   DirectX w/ Windows API
  Hello everyone,So I've actually tried to get into DirectX lately (I've mostly used crap like XNAGS or DarkGDK or some other high-level library) and I was told that DirectX uses a lot of the Windows API.  Does this mean that along with C++, I need to also learn the Windows API to start making a game with DirectX?  Surely a DirectX book would teach me about the required Windows API components right?  I've been looking into Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 10 by Frank D. Luna, but I want to know if I should go study a book about the Windows API first.First of all, do I need to learn the Windows API?Secondly, what are some good books on the Windows API?  I've only found a few books published before Windows XP was even alive.   
Quote:Original post by DbproguySurely a DirectX book would teach me about the required Windows API components right?I would imagine so, yes. You don't actually use much of the Windows API to work with DirectX, it's basically just setting up a window and that's about it.   ;  Oh, ok.  My friend was just telling me that DirectX uses a ton of the Windows API components so I was kind of worried.  He was talking about not just setting up the windows, but working with a menu and a heavily event-driven control set-up   ;  Luna's book actually has a short WINAPI tutorial that it's more than enough for you to get started with Direct3D 10.But Codeka is also right. You don't need WINAPI that much to use DirectX.   ;Quote:Original post by DbproguyOh, ok.  My friend was just telling me that DirectX uses a ton of the Windows API components so I was kind of worried.  He was talking about not just setting up the windows, but working with a menu and a heavily event-driven control set-upMost DirectX applications aren't going to have any menus or controls (at least, not Win32 menus and controls - they're usually custom-built).   ;  Awesome.  Hey by the way, does anyone know anything about Peter Walsh's book, Advanced 3D Game Programming with DirectX 10?  Because I know there is the DirectX SDK tutorials, and I am wondering if Luna's book will cover only that much.  I got Beginning DirectX 10 from the library a few weeks ago and realized it is basically everything that is in the Documentation tutorial.I'll see if I can find Peter Walsh's book somewhere in a library to see whats in it, I'm probably gonna buy at least one of the books.   ;  If you want to get started with Direct3D 10, then Luna's book is a MUST HAVE.Far far away from that crappy books that are just a copy of the DirectX SDK.   ;  Well I'm a quick learner so I don't want one of those books aimed for the absolute beginner that reiterates everything twice, so if I can learn everything in the book from the SDK's tutorial then I'd rather stick with the tutorial (cheaper too)If there's some extra stuff in there that the tutorials don't even hint towards, I'd say the book is probably worth it.  I'll still take a look no matter what though ;)   ;  Probably this will help you making your decision: http://www.d3dcoder.net/d3d10.aspx   ;  So in the prereq's, it talks about needing previous high school math, algebra, trig and functions.. But it says the first section is all about the math functions, is that about math at all, or just the math-related functions included in DirectX?I've never taken a trig class, so I also thought about taking a look at 3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development by Fletcher Dunn and Ian Parberry.This semester I'm taking a college algebra class and it's all pretty easy to me.  I scored high enough in the placement test to be in College Trigonometry but I decided on College Algebra instead.  I'm wondering if I should get that 3D Math book as a reference and if it has a ton of stuff I don't know I can go through that first.As you can tell I'm very book-oriented, it's the easiest way for me to learn.  No offense but most teachers re-iterate everything and stay on one subject too long because they don't know how smart some of the students really are most of the time.   