3D - 2

what is the software used to make 3d games using directX or OpenGL?

I know little about 3D game programming. I need to make a simple game using DirectX or OpenGL. Not necessarily 3D but using one one of the above. What software can be used to do that? Since OpenGL is for free, It is much better if it is Opensource. Thank you

Public Comments

1. Goto www.amazon.com, search opengl That will give you some ideas and a related topics for directx. Basically, opengl is a graphics language. You are dealing with the heart of the graphics card. Bear in mind there are huge libraries already written for opengl. It is also possible to use a programming language such as C++, java and the fastest being C. You would have to delve into Assembler to gain the maximum speed. I was surprised to learn that pure mathematics can describe a camera, a "world" or stage and 3D things are polygons viewed at an angle. Furthermore, if the polygons are drawn in a clockwise motion, the camera does not see it and to skip that particular polygon and look for the next ones that are constructed counter-clockwise. See, "The Black Art of Java Game Programming". C++ has several commercial solutions that lend itself to Virtual Reality. There was several standards proposed for 3D, but none has become the official procedure. Actually, the CPU has a lot to do with what we want in 3D. Using technology like OpenGL is the better approach because games written in 1970 are still viable. Some of the other games written in modern times will die when a better processor comes out.
2. Making a videogame is not as easy as sit down and write a text processor or a file parser (even though, those are not very easy to do :) A videogame needs planning and projection before hand. It needs art to look nice and, most of all, needs creativity and programming skills. I've been using DirectX and I like it better than OpenGL. The only draw back is that DirectX only works over Windows OS. The Software Development Kit for C++ is available for free at http://www.microsoft.com Look for it at the Download center. Your code can be opensource even though the technology you use isn't. Take a look at these websites about game programming: http://negyware.110mb.com/Articles/Art_For_Beginners.htm http://negyware.110mb.com/ http://www.gamedev.net/reference/start_here/
3. You don't really need software, you just need a C++ compiler and an IDE. I would suggest using opengl and GLUT (http://www.opengl.org/resources/libraries/glut/). Using these libraries you can do some pretty cool stuff. Also check out glutmaster (http://www.stetten.com/george/glutmaster/glutmaster.html). Using this as an example can get you started pretty quickly doing the visual stuff. What you are talking about is a complicated task. The only way to be able to do it is by reading...A LOT. There are tons of tutorials for doing some neat stuff in opengl. Good luck!