DirectX memorizes all its resources in memory buffers. We have already seen some types of resources, like vertex buffer.

A fundamental type of resource is now the texture. A texture is a resource which aim is managing images used to cover 3D models. Their utility is enough obvious. We use triangles in order to simulate the shape of an object, and if we would represent every single detail of an object using triangles, their number would be too much high even for a DirectX10 Video card. Then many details that don’t need a depth are represented on a bitmap image wrapped around our object. In this way, an hypothetic snake will be a tube with an image of its skin applied on the model, and won’t have a polygon for each scale. This technique saves the performances of our application both on polygons and on eventual colour or lighting effects. ...

Vai all'articolo...

A shader code let us to manage our graphics by transforming our vertices from what comes from vertex buffer to one or more float4 that will become our colors on the screen.
Let’s examine better the shader

A shader it’s very similar to a generic C code, but much more simple and without pointers. In the code it’s possible to define functions, structures and also include other files (in this mode we can separate effects in fx files).

At end of file there is the technique that describes what functions will be used into device for vertex,pixel and geometry shader as i’ve said in previous tutorials, the shader it’s executed for each vertex and pixes that are called in the Draw() function. This means that it’s difficult to have a complete control of single pixel or vertex of a primitive. It’s important to remember this the first input it’s vertex buffer that contains vertices of scene. In previous tutorial we have saw how, with vertex layout and semantics, it’s possible to get vertices contained in the buffer. For each vertex of vertexbuffer , the device executes shader code. Then a first mode to insert data it’s the vertex buffer, using his variables. This for data that must be unique for each vertex. But there is some data that are in common for all vertices. These informations are called constans. A const data must be inserted in the shader code but out from functions (like global variables). These are visible in all the shader but they cannot be modified from code (if you modify a const variable you will not get an error, but it’s value will return to initial state in the next cycle). This won’t let you to store data (for example, understand how many times have you done a cycle) the only way to set a const value it’s by passing it by device....

Vai all'articolo...

Now let's talk about buffers. A buffer used for vertices it's called vertex buffer
At first we must define a structure for vertex that will contain position, color, texture coord and other. We will use the same structure of previous tutorial

struct VertexType
{
D3DXVECTOR3 position;
D3DXVECTOR4 color;
};

Vai all'articolo...

Previous DirectX version worked with fixed pipeline. On the contrary, DirectX 10 it’s based on shaders. A shader it’s a code that describes trasformation rules that from vertex generates the scene. The 2 main shaders are vertex and pixel shader. The first moves vertex from its position in object space and from its position in projection space. The second, starting from output information given by vertex shader, creates all pixels and executes for each one the shader giving them the middle weight, using the output position given by pixel shader....

Vai all'articolo...

Let's start to do something of nice, and that will work. I know you would start now with 3D but before we have to start form 2D and we, now, will talk about fonts: how to write on the screen.

In DirectX10 (like in 9) the 2D graphics does not exists. Text and sprites (i'll talk about it nextly), are function written by Microsoft that moves some polygons with Z component = 0, in which it's interted images or text.

The using it's simple. Let's start with objects declaration:...

Vai all'articolo...

Now i will explain you any troubles learned in previous tutorials. We have created our main objects: device, that manages resources, the swap chain, that is the destination in which we will see our objects, and the RenderTargetView that is the memory area in which the device will work. Now the sequence should be clear. The device reads polygons, it works on them in shader and draws pixels on RenderTargetView. At last the view will be copied on the screen with swap chain.

There is also another surface: Depth Stencil Buffer....

Vai all'articolo...

Let’s start with first pratical tutorial with DirectX10. Now we will create the standard helloworld: a windows that will only use DirectX to paint the screen.

I suggest to use a little bit C++ before start reading this. My website has been visited for many years by .NET programmers, than i’ll try to explain concepts and structures in simple mode, like .NET, but the basic knowledge of language must be known to continue here.

If you are ready let’s start....

Vai all'articolo...

Let’s continue with D3D10 introduction. In the first part we have seen togheter what D3D10 is and their pourpose, a little bit of story and some examples. Now we will incentre our forces on rendering, the passes to create the image on the screen....

Vai all'articolo...

Welcome to the first tutorial about DirectX10. For people who could be new in this programming-side, we can say DirectX10 it’s an API, a library given by some programmers, with which it’s possible build games and graphics-application, for PC but also for some consoles (XBOX360, for example)

Togheter with the open source library OpenGL, it’s used for 99% (but mabye also 100%) of all graphics application for pc and cosoles.

DirectX offers some components and functions that let us manage 2D and 3D graphics, music and sounds, input from keyboard, mouse and joysticks, and also some network features (to help us build multiplayer games). With passing of years DirectX evolved itself signing the developing of hardware, and in particoular video card’s one, that are evolving togheter DirectX....

Vai all'articolo...