Hey all. Could someone help me with an idea on setting up a slash screen for a game in directx? I have tried creating an extra screen in my project but the app fails to run. Could anyone please advise on how to set it up or if i should use a dialog instead. Thanks for any help.
You can only have 1 DX screen running in a program at a time, unless you are using MDI windows. You can display a bitmap or other graphic in a window without a DX screen by using the LOADIMAGE function. You can also use the windows MCI functions to play a video (mpeg, wmv, etc) within a window as a splash screen. If you need a DX screen for your splash screen for sprite animations etc, then create a separate window for the splash screen, create a DX screen in it, display your animations, then do a CLOSESCREEN before you create or attatch a new DX screen to your main game window, making sure to free up any sprite memory etc. before you close the screen up.
I can post some sample code if you need some further help. :)
Thanks for this help. After reading this i can see where i was going wrong with creating the extra screen through directx but its nice to know i have a few other options as well. I will never say no to code i can learn from but i think i should be ok going forward with what you have given so far. I'll definately let you know how it turns out. Thanks again
Splash screens are fun to do. There are so many ways to present a splash screen, and a lot of room for creativity. There are fullscreen splash screens, which you can paint an image, or display a video or an animation, and there are windowed splash screens, which you can do everything that you would in a fullscreen splash screen, but you can also play with how the window itself is presented.
Theres a bunch of sample code here you could use for spicing up windowed splash screens:
http://www.ionicwind.com/forums/index.php/topic,3495.0.html (http://www.ionicwind.com/forums/index.php/topic,3495.0.html)
This is a handiy tool for creating skinned window regions that you can use in windowed splash screens:
http://www.codingmonkeys.com/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item45 (http://www.codingmonkeys.com/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item45)
This is a sample of how to play an AVI in a DXScreen for a splash screen:
http://www.codingmonkeys.com/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item37 (http://www.codingmonkeys.com/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item37)
Very nice ZD .. ;D
.. but how did you create that impressive .avi file in the last example ?
best wishes, :)
Graham
I used ULead Cool 3D for that one.
I cant remember what Text to Speech engine I used for the .wav file tho.
Thanks ZD .. very impressive ;D
I'll pick up a copy of Cool 3D.
If you happen to recall your voice-over method, that would be interesting as well .. :)
Graham
Thanks for the links. They should keep me busy for awhile while i try different things. Ive heard of Ulead but not had the chance to try it out so will also definatly grab a copy once im able to. It will probably take me a little while to fully grasp everything but still being to new programming but can see how it will definately be worth it once im done.
I'm thinking that I used the speech engine in Fruity Loops (now called FL Studio) for the voice over. If you are into making music for your games etc, its a pretty hadny package to have. A bit complicated to start using, but once you get the hang of it, you can do some pretty impressive things with it.
thanks for those links ZD, is it possible to use your API calls to animate a Static Control?
thanks again, very informitive.
regards
Hugh
Quoteis it possible to use your API calls to animate a Static Control?
A static control is usually used when you want something static, such as text or an icon/image. If you want to use a static control to display an animated bitmap I guess you could split the animation into separate image files, and then load the images into the static control using a timer.