C:\Adam\Software\Visual C++\VC98\INCLUDE\xutility(39) : error C2679: binary '=' : no operator defined which takes a right-hand operand of type 'const struct particle' (or there is no acceptable conversion) i have no idea what could be going on in this error. this xutility error has driven me nuts so far that i have rewritten my particle system code FIVE TIMES!!! grrrr. any ideas of what i can do? i checked the '=' thing and i cant find anything. just in case someone does here is my code:

#include <math.h>

struct particle
{
	Vector3 pos;
	Vector3 targ;
	int		age;
	//float	speed;

};

struct emitter
{
private:
	Vector3 pos;

	vector<particle> array;
	int		num_part;
	int		lifetime;

	float	speed;
	float	grav;
	float	x_spread;
	float	y_spread;

public:
	emitter();
	~emitter();
	void Position(float x, float y, float z);
	void Spread(float x_ang, float y_ang);
	void Speed(float sp);
	void Particles(int num);
	void InitEmitter();
	void InitParticle(int num);
	void Update();
	void Render();
};


emitter::emitter()
{
	pos.x = 0; pos.y = 0; pos.z = 0;

	num_part = 1;
	array.resize(num_part);

	lifetime = 1;

	speed = 1;
	grav = 0.01f;

	x_spread = 45;
	y_spread = 45;
}

emitter::~emitter()
{}

void emitter::Position(float x, float y, float z)
{
	pos.x = x;
	pos.y = y;
	pos.z = z;
}

void emitter::Speed(float sp)
{	speed = sp;}

void emitter::Spread(float x_ang, float y_ang)
{
	x_spread = x_ang;
	y_spread = y_ang;
}

void emitter::Particles(int num)
{
	num_part = num;
	array.resize(num_part);
}

void emitter::InitEmitter()
{
	for(int x = 0; x < num_part; x++)
		InitParticle(x);
}

void emitter::InitParticle(int num)
{
	int x_ang, y_ang;

	array[num].age = 0;

	array[num].pos.x = pos.x;
	array[num].pos.y = pos.y;
	array[num].pos.z = pos.z;
	
	x_ang = (rand() / x_spread) - (x_spread / 2);
	y_ang = (rand() / y_spread) - (y_spread / 2);

	array[num].targ.x = cos(x_ang);
	array[num].targ.y = sin(y_ang);
	array[num].targ.z = sin(x_ang);

	array[num].targ = Normalize(array[num].targ);
}	

void emitter::Update()
{
	for(int x = 0; x < num_part; x++)
	{
		if(array[x].age == lifetime)
			InitParticle(x);

		array[x].targ.y = array[x].targ.y - grav;

		array[x].pos.x = array[x].pos.x + (speed * array[x].targ.x);
		array[x].pos.y = array[x].pos.y + (speed * array[x].targ.y);
		array[x].pos.z = array[x].pos.z +(speed * array[x].targ.z);
	}
}

void emitter::Render()
{
	for(int x = 0; x < num_part; x++)
	{
		glBegin(GL_POINTS);
			glVertex3f(array[x].pos.x,
						array[x].pos.y,
						array[x].pos.z);
		glEnd();
	}
}

thanks ahead of time [edited by - adam17 on January 7, 2004 1:48:11 AM]

What does your Vector3 class look like? It''s possible it''s preventing a default assignement operator from being generated for your particle class.

Is array.targ of type const struct particle?

This line is the only thing I can see that could be wrong.
array[num].targ = Normalize(array[num].targ);

I could be wrong, I only quickly glanced at your code, but...

perhaps it''s the resize method you call from vector. I''m not quite familiar with that method. In any case, if you overload the = operator for the partical class, it might remove your error. STL containers, at least certain ones, use various operators( including =, <, > ) operator for sorting and other operations. And, you will recieve an error within various template files while the compiler is trying to sort out templetes.

Also, I suggest you use iterators for traversing stl containers, and not just your own index count.

here is my vector.h file

struct Vector3{	Vector3() {}	Vector3(float X, float Y, float Z)	{	x = X; y = Y; z = Z;}		Vector3 operator-(Vector3 vector)	{ return Vector3( x - vector.x, y - vector.y, z - vector.z);}		Vector3 operator+(Vector3 vector)	{ return Vector3( x + vector.x, y + vector.y, z + vector.z);}	Vector3 operator*(Vector3 vector)	{ return Vector3( x * vector.x, y * vector.y, z * vector.z);}		Vector3 operator=(Vector3 vector)	{ return Vector3( x = vector.x, y = vector.y, z = vector.z);}		/*Vector3 operator/(Vector3 vector, float num)	{ return Vector3( vector.x/3, vector.y/3, vector.z/3);}*/		float	x, y, z;};Vector3 Cross(Vector3 vector1, Vector3 vector2){	Vector3	temp_vector;	temp_vector.x = (vector1.z * vector2.y) - (vector1.y * vector2.z);	temp_vector.y = (vector1.x * vector2.z) - (vector1.z * vector2.x);	temp_vector.z = (vector1.y * vector2.x) - (vector1.x * vector2.y);	return temp_vector;}float Dot3(Vector3 vector1, Vector3 vector2){	float decimal;	decimal = sqrt(vector1.x * vector2.x					+ vector1.y * vector2.y					+ vector1.z * vector2.z);	return decimal;}float Magnitude(Vector3 vector){		return sqrt(vector.x * vector.x +				vector.y * vector.y +				vector.z * vector.z);}Vector3 Normalize(Vector3 vector){	float len = Magnitude(vector);	vector.x /= len;	vector.y /= len;	vector.z /= len;	return vector;}Vector3 Mul(Vector3 vector, float multiplier){	vector.x *= multiplier;	vector.y *= multiplier;	vector.z *= multiplier;	return vector;}/*//vector1 is the normal, vector2 is the test vertex//if return > 0 => vector2 is in front of plane//if return = 0 => vector2 is on the plane//if return < 0 => vector2 is behind the planeVector3 Plane_Equ(Vector3 vector1, Vector3 vector2){	Vector3 temp_vector;	temp_vector.x = vector1.x * vector2.x;	temp_vector.y = vector1.y * vector2.y;	temp_vector.z = vector1.z * vector2.z;	temp_vector = Magnitude(vector2) + temp_vector;		return temp_vector;}*/

MSVC 6 gets pissy about assignment operators that aren''t defined exactly how it wants them to be defined. Your Vector3 operator=() doesn''t match it''s preferred signature. Try changing it to

Vector3 & Vector3::operator=(const Vector3 & vector) {  x = vector.x;  y = vector.y;  z = vector.z;  return *this;} 

WOOHOO!!!!! thanks SiCrane that really helped me out. thank you so much!!