Jblake00

I would absolutely love to have a tutorial on the Spining Box that displays the directX logo. The reason I would like this is I believe that it would give me the kick start I so badly need to get started with Direct X programing. I need the tutorial to be as simple as possible. Also I need it to be done with VB.net 2002 and code. I realize that I am asking for a lot. But I can't seem to find the necasary starting point for me, although I have learned some stuff about DirectX I still can't seem to get started with something that will lead me to haveing the know how to make a video game or a screen saver. If it helps the question has nothing to do with schooling as I have already completed my course in VB with a B. However I must say I am disappointed with the course. I only learned enough to get me through arrays and reading from text files, if then statements and next loops. I barely touched into graphics with a program that displayed a Christmas tree with bulbs that blinked in a timer in a controlled array. The course only lasted for 8 weeks and unfortunately covered WinXP for the first 2 weeks. That was totally a waste for me. It was kinda an insult because that was at a very beginning level. Even though it is a relatively new OS for me it isn't enough different that I can figure out how to use it. After all I have considered myself an advance windows user for some time. I have become fairly good at modified the registry to make windows act more like I want it to. Sorry for rambling on and to get back to the subject at hand. To be honest I am looking for that good ole person to hold my hand and help me learn more about Visual Basic.net and also the other aspects of Visual studios.net. C# and C++. Strangely enough I don't seem to get as much help with my questions since I am not taking this for a grade. If some one had rather email me with code help for this. They can at Jblake00@cox-internet.com Any type of help will be appreciated. Also I can be contacted by yahoo messanger. mental_maynard is my ID.... It would be great to have programing freinds. Beginers are welcome too. I still consider myself as a beginer - to intermediate.

I suppose this will show everyone how big of a newby about programing I really am. But here goes. What is crystal reports? And what does it do or what is it used for?

I would very much like to see a directX forum. Also a forum designed to help people learn how to take the Graphics and Directx codeing and create games would be. Well like the coolest place on the web. Well actually that is just my opinion, but any thing that would help one on the way to becoming a real programer that would be it.

I will try to keep this related to syntax as much as possible, however first I must tell you what brings me here. I bought this book called :Windows Game Programing with Visual Basic.net at a yard sale. At the time I didn't realize that the VB version would be 5... Naturally that is not my version. Mine is VB.net 2002. Here is my first problem. Here is how the program starts off. Dim dx As DxGraphics Dim gameDebugger As graphicsDebugger Dim gameActive As Boolean 'That is no problem. Also that is done under form_load 'Then also added uder form load is Me.Show DoEvents InitGame PlayGame As most of you more experianced programer can guess my problem will start at the lines InitGame and PlayGame... What should I do with these? Should they be Dimensioned as something and if so what? Please try to help me get my feet wet with this type of programing. I Have finished a beginers level of VB.net at college with a grade of "B" Which is decent... But if one thing I have learn from college is that just because you get a grade doesn't make you really know how to do something. I will gladly take web links to pages that show me how to intergrate directX into programing.

Oh crap I just figured out that the version of VB used in this book was 5 and mine is 7 what will I do???

yep I am downloadind the dx9 sdk now. thanks...

I can't beleive I don't know how to do this. Lol I graduated Vb.net with a B and there is so much I still do not know about... Even with the programs interface. Which this question is about.. I am in the process of trying to learn some game programing. I bought a book called :Windows Game Programing with DirectX and Visual Basic.... Here is my problem I install DirectX SDK and the book says I have to add DirectX to my Project references... It says to choose the Project tab and select References and a box will pop up and allow my to check the things I want to add. How ever the only thing that is under that tab is a place that says Add reference and naturally that doesn't have the check boxs I was expecting or does it list any thing about directX. Please help ASP.. I want to get started on trying to figure out game programing and creating programs that use direct x soon as possible...

Is there a way to tell how much resoures a program uses to run? I mean programatically. I now I can moniter the resources my pc is using. But I am curious about how to tell about the program that is running only not about all the rest of the window operating system components and things such as nortons antivirus and such... In another words I guess I am trying to ask on the back of the box, when you buy a game or app, it will say system requirements are such and such... Well how is that determined?

Who now I am really confused, and my sound file needs to be an MP3!

