Full Screen GUI Development
Pt 1 ?The Basics
By Jim (Machaira) Perry
In this article we抣l look at developing a GUI for full-screen DirectX games. The code accompanying this article may be used as a base for developing your own GUI class. It will necessarily be simplistic, but may give you an idea of how to go about writing your own GUI code.
This article assumes a working knowledge of DirectX 7 and VB classes.
Download this tutorial (in Word format) and the sample projects in a zip file (336 KB)
When you think of a GUI you think in terms of windows, so the base class will handle most normal window properties and draw the bitmap used to represent the window. A bitmap for a simple window could look like the following.
This window has no Control Box or minimize, maximize, and close buttons. It抯 about as simple as you can get. See the window.bmp file.
Several example of more complex GUI抯 are below:
Figure 1 - Quake III Arena GUI
Figure 2 - Unreal Tournament GUI
Our GUI class won抰 quite be up to the task of handling something like this, but it抣l eventually be pretty useful.
Below is a first try at a base window class (see the WindowSample1 project):
ClsWindow Class
Option Explicit
Private objBitmap As DirectDrawSurface7
Private iX As Integer
Private iY As Integer
Private iWidth As Integer
Private iHeight As Integer
'Center the window against the parent window
'For a base window the parent is the screen
Private bCenterX As Boolean
Private bCenterY As Boolean
'Used for centering purposes
Private iParentWidth As Integer
Private iParentHeight As Integer
Private iParentX As Integer
Private iParentY As Integer
Public Property Let X(ByVal iData As Integer)
iX = iData
End Property
Public Property Get X() As Integer
X = iX
End Property
Public Property Let Y(ByVal iData As Integer)
iY = iData
End Property
Public Property Get Y() As Integer
Y = iY
End Property
'Only Property Get for Width and Height properties
'since they are set by the dimensions of the bitmap
Public Property Get Width() As Integer
Width = iWidth
End Property
Public Property Get Height() As Integer
Height = iHeight
End Property
Public Property Let CenterX(ByVal bData As Boolean)
bCenterX = bData
iX = ((iParentWidth / 2) + iParentX) - (iWidth / 2)
End Property
Public Property Get CenterX() As Boolean
CenterX = bCenterX
End Property
Public Property Let CenterY(ByVal bData As Boolean)
bCenterY = bData
iY = ((iParentHeight / 2) + iParentY) - (iHeight / 2)
End Property
Public Property Get CenterY() As Boolean
CenterY = bCenterY
End Property
Public Property Let ParentWidth(ByVal iData As Integer)
iParentWidth = iData
End Property
Public Property Get ParentWidth() As Integer
ParentWidth = iParentWidth
End Property
Public Property Let ParentHeight(ByVal iData As Integer)
iParentHeight = iData
End Property
Public Property Get ParentHeight() As Integer
ParentHeight = iParentHeight
End Property
Public Property Let ParentX(ByVal iData As Integer)
iParentX = iData
End Property
Public Property Get ParentX() As Integer
ParentX = iParentX
End Property
Public Property Let ParentY(ByVal iData As Integer)
iParentY = iData
End Property
Public Property Get ParentY() As Integer
ParentY = iParentY
End Property
Public Property Let ObjectSurface(ByVal objSurface As DirectDrawSurface7)
Dim ddsd As DDSURFACEDESC2
Set objBitmap = objSurface
objBitmap.GetSurfaceDesc ddsd
iHeight = ddsd.lHeight
iWidth = ddsd.lWidth
End Property
Public Function DrawObject(objSurface As DirectDrawSurface7)
Dim rectObject As RECT
Dim rectBitmap As RECT
On Error GoTo DrawObjectErr
rectBitmap.Left = iX
rectBitmap.Right = iX + iWidth
rectBitmap.Top = iY
rectBitmap.Bottom = iY + iHeight
objSurface.Blt rectBitmap, objBitmap, rectObject, DDBLT_WAIT
Exit Function
DrawObjectErr:
Exit Function
End Function
Take a look at the InitDD function in the modDirectDraw module. The following code creates the window object:
Window.ObjectSurface = objDD.CreateSurfaceFromFile(App.Path & "\window.bmp", ddsdSurf2)
Window.ParentX = 0
Window.ParentY = 0
Window.ParentHeight = 600
Window.ParentWidth = 800
Window.CenterX = True
Window.CenterY = True
This will simply draw a bitmap of a window centered on the screen. It doesn抰 handle input and contains no controls. Although this is a good start it doesn抰 really offer us much. Some other things are necessary. The ability to put controls on the window is one of them. Since controls are only windows themselves with some additional properties, we can use the clsWindow class to represent them with some modifications.
