Hi!

I have been programming in FreeBasic for 2 years now, and decided to switch to C++ a few weeks ago. This means that I'm not completely new to programming. I downloaded Visual C++ Express Edition 2008, and have already read all 12 chapters of C++ Beginners Guide (well the last few chapters had things I have never used before but I think I understood it).

Now that I understand the fundamentals, I would like to start learning how graphics work. In FreeBasic, all I had to do was include the graphics library and simple operations would work, I could even write a beautiful Snake game:

screenres 1024, 768, 24
line (x1, y1) - (x2, y2), rgba(r, g, b, a), BF
bload "image.bmp", image
put (x1, y1), image, trans

I couldn't find a library as simple as this one, although I understand that OpenGl and Allegro are faster and much better. My questions is which one should I learn to use? I will be writing games and Allegro is a gaming library so it includes sound too, but still OpenGl may offer more graphics options.

Also, if anyone could please give a link to a tutorial in any of these libraries as good as the Beginners Guide, I would really appreciate that. So far all the OpenGL tutorials I have found use glaux.h, which I understand isn't used any more. Until then I will study the Allegro lessons found here, although these aren't very much and I think OpenGl would do better, at least in the beginning.
Thanks in advance,
-Tusike

Go with the more low level and very capable openGL.

Thanks for the quick reply! This is exactly what I was looking for, the third link also let's me download glaux. Seems strange that google didn't show any place to do that...

-Tusike

ur welcome :) , once ur comfortable with this , u can also upgrade ur self to DIRECTX programming . That will take you to the epicenter of gaming .

u can also upgrade ur self to DIRECTX programming

"upgrade" might not be the correct choice of words.

Don't use OpenGL
All best actual games use DirectX (FarCry, etc..)
Download DirectX SDK and see the tons of samples inside

commented: So, and what good news does the angel have to bring us today? -4
commented: Bullsh*t. -2

Don't use OpenGL
All best actual games use DirectX (FarCry, etc..)
Download DirectX SDK and see the tons of samples inside

Could you give a reasonable reason on why not to use openGL.
openGL is capable of achieving almost everything that directX can do.

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