Wow I justed posted this and then I when to http://www.vbexplorer.com and found out this. Sub PlayWav(SoundName As String) Dim tmpSoundName As String Dim wFlags%, X% ' declare statements (Place in a bas module.) ''********************************** '#If Win32 Then 'Public Declare Function sndPlaySound& Lib "winmm.dll" Alias "sndPlaySoundA" (ByVal lpszSoundName As String, ByVal uFlags As Long) '#Else 'Public Declare Function sndPlaySound% Lib "mmsystem.dll" (ByVal lpszSoundName As String, ByVal uFlags As Integer) '#End If 'WIN32 ' ********************************** ' WAV Sound values 'Global Const SND_SYNC = &H0 'Global Const SND_ASYNC = &H1 'Global Const SND_NODEFAULT = &H2 'Global Const SND_LOOP = &H8 'Global Const SND_NOSTOP = &H10 ' ********************************** ' *** pathWavFiles is a var with the subDir where ' the sound files are stored tmpSoundName = pathWavFiles & SoundName wFlags% = SND_ASYNC Or SND_NODEFAULT X% = sndPlaySound(tmpSoundName, wFlags%) End Sub

Hi my Guru friends. I am curiuos on this one. Maybe someone can tell me how to do this.. This my own little project. I am making a christmas tree to send my freinds and family for the holidays. So far I made a tree in PSP useing the picture tube of little pine trees to make a bigger one. Doesn't look bad either if I must say so myself. However I still am a little disapointed about my lights. Some of them still look square even after making a very small image in paint with the picture tube pines, then I put painted round dots in the center of them. My original idea was to use a graphic method to draw small round lights. However I can't figure out how to fill them inside of the main Picture box. But I can fill a circle that is on a blank form. Anyway here is what is really eating at me. I want to know how to may the form play a sound file of some type. Maybe Jingle bells. Also I want the sound to play after the button is clicked. Also it should loop or play over and over untill the app is closed. Hey if I could get it to snow I could do "I am Dreaming of a White Christimas"..That would be awesome. I will go ahead and post my code, try not to laught to hard.. Btw if someone could please tell me how to fill my circles.... Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form #End Region Dim bulb(47) As PictureBox Dim bulbs(78) As PictureBox Dim bulbes(113) As PictureBox Dim face(10) As AccessibleStates Dim a As Integer Dim b As Integer Dim c As Integer Private Sub btnLights_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnLights.Click Timer1.Enabled = True Timer2.Enabled = True Timer3.Enabled = True End Sub Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick bulb(1) = PictureBox1 bulb(2) = PictureBox2 bulb(3) = PictureBox3 bulb(4) = PictureBox4 bulb(5) = PictureBox5 bulb(6) = PictureBox6 bulb(7) = PictureBox7 bulb(8) = PictureBox8 bulb(9) = PictureBox9 bulb(10) = PictureBox10 bulb(11) = PictureBox11 bulb(12) = PictureBox12 bulb(13) = PictureBox13 bulb(14) = PictureBox14 bulb(15) = PictureBox15 bulb(16) = PictureBox16 bulb(17) = PictureBox17 bulb(18) = PictureBox18 bulb(19) = PictureBox19 bulb(20) = PictureBox20 bulb(21) = PictureBox21 bulb(22) = PictureBox22 bulb(23) = PictureBox23 bulb(24) = PictureBox24 bulb(25) = PictureBox25 bulb(26) = PictureBox26 bulb(27) = PictureBox27 bulb(28) = PictureBox28 bulb(29) = PictureBox29 bulb(30) = PictureBox30 bulb(31) = PictureBox31 bulb(32) = PictureBox32 bulb(33) = PictureBox33 bulb(34) = PictureBox34 bulb(35) = PictureBox35 bulb(36) = PictureBox36 bulb(37) = PictureBox37 bulb(38) = PictureBox38 bulb(39) = PictureBox39 bulb(40) = PictureBox40 bulb(41) = PictureBox41 bulb(42) = PictureBox42 bulb(43) = PictureBox43 bulb(44) = PictureBox44 bulb(45) = PictureBox45 bulb(46) = PictureBox46 bulb(47) = PictureBox47 For a = 1 To 47 bulb(a).Visible = Not bulb(a).Visible Next 'My first intintional bug, it creates a blured face 'it's kinda cool... lblFace.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(40, 56) lblFace.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(50, 56) lblFace.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(60, 56) lblFace.