Results 1 to 2 of 2

Thread: VB6: Directx8 Question: DirectX gives EXCLUSIVE screen access?

  1. #1

    Thread Starter
    PowerPoster yereverluvinuncleber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Norfolk UK (inbred)
    Posts
    2,235

    VB6: Directx8 Question: DirectX gives EXCLUSIVE screen access?

    Chaps,

    I have been following a tutorial or two on DirectX8, I have my reasons.

    Tewt 1 : https://www.gamedev.net/tutorials/pr...-part-1-r1308/

    - and another two part tutorial I found on an old site that is now only present on the wayback machine, namely, "Visual Basic Explorer", a very useful site that has bitten the dust a while ago, I have saved copies of the tewt.

    http://www.vbexplorer.com/VBExplorer...cles/ddraw.asp <- can only be found on the wayback machine.

    So, that is what I am intending to do, to gain some knowledge on implementing an application using an older version of DirectX (no need to ask why unless you require a strange answer that makes no logical sense to most).

    What I do need is a response to a statement that I found whilst doing my research, that is:

    "DirectX...gives EXCLUSIVE screen access to the app using it. This means that no other app can possibly draw over it - it doesn't have access. If a different app is activated then the DX app cannot continue drawing".

    Background: I have an animated dock that I know I can change from GDI+ to using other methods of putting graphics on the screen but I need my program to have:

    1. a transparent background
    2. to allow click-through
    3. be able to animate in real time whilst other programs run an interact simultaneously.

    So far, I am confident that I can change my program to convert to DirectX but my the screen background is always black. As yet I am nowhere near confident enough to make changes that might resolve this.

    I can do some digging but time is precious (dementia mum takes ALL my time) and I don't want to dig into a tool that will not do what I require. Searching on the internet showed others experiencing the same problem and then that worrying statement popped up in response. It worries me that my intended migration to DirectX might be stalling at the very first hurdle.

    Can I please borrow your intelligence and your knowledge and ask whether that statement is true for Directx8 and whether it is still true for later versions? This will help me make my decision as to whether I migrate from GDI+ to DirectX.

  2. #2
    PowerPoster
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Posts
    3,746

    Re: VB6: Directx8 Question: DirectX gives EXCLUSIVE screen access?

    This should work, just in windowed mode.There is no need to monopolize the screen.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  



Click Here to Expand Forum to Full Width