Graphics libraries.

[WILL]

Are you concerned with supporting multiple platforms? Either way, have you considered SDL with OpenGL? If you have already tried OpenGL or dabbled with it, you'll be familiar with some of the concepts and SDL is great for all kinds of game input, window management and of course image format handling.

Not many '3rd party' game libraries will support multiple platforms, at least as of yet, so if that is a concern then there is almost only the one alternative SDL and OpenGL.

[czar]

The problem I used to have with OpenGL based solutions is that many people (users) did not have reasonable OpenGl drivers installed. So unless they had a ATI or NVIDIA video card they tended to have problems. How is that these days? Does windows 7 come with proper OpenGL support?

[WILL]

As far as I know, all modern computers should have graphics cards that have OpenGL drivers. At least OpenGL 1.x or so. Depending on the type of 3D features you wish to use basic OpenGL from 1.x or 2.x even should be supported by most, if not all cards now-a-days. Especially if they are running a Mac or a Linux system.

[Chesso]

Are you sure Sphinx does not GUI? I also assumed newer version would, you might need to post around on forum or contact developer(s).

I suppose if there is not much difference between XE and 2010 it might be alright, I haven't tried it yet but will when I have time.

On the other hand I hear a lot around here about SDL, which I wouldn't mind at least test driving for drawing, obviously not the new 1.3 or w/e as commercial applications need licenses and all sorts of weird and wonderful things, not something I am interested in this stage. How do I get started with SDL and Delphi 2010 just with basic 2D drawing of images, preferably in a fashion similar to UnDelphiX? Also performance wise does it do better than UnDelphiX if anyone knows?

[WILL]

How do I get started with SDL and Delphi 2010 just with basic 2D drawing of images, preferably in a fashion similar to UnDelphiX? Also performance wise does it do better than UnDelphiX if anyone knows?

JEDI-SDL is amazingly easy to use in Delphi. I assume you are running Windows? If you happen to be running on a Mac I can probably hook you up with a working copy that is not yet published. Dom is working on a release soon. Get it at SourceForge here http://sourceforge.net/projects/jedi-sdl/

I use this version currently for all my Windows-based games. It works great and is very stable. You don't need OpenGL to get started with it, but it comes bundled with it so if you want to make the move, it'll be easy.

After you've gotten the library and unzipped it with all your other Pascal projects or where ever else you want it to reside, check out the Free Pascal meets SDL site for some basics on how to use the library. It's super easy to get started working with it. In fact, it's even easier to use than UnDelphiX in some ways.

As long as you don't need any 3D acceleration you'll be quite happy with it I'm sure. Once you start into rotation, scaling or alpha blending, you're ready to move on to OpenGL. But first start with the basics of the SDL library of course.

[Chesso]

So from what I read, it does it's own 2D magic, and also cranks out Direct3D and OpenGL, so I assume you can combine them to some extent, and basically to move on and up I will not have to change libraries or anything like that.

[Andru]

How is that these days? Does windows 7 come with proper OpenGL support?

Bad as before. Typical user with installed Windows XP/7 will have only GDI Generic GL_RENDERER. But if this user is a gamer, then official drivers could be installed. So, OpenGL is not a good solution for casual games nowadays.

[WILL]

So from what I read, it does it's own 2D magic, and also cranks out Direct3D and OpenGL, so I assume you can combine them to some extent, and basically to move on and up I will not have to change libraries or anything like that.

Yes and then not quite. SDL is it's own graphics API, input API, sound API, etc... You can use OpenGL with it, but you have to set it up as such. It then has functions that will help support OpenGL textures(sprites, etc) and different image formats, but that's it. The setup is a little different. There aren't any functions that help with Direct3D nor does it actually use it at all.

It is it's own hardware interface for graphics.

This does not mean that you cannot use Direct3D for graphics just because you are using SDL for user input and sound, but it's nicer to use OpenGL as it integrates better with it.

That said, go to the Free Pascal meets SDL site and just read about the setup instructions. It tells you everything you need to know. It's super easy to use and I know of at least one high school that uses it to introduce kids to CS using Pascal that is catching onto it quite fast.

[LP]

Are you sure Sphinx does not GUI? I also assumed newer version would, you might need to post around on forum or contact developer(s).

I suppose if there is not much difference between XE and 2010 it might be alright, I haven't tried it yet but will when I have time.

Asphyre Sphinx works for Delphi 2006-2010 and XE, it also works on XE Starter and FPC/Lazarus. Attempts were made to port it to Mac OS X, but no success so far (have no decent Mac OS X machine at hand).

There is a good GUI option for Asphyre posted here. In addition, an updated GUI based on the one provided in Asphyre eXtreme was ported for our game project and redesigned, but it's not yet published (it will be after the game's release - I have yet to fix few menus and shortcuts in the GUI designer).

[WILL]

Asphyre Sphinx works for Delphi 2006-2010 and XE, it also works on XE Starter and FPC/Lazarus. Attempts were made to port it to Mac OS X, but no success so far (have no decent Mac OS X machine at hand).

I can be your guinea pig? I have the latest (until Lion comes out) Mac OS X. What was left to make compatible? I assume that it was all OpenGL equivalents to DirectX, correct?