We want the base window to know about the controls it contains. A collection is a simple way to allow this. Add the following to the Declarations section of the clsWindow class (see the WindowSample2 project):
Private colChildren As New Collection
This collection will hold references to the controls that the window that contains them. We need a function to allow us to add controls to the class. The following function will handle that:
Public Sub AddChild(clsChild As clsWindow)
colChildren.Add clsChild
End Sub
Since there are many types of controls we抣l need a way to tell what kind of control we抮e placing on the window. Add the following to the Declarations section as well:
Private iObjectType As eObjectType
Private iObjectState As eObjectState
and add the following to the modMain module:
Public Enum eObjectState
iEnabled
iDisabled
iPressed
iChecked
iUnchecked
iChecked_iDisabled
End Enum
Public Enum eObjectType
Btn
ChkBox
End Enum
These enums will represent the type of control and the state of that control. These enums will grow as new control types and states are added to them. For now a button and a checkbox are enough to demonstrate their usage.
Now we need objects of the new window types. Add the following to the modDirectDraw module:
Public OKButton As New clsWindow
Public Check As New clsWindow
These will represent the new controls. This will require us to update the InitDD function as well. Add the following to the function:
Dim ddsdSurf3 As DDSURFACEDESC2
Dim ddsdSurf4 As DDSURFACEDESC2
OKButton.ObjectSurface = objDD.CreateSurfaceFromFile(App.Path & "\ok.bmp", ddsdSurf3)
OKButton.ObjectType = Btn
OKButton.ObjectState = iEnabled
OKButton.ParentHeight = Window.Height
OKButton.ParentWidth = Window.Width
OKButton.ParentX = Window.X
OKButton.ParentY = Window.Y
OKButton.CenterX = True
OKButton.CenterY = True
Window.AddChild OKButton
Check.ObjectSurface = objDD.CreateSurfaceFromFile(App.Path & "\check.bmp", ddsdSurf4)
Check.ObjectType = ChkBox
Check.ObjectState = iUnchecked
Check.ParentHeight = Window.Height
Check.ParentWidth = Window.Width
Check.ParentX = Window.X
Check.ParentY = Window.Y
Check.X = 200
Check.Y = 200
Window.AddChild Check
Take a look at the ok.bmp and check.bmp files. These are the bitmaps that are used for the controls. Notice that there are several versions of the control in the file. They represent the various states that the control can have. For the button bitmap they are iEnabled, iPressed, and iDisabled. The checkbox has iUnchecked, iChecked, iDisabled, and iChecked_iDisabled. The iEnabled enum could have been used instead of the iUnchecked, but I felt it wouldn抰 have described the state of the control as well. Notice also that we抮e centering the button inside the window, but setting the X and Y coordinates of the checkbox. We抳e also added the text 揙K?to the bitmap for the button, but this could have been left out. This will be done later when we add text support to the class. This will also allow us to add text to the checkbox and the window.
Change the Property Let ObjectSurface to the following:
Dim ddsd As DDSURFACEDESC2
Set objBitmap = objSurface
objBitmap.GetSurfaceDesc ddsd
iWidth = ddsd.lWidth
Select Case iObjectType
Case Btn
iHeight = ddsd.lHeight / 3
Case ChkBox
iHeight = ddsd.lHeight / 4
Case BaseWindow
iHeight = ddsd.lHeight
End Select
This will handle the new types of controls. This could also have been done by adding Property Let statements to the class and setting the Width and Height properties in the InitDD function.
