Newbie C++er, help with book please!

[Dude1]

Ok, is there a major difference between C++ and Visual C++? Is there enough difference between them that code written in C++ won't run on VC++? I have this book called "3D Game Programming with C++" and no matter how many times I try to copy code out of it into my projects, the compiler gives me errors. Is it because of the compiler used in the book different than what I have?

[Sastraxi]

C++ isn't a compiler; and they're probably using a newer (or older even could cause problems) compiler than you are. It should say what it compiles with. You probably just haven't included the correct header files.

[Zaei]

Actually, when you get down to it, it is QUITE easy to write standard C++ code that will not compile in MSVC6. You might not be adding the right .lib files to your project, or they might now be on your computer at all.

Z.

[Dude1]

$h!t, I bought the wrong book Guess I'll have to learn from internet tutorials.

[Zaei]

Dont worry, Most code you will find in books was written for MSVC6. Try opening one of the projects from the CD, and compiling them.

Z.

[transcendental]

Is that book by John De Goes?

That book sux IMO.

BTW, u shld install the DX SDK and add the include directory of DX SDK in VC6 first.

[Dude1]

Yes as a matter of fact it is by John De Goes (with a forward by Andre LaMothe) I installed the DX8 SDK, it should already contain the DX7 stuff.

[parksie]

Originally posted by transcendental
Is that book by John De Goes?

That book sux IMO.

BTW, u shld install the DX SDK and add the include directory of DX SDK in VC6 first.

Some bits in it are quite good, but I preferred it for the theoretical information than for any kind of good code!

If you're going to do 3D graphics, pretty much the only way is to use either DirectX Graphics or OpenGL (I prefer the latter but that's just me ).

[transcendental]

DX8 SDK does not contain dx7 headers or lib files in the DX8 SDK include directory and lib directories.

Why u bought such a old book?

[transcendental]

Originally posted by parksie
Some bits in it are quite good, but I preferred it for the theoretical information than for any kind of good code!

If you're going to do 3D graphics, pretty much the only way is to use either DirectX Graphics or OpenGL (I prefer the latter but that's just me ).

The ddraw wrapper in that book is quite good.

But that book have not much '3D' in it.

[parksie]

Originally posted by transcendental
The ddraw wrapper in that book is quite good.

But that book have not much '3D' in it.

It's got quite a lot in, actually Tells you how to make a 3D engine from scratch, *including* all the transformation, texturing, etc.

[Dude1]

I bought that book a long time ago, just never opend it till now

Any good books you can recommend?

So I have to install the DX7 SDK first and then install the DX8 SDK after? That's wierd in VB the DX8 SDK includes all the DX7 stuff already.

[Zaei]

If you want a book to teach you to write a 3D engine LITERALLY from the ground up, 3D Game Engine Design is the book you want. It is pretty math heavy, and language/platform independant, and covers all of the important topics, including the basics(quaternions, distance methods for various solids, etc), and more advanced topics(scene graphs, terrain, inverse kinematics). It is a very good book all around, but dont expect DirectX, or OpenGL, or any other 3D API, or even sample code (there is code for an engine on the CD though).

If you want a book for DirectX, Programming Roleplaying Games with DirectX, by Jim Adams is really good for beginners. He is the DirectX forum moderator over on the GameDev.net forums, and he knows his stuff. I have the book, and it covers the basics of D3D, DirectInput, DirectSound, and DirectPlay.

Z.

[Dude1]

Cool, thanks. I'll check it out.

[transcendental]

Originally posted by Zaei
If you want a book to teach you to write a 3D engine LITERALLY from the ground up, 3D Game Engine Design is the book you want. It is pretty math heavy, and language/platform independant, and covers all of the important topics, including the basics(quaternions, distance methods for various solids, etc), and more advanced topics(scene graphs, terrain, inverse kinematics). It is a very good book all around, but dont expect DirectX, or OpenGL, or any other 3D API, or even sample code (there is code for an engine on the CD though).

Z.

I think the book teaches how to write a s/w 3D engine. DX have already implemented those functions in hardware(HAL) and software(HEL).

We just need to know how to use them and need not know the implementation details behind the calculations.

The book is not for the faint hearted, it contains a lot of maths stuff, and maths terms which I never heard of in the first place. FYI, I do not own the book.

The above is just my 2 cents

It is cool to know there are people, here, who are also interested in DX development.

[transcendental]

Originally posted by Dude1
I bought that book a long time ago, just never opend it till now

Any good books you can recommend?

So I have to install the DX7 SDK first and then install the DX8 SDK after? That's wierd in VB the DX8 SDK includes all the DX7 stuff already.

For DX8 sdk, u can install either VC sdk or VB sdk. But not both.

If u install both, only the last installation of the (VC or VB) samples can run, (depending which is the sdk installed last).

As for DX8.1 sdk, I don't know because I never attempt to install both, after my experience from DX8.0 SDK installation.

If u want, u copy the VB DX8.0 sdk whole directory to another place, then uninstall it. Install VC sdk.

I have a solution to make both VC and VB samples run on the same computer, with a little modification to a file in the VB sdk.

[Zaei]

Originally posted by transcendental
I think the book teaches how to write a s/w 3D engine. DX have already implemented those functions in hardware(HAL) and software(HEL).

We just need to know how to use them and need not know the implementation details behind the calculations.

The book is not for the faint hearted, it contains a lot of maths stuff, and maths terms which I never heard of in the first place. FYI, I do not own the book.

The above is just my 2 cents

It is cool to know there are people, here, who are also interested in DX development.

Correct. As I said... No DX, or OGL... It is like knowing assembly when programming in C++. You dont HAVE to know what the underlying operations are, but it helps.

You CAN install both C++ and VB SDKs. I have done it both with the 8.0 and 8.1 SDKsm with no problems. I have even upgraded from 8.0 to 8.1 with no problems.

Z.

[transcendental]

Is it? Then I am going to install vb sdk now.

But I rem there is some prompt in the installation which stated no 2 sdk can be installed when it detected I had another sdk installed. Oh never mind. I'm trying it now.

[transcendental]

How come I got this error msg as attached below, when I installed VB DX8.1 SDK? This is the first time I'm installing VB sdk in my new HDD.