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(70, 56) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 167, 34, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 162, 37, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 157, 40, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 152, 41, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 147, 42, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 142, 44, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 137, 46, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 132, 48, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 127, 50, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 122, 48, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 117, 46, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 112, 47, 7, 7) mainPicBox.CreateGraphics.DrawEllipse(Pens.Gold, 105, 46, 7, 7) Dim path As New Drawing2D.GraphicsPath() path.AddEllipse(2, 7, 7, 7) End Sub Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load End Sub Private Sub Timer2_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer2.Tick bulbs(48) = PictureBox48 bulbs(49) = PictureBox49 bulbs(50) = PictureBox50 bulbs(51) = PictureBox51 bulbs(52) = PictureBox52 bulbs(53) = PictureBox53 bulbs(54) = PictureBox54 bulbs(55) = PictureBox55 bulbs(56) = PictureBox56 bulbs(57) = PictureBox57 bulbs(58) = PictureBox58 bulbs(59) = PictureBox59 bulbs(60) = PictureBox60 bulbs(61) = PictureBox61 bulbs(62) = PictureBox62 bulbs(63) = PictureBox63 bulbs(64) = PictureBox64 bulbs(65) = PictureBox65 bulbs(66) = PictureBox66 bulbs(67) = PictureBox67 bulbs(68) = PictureBox68 bulbs(69) = PictureBox69 bulbs(70) = PictureBox70 bulbs(71) = PictureBox71 bulbs(72) = PictureBox72 bulbs(73) = PictureBox73 bulbs(74) = PictureBox74 bulbs(75) = PictureBox75 bulbs(76) = PictureBox76 bulbs(77) = PictureBox77 bulbs(78) = PictureBox78 For b = 48 To 78 bulbs(b).Visible = Not bulbs(b).Visible Next lblFace.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(70, 56) lblFace.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(70, 58) lblFace.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(70, 60) lblFace.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(70, 62) End Sub Private Sub Timer3_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer3.Tick bulbes(79) = PictureBox79 bulbes(80) = PictureBox80 bulbes(81) = PictureBox81 bulbes(82) = PictureBox82 bulbes(83) = PictureBox83 bulbes(84) = PictureBox84 bulbes(85) = PictureBox85 bulbes(86) = PictureBox86 bulbes(87) = PictureBox87 bulbes(88) = PictureBox88 bulbes(89) = PictureBox89 bulbes(90) = PictureBox90 bulbes(91) = PictureBox91 bulbes(92) = PictureBox92 bulbes(93) = PictureBox93 bulbes(94) = PictureBox94 bulbes(95) = PictureBox95 bulbes(96) = PictureBox96 bulbes(97) = PictureBox97 bulbes(98) = PictureBox98 bulbes(99) = PictureBox99 bulbes(100) = PictureBox100 bulbes(101) = PictureBox101 bulbes(102) = PictureBox102 bulbes(103) = PictureBox103 bulbes(104) = PictureBox104 bulbes(105) = PictureBox105 bulbes(106) = PictureBox106 bulbes(107) = PictureBox107 bulbes(108) = PictureBox108 bulbes(109) = PictureBox109 bulbes(110) = PictureBox110 bulbes(111) = PictureBox111 bulbes(112) = PictureBox112 bulbes(113) = PictureBox113 For c = 79 To 113 bulbes(c).Visible = Not bulbes(c).Visible Next End Sub Private Sub mainPicBox_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles mainPicBox.Click End Sub Private Sub mainPicBox_Paint(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs) Handles mainPicBox.Paint End Sub 'this code will be removed. It was an expirement to fill an pentigon. 'But I expected it to show up on top of the picture box, But instead it ended up on top of the form but under the main picture box. Protected Overrides Sub OnPaint(ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs) Dim myPoints() As Point = {New Point(10, 30), New Point(100, 10), New Point(150, 75), New Point(100, 150), New Point(10, 130)} e.Graphics.DrawPolygon(Pens.Blue, myPoints) Dim i As Integer Dim myPen As Pen For i = 0 To myPoints.Length - 2 If (i Mod 2) = 0 Then myPen = Pens.Red Else myPen = Pens.Blue End If e.Graphics.DrawLine(myPen, myPoints(i), myPoints(i + 1)) e.Graphics.FillPolygon(Brushes.Green, myPoints) Next End Sub End Class

Yea I got it. One problem though it is a strange calculation with the average. I will get figured out soon. Onething I know for sure is that even after taking this course on vb.net. I have only touched the tip of an iceberg..