Now we need to handle clicking on the controls. Add the following to the clsWindow class:
Public Sub MouseDown(ByVal Button As Integer, ByVal Shift As Integer, ByVal X As Single, ByVal Y As Single)
Dim iLp As Integer
If X >= iX And X <= iX + iWidth And Y >= iY And Y <= iY + iHeight Then
For iLp = 1 To colChildren.Count
colChildren(iLp).MouseDown Button, Shift, X, Y
Next iLp
If Not (iObjectState = iDisabled) Then
Select Case iObjectType
Case ChkBox
If iObjectState = iChecked Then
iObjectState = iUnchecked
Else
iObjectState = iChecked
End If
Case Btn
iObjectState = iPressed
End Select
End If
End If
End Sub
Public Sub MouseUp(ByVal Button As Integer, ByVal Shift As Integer, ByVal X As Single, ByVal Y As Single)
Dim iLp As Integer
If Not (iObjectState = iDisabled) Then
If iObjectState = iPressed And iObjectType = Btn Then iObjectState = iEnabled
End If
For iLp = 1 To colChildren.Count
colChildren(iLp).MouseUp Button, Shift, X, Y
Next iLp
End Sub
and add the following to the frmMain form抯 code:
Private Sub Form_MouseDown(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
Window.MouseDown Button, Shift, X, Y
End Sub
Private Sub Form_MouseUp(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
Window.MouseUp Button, Shift, X, Y
End Sub
Notice that we only have to call the mouse events for the base window. The class handles calling the events for the controls it contains.
So what are we missing? Oh yes, we need to know how to draw the controls. Replace the DrawObject function with the following:
Public Function DrawObject(objSurface As DirectDrawSurface7)
Dim clsWindow As clsWindow
Dim iLp As Integer
Dim ddsd As DDSURFACEDESC2
Dim rectBitmap As RECT
Dim rectObject As RECT
On Error GoTo DrawObjectErr
rectBitmap.Left = iX
rectBitmap.Right = iX + iWidth
rectBitmap.Top = iY
rectBitmap.Bottom = iY + iHeight
Select Case iObjectType
Case Btn
rectObject.Left = 0
rectObject.Right = iWidth
rectObject.Top = 0
rectObject.Bottom = iHeight
Select Case iObjectState
Case iDisabled
rectObject.Top = iHeight * 2
rectObject.Bottom = iHeight * 3
Case iPressed
rectObject.Top = iHeight
rectObject.Bottom = iHeight * 2
End Select
Case ChkBox
rectObject.Left = 0
rectObject.Right = iWidth
rectObject.Top = 0
rectObject.Bottom = iHeight
Select Case iObjectState
Case iDisabled
rectObject.Top = iHeight * 2
rectObject.Bottom = iHeight * 3
Case iChecked
rectObject.Top = iHeight
rectObject.Bottom = iHeight * 2
Case iChecked_iDisabled
rectObject.Top = iHeight * 3
rectObject.Bottom = iHeight * 4
End Select
Case BaseWindow
'Nothing needed here since we use the base rectangle
End Select
objSurface.Blt rectBitmap, objBitmap, rectObject, DDBLT_WAIT
For iLp = 1 To colChildren.Count
colChildren(iLp).DrawObject objSurface
Next iLp
Exit Function
DrawObjectErr:
Exit Function
End Function
What抯 Next?
The first part of this series is an intro into creating a relatively full-fledged GUI for your game. The next article will deal with some more advanced pieces ?more controls and adding additional properties for the controls, including text properties. If there is anything specific you would like to see, please e-mail me or post on the board for the site where you found this article (if applicable).
Feel free to modify this code as you see fit. Hopefully you抣l find a use for it, even though it抯 still in it抯 infant form.
See you next time!
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