Home Course Index C4 Project PDF Version of this Page

Let me know what you think Mail me...

Course 3D_MDX: 3D-Graphics with Managed DirectX 9.0
Chapter C4: Comments to the Standard Meshes = Primitives Project


Copyright © by V. Miszalok, last update: 2011-03-28


namespaces

using System; //Home of the base class of all classes "System.Object" and of all primitive data types such as Int32, Int16, double, string.
using System.Windows.Forms; //Home of the "Form" class (base class of Form1) and its method Application.Run.
using System.Drawing; //Home of the "Graphics" class and its drawing methods such as DrawStirng, DrawLine, DrawRectangle, FillClosedCurve etc.
using Microsoft.DirectX; //Utilities including exception handling, simple helper methods, structures for matrix, clipping, and vector manipulation.
using Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D; //Graphics application programming interface (API) with models of 3-D objects and hardware acceleration.
For DirectX see: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/default.aspxWin32 and COM DevelopmentGraphics and Multimedia → DirectX → SDK DocumentationDirectX SDK ManagedDirectX SDK → Namespaces.


Entry to start our .NET Windows program: public class Form1 : Form

//We derive our window Form1 from the class Form, which is contained in the System.Windows.Forms namespace.


[STAThread] static void Main() { Application.Run( new Form1() ); } //Create a single thread instance of Form1 and ask the operating system to start it as main window of our program.


static Device device = null; //The global device object must be static since we need it inside the static Timer event handler.


static float xAngle, yAngle, zAngle; //Global movements around the main 3 axes.


static Mesh meshPolygon, meshBox, meshSphere, meshTorus, meshCylinder, meshTeapot, meshText; //declarations of the mesh identifiers
//The following lines give each 3D-object a specific position on stage.
These x,y,z-shiftings are expressed as 3D-vectors and the vectors are transposed into a general 4x4 matrix-format. The resulting matrices will be used in the rendering loop (see OnTimer(...)-function below) where they will be multiplied at run time with the current rotation matrix m.
static Matrix mPol = Matrix.Translation( new Vector3(    0f,    0f, -1.5f ) ); //polygon //in front of all others
static Matrix mBox = Matrix.Translation( new Vector3(  1.5f,    0f,    0f ) ); //box //right side
static Matrix mSph = Matrix.Translation( new Vector3( -1.5f,    0f,    0f ) ); //sphere //left side
static Matrix mTor = Matrix.Translation( new Vector3(    0f,  1.5f,    0f ) ); //torus //top side
static Matrix mCyl = Matrix.Translation( new Vector3(    0f, -1.5f,    0f ) ); //cylinder //bottom side
static Matrix mTea = Matrix.Translation( new Vector3(    0f,    0f,  1.5f ) ); //teapot //in the mid but behind the polygon
static Matrix mTex; //text //The 3D-text has no specific position.


Timer myTimer = new Timer(); //This Timer sends messages at fixed time intervals to Form1, that trigger Form1 to execute its OnTimer(..) method.


Constructor public Form1() inside public class Form1

Text = "Primitive Meshes"; //Title in the blue title bar of Form1.


myTimer.Tick += new EventHandler( OnTimer ); //Obligatory definition of an event handler for the Timer event.
myTimer.Interval = 1; //1 millisecond intervals means: as fast as possible. The operating system will raise as many events as possible (normally 1000[msec] divided by monitor refresh[≈80Hz] ≈ 13 msec).


ClientSize = new Size( 400, 300 ); //Calls OnResize( ... ) //This statement raises an OnResize(...) event which leads to the first time initialization of a DirectX-Device.


Overridden event handler protected override void OnResize( System.EventArgs e ) inside public class Form1
//Whenever the window changes we have to initialize Direct3D from scratch.

myTimer.Stop(); //Stop the timer during initialization. It may disturb DirectX-initialization.


try //All the following things crash when DirectX is not properly installed. In this case the try-catch clause offers a civilized exit.


//Get information from the operating system about its current graphics properties.
PresentParameters presentParams = new PresentParameters(); //This structure is an obligatory parameter for creating a new Device. It carries several flags such as Windowed = true; and SwapEffect.Discard; = status flags controlling the behavior of the Device.
//we have to set four flags
presentParams.Windowed = true; //We want a program in a window not a full screen program.
presentParams.SwapEffect = SwapEffect.Discard; //This flag tells the graphic board how to handle the backbuffer(s) after front-back flipping. Many graphic boards need this flag, but I do not really know why. See: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/.../D3DSWAPEFFECT.asp
presentParams.EnableAutoDepthStencil = true; //with depth buffer //We want a Z-buffer on the graphics board.
presentParams.AutoDepthStencilFormat = DepthFormat.D16; //16 bit depth //Z-buffer just needs limited resolution (short integers). Other possible formats see: http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive


