OK, I've got code that integrates D3D Immediate Mode with DirectDraw, and I'm using that to do alpha blits, but I'm overwhelmed by the amount of tweakable things, especially the render states and texture states.

Which render/texture states are most often used for alpha-blitting? Which ones should I pay attention to? I've been able to get all sorts of cool alpha effects by playing with the blend modes, ADD vs MODULATE, etc... but I don't want to spend time playing with everything.

Any hints? Something like "Use ___ and ___ for color-additive blits," or "make sure you turn off ___ if you want to do ___."

Mason McCuskey
Spin Studios
www.spin-studios.com