Hey I am trying to create my own zelda-like game editor. What is a good way to learn how to create standard File, Edit, View menus that you can access with your mouse? I mean should I create my own menus with OpenGL or is there an easy way to utilize some tools windows already has? I mean I'm picturing something like the Warcraft II game editor. It would have opengl graphics in the viewing area but be within a window with drop down menus.

Essentially a menu is just a picking method. I.E. Get the cursor's position relevant to the UI control or what have you. I know someone wrote a UI framework in the GameDev archives. Check there, Get some ideas to write your own :)

Yeah, I know how to do picking and I could create my own. I'm just wondering if it's really necessary. Everything I know is from the nehe site. Everything there is built as a win32 app and your whole screen is openGL. But I'm sure there's a way to use VC++ to create a standard window with the dropdown menus built into it already and I could render openGL within the window. I just don't know where to look to learn how to do it.

Ah, I see what you mean :D.

It's easy to have a dropdown menu in an OGL app.

I've not used this with fullscreen so I'm not sure if it will still draw.

In you WNDCLASS, specify

wc.lpszMenuName=MAKEINTRESOURCE(MENUCONSTANT);

Simple as that, In your callback function, you will recieve the IDs of the clicked menu items via wParam as usual.

I also remember using CreateWindow to make controls without specifying a parent and it showed fine over the client (Drawing) area. Remember that if you move the window, the control won't move with it(Due to no parent being specified).

Hey, thanks. If you know any good books to check out on that subject let me know.

Book hm? I learned via many TIAS sessions and coffee :)

Here's a resource for you :)

http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/index.html