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Dark GDK / AdvancedSPRITES Plugin

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Jna99
18
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Joined: 3rd Nov 2005
Location: Portugal
Posted: 29th Sep 2007 14:26
Hi don't know if you've seen this
it displays sprites a lot faster that the default , can anyone port this out to GDK and GDK.NET?

Jna99
18
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Joined: 3rd Nov 2005
Location: Portugal
Posted: 1st Oct 2007 21:33
No one interested?

APEXnow
Retired Moderator
21
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Joined: 15th Apr 2003
Location: On a park bench
Posted: 1st Oct 2007 22:32
Jna99, I've no idea about how complex his source code is, and he may not wish to release it to someone willing to develop a C++ and or DGDK.NET version of the plugin. I personally cannot committ to volunteering due to volume of work already, but someone may be willing.

Paul.

Morcilla
21
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Joined: 1st Dec 2002
Location: Spain
Posted: 2nd Oct 2007 11:54
I think the idea for porting new plugins like this one is to talk directly with the creator, explain the plan to him and ensure that his original code is safe in our hands (commercial or not).

To do this, TGC help, support or 'front face' to start negotiations with the creator of the plugin could be the best starting point.

If we get this organized, perhaps we could open the door for all the plugins.
Jna99
18
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Joined: 3rd Nov 2005
Location: Portugal
Posted: 2nd Oct 2007 12:13
Quote: "Mod can you developt to GDK too?"


Quote: "@Jna99 : Currently, I don't have GDK and I don't know how it works.
So, I can't develop a GDK version of AdvancedSPRITES...Sorry :/"


Niels Henriksen
20
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Joined: 27th Sep 2004
Location: Behind you breathing heavely
Posted: 2nd Oct 2007 14:09
It will be wonderful to have a lot of plugins in GDK. It can also be in the owners interests that the plugin can be used in GDK and also for TGC so people can get their eyes up for this wonderful system

Niels Henriksen
Working on a (MMO)RPG right now in LightEngine
http://noggs.netopcom.dk/forum/default.asp - Forum for the game
Morcilla
21
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Joined: 1st Dec 2002
Location: Spain
Posted: 2nd Oct 2007 17:33
@Niels, Yes indeed.

@Jna, I know that answer. For cases like this one I think it could be helpful that one of the TGC members like Paul speaks to him to show that there are good intentions.

For things that we can do on our side, I suggest to keep on the negotiations, and tell him that we don't expect him to do the job, that we will pay assistance or that we will convert it completely.
jason p sage
17
Years of Service
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Joined: 10th Jun 2007
Location: Ellington, CT USA
Posted: 3rd Oct 2007 18:43
Or perhaps "we" could start trying to figure out some of the lower level DirectX calls ourselves - and see how we might employ such a system ourselves.

I toss this out there because -
1: I think the plug in is free -
2: The developer may not be interested
3: If someone else can do it - we can - usually

qualifying Text: There is some GUESSING below based on previous gfx programming right to vid card.

Direct X we know acts as the go between the video card and the programs we write. DarkGDK makes this jungle much easier to get through and has many helper functions - like loading objects, saving, file IO, etc to help us out - but it really is using the Direct X API under the hood for its own sprite implementation I'm assuming.

One thing I learned with both assembly language programming, and writing code to access video ram - and swapping which memory page was shown on the display etc. Is that MEMORY to MEMORY straight copies are fast as lightning - and talking to a video card usually means you have one of three ways to move data - we need the ripping fast variety - that will work as such on most of the video cards out there.

Somecards use ports for giving the card commands - where you hand it a couple numbers, and then the card performs the operation you specified. This is very card specific usually - aside from certain common standards for vga, svga, etc.

Often - cards allow you to treat a chunk of computer memory as a window into their actual video ram. Like NORMALLY Video Ram isn't in the same area as the computer's ram - but they sort of change the way the electronics work so you can write directly to/from the video card memory - which allows low level assembly language instructions to do their speed demon magic.

If we learn what commands give us that ability - in Direct X - perhaps it returns a memory pointer to the various memory pages - we could write some blazingly fast sprite stuff too!

that's my rant - no I'm not volunteering - but as fas as $$$ is concerned - its not a motivator for me - games are for hobby for me - at least right now - and I'm busy - but others may wish to do this - for free - (how nice of them) or with the intention of selling said "plugin" - admirable - make a living - and not easy work.

Have a good day!

Jna99
18
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Joined: 3rd Nov 2005
Location: Portugal
Posted: 3rd Oct 2007 19:12
certainly there must be any online tutorial that could help us?

kBessa
17
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Joined: 8th Nov 2006
Location: Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Posted: 3rd Oct 2007 19:13
If anybody take a deep look at LightTextDX, it uses only DirectX calls (through Managed DirectX, but it will use SlimDX from version 0.2). The only thing it uses from DGDK.NET is the GetDirect3D9Device function.

I just started reworking on LightUI and it will be fully written in DirectX (through SlimDX), I'll be using DX Sprites for this, and I know it is possible to recreate this AdvancedSPRITES plugin if you know about DirectX.

Unfortunately, I'm not the C++ guy and everything I'm creating will be DGDK.NET (although I could release and adapted version for DGDK, but it will still be Managed with C#, unless someone wants to translate to C++/DirectX, but it is not as straight forward as with Managed DirectX/SlimDX).

Best regards,
Thiago

PS: If anybody wants to try SlimDX + DGDK.NET, ask me for a modified version I compiled as with the original builds it was impossible to work in conjunction with DGDK.NET (it was lacking a device constructor). But it's just that.
Jna99
18
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Joined: 3rd Nov 2005
Location: Portugal
Posted: 3rd Oct 2007 19:19
Thiago please post the modified version, so that whe can see what can be done!

kBessa
17
Years of Service
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Joined: 8th Nov 2006
Location: Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Posted: 4th Oct 2007 05:41
@jna: I just talked about a possibility, unfortunately even a DGDK.NET version is 99% far from complete, so I can't really help on this right know.

I'm still full of work from my company, no spare time for some weeks (the very few are going to my band right now). The days should be 40h long

Thiago
Jna99
18
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Joined: 3rd Nov 2005
Location: Portugal
Posted: 4th Oct 2007 12:52 Edited at: 4th Oct 2007 12:53
I've found this code to display a sprite.


...I'll do some experiments....

Jna99
18
Years of Service
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Joined: 3rd Nov 2005
Location: Portugal
Posted: 9th Oct 2007 17:27 Edited at: 9th Oct 2007 17:30
Hi I'm almost certain this is what's behind the AdvencedSprites Plugin, but I'ld like to know why the h*ll is the GDK plugin so slow compared to this? Maybe because of transparency or the size of the sprite? I'm asking this 'cause if I'm gonna do this I need to know what to optimize!

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