My thoughts: A year ago i decided to learn DirectX, it was kinda fun learning it but there were alot of frustrating moments, resulting in many help posts at GameDev. Personally im against the DirectX API in almost every aspect, I hate the COM interface, its a HUGE wast of time and VERY hard to debug, even if its a small bug, finding the source can be very frustrating! I also dont like the idea of DirectX being a "Microsoft Only" API, OpenGL can compile on Win32 platforms and X11, and probably BeOS and Mac?? I would like to convert my 2D game from DirectDraw to OpenGL, is this a complicated task or can it be done in a couple of days? Is OpenGL 2D based, i.e. can I just replace the DirectDraw function calls with OpenGL calls? Does OpenGL use 3D sprites to blit or does it use 2D like DDraw? Can i download a 2D OpenGL sample game from anywhere?

I learned to program as I learned DirectX so I''ve never had anything to compare it to :p But I was just wondering whats so complicated about COM and how is it hard to debug?

okay, here it goes. sorry, but opengl is not meant for 2d graphics. the blitting is REALLY slow, so it''s meant for 3d, mainly. for the 2d graphics in my game, i''m going to use a texture map on an orthographic rectangle. hopefully, it won''t suffer too much degradation, but the speed of the 2d blitter is just outrageously slow.

i learned direct draw when i was learning open gl, and when i got to direct 3d, i couldn''t find an easy way to load up 3d meshes (without the framework library) so i went to opengl.

but still, if everyone including myself feels that opengl is cleaner, and easier to use, it makes me wonder why most all games are done in direct x....

a2k

The reason most games are created using DirectX is probably because the developers wanted their game to run on *all* systems. OpenGL wasnt compatible with most of the cards out there, but that has changed recently. Any current game needs a half decent video card these days, and all(i think) modern cards support OpenGL now, so we should see many new games based on OpenGL... I hope.


As for my the 2D question, I wont be using the 2D blitter in OpenGL. Can I do it by using the 3D hardware like the 3D sprite sample in D3DX? And is Color keying available? Ive heard the TNT card cannot 3d blit with Color keying)-;

Also, is the GLUT library any good? Can i use it for 3D sprites?

DirectX rocks

COM was required for further development and upgrades and there are more cards which support DirectX than OpenShitGL. a very slow API.

ooh. try to refrain from the language. i'm using open gl, and so are lots of others. i'll try direct 3d once andre releases his next book. i don't have time to dig through and unravel the direct 3d framework. oh, and btw, your post was very informative and unbiased. =)

a2k

Edited by - a2k on June 8, 2000 2:12:40 AM

Well, when I learn 3D, I''m extremely tempted to learn OpenGL instead of Direct3D. I''m working to get a job in the industry, and I''d rather have a lot of experience in a multi-platform API, and a little in the Windows specific one than the reverse. It just seems like knowing OpenGL could be very important.. Look at a company like id software.. They would have had a hard time releasing Linux versions of their games at the same time as the PC ones (they did do that, right?) if they hadn''t used an API that would work on both Windows and Linux.. Besides, if you have to work on a console (PS2 uses OpenGL, or so I''ve heard) or a platform besides Windows, Direct3D won''t help you all that much, whereas OpenGL might.

OpenGL and Playstation 2 really sucks.
COM is a great idea and anyone who can''t see why, should probably never become a programmer.

Linux, mac? Well. Nobody owns a mac, and linux users got no money so it''s not commercially viable.

Is loading meshes easier in OpenGL than in Direct3D? No way. In OpenGL you have to do it yourself. Beginners have the X file loader in Direct3D.

Odin Jensen
R&D Programmer
ITE ApS, Denmark

Learn em both, so you have an educated opinion, and stop whining in this endless API war.


#pragma DWIM // Do What I Mean!
~ Mad Keith ~

Perfectly agree with MadKeithV !

But I don''t know anyone that have learned Direct3D and then OpenGL that have prefered Direct3D.
It''s my case too, I was thinking Direct3D was the must, learnt it and then learn OpenGL, I''ll support OpenGL as long as I can.


-* Sounds, music and story makes the difference between good and great games *-