   DirectX Blues
  Ok, I have almost read through Windows Game Programming For Dummies and played around with the basics of DirectDraw, DirectSound etc. But all this DirectX stuff seems like a lot to remember, and seeing as there is a whole lot more that I haven''t even poked a very long stick at, ie. Direct3D, it just seems too much to try to remember!So my question is, does all this DirectX stuff become easier and easier to do as you practice and practice, as with almost everything else in life?Also, are pro game programmers expected to know all the DirectX stuff off the top of their head? Or are reference guides and the sort used often? 
  You are expected to know all the DirectX interfaces and methods, same for OpenGL, same for the C runtime, as well as the C++ one and STL, as well as few additional languages, as well as ...Well, basically, everything, from the top of your head.By the way, the .chm that comes with the SDK might be useful to you. Also, when making a game, you don''t spend 2 years using DirectX functions, they are quickly abstracted.;  Understand the concepts behind it. As you get better, you will begin to write your own code templates, functions, and wrapper classes so that you may quickly access code. I had the same problem with openGL. I only remember the code that I will die without, and make sure I understand the rest.   Scott SimontisC++ Programmer ;  Well, you can`t expect that after first reading you`ll know it all by heart ! If it would be that easy, each of us would already have programmed ten games every year.I clearly understand your feelings. I had the same when I started 2 years ago. But after 2 years you`re already through the basics of manipulating polygons and vertex buffers and DirectX stuff and you spend most time with engine and gameplay functionality, i.e. your code is much more readable. Of course you deal with DirectX functions still, but it`s not like at the begininning where 95% of your code is new DirectX functions with strange parameters.As for peeking into book or DX docs for a detailed list of all parameters for a long-not-used DX function, it`s better to spend 1 minute searching the already-read book or DX docs for list of parameters, than be wrong and spend 5 hours debugging. And it`s not like you search for it all the time (although at beginning it`s normal). So just have DX docs opened for fast searching and you`re ok with it.And I think that`s a bad idea to read thoroughly whole book and then try to do something. You`ll just create unnecessary mess in your head. Just follow a chapter after chapter and try all examples immediatelly after reading.VladR Avenger game;  Well you really only need to know the stuff once, when you are writing the basic engine stuff.  After that you should never have to deal with, say, creating D3DDevice again... ;quote:Original post by mputters  You are expected to know all the DirectX interfaces and methods, same for OpenGL, same for the C runtime, as well as the C++ one and STL, as well as few additional languages, as well as ...Well, basically, everything, from the top of your head.   Thats the biggest load of bollocks I have ever heard.  You are not expected to know everything off the top of your head, any one who says they do, just doesnt know what they dont know (!)Even pro programmers (I should know, I am one, and I work with a couple of 100 others) have books on there desk, reference the net, and, shock horror, even ask other programmers how to do stuff!Im not saying you dont need to know a lot, it helps, but books and reference material are there for a reason, and if you think theres gonna come a time when you dont need them, your sadly mistaken;  Why would anyone bother memorizing any part of DirectX (for me, Direct3D)? The only part of that API that I can remember off the top of my head is Direct3DCreate9(), and that''s it. For everything else, I look at my previous code / tons of samples and source code.lol AP, load of bollocks? ;  Well, when you program, you aren''t really learning the parameters but how the function works, with the exception of consoles, the parameters of a function will change at least once. Besides who here really has memorized all those parameters for creating a volume texture. I DIDN''T THINK SO. One thing though is that msvc++ spoils you by giving you the parameters every time. You won''t always be using msvc++ all the time. Besides you should need to memorize the lowest of the functions, put the into classes and then forget about like everyone else does. ;  You do not need to learn by heart all the direct x stuff .You can simply use the game engine functions and structures supplied with the book .I have developped some simple 2d games using Lamothe''s book.I could remember no more than 50% of the  direct x theory . you are probably aware of the endless flame wardirect x \opengl .One of the reason why a lot of people like opengl is, in my opinion, thanks to its straightforward architecture.It takes  a short time to memorize the most important functions, being, most of the time, a matter of common sense.Direct x is definitly  not so user friendly.;quote:Original post by AlbertoT  You do not need to learn by heart all the direct x stuff .You can simply use the game engine functions and structures supplied with the book .I have developped some simple 2d games using Lamothe''s book.I could remember no more than 50% of the  direct x theory . you are probably aware of the endless flame wardirect x \opengl .One of the reason why a lot of people like opengl is, in my opinion, thanks to its straightforward architecture.It takes  a short time to memorize the most important functions, being, most of the time, a matter of common sense.Direct x is definitly  not so user friendly. Well i''ve just started to use DirectX and i''m wondering, is it useful to memorize the code? I''ve pretty much memorized some of the WIN32 API code, getting your window setup and so fort and sometimes i just dump it in a class...But is it useful at all? Cause the thing about me is, whenever i run through something a few times, i seem to somehow memorize it. For instance when i started learning how to create a message loop, the window procedure etc..i didn''t understand it, so i read it a few times, looked at different sources, and all of a sudden after i understood it, i was happy  but then i realized that i memorized it as well...is that a bad thing...because i often hear that most dos programmers hate windows programming and don''t even want to mingle with the windows code, besides sometimes using HWND, doesn''t make me feel too comfortable although i know what it does and how to use it   no theory` 