shouzama

I really suggest everyone to checkout pjv's site. And I do not mean only the link, but the entire site.

THANK YOU! :eek: Well... SysRq2000... THANK YOU VERY MUCH! :) :) :) :)

That's really an excellent article. I wonder however how can this be done in .NET...

I grant you that .png DO support alpha channel. However, truly don't know if it's possibile to import and use such files with GDI+.

Thanks wyrd, very good link!

Here we go! RobyDX (Italian)

Same here!

Thanks! Thanks Mutant, that's quite exactly what I was looking for! I suggest everyone has my own problem to read the thread linked above! :) Oddly enogh, I figured also how to perform a sort of "frameskip" on lower-end machines. Simply achieved by skipping the entire "rendering" procedure if the machine is taking too much time. [EDIT: Look at these links, they may prove useful] http://www.visualbasicforum.com/showthread.php?t=88872 http://www.visualbasicforum.com/showthread.php?t=81033 http://members.xoom.virgilio.it/robydx/main.htm The last one is Roberto Zero page, an Italian guy who wrote (and still writes) a LONG serie of tutorials on DX8 and DX9(managed). Unfortunately the entire page is in Italian only (I'm Italian too, btw), but I think the source code can be VERY useful.

Yes, that was the first thing I thought about. However, I cannot figure not even pseudo-code based on a "timer-sync". :( For instance, if I want to move the character from one tile to another, I'll need to sync BOTH the animation AND the position of the character on the screen. I don't know, it's a lot of work, and I think the solution is REALLY simple... I don't have any rendering code. :) It's more a "conceptual" problem than a "technical" one...

Here are two useful links: http://www.exhedra.com/DirectX4VB/Downloads/DirectX9/Basic_D3D9.zip http://www.xtremedotnettalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69288

Ok, maybe it's a VERY STUPID question, but still I have some trouble figuring how to achieve a fixed framerate... Let's suppose I write my own dx engine and finally managed to render a tile-based map. Now I'd like to place my "main character" on this map (rendered for simplicity's sake with the Sprite object). When my char moves, it should animate. I can very simply change the "drawing frame" of my character everytime I do a BeginScene. However, running on a fast computer this should result in a faster-than-light animation, when on a slow machine it can be painfully sloooooooooow. What I am asking in this useless rant is some hint, link or pseudo code (I use VB.NET, but my problem is more a "conceptual" one than a "code-syntax" one) on how to handle a "fixed frame rate" animation or something similar. Thanks anyone!

Oh well you can just use Triangle Strips... Have a look here: http://www.xtremedotnettalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69288

Coming straight from VB6 (and .NET) to C#, I encountered some "logistic" problems in the way the new MS language handles objects and structs. Let's suppose we have cDummy dummy_obj = new cDummy(dummyparams); cDummy dymmy_copy = null; In VB, an assignment like dummy_copy = dummy_obj simply makes dummy_copy reference the same object referenced by dummy_obj. So, my first question is: - In c#, does the same thing happen? Let's go a little further. Suppose we have a class with a private object of class cDummy, and a property that returns this object private cDummy dummy_obj; public property GetObject { get { return dummy_obj; } } - Does the property returns a COPY of the object or a REFERENCE to the object? If I do: cDummy dummy_copy; dummy_copy = dummyclass.GetObject; does dummy_copy hold a copy of the object in dummyclass OR a reference to the same object? And WHY I can't pass "byref dummyclass.GetObject" to functions?

Sorry, I can't understand your problem. The correct syntax is: Dim c2 as New Class2(mDev) or Dim c2 as Class2 = New Class2(mDev) So, what's wrong?

Thanks a lot Divil, I'll try and let you know!

Currently I'm at work, so I don't have the code at hand If I remember correctly: In the form I have Private m_Graphics as Graphics Then in Form.Load m_Graphics = PictureBox1.CreateGraphics Then in Form.Pain I have the m_Graphics do all the stuff

I think you should do the main initialization method only in one class (the CMain class, for example). Passing the Device to other classes can be achieved by using "creation" method inside this CMain class: Let's suppose you have these 4 classes - 1. CMain 2. COne 3. CTwo 4. CThree 2,3,4 all have a creator method that requires passing of the Device by reference. So, in CMain, you define createOne() as COne createTwo() as CTwo createThree() as CThree and in these methods you create an object of desided class by passing the Device by ref.

Let's suppose I have a Graphic object attached to a generic PictureBox. If I draw something on the graphic object during the Form.Load event, nothing is actually displayed. I know this happens because the "refresh" action on the Form (when it finally shows up) cancels everything that has been drawn on it. To "sync" up the drawing with the refresh, I thought it was simply a matter of choosing the right event. So, I put every "draw" into the Form.Paint event. No results, however. When the form loads, nothing is displayed When the form loses and then gains focus, nothing is displayed However, when the form is brought over the boundaries of the screen (and then back in), the picture draws correctly. Should I put the "draw" event even in the Form.GotFocus? Or am I missing something else?

You know what, I never thought it was possible, even if it was before my eyes... :eek: EDIT: Wrong forum, anyway :P

Thanks a lot Nerseus. Since I plan to use a Sprite object to display everything that isn't a tile, I think I must set the VertexFormat every frame. Thanks again!

Sorry, seems like I need more sleep... :p Here's the right version ^_^ (Updated with the .VertexFormat in the "Render" sub) project.zip

Ok, I solved the problem, don't ask me how. Putting the Device.VertexFormat in the device creation gave me the glitches I listed before BUT if I put the Device.VertexFormat INSIDE the Render sub, IT WORKS. Now, I think it depends on my visualization (rendering to a picturebox instead of full screen) and some strange behavior of DirectX.

Again, no result... I don't know if you'll ever have time to look at my code, but I'm completely out of ideas... It seems that I can't figure out how to make my device render some BASIC vertex... Anyway, if someone is willing to help, here's my code. project.zip

You're a sensitive or what? :eek: Yes, you are right, I'm using the example given by DirectX4VB. And yes, I'll want to use TransformedColoredTextured vertexes. Ok then, I'll try and use them and let you know (a matter of minutes) EDIT: ok, back. I used TCT vertex but there were no changes. In VB6 and DX8, you should use and instruction such as .SetVertexFormat, I don't know if there's something similar in DX9. Something, I mean, that can tell DX9 what kind of vertexes I want it to process.

Take a look at THIS TUTORIAL (from DirectX4VB). It renders D3D to a Window, and with VERY LITTLE work, you can use it to render in a picturebox (I already did that and it worked perfectly)