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Socoder -> C/C++/C#/Other -> C# dll's

Mon, 07 May 2007, 15:43
JL235
As many of you know I've been learning C# and Managed DirectX lately, however it occured to me last night that as you can compile C# to a .dll (although I've only read about it) it wouldn't be too difficult to make a simple 2d graphics engine powered by Managed DirectX (with real-time scaling and alpha channels). I've done most of that side of the work done already in a shoot-em-up I'm working on.

I've heard Blitz has some limits on it's interface with .dll's, but I have no experience at all with this sort of thing having only only once got a .dll working with Blitz, briefly.

So how feasible is this idea? and if it is how exactly would I go about calling my C# code from Blitz?
Mon, 07 May 2007, 16:04
Blitz3Dman
This is something I've been a little bit curious about, too, so I'll have to stay tuned.

-=-=-
There are 10 kinds of people in this world -

( Insert 16 remarks about to what extent people know hex here )
Mon, 07 May 2007, 16:20
f4ktor
Why do you learn a graphics API that is dead? Managed DX will be replaced by XNA.
Mon, 07 May 2007, 18:32
steve_ancell
@f4ktor...
Why do you learn a graphics API that is dead? Managed DX will be replaced by XNA.


True, but it's not dead yet and XNA is still quite new and it needs more fine tuning. It is still good to practice with DirectX.
Mon, 07 May 2007, 18:32
Jayenkai
One thing to remember, is to keep things as compatible as possible.
The best thing about Blitz is it's seemingly large userbase. It tends to run on most setups, albeit faster or slower.

I once used This which more or less did the trick, except it didn't work on quite a few systems at the time.

But, judging by the fact that that dll does it just fine, I'm guessing it's 100% do-able.

Perhaps try getting in touch with Turtle1776. He seems to have around on the official Blitz forum up to about 2 years ago (from a quick google search), so maybe he's still about somewhere.
(or even download the dll above, and try guessing wtf it's doing! The file is still active, after all!)

-=-=-
''Load, Next List!''
Mon, 07 May 2007, 18:36
JL235
Because it's easy to use and learn. I'm pretty sure (although this is only what I've read on Wikipedia) that it was included into XNA and not replaced.

Even then, why use Blitz? That's even older and only uses DirectX 7. The 2d graphics side is quite slow (when compared to hardware acceleration) and misses some quite fundamental features like an alpha component and scaling and rotation routines which are usable (to a decent standard) in real-time.

I might get back to learning C++ just to try this idea. I've made a .dll in that and got it working with Blitz, but it was just performing a basic alpha formula and I found that difficult. Even then their are several other problems I can personally foresee, but I think it's a great idea.
Mon, 07 May 2007, 18:43
steve_ancell
@Diablo...
why use Blitz?


Even if you use a Pro language, it's still good to use Blitz for doing quick prototypes of a game just to see the maths side of things working OK.
Mon, 07 May 2007, 18:48
JL235
When I asked that, I didn't mean it literally.

I had forgotten about that library Jay, and even then didn't realise it came with source. I might look further into this.
Tue, 08 May 2007, 04:04
steve_ancell
Ere !, one thing I was wondering. Is there a DLL that makes it possible to record sound, and/or stream it over the net ?.
Tue, 08 May 2007, 04:25
Jayenkai
Blitz Search : Record wave dll
1st result.

-=-=-
''Load, Next List!''
Tue, 08 May 2007, 05:32
f4ktor
Never said I would use Blitz. Everyone who asks me for Blitz I sent to the Leadwerks engine because it's modern, it's OpenGL (which doesn't change the API with every new revision so can be updated easier) and the scripting language is basically (Blitz) BASIC =)
Tue, 08 May 2007, 08:19
power mousey

hey, thank you Sebe.

I'm going to check out that Leadwerks engine. (=)


Tue, 08 May 2007, 11:09
Paul

Ere !, one thing I was wondering. Is there a DLL that makes it possible to record sound, and/or stream it over the net ?.

bass?
or maybe fmod?
Don't know if you can get them anywhere though.

I want a dll that gives real time access to the microphone data