Hi
I want to create a user control that uses DirectX to render itself.
I just started out with DirectX and have finished a tutorial that just renders the form blue, the code is below.
//These two methods are in a form called CreateDevice
public bool InitializeGraphics()
{
try
{
// Now setup our D3D stuff
PresentParameters presentParams = new PresentParameters();
presentParams.Windowed=tru
presentParams.SwapEffect = SwapEffect.Discard;
_device = new Device(0, DeviceType.Hardware, this, CreateFlags.SoftwareVertex
return true;
}
catch (DirectXException)
{
return false;
}
}
private void Render()
{
if (_device == null)
return;
//Clear the backbuffer to a blue color
_device.Clear(ClearFlags.T
//Begin the scene
_device.BeginScene();
// Rendering of scene objects can happen here
//End the scene
_device.EndScene();
_device.Present();
}
The last part is the bit that has me confused, which is to create the rendering loop and happens in the Main method
static void Main()
{
using (CreateDevice frm = new CreateDevice())
{
if (!frm.InitializeGraphics()
{
MessageBox.Show( "Could not initialize Direct3D. This tutorial will exit.");
return;
}
frm.Show();
// While the form is still valid, render and process messages
while(frm.Created)
{
frm.Render();
Application.DoEvents();
}
}
}
Thats easy but how do I create a usercontrol that can render itself using directX.
The application I'm planning to make will have one window that uses directx and the others will be standard windows forms (i.e. an MDI app). Ideally I would like to make a user control that renders itself using directX. Upon failing that I would like one of the MDI children to render itself using directX (preferrably in a thread of their own).
Any suggestions/ideas on how to go about doing this?
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Thats interesting,
i've been triying to make a custom control class that renders itself using directX this would save me from having to write the plumbing code of the controls?
Also Is it possible to create and MDI application where one of the MDI child forms renders itself using directX (but not the Parent)?
I'm no expert on MDI applications (since, I've never actually written one), but i figure you could. You just have to put the main render-loop of DirectX in the child form, and not the parent. Whether this is possible, I wouldn't know, but I guess it should be if you use another render-loop-method. If you use the paint override method in stead of the DoEvents-method, i think it should be possible.
If you are not familiar with the various renderloop methods, have a look at this link: http://thezbuffer.com/arti
BTW, the z buffer (the site the link is on) is a good resource for various tutorials on Managed DirectX. You should check it out.
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by: DivinityPosted on 2005-06-21 at 06:37:10ID: 14265723
If you look at this line in your InitializeGraphics() method:
_device = new Device(0, DeviceType.Hardware, this, CreateFlags.SoftwareVertex
you can see that one of the parameters you supply is "this". Because "this" denotes the current object itself, you are supplying a reference to the form here. But you can just as easily supply another control. A good example would be a PictureBox. Just add a PictureBox to your form and (assuming you didn't rename it) change the line above to:
_device = new Device(0, DeviceType.Hardware, pictureBox1, CreateFlags.SoftwareVertex
DirectX will now use the picturebox as its rendertarget, and not the complete form. I've never tried to do this with other controls than the picturebox, but in theory, you could supply a textbox or a label and it should work too (though i don't know, what kind of results you will be getting)