My first DirectX 3d engine - basic debug tests

[SuperFeimer]

I've been debating with myself weather or not I should get into serious game development, as I have other projects that I like to work on. Maybe I'll have a go at writing a basic 3D engine..

[AspirinaSaucer]

@SuperFeimer Why not? Is not like you're gonna work on it for the rest of your life, and it's good for working a lot of different subjects such as physics or programming or special effects.

[GhostXoP]

@SuperFeimer You should. It is a task that isnt easy.

If anyone ever says it is, they have made an engine that was half assed, or barely has any features.

[AspirinaSaucer]

@GhostXoP You're right, It's been 2 years now since I started this project (barely knew some C back then), I still have barely a few features, and still working every day on it. But I would never choose another path, learning and making things work is fullfilling. Even if sometimes I have to rewrite it from scratch to remove mistakes done in the past. I think it will never be finished as I would like it to be, but it still makes me proud and many would've abandoned or chose the easy way already.

[GhostXoP]

@AspirinaSaucer Every one starts out exactly like that, Well, everyone who ends with a successful or complete project. Many give up, but you have started just like i have. On my 5th rewrite and they are correct when they say "structure and success is a pyramid" How big the bottom is "The structure" is how fast the top will be reached. If the bottom is too small, a conflict will be seen and a rewrite will be needed. I believe we have our triangles correct ;)

[GhostXoP]

@GhostXoP the best programmer, is the one that doesnt stop and can look at an idea and say, It can be done. Because its software. Projects like this take years, and some wont take many if they arent very good.

[AspirinaSaucer]

@GhostXoP Thank you, I really needed to read this! Most people says "that's a job done by Huge companies, it's Too hard" or "it's already done" etc. and it's discouraging. Some time ago when I found a bug I got panicked at first, thinking I had no clue what was going on, but after many times I overcame that, I realized it's just excessive fear, as it could be done and it really wasn't a big deal. Now I know I have to calm down and fix it, learn from it and move on. Regards and thank you again!

[GhostXoP]

@AspirinaSaucer I use to think that too. Then come to realize the part of the "big company" that made the engine, was probably 1,3, 5or more people, the other 600 plan the game, or distribute it. The more it takes the less organized it can get. John Carmack did by himself (of ideas of the deep or Id, his job was working on id tech). Carmack basically invented the z axis for games. He was only in his 20's and without the proper "ready your self for 3d gaming"courses.

[GlassManJak]

This is'nt in any way a critisisum, but why write your own dot/cross product and other math stuff when D3D does it all for you? Just curious is all.

[AspirinaSaucer]

@GlassManJak Because its designed to be platform independant (even if now it only works with DX only) and because I will use the math classes to practice some SIMD assembly (and probably some math btw?). Now I'm working on the physics simulation, today I'm gonna add the first real collisions, now that I got all the mesh data ready into comfortable classes I wrote =).

I also want to learn everything about this so I don't really care reinventing a few wheels or i could've used the unreal engine 3

[AspirinaSaucer]

@GlassManJak You know, now I'm building a robot, just because I want a really cool AI system, and I thought that robotics AI must have robust to work well with true physics, so my SDK will have its test robot =) and it's hardware is not capable to work with the D3DX functions. Now I saved a lot of time because I already got my math classes and stuff that I can work on for executing on the microcontrollers

[MovieMad007]

@GlassManJak erm "criticism" ......just thought you might like to know!!!

[bnosam]

Nice to see someone using their own framework instead of managed bullshit. Good job

[AspirinaSaucer]

@bnosam

Thank you, they told me it was impossible to do by myself, and it only took me a few months to get it to work without bugs. I think it would take me the same time to learn how to use a random engine, but it would have no merit for me. Now I'm starting to believe that it could be impossible... for them XD.

Nice to see someone who understand what this worths =) thank you again.

[bnosam]

@AspirinaSaucer

I started about a week ago getting into DirectX 9.0c with C++. Unfortunately people look at this and have no clue the effort and time it takes to do something like this. They are the people that think they can make an MMORPG like World of Warcraft in a month easily.

[AspirinaSaucer]

@bnosam

Maybe if they pay a lot of money, they can. But hey, it actually wouldn't have been done by them, only by the people who sell them the software to do it. At the end you'll be the only one of them that actually did a game with a nice engine that they will probably play.