Hi, I would like some uhm input from you hardened, veteran, programmer types! ;D Basically I want advice: I started off learning the basics of Direct3D 8 surface drawing, and was going to make a simple 2D game from it, but I lost interest when I posted on the DirectX forum to find out that if I do it that way the only way my 2D games will run is on a machine that has 3D acceleration. So my question is this: Should I go back and learn DirectDraw in DirectX 7 and try to do some stuff from IT, or should I say, ''ok, I now know how to make surfaces, people dont make 2D games anymore, so I''ll skip trying to do much in 2D, and work on 3D.'' Basically this is a question for veteran programmers, and it is like this: In your opinion, would it be more valuable to learn DirectX 7 DirectDraw for learning experience, than it would to try to tackle 3D all at once, or is it more useful to skip all that, and concentrate on 2D for now? I''d prefer opinions from people who are a little more experinced than me though...not just from other beginners! =D -=Lohrno

Who said you need a 3D graphics card to use DX8 D3D, It helps speed things up but its not essential (although you may have to limit what functionality you use, alpha formats etc.).

I''d still use DirectDraw for 2D though its much more powerful and easier/quicker to use. Just because it wasn''t updated in DX8 does''nt mean its dead and buried, just checkout how many people are writing Tile based RPG/Side Shooters on this forum.

,Jay

PS: DX uses HAL for hardware and emanulates missing bits in HEL (Software, using the main processor).

You can learn whatever you want to. I personally started out with 3d but I am doing 2d right now for learning experience and I''m doing just fine in both. I''d just do whatever fits your project (it seems like you want to do something 2d)

Hmm...I really wanted to do something in 2D just because it was
kinda easy. But I''m willing to face the music and try to learn
3D. It was in another form, I posted that I was trying to use
Surfaces to make 2D. But I was having compatibilty problems with
my friends'' computers who had no 2D, (I told him to test it, and
it failed, whereas on my computer with my Nvidia card, it works
well. ) I''m want to do 3D eventually, but I want to know if I
should start to learn it now or later...Blue Ebola suggests I
just learn whatever... But is it more valuable to learn 3D,
or 2D first?

(or does it really matter?)

-Lohrno

2D will work on ''All'' computers just as 3D will (strickly speaking). If you are using something like DirectDraw, then provided the end user is running the same or later version of DX you will have no problems, (apart from slowdowns on old machines).

I would start with 2D not because of the graphics, but that collision detection and other AI is much harder in 3D to get working accuratly.

,Jay