6 replies to this topic

[Buttacup]

Just looking for some opinions on this! DirectX 10 did not include a mesh loader for .X file format. It is to my understanding that this was because most studios roll out their own file formats and program their own loaders. So there are essentially two or three options here......

1/Write a loader for .X files for DX10

2/Load in DX9 and convert to DX10

3/Just use DX9

Well I'm looking at the long haul and doing this right from the start with the best of the best but if things are just going to change anyway or the difference is minimal than well.........

THX
-daPincess

[WingedPanther]

What is your target audience, and how many will have DX10?

[Mathematix]

Buttacup said:

Just looking for some opinions on this! DirectX 10 did not include a mesh loader for .X file format. It is to my understanding that this was because most studios roll out their own file formats and program their own loaders.

It isn't because of this, but it is true that studios develop their own tech.

Buttacup said:

So there are essentially two or three options here......

1/Write a loader for .X files for DX10

2/Load in DX9 and convert to DX10

3/Just use DX9

Well I'm looking at the long haul and doing this right from the start with the best of the best but if things are just going to change anyway or the difference is minimal than well.........

THX
-daPincess

I would encourage you to go with option 3 as the books are cheaper and you will be less exposed to the new DX10 features (if there are any!) that could confuse matters. Also the DX9 SDK is more mature, so you're less likely to encounter bugs.

[Buttacup]

WingedPanther said:

What is your target audience, and how many will have DX10?

If in the end I do happen to go on and utilize the engine to make a game it will be a cinematic action adventure....... Zelda meets early 90s Sierra. I'm actually just doing this for fun and so I can learn. My end applications will be leaning more towards chem/phys sims and -NDA-........

I don't know I was hoping to hear a little more about the possible hang ups on DX 10 before throwing away a mega ton of hours trying to do something I can't. I'm still going to go the DX 10 route though for two reasons......

1/If I didn't spend most of my life trying to do what no one else can I wouldn't be where I am today!

2/By the time I get something working that would be commercially viable DX 11 will be the norm!:P

Well at any rate I don't see any problems importing the .X file.......... should be done within the next week or two.

<edit>

Make that two months.............I stand firm on this! :)

Edited by Buttacup, 29 June 2009 - 05:41 PM.

[WingedPanther]

I know that a lot of corporate environments are still using XP or even 2000. So for corporate customers, DX9 may not even be an option! DX10 requires Vista, which many people hate. If Windows 7 takes off, you may be OK.

[Buttacup]

:) Thx!

[Buttacup]

I have almost parsed the x file and allocated the components into appropriate containers. One thing I don't understand is why the templates are being declared within the x file; aside from only the ones being used are being declared(still not much help, sub scene components.) I've pretty much just stored that block line by line in a vector. Is the header and the UUIDs really of any use?