Here is the final code for that program.Private Sub btn1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btn1.Click Dim my As IO.StreamReader Dim fmtStr As String = "{0,1}{1, 4}{2,5} {3,6} {4,11} {5,4}{6,3}" ' BTW HERE IS WHAT MAKES THE ZONES!! Dim student, start, temp, strLetterGrade, studentName() As String Dim intCount, name, row, col, average As Integer Dim total, grades(,), intStart As Double intCount = 0 If IO.File.Exists("A:grades.txt") Then my = IO.File.OpenText("A:grades.txt") Do While my.Peek <> -1 student = my.ReadLine intCount += 1 Loop my.Close() my = IO.File.OpenText("A:grades.txt") ReDim studentName(intCount) ReDim grades(intCount, 2) ' Array.Sort(studentName) For name = 1 To intCount start = my.ReadLine studentName(name) = start.Substring(0, 11) intStart = 12 For col = 1 To 2 grades(name, col) = start.Substring(intStart, 4) intStart = intStart + 4 average += CInt(grades(name, col)) Next 'average = cint(grades(name, 1) + grades(name, 2) average = average / 2 Select Case average Case Is >= 90 strLetterGrade = "A" Case Is >= 80 strLetterGrade = "B" Case Is >= 70 strLetterGrade = "C" Case Is >= 60 strLetterGrade = "D" Case Is >= 50 strLetterGrade = "F" End Select total = Math.Round(average + total / intCount) lstGrades.Items.Add(String.Format(fmtStr, studentName(name), grades(name, 1), "", grades(name, 2), average, "", strLetterGrade)) average = 0 Next Select Case total Case Is >= 90 strLetterGrade = "A" Case Is >= 80 strLetterGrade = "B" Case Is >= 70 strLetterGrade = "C" Case Is >= 60 strLetterGrade = "D" Case Is >= 50 strLetterGrade = "F" End Select 'total = Math.Round(total / intCount, 0) txtDsplyClsAvr.Text = "The class average is " & CStr(total) & " " & (strLetterGrade) my.Close() Else MsgBox("Try putting in the disk that has grades.txt on it!", , "Missing Disk") End If End Sub End Class Now to figure out how to make it sort into an aphabetical order and make the grades follow along too.

Oh well I played hookey from work and tryed all night last night and the bigest part of today, unfornunatly it never fell together for me " :o :( :mad: :rolleyes: " This is the first time I done really lousy with a program... Oh Well at this point I just want the instructor to explain to me what I am doing wrong... Only five more classes after tonight. Sure hope I pass with a C at least....

Ok let my tell you a little bit. the text go like this Tod 33 95 ditto and ditto you get the point First off I am demimension some items Dim my As IO.StreamReader Dim student() As String Dim grades(,) As Double Dim i, keepCount As Integer Dim start As String keepCount = 0 If IO.File.Exists("a:\name.txt") Then my = IO.File.OpenText("A:\name.txt") Do While my.Peek <> -1 start = my.ReadLine keepCount += 1 Loop my.Close() If I am useing the wrong type for streamReader please tell me. The student() must be string As far as I know I am possitive the grades( ,) must be double Then I have to redim the student and grades. Then the rest of it has to be a nested loop. I will move my other dim statements to the top later after I get proper results. I wish I had of made myself do some practice nested loop programs before hand and a array so I would have a better understanding of things. One of my bigest problems is the text book does everything with files that are contructed like this tod 33 95 But the instructer had to put a monkey wrench into it. Besides that I can't figure out why we aren't using a begging level book by microsoft, after all they wrote the program!!! I guess if I can't accomplish this tonight I will have to stay home from work tomorrow. Program due tomorrow night, errrrr.