The most successful program of all time on Planet Source Code is RJSoft's textured 3D cube, it has had 176 excellent votes for it including my vote. People obviously were impressed by real time 3D texture mapping - it's the best graphics you can get. RJSoft's program produced these cool graphics using DirectX 7, it is a very well written program. But what if I were to tell you that it is possible to do this WITHOUT DIRECTX?! Yep, this is texture mapped 3D in PURE VB CODE! It doesn't use DirectX, no OpenGL, no DLL's, just label and image controls, and NO DRAWING API's - not even Windows ones. It doesn't use ANY API's in the main rendering loop!!! Yet it still has several rendering modes to choose from and runs at the following frame rates (on my 400Mhz PC).
Corners Only - 135 FPS
WireFrame - 120 FPS
Outline - 110 FPS
Flat Colour Polygons - 40 FPS
Single Texture Mapped Polygons - 20 FPS
Multiple Texture Mapped Polygons - 11 FPS
That's FAST! I don't promise the graphics to be as good as RJSoft's program, but I do promise they're done in pure VB code. You can spin the cube on the x,y and z axis and stop it too. You can change the rendering mode by pressing the spacebar. So, 176 of you voted for RJSoft's program using DirectX, I hope you think this deserves a vote too.
NOTE - for best performance run the compiled .exe (supplied) and close all other programs. This doubles the frame rates!
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I hope you didn't mind me refering to your program, but I had to since it was your program that made me write my one - I thought I'd copy whatever was the best program on PSC and it was your's! Ofcourse, I like to do things without DirectX so the program changed dramatically, if you look at the source code I'm sure you'll see that I haven't copied a word of your code. NEway, thanks 4 your prog, it inspired mine! (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
This is pretty sweet. :) Usually, I don't download Rotating Cube examples, but I thought I'd check it out anyway.
If you can find a more constructive way to use this knowledge, I'd be more inclined to vote for it... Perhaps do what one other author did and make a 3D Landscape Engine.
Just thought I'd add my 2 cents worth. :) Good job, hehe :)
Erik Forbes (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
No, I don't mind at all. I have looked at your code and ran your program. While the idea is ok, the results are not as good as using DirectX. DirectX was created to make graphics fast and easier to use then direct code. Trying to do this in pure VB is ok but not very practical. You did a fine job on this example so dont take this in bad light. Your example shows you can work with graphics without use 3rd party dlls. (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
You're right, it's a bit dumb to make 3D stuff in VB. But if I ever get that C++ and assembler stuff in my head it might be a bit more useful... (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
Well done - I've been trying to work out how to do this for years, and now after looking at your code... I'm still trying to workout how the texture mapping thingy works. Excellant code however it works (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
Wow, great, and stuff... Your coming up with alot of decent stuff, but can't use use that giant brain of yours to come up with a full game, rather than a spinny cube thing. From what i've seen, you should be able to do more than this, even if it means losing textures or somthing.. And what happened to the VBDoom game? If you put monsters on it, I would like to see it. And anyway, I don't see how you can call it VBDoom, when it is nothing like Doom, and everything like Wolvenstine. You don't see me calling my tank game VB Unreal Tornement do you? (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
Hey, don't get my wrong, I like all your stuff, but you gotta admiit, a game would be better than a spinny cube. And keep up coding in VB, its the best language in the WORLD!! Thats why 90% of planet source code in for VB!! After all, last year, there was about one 3D example on PSC, now there are loads, with Texture maps, full games, and DriectX - give it another 12 months, and people will be writing 3d games in VB and selling them on the open market. Every thing but VB s'ucks ass! (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
I don't know if this has happened to other people, but I'm running windows 2000, and when I ran your example, I got a nasty surprise. The entire cube was tilted on its side, I'm not sure if it's supposed to do that, or if it's something to do with my computer's configuration in general. (I have a 500mhz computer, and I got only 32fps with corners only, which was tilted as well...) (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
To Erik Forbes (the second feedbacker), I hate to break it to you, bro, but Simon IS the author of the 3D Landscape Generator. Just thought I'd point and laugh. No harm meant. (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
I liked your code quite a bit. I was toying with ways to do this for some time now. However, in dissecting your code, I came across 2 errors.
1) After awhile, the code can lock up in an infinite loop in the AffineScanPolyEdge routine. It's caused by the program looking for x = x2 or y = y2 when it should be something like x >= y2, since you are using variants instead of bytes.
Which brings up 2) you are using variants instead of bytes in two of your most code intensive routines. The statement dim x,y,z,i as byte actually declares x,y,z as variants and only i as a byte.
After redeclaring your variables, I went from 11fps to 17fps. (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
Looks great, but it can be a bitty faster when you remove the 'setpixel' statement. Looks the same, but draws also negative. (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
Tutorial is great man, if you need an artist, contact me (alas@EUnet.yu), I wanna help for skeletonX, but I can't reach your mail... <:-( (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
Very nice code! How would you make it so you can create a polygon or a square using a mouse? Maybe a starter for a mapping/model program? Email me the answer please at termx261975@yahoo.com Thanks! :) 5 from me (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
that isnt the correct perspective (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
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7/26/2000 4:36:16 PM: 
