A Pinball Nirvana exclusive VP development team.

[rascal]

Your welcome.

 

[sleepy]

Just to be sure, the DXSDK Rascal links to, Version:DX1057, is DX10, isn't it?
Will VP compiled with DX10 run on XP without installing the "DX10(?)" SDK?

 

[sleepy]

Whoah, I meant to say Version:DX1057.

 

[rascal]

My links were to a 2007 DXSDK, they can't possibly be DX10.

The files are dxsdk_aug2007.exe and dxsdk_feb2007.exe.

That's got to be a build number or something.

 

[sleepy]

That version number is all I can find and I was questioning the number itself.
Well yes, it *could be DX10* because DX 10 was released in 2006, but all I can find out about it so far is that it could be DX 9c given the release schedule as listed at wikipedia.
DX9c is still active. The last update to DX 9c was in June 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectX


Are you running Vista or XP or W7?

 

[Shockman]

It seems to be 8, 9, and 10, as far as some support files, but definitely a DX9 package.

If I'm not mistaken DX8 should work the same as DX7 but DX8.1 and above will not.

At any rate that is installed, and I just don't know how to direct the compile to it, or what specific file to point to. I figured it would be a directory point in tools/options/C++ directories. I can't find specific help in the help section either.

I'll figure it out, or not, but any specific help in getting any DX SDK_dir hooked up would really be appreciated, then I would be more comfortable trying packages.

 

[Shockman]

I installed a version I found named dx7asdk

It crashed installshield, but at the end. I don't know if I have the required files or not. It created a directory in the root C: named mssdk and it looks like this.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get the compile process to look there for what it needs.

 

[sleepy]

If VS8 is anything like I know,
Right-Click on the form > choose References.
A menu appears, usually with tabs like .NET, COM, etc.
And somewhere in there, in the list of available components should be something like Microsoft DirectX or "Microsoft Managed *something like* for DirectX 7" or "8" or "9", the version number in separate selections.
Choose wisely and that should make the connection to the libraries.

 

[sleepy]

I got that wrong (off the top of my head!)

In the VS editor at the top choose Project > Add Reference.
The menu appears.
In VB.NET under the COM tab the reference for DX7 appears as
"DirectX 7 for Visual Basic Type Library".

 

[Shockman]

The ones I downloaded are wrong or incomplete, but there is one out there and I'll find it.

Thanks for your help guys.

I think the way to hook it up in my VS is tools/options/Projects and solutions/C++ directories unless I am mistaken.

Anyway this one of the starter tables I made for it, when I get it working.

It's a 4/3 on 16/9 The script is a mess but It is not going to use VPM when I redo it.

 

[sleepy]

Yep, VC++ differs from VB.
My mistake.

 

[rascal]

Sleepy, you are right that is DXSDK 9c. Wasn't one of the last things Randy did in version 8.1, was to bring it up to DX 9? So that it could support images 4096 x 4096. In any case, I have it compiling with the Aug 2007 version of the SDK.
Here is a screen capture showing the Linker Additional Library Directory, showing my path to that SDK. Also the output from a compile showing a successful build. It's been a while since I messed with this, so I don't remember what I had to go through to get to this point. I remember that there were a few hoops to jump through.

 

[Shockman]

I feel I am getting closer, but missing the correct package.
I tried with the Feb. 2007 and the complaint of not seeing the directory is gone. There is though a fatal error,

1>LINK : fatal error LNK1181: cannot open input file 'dxguid.lib'

It is there, so I think I have a version problem.

 

[Shockman]

I'm going to try the Aug 2007 version.

This is fun.

I'm not yet ready to have a Mitchel reaction, but I can feel for the dude.

 

[rascal]

I feel I am getting closer, but missing the correct package.
I tried with the Feb. 2007 and the complaint of not seeing the directory is gone. There is though a fatal error,

1>LINK : fatal error LNK1181: cannot open input file 'dxguid.lib'

It is there, so I think I have a version problem.

See the content 2.3 on this site.
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Common_compilation_problems#Cannot_open_input_file_.27dxguid.lib.27

 

[Shockman]

Thanks. I got a successful build using the August 2007 DX9 package.

It won't run though because it says I don't have the freeimage.dll

Another mystery.

When ever I click on a link to it I find myself at a site trying to sell me something, A program that will fix .dll problems. At first glance, at least trying searchs, it seems that such a .dll does not exist.

It could have been the way I had VS set up, it could be because of the changes to the source code I made, Or the fact that I did not rename it, or that I need a freeimage.dll

definitely getting closer though.

 

[rascal]

Did you add support for more image formats? Maybe the dev team did. This is probably what it is looking for.
http://freeimage.sourceforge.net/download.html

 

[Shockman]

No. I may have disabled the inclusions for freeimage.dll

I got a build and I found the freeimage.dll

The only thing that seems to be whack so far is that the default table that I made had a steeper slope, and the compiled version reverts to 6. So I am going to have to set those variables.

If anyone is interested this is the build I made. The ONLY changes is with the default table that I threw in JP's Plunger, my ball, and a few other changes, and of course put startshake in the script. I did re-script the plunger and cheated by using a real plunger to actually to the work. I will now work on as well as other things using active ball to launch. The real plunger is not in perfect sync, but the settings for it of course would achieve that. I did not mess with it because i will probably use active ball to set the ball in motion. The code is a mere fraction of the impulse plunger code from VPM, and the only single if statement makes sure the graphic increment does not exceed the graphics. The plunger elements are in a collection.

The funny thing, or least expected thing is that the compiled version, with the V9.0.7 source has the description 9.09, It is not 9.09 though as it does not paste preserving names.

I included freeimage.dll, because I may have messed up the include for that, and I gave it a strange name so it will not overwrite VPinball

If you do have a problem with freeimage.dll drop it into your Windows/system folder and it should work regardless of where you run an app from that needs it. I first tried system32, but that did not work.

 

[tiltjlp]

Glad to see that you're making some progress Phil. It all sounds like Rocket Science to me.

 

[Shockman]

My first order of business, I think is going to be to create a menu for more selectable table templates.

Then to try to make basically a VP8 compatible, as far as using the same settings, and ball size, version where the new features would be the only thing you would need to mod for. Then the flipper fix can come out of the core.vbs file and balls through the flippers will be gone.

I would really like to learn how to group objects too.

Now that I can compile in seconds, I will also look at the math that creates some of the primitive objects and build better Pops and slings, and make the flippers model render with a pivot.

 

[Shockman]

Glad to see that you're making some progress Phil. It all sounds like Rocket Science to me.

It's complicated, but it is not rocket science. It's just C++, a common programming language. Nothing I have done so far involved any coding though. Just VB scripting and VP building.

 

[tiltjlp]

It's complicated, but it is not rocket science. It's just C++, a common programming language.

I have enough trouble with Visual Basic, so I'll leave the complicated stuff to you tech types.

 

[rascal]

Well you're on your way, good luck, I hope that you accomplish what it is you want to accomplish with your build.

 

[Shockman]

Thanks to your help, and sleepy.

It turned out that with the making solution, it was as easy as I predicted.