Windows Programming

[Chubz]

So yeah, I'm sloowwwlly learning Windows Programming so that I can quickly push into DirectX programming and get into some minor game development.

The part that has me confused is how there are several elements required just to run a basic program. For example, you have "WinMain" then you have "WndProc" then you have your window class for your window properties, and this and that.

Ugh, I get a headache just trying to remember what to type in! Thankfully Visual-C++ sometimes brings up a box as you're typing out several function parameters and reminds you what exactly to type, making it a whole lot easier in the long run.

Here's one of the most basic things I've completed so far .. hope you guys like it!


I also created a window that is 500x400, paints about 3000 random/random-colored pixels on the screen, and displays the text "Hello World" in the center at the top - but I couldn't have done this without the help of a book!



Anyways, just checking if there are any fluent Windows programmers here. I've been studying C++ for about a year now and I'm OK with it but I'm wanting to move forward to Windows programming and into DirectX programming as I said above.

Also, is it normal for me to find some of this stuff so confusing at first? I have several books that I've been reading and I am slowly getting the hang of it by reading each section of each book very carefully, but man, this is really unlike anything I've done before. It just seems so different to me.

 

[SD-[Inc]]

Window's and supporting libraries and APIs are HUGE. You'll never learn it all. The best approach is to understand the basics and then how to find help on what you need. You are starting out with some pretty ambitious goals. Creating engines for 3D games requires serious programming skills.

 

[Chubz]

Window's and supporting libraries and APIs are HUGE. You'll never learn it all. The best approach is to understand the basics and then how to find help on what you need. You are starting out with some pretty ambitious goals. Creating engines for 3D games requires serious programming skills.

Glad to see it isn't just me .. I guess it is a little hard then.

Also, are 3d games really that hard to create? The book that I have shows you how to make a really simple "Breakout"-type game and I also have an OpenGL book that teaches you how to make a Chess game, but I've not made it very far in either book so I'm not really sure how difficult it's going to get.

I'm a bit worried making the move from Windows programming to DirectX because I have a bad feeling it's going to get a hell of a lot harder.

What specifically makes designing 3d engines so hard, though? Is it the mathematics or simply knowing where to go with each step? I wouldn't even know where to begin!

 

[SD-[Inc]]

Glad to see it isn't just me .. I guess it is a little hard then.

Also, are 3d games really that hard to create? The book that I have shows you how to make a really simple "Breakout"-type game and I also have an OpenGL book that teaches you how to make a Chess game, but I've not made it very far in either book so I'm not really sure how difficult it's going to get.

I'm a bit worried making the move from Windows programming to DirectX because I have a bad feeling it's going to get a hell of a lot harder.

What specifically makes designing 3d engines so hard, though? Is it the mathematics or simply knowing where to go with each step? I wouldn't even know where to begin!

There is some math involved. But the most difficult part is the obvious requirements for absolute effeciency in coding. 3D engines are one of the most demanding pieces of software written today of the PC. You are talking about writing your own egine, right? Building a game can often be accomplished by licensing another engine. In those cases the amount of coding isn't as demanding. It is more an excercise in building artwork and 3D models.