//Create a new D3D-device that serves as canvas.
if ( device != null ) device.Dispose(); //Free the old canvas if any.
device = new Device( 0, DeviceType.Hardware, this, CreateFlags.SoftwareVertexProcessing, presentParams );
//1. parameter = 0 = default device. (The computer can have different devices f.i. two graphic boards.)
//2. parameter = DeviceType.Hardware allows rasterization by the graphic board (HAL=first choice), software (HEL) or mixed.
//3. parameter = this Pointer to our Form1-Control being the target of any graphical output.
//4. parameter = CreateFlags.SoftwareVertexProcessing is a flag that switches off the vector graphics part of the graphic board to avoid any risk from old graphic boards and/or old DirectX-drivers = all vector graphics via HEL. Disadvantage: Waste of the powerful HAL vector pipelines of a modern graphic board.
//5. parameter = presentParams is a structure of status flags describing the behavior of a graphic board.
//see: ../../Lectures/L05_OpenGL_DirectX


//The following if-statements do not matter in first time initialization but they are necessary in any later OnResize-event, when the old Device does not exist anymore. Being connected with a dead Device the old meshes are useless and must be thrown away in order to free their memory.
if ( meshPolygon  != null ) meshPolygon .Dispose(); //free the old mesh if any
if ( meshBox      != null ) meshBox     .Dispose(); //free the old mesh if any
if ( meshSphere   != null ) meshSphere  .Dispose(); //free the old mesh if any
if ( meshTorus    != null ) meshTorus   .Dispose(); //free the old mesh if any
if ( meshCylinder != null ) meshCylinder.Dispose(); //free the old mesh if any
if ( meshTeapot   != null ) meshTeapot  .Dispose(); //free the old mesh if any
if ( meshText     != null ) meshText    .Dispose(); //free the old mesh if any
//Any mesh (except Teapot) needs parameters of relative lengths, sizes, etc..
meshPolygon  = Mesh.Polygon ( device, 0.3f, 8 ); //line length + no of vertices
0.3f = lengths of edges of a regular polygon, 8 = no. of vertices
meshBox      = Mesh.Box ( device, 0.5f, 0.5f, 0.5f ); //xSize, ySize, zSize
0.5f = length, width, height of a rectangular solid
meshSphere   = Mesh.Sphere ( device, 0.5f, 20, 20 ); //radius, no slices, no stacks
0.5f = radius, 20 = no. of latitudes, 20 = no. of longitudes
meshTorus    = Mesh.Torus ( device, 0.2f, 0.4f, 20, 20 );//in+out radii, slices+stacks
0.2f = inner radius, 0.5f = outer radius, 20 = no. of latitudes, 20 = no. of longitudes
meshCylinder = Mesh.Cylinder( device, 0.5f, 0.2f, 0.8f, 20, 20 ); //front+back radii, length, slices+stacks
0.5f = bottom radius, 0.2f = top radius, 0.8f = height, 20 = no. of latitudes, 20 = no. of longitudes
meshTeapot   = Mesh.Teapot ( device );


String text = "Size: " + ClientSize.Width.ToString() + "/" + ClientSize.Height.ToString(); //String = "Size: 400/300". The figures 400 and 300 change after a OnResize-event.


GlyphMetricsFloat[] gly = new GlyphMetricsFloat[text.Length]; //Array of character size descriptions.
See: http://pluralsight.com/wiki/default.aspx/Craig.DirectX/FontBasicsTutorial.html


meshText = Mesh.TextFromFont( device, new System.Drawing.Font( FontFamily.GenericSerif, 12 ), text, 0.01f, 0.25f, out gly ); //string, smooth, thick, per char info
0.01f = how detailed, 0.25f = how thick
See: http://pluralsight.com/wiki/default.aspx/Craig.DirectX/FontBasicsTutorial.html


//Loop over each element in the GlyphMetricsFloat array, accumulating data as it goes, to compute a length and width for the Mesh. Each GlyphMetricsFloat object contains data about the horizontal distance from the previous letter to this one (CellIncX), and about the height of each letter (BlackBoxY). By simply summing the former and finding the max of the latter, we compute the overall height and width of the text object.
float x=0f, y=0f; //width and height of text
for ( int i=0; i < text.Length; i++ ) //for all chars
{ x += gly[i].CellIncX; //x=text.Width = sum of char.Width //sum up all widths
  if ( gly[i].BlackBoxY > y ) y = gly[i].BlackBoxY; //y=text.Height= max of char.Height //find out the heightest character
} //end of for
See: http://pluralsight.com/wiki/default.aspx/Craig.DirectX/FontBasicsTutorial.html


mTex = Matrix.Translation( new Vector3( -x/2f, -y/2f, 2f ) ); //Calculate a translation matrix based on the bounds we figured out earlier. The reason is that we’d like to rotate the text around its center. Because the origin of the mTex-mesh is at the beginning of the first character, rotating without primary translation will make it spin around one corner of the text...not the effect we want.


