[RESOLVED] Virtual Wood Engraving HELP!!!

[thewoodengraver]

Hi All,
I'm brand new here. Feel right at home with all you key-pounders!

I am intending to write some software called " Virtual Wood Engraving". I will provide all my own graphics and sounds.This software will allow users to Wood Engrave virtually using techniques outlined in my new book entitled " Wood Engraving Made Easy".

You can see examples of my work HERE .

I also want to write some simple old school Windows games similar to Jezzball, Sink Sub and Winroids .

I am new to programming but I know my Windows 98SE well enough to delete the partition when I re-format. In other words, I am not stupid.

Now that you know what I intend to do, I need recommendations on which books will cover what I need to accomplish precisely and quickly.

I do not have alot of time to learn VB6 inside and out right now but I believe I could handle learning what I need to write these.

I could probably write my Virtual Wood Engraving software with a tutorial for writing a paint type program.

Any suggestions will be helpful, a few quick " Hello's" would be okay too!

[Hack]

Welcome to the forums.

As you don't have a specific "how to" question, this is a more appropriate spot for your thread.

If I understand you correctly, you are asking for suggestions on what books on VB would benefit you. Is this correct?

Also, given the nature of your project, I would assume that you are interested in the graphical programming aspects of VB6, right?

[smUX]

I suppose, as you say, a simple paint program would be enough, but I am thinking about "realism" here. Perhaps if you had a "chisel width" option and as you use the chisel, the area you engrave gets progressively darker as if it was being dug deeper and deeper. I could probably write something simple which checks when you click the mouse down and up and does the "engraving", it's only some simple image manipulation :-)

So basically you need any tutorials that cover basic graphics and mouse usage...anything more than that would be overkill, although you *do* need to take some sort of VB 101 to get you acquainted to using it

[ComputerJy]

to the Forums..

So basically all you want to do is drawing on a wooden background right?

[thewoodengraver]

Replies with Lightning speed...

Hack,
Yes and Yes.

smUX,
I will also need a basic introduction to VB6 yes.

My wood engraving uses a rotary tool with router attachment.

The user will first select a piece of wood(graphic) then "outline" or "stop-cut" a graphic with the first tool, which will leave a black outline. Then the user will select tool #2 and remove background, or "erase" to show the image undernieth. There may be options like sandpaper, painting,spray gloss and semi-gloss.

All of these should be manipulated by the mouse.

[smUX]

This program (code only, no EXE, so requires compiling :-P) is only a very basic prog I whipped up...shows you how to draw to a picturebox and such using the mouse...the chisel sizes aren't working, I don't think (dunno why) and I would have set larger sizes but I don't know very much about image manipulation and setting colours (so I made it so it sets the white background to black)

[Hack]

I found this.

[smUX]

"You Save: $0.02"

Amazon makes me laugh :-)

If you're totally new to programming (and you said you are :-)) then this book would be too advanced for you...however, what you're asking for *is* an advanced bit of code, so the book is probably what you want...I suggest also getting some fundamentals first though, actually learn how to write VB programs before you try to write a fully functioning/functional commercial app :-)

[thewoodengraver]

smUX,
Thank you, I downloaded your chisel.zip and will look at it soon!

Hack,
Wow! I looked on Amazon and was totally lost with the thousands of results for VB6 books.

You seem to have nailed exactly what I was looking for!!!!

I said I was new to programming, not totally new. I think there is a difference, I may be wrong. I have done minor programming but need also to learn the VB language and coding. I have many tutorials for VB6 and I am familiar with the software...sort of. NOTHING is too advanced for me, give me a textbook and I will learn.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

[thewoodengraver]

OH MY GAWD!
The book was published on my BIRTHDAY!!!
If that isn't a sign from DOS....er...I mean GOD. lol

[smUX]

If you understand the code I wrote, by all means have a go at the advanced stuff...although I am not an advanced programmer and don't even pretend to be, if you understand at a glance what the commands are you should be able to grasp the basics from that book if you're determined enough :-)

BTW, I used pset although I could have used much faster routines...mostly because it's a simple code, partly because it's the only way I understand even a little and partly because I was making it simple for you to understand. If you're going to use "chisels" and path-based digging routines (so if you move the mouse up and left it draws a perfect diagonal groove rather than drawing it weirdly...it looks at the last point you were at and makes the groove accordingly) then you'll need the faster routines for sure, and I am sure that book will have all that.

If you want to jump in at the deep end, you could try the DirectX approach, perhaps even making a 3D bench to work from :-)

[thewoodengraver]

smUX,
I had a looksee at your chisels. Thanx for the quickie! I realize this prog will be quite simple to write.

Hack,
I ordered that book from Amazon AND I have a buddy sending me an Introduction Textbook. Thank you for steering me in the right direction!

Ain't Life GREAT?!