Visual C++ and 3D Model Formats. (And Rambling)

[Kiwi Man]

Sorry I haven't been around much since... ages. (Be that a good or bad thing, you decide.)

Anyway, I've been looking into 3D game development, as always, and I think that Visual Studio and the DirectX SDK is the way to go. I think.

So I'm still a noob and haven't actually gotten around to learning C++ yet, but I would like to. From what I've skimmed over, I think you can use Visual C++ and the DirectX SDK to make a program which draws a basic 3D shape in it like a cube or something, and not need to make the cube in a modelling program. I'm also thinking that you can load up DirectX models, (*.x), which have already been created somewhere else with Visual C++. So my question is, if what I've said so far is true, is it possible to also load up other 3d formats straight into a window, such as ones made in Gmax? Or do all other formats have to be converted to *.x files, (or code the computer already understands,) before they can be used with C++, coz that would take complicated code wouldn't it?

So if anyone can help me with my ramblings I'd be grateful.

The reason I'm asking all this is because me and a friend want to be able to make a game for a school project the year after next, and I don't want to bother starting with trying to use Gmax models and C++ if it's not going to work.


Oh, while you're at it, I was wondering - everything you do with Visual Studio is based on the .NET Framework, but apparently Xbox 360 games are made with Visual Studio. And I didn't think 360s had the framework on them. So does that mean you can make programs with Visual Studio which run without the .NET framework? Coz that would be a help, I don't want to have to get everyone who plays our game to download it. (Although I heard somwhere that Vista comes with the .NET Framework installed.)

Anyway, thanks if anyone has any advice for me.

[The Grim Reaper]

I can't offer much advice in the whole DirectX and C++ department, however have you considered starting fairly simple with a game to mod which comes with an editor?
A great example for FPS games of this is the Unreal Tournament series. All the games come with the full editor which the developers used to make the game's content, so you can completely modify the game. The Quake engine i think went freeware or open source also, thought im not sure what its like for an editor.

Also if you're considering game design as a career, the unreal engine is used by heaps of games, recently a lot of major ones use Unreal Engine 3. Modding imo is a pretty good place to start.
Examples include UT3, Bioshock, Medal of Honour: Airbourne, Deus Ex and more (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unreal_Engine#Video_games)

It means you can create the models using 3Dsmax or maya, create skins in photoshop and bring it all together without trying to write a whole engine, which would be rather hard.

I think it would be easier to create models in Maya for example, than having the game draw all models during the runtime. I have a feeling you'd have to keep them very simple in this case?

I know it sounds like im plugging a series i really like, which i am, but it really is good for modding. You don't have to use the unreal engine of course, i'm just using

Just adding my ramblings, from what i understand you're trying to achieve.

A game for a school project, i should have asked first, what genre are you looking at? I was assuming FPS as soon as you said 3D games, sorry.

[Kiwi Man]

FPS was our first idea, but we're probably going to do a flight sim because there's less animation needed, as well as less voices, and less detail like on faces that we'd make a hash of if we tried to do.

[noidtluom]

Might I suggest you take a look at Blender's Game Engine?

http://blender.org

Blender is the only open-source free program able to make a stand against commercial applications (Maya, Autodesk, 3DS Max, etc) and has better features than some of them...and, is still improving steadily!

Their Game Engine is extremely powerful and you might be interested in playing around with that.

Feature list:

http://www.blender.org/features-gallery/features/