[Game Creation]Modeling

[nugums]

Im learning c programming and im kinda lost about the whole actually making the graphics. do i need to make models and such in a program then code them into an engine? or do i just make the graphics from the engine and code? im lost plz someone help me =D

 

[Intelext]

There are some engines when you just import *.3ds files. (Imo that's the best)
There are some engines when you import models in some different ways, big text files with vectures and a lot of numbers. (Never used this method so I don't know much)

But as for *.3ds files - it's easy. You import your *.3ds model in to your project by one line. Just don't forget to create your empty model first. For instance, empty model will be 'house'. - House.LoadFromFile('data\models\house.3ds'); (that's delphi btw) but system is the same, only syntax changes.

 

[DeathArt]

There are some engines when you just import *.3ds files. (Imo that's the best)

No, it's not.

You rarely want to have models with all vertices in your game. You want to pre-render a version with alot less vertices, to simplify live rendering.

Rendering of the graphics are typical done with a API build on DirectX/OpenGL, making it very simple. Yet there is still alot of work.

And last, LEARN C++, NOT C! C is utterly crap, and can't do a fraction of what you can do with C++.
Not to mention, if you're still learning, I recomend you wait a year or two before even thinking about rendering models in games.

 

[Intelext]

No, it's not.

For me it is. I don't do 3d much, so I don't need uber stuff.

 

[GriffinHeart]

and 3d max is good for simple things...once you go on to much more complex and heavy stuff, level editing it will be really slow so you are better off developing your own level editor.

and btw... what 3ds and anyother model file type does is a mesh.

anyways if you are starting on programming it won't do you much good trowing your self into game programming, start of on the bases and move up graddualy from there, do some basic games first until you understand how game developing works etc, etc.

yeah and move on to c++,

i find this a very good introduction into Directx programming, altho its still DX9,

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but if you don't understand whats is done in lesson 3 you should go back to study c++.
Graphics programming ain't an easy thing without a solid base and background, you'll need to know good programming, good algebra/linear-algebra, good trinometry, good geometry, understand what colors are and how they work, understand what lights are and how they work, understanding the pipelines of the GPU, understanding complexity of fuctions/task of linear/non-linear fuctions transformations blah blah blah, thats just scratching the surface.

well a lot of stuff so the better bases you have the easyer it will be (won't be easy still)
that is of course if you are talking about graphics programming, if you just want to make models and stuff like that its not graphics programming unless you hardcode it xD

 

[Daevius]

You import a model into your program, and you render each face using OpenGL/DirectX...you just store all vertexes and render them. It's often difficult though to get it converted from the imported format, I guess.

There are some engines when you just import *.3ds files. (Imo that's the best)
There are some engines when you import models in some different ways, big text files with vectures and a lot of numbers. (Never used this method so I don't know much).

That's the same ^^, a .3ds file IS a text (binary) file defining vectors .

C is utterly crap, and can't do a fraction of what you can do with C++.

Now, what you are writting is utter crap. C can do just as much as C++ can, it just requires a different approach and basically means you need to write things yourself rather then using built-in functions (string functions for example). C++ is a superset of C, it has OO possibilities and templates, for example, but it can't do _MORE_ then C.

I do recommend C++ though for game development, 99.99% (even more) of the game industry IS C++.

 

[ssddss]

Game creation and Graphic Engine creation is totally different. However you can set a goal on creating your own graphics engine, but without a large team, thats useless and a waste of time as there is alot of nice open source engines out there.

C++ is C but in design structure of OOP (Object Oriented Programming)

What your talking about (To the topic poster) is using a Graphics Engine to create a game. You can manually program geometry or import models. Modelling is ideal because you can visually see in live, how your modelling and apply textures to the model, like UV Mapping. There is no intense programming when using a graphics engine library in regards to graphics themselves unless your extending an already predefined class in the engine or making a new one, which in most cases is not really needed if you choose the right engine to get the job done. Basically, here is what you use a graphics engine for:

Models -> Characters, Animation, scenery objects, landscapes, vehicles, etc..
Textured Quads (Sprites) -> Effects, particles, GUI, etc..
Programmed Geometry -> Basic shapes (Spheres, Cubes, etc), and for testing purposes

all thats left in a graphics engine is math functions, position/rotation functions, paths, actual core graphic control, w/e else the graphic engine offers..

Then there are sound engines...
Physics engines (if not already included in a graphics engine)...
Networking Libraries...
Input/Output libraries...

If your good at object oriented programming, understand polymorphism, have good programming logic, and you can be an efficient programmer, then its a piece of cake. Only blocking point is the game content, which is what truely takes development time. I could write you up a decent game, with a working GUI, support for sound and server/client control in a couple months. But thats not all going to matter if I can't get the Art/Sounds for it...

But again to answer your question, you HAVE to use both methods if your designing a 3D game (which I assume thats what your talking about because you mentioned modelling). 2D graphics are the same except your using all images/programmed shapes/patterns without the 3rd dimension but rather a layering control.

 

[Intelext]

You import a model into your program, and you render each face using OpenGL/DirectX...you just store all vertexes and render them. It's often difficult though to get it converted from the imported format, I guess.



That's the same ^^, a .3ds file IS a text (binary) file defining vectors .

Thanks for info. But still, those text files with numbers in it scares me.

 

[nugums]

from all the information ive gathered it sounds near to impossible for a begginning programmer to make a game solo. obviously that why they have LOTS of people working on em. and couldnt i just learn c programming then move on to c++? wouldnt that make things easier cause then i could know part of c then just advancing to c++. or is c++ almost like a new language

EDIT:um. im the kind of person that likes to everything himself xD so is there a language that i could make something my self? i was looking at VB but i really wanted to make games so maybe java? but i dont know enough about em

 

[Daevius]

from all the information ive gathered it sounds near to impossible for a begginning programmer to make a game solo. obviously that why they have LOTS of people working on em. and couldnt i just learn c programming then move on to c++? wouldnt that make things easier cause then i could know part of c then just advancing to c++. or is c++ almost like a new language

No, C++ is a superset. Many compilers are C/C++ in one, so you can use C functions (malloc for example) aswell. C++ has some added things to C, so it's not that difficult to switch. Btw, if you master C, learning any other language is much easier...many languages are based on C...PHP for example is really simple if you know C.

And yes, making a game solo is ... a poop load of work. Start with things like mario, tetris or other 2D small games . I started immediatly on an MMO (xD), which failed ofcourse (5 times, retried it everytime) but still gave me a lot of knowledge about game aspects.