Actually, DirectGraphics has a function IDirect3D8::EnumAdapterModes() which fills out a D3DDISPLAYMODE structure per mode with info. There's also IDirect3D8::GetAdapetModeCount() which returns the number of video modes the specified display adapter supports.

I'm surprised OpenGL doesn't have such a function or a helper function/library that provides this functionality.

Edited by - Oluseyi on September 28, 2001 5:51:32 PM

Im not surprised at all, why would you need a graphics api such as opengl to do the very same stuff the windows 32 api would (that isnt really graphics related)? Bit silly dont you think?

Simplicity. Intentional redundance. Ease of use. I don''t know - pick one.

The Win32 API, for example, provides several ways to do the same thing. Is that necessarily a bad thing?

In any case, I wasn''t trying to pick on OpenGL. I simply wondered aloud (and now suppose I shouldn''t have.)

> Simplicity. Intentional redundance. Ease of use. I don''t know - pick one.
> The Win32 API, for example, provides several ways to do the same thing. Is that necessarily a bad thing?

Yes.

Simplicity != Intentional redundance
Intentional redundance != efficiency

''Intentional redundance''. That''s why Windows is an inefficient 900MB monster.

Hehe, i didnt take your message to mean that you were paying out opengl in any way, but my intention was to enthisize the fact that it wouldnt be practical to include functions into the opengl api when they were already accessible through other libraries.

Your comments and views are just as valid as mine are on this public message board.

if you'll notice commercial software usually doesn't test the speed of your system. usually they just give you options like world or texture detail: low, medium or high. sound quality low, or high,3d sound on/off, dynamic lighting on/off..etc.

I've seen 1 program that tested the system speed by actually displaying stuff on the screen and seeing how long it took to render it. but that was some multimedia game i had once and i forgot the name of it. it also tested the cd-rom throughput for the FMV sequences to see if the system measured up. it was probably Riven or Zork Nemesis.

Anyway, I have UT and the closest they come to what you're wanting to do is they have a minimum desired framerate option where you enter in preferences what the minimum framrate you want is. Then it automatically lowers detail settings if your framerate drops below that #.

Edited by - element2001 on September 29, 2001 4:58:40 PM