//set up material with diffuse and ambient white color
Material myMaterial = new Material();
myMaterial.Diffuse = myMaterial.Ambient = Color.White; //Since all material properties are white, the meshes will reflect any sort of light.
device.Material = mtrl; //Copy the material properties to the device.


//turn on some blue directional light coaxial to the camera
device.Lights[0].Type = LightType.Directional; //See: http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive
device.Lights[0].Diffuse = Color.DarkBlue;
device.Lights[0].Direction = new Vector3( 0, 0, 5 ); //Light source = centrally in front of the monitor = roughly from the spectators nose.
Recommended experiments: Change to upper left = -1,1,5; to lower left = -1,-1,5; to backside = 1,1,-5 etc.
device.Lights[0].Enabled = true; //We have to set the D3DRS_LIGHTING renderstate to enable lighting.


//set up the transformation of world coordinates into camera or view space
device.Transform.View = Matrix.LookAtLH(
  new Vector3( 0f, 0f,-5f ), // eye point 5.0 in front of the canvas
  new Vector3( 0f, 0f, 0f ), // camera looks at point 0,0,0
  new Vector3( 0f, 1f, 0f ) ); // worlds up direction is the y-axis. See: http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive


//set up the projection transformation using 4 parameters:
//1.: field of view = 45 degrees; 2.: aspect ratio = width / height = 1 = square window;
//3.: near clipping distance = 0; 4.: far clipping distance = 10;

device.Transform.Projection = Matrix.PerspectiveFovLH((float)Math.PI/4, 1f, 1f, 100f );.
//Describe the truncated viewing pyramid = frustum:
1. is the viewing angle in radians (PI/4=45o),
2. is the ratio height / width,
3. is the z-value of the front plane of the viewing volume and
4. the z-value of its back plane.
//See: http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive
//See: www.lighthouse3d.com/opengl/viewfrustum/ Please mail me if this link is dead.
Experiment 1: Enlarge Math.PI/4 to Math.PI/2 = 90o. The scene will appear shifted away.
Experiment 2: Distort the ratio to a) 0.5 and b) to 2.0.
Experiment 3: Shift the front plane away from You towards the cylinder in steps of 0.5.


device.RenderState.CullMode = Cull.None; //Culling is a method to accelerate rendering by excluding (mostly back-) surfaces from the render process.


device.RenderState.Lighting = true; //Switch on the directional and the ambient light.


xAngle = yAngle = zAngle = 0; //start angles


myTimer.Start(); //start the timer again //It has been stopped by the first statement of this function


catch (DirectXException) { MessageBox.Show( "Could not initialize Direct3D." ); return; } //Emergency exit when DirectX 9.0 was not found and/or new Device crashed. End of the try-clause = 2nd statement of this function.


Event handler protected static void OnTimer( Object myObject, EventArgs myEventArgs ) inside public class Form1

if (device == null) return; //Emergency exit if the DirectX initialization has gone wrong.


//throw the old image away
device.Clear( ClearFlags.Target | ClearFlags.ZBuffer, Color.Gray, 1f, 0 ); //Erase any former content from the canvas and the Z-buffer.
Recommended experiment: Kick out this Clear-statement and observe what happens.


//rotate with 3 angular velocities //The meshes rotate around three main axes with the same velocity of 0.02/step ≈ 3.6o/step.
Matrix m = Matrix.RotationYawPitchRoll( yAngle += 0.02f, xAngle += 0.02f, zAngle += 0.02f ); //


//draw on the canvas
device.BeginScene(); //Open the render clause
  device.Transform.World = m * mPol; meshPolygon .DrawSubset( 0 ); //rotate + translate
  device.Transform.World = m * mBox; meshBox     .DrawSubset( 0 ); //rotate + translate
  device.Transform.World = m * mSph; meshSphere  .DrawSubset( 0 ); //rotate + translate
  device.Transform.World = m * mTor; meshTorus   .DrawSubset( 0 ); //rotate + translate
  device.Transform.World = m * mCyl; meshCylinder.DrawSubset( 0 ); //rotate + translate
  device.Transform.World = m * mTea; meshTeapot  .DrawSubset( 0 ); //rotate + translate
  device.Transform.World = mTex * m; meshText    .DrawSubset( 0 ); //translate + rotate
device.EndScene(); //Close the render clause
device.Present(); //show the canvas // = Command to flip the front and the back buffer of the graphic board.


top of page: