   When PowerDraw3 Filnal?
  I just started devloping a new (2D) game about a week ago with PowerDraw3 pre3. PowerDraw3 and FMOD rocks, DelphiX is history for me now(!) &) And DelphiX is history, last update was 3 years ago.But..When PowerDraw3 (Final) is releas with good SpriteEngine?For now, I just convert DelphiX SpriteEngine to PowerDraw3 and it works fine (without VScreens). But some people says that DelphiX SpriteEngine is slow, is it? (becouse it use TList and Sprites use Collision detection for default, for example if you don''t remember turn OFF FCollisioned for Smokes, fire or Fog.I don''t know other reasons!)I Think DelphiX SpriteEngine is last good thing about DelphiX now, it is easy and fast to devlop! 
  Asphyre Component Pack (aka PowerDraw4) will have complete sprite engine. It''s still in development and the delay is connected with the team being lost all around the country due to vacation, but it won''t be for a long... the development status is: VTDb2 complete, CS Metabase complete, Networking complete, sound library under development (by Humberto Andrade, status - 30%), 2D graphics unit complete, 3D graphics unit in development (by me & Humberto Andrade, status - 10%), utilities - in development (by me, status - ~50%), documentation - in to-do list. - Lifepower ;  If I may intrude here.Lots of people knock DelphiX, making no further contribution to the discussion beyond saying it is slow and not being updated. It was written for free by someone who is now writing other things (not for free).True it may be slow (a situation caused by M$ DirectDraw being slow, not Hori''s code) and it may not have been officially updated.But. We get all the source code with the package and it would be nice, I think, to see if some of these moaning minnies could make an effort to improve things and, maybe, form a team to upgrade the package. Perhaps they could call themselves Moaners R Us? Or Complainers Anonymous?By the way, DelphiX is still just about the ONLY set of components that lets us do 3D without having to hit the API directly.Without it, I''d be writing database software instead of 3D flythrough demos. StevieDon''t follow me, I''m lost. ;  I''d mention that all PowerDraw releases came with source code, same will apply to Asphyre Component Pack; what''s more, other similar graphics components like Project Omega, also came with source code, so I think it''s not a valid issue you mentioning. As far as I know, DelphiX didn''t go to far with 3D stuff, it only featured few wrappers, DirectX 8 / 9 has 3D modelling improved a lot and much easier to use. I mean, DelphiX was a great component set back then (and that''s where I started actually), but with all new graphics components coming these days (look - GameVision, Omega, XCESS,  Asphyre and others), DelphiX is history...Oh, and as I mentioned, Asphyre Component pack will be focused on simplifying 3D graphics also, we''re not sure if we''ll make Software Renderer working with 3D (it works with 2D though).- Lifepower;  Well said lifepower, there really isnt any reason for anyone to be using delphiX still with all of the new component sets that are available for delphi programmers now.  It was good at the time, I started on it also but new and better ones are out now.  I think it is great that delphi programmers now have a choice as to what component set fits their programming style best.  ;  "As far as I know, DelphiX didn''t go to far with 3D stuff, "That is NOT true.It was (still is) possible to do far more in 3D with DelphiX than with either Omega or PowerDraw. The entirety of the D3D7 interface is available, in Retained and Immediate Mode. The fact very few have actually taken the trouble to do anything with this freedom is perhaps a fault of the almost non-existent help in DelphiX.Only one other component pack (WDirectX) offers full source and full access to the 3D interface. This is slowly being updated  to DX8.The JEDI wrappers force us to rely on DLLs without source code.When Omega or PowerDraw give us cameras, lights, multitexturing and all the other true 3D possibilities that exist within the DX API, then it will be possible to say DelphiX is dead.But, as neither Omega nor Powerdraw is aimed at 3D (according to their own documentation), it isn''t so yet.And promises of jam tomorrow don''t butter bread today.Just an opinion of course. StevieDon''t follow me, I''m lost. ;quote:Original post by stevie56  "As far as I know, DelphiX didn''t go to far with 3D stuff, "That is NOT true.It was (still is) possible to do far more in 3D with DelphiX than with either Omega or PowerDraw. The entirety of the D3D7 interface is available, in Retained and Immediate Mode. The fact very few have actually taken the trouble to do anything with this freedom is perhaps a fault of the almost non-existent help in DelphiX.You still are not making me convinced, the existance of D3D7 interface in DelphiX and few other pointers (for instance, Z-Buffer property) doesn''t help much 3D programming, you still have to work with the interface yourself, again working with DLL wrappers (files Direct3D.pas, Direct3DRM.pas). In fact, PowerDraw for instance, also provides you interfaces to D3D9 and D3DDevice9, as well as Z-Buffer. Again, this makes your statement ("DelphiX is still just about the ONLY set of components that lets us do 3D without having to hit the API directly") not valid. DelphiX IS 2D library, samples included in DelphiX that demostrate features of Direct3D are based on plain Direct3D headers, not DelphiX itself (same applies to 3D examples supplied by PowerDraw).  ;  AND there are no tutorials on using the DelphiX 3D stuff. Tutoirials are the biggest requirement for making something used a lot. Unless you understand the demo its just so much static...PS. I only use DelphiX - I dont have time to try learn something else ;  Hmmm. All this talk about delphiX being "history" and "no reason to use delphiX" is a little uncalled for. I develop daily in delphi and about 90% of what we do uses delphiX. The reason? well its easy to use, works well, it is stable and, most important, all our users have machines that can run the resultant programs. Unlike all the other wrappers available that require directx 8.1 and even higher. Most of the users of our product don''t even know what directX is let alone have machines capable built in the last 2-3 years.So I would like to say thanks to Hori. One day I will probably start forcing the user base forward but for the moment there is nothing that I develop that cannot be done with DelphiX. ;  "You still are not making me convinced, the existance of D3D7 interface in DelphiX and few other pointers (for instance, Z-Buffer property) doesn''t help much 3D programming, you still have to work with the interface yourself, again working with DLL wrappers (files Direct3D.pas, Direct3DRM.pas). "It is not necessary to do anything like that. Set the properties (See the Options portion of the DXDraw component), and the API is hit for you (just read the source code if you need convincing)."In fact, PowerDraw for instance, also provides you interfaces to D3D9 and D3DDevice9, as well as Z-Buffer. Again, this makes your statement ("DelphiX is still just about the ONLY set of components that lets us do 3D without having to hit the API directly") not valid."Powerdraw is intended for 2D. Its own documentation says so. Applying 3D acceleration to 2D is NOT doing 3D. DelphiX does 3D. (True, you do have to work at it, but just you try doing the same things in VC++ or even VB!!)"DelphiX IS 2D library, samples included in DelphiX that demostrate features of Direct3D are based on plain Direct3D headers, not DelphiX itself".Not sure what you mean, here. Samples in DelphiX are from the Direct3D SDK from Microsoft (the dolphin, Teapot et al). What more would you want to convince you DelphiX is a fully-fledged 3D application generation system? Just because you cannot use it doesn''t make it useless."AND there are no tutorials on using the DelphiX 3D stuff. Tutoirials are the biggest requirement for making something used a lot. Unless you understand the demo its just so much static...PS. I only use DelphiX - I dont have time to try learn something else "No tutorials? Yet you work with it? So write some instead of complaining!Where I come from, not understanding something is a spur to learn more. Not (like here) a cause to sit back and moan. StevieDon''t follow me, I''m lost. 