB tags (CODE) for the code portion of my posts, and it''s up to the website software to decide how large (or small) the font is. There''s a much better tag for adding source code to your post (SOURCE), but it only lets you use it once per post. Damned thing. Really it''s the fixed-pitch aspect of the font that''s important, so maybe I can use my own settings for code in posts in the future...when I get some time I''ll play with it some.

As for my choice of using DirectX7, well, I still haven''t taken the time to immerse myself in version 8.0, and frankly I didn''t see the importance of it. DX7 is still the most popular in use, and I think that the way surfaces are handled more closely resemble how you''d manipulate memory using other APIs. Certainly that''s a good reason in itself. As for Direct3D (the main reason for DX8), it''s not a concern of ours yet. We have to make our way through the world of 2D before we can consider it, and that won''t be for a while. Of course, there must come a time when even I have to play catch-up, so I''ll keep you informed on my DirectX choices.

leggyguy: I''d be placing it in the forum right now if I wasn''t stuck at work! During the day, I spend some time answering posts. In the evening when I''m at home, that''s when I get into the articles. As of right now (Apr 10, 1:30pm), there''s still two or three more Ladder series articles to be added, and I''ll be working on completing the update this evening.

I''m also aware of some of you waiting patiently for something productive to be doing instead of reading material you may already be familiar with...I won''t leave you hanging too long...

Teej

Teej,

Keep up the good work. I''m a newbie and learning a lot from your articles. I do have a question: are you going to include some more code in your tutorials?
Keep it up, I''m impatiently awaiting your next articles.....

Teej, great job!!! Thanks for doing this for us.

If there is some way I can return the favor, please let me know!

submonkey: My pleasure.

wulf: There''s going to be tons of code coming up. I just needed to get people''s blood pumping a bit and get some introductory material out of the way. The Ladder series finishes when everyone can take a piece of sample game code and successfully compile and link it on their machine. After that, the heart of our exploration begins, and it''s going to involve a lot of structured exercises that build on each other. Every step of the way, we''ll be applying our newly learnt skills towards real code.

Teej

Sorry for the non-game-related question, but the folders on the left side of my screen that are supposed to tell me whether there are any new posts since my last visit always indicate that there are new posts regardless. Does anyone else have this problem, or is there some setting in my browser that I need to change, etc.

It''s not that big of a deal, but it would be nice if I didn''t have to remember how many posts there were in each from last time, or methodically check every post for new info.

Thanks in advance for any help.

OK Teej, I guess you''re right about DirectX 7, I don''t mine working on it.

I have another issue... Since I have DirectX 8 SDK, I don''t have the 7''s version documentation. I went to your site to download it but the servers are horribly slow...
Perhaps you can give links to other places to download it or mirror the file(s)?
Thanks anyway,
BenB

This is a great idea and i will definately pursuit my education seeing as how it is so nicely laid out for me.

I have a problem about staring at computer screens for hours at a time, i can do it but i prefer reading articles in a more comfortable chair than the one i currently own.

I was wondering if you could please make a printable version of this tutorial so that i could assemble a book and read it in my recliner. Great Job Teej

thanks

maybe making printable versions of the articles/threads yourselves and sending them to Teej would be a good way of doing something in return, just a thought...

oh, and ''Great idea!''