About
The SI3D Graphics Engine is an Visual Basic/DirectX 3D graphics engine made by Simon Price. You can see the latest versions of it on my website - www.VBgames.co.uk . It has taken about a month from first ideas to now to make the engine. The engine has been designed to be highly portable to all types of applications. I am using it for a 3D modelling program (see www.VBgames.co.uk/screenshots/si3dmodeller.htm ) and then for some games. To test the ease of use of my own engine, I made this program IN ONE DAY ONLY! It is a program which uses any bitmap (well, it has to be smaller than 181 pixels wide, but that's the only requirement) and creates a landscape based on the bitmap. You can then walk around the landscape in 3D in real time! You can choose the color and height of the land too. The engine supports both software and hardware rendering, and so can be run on a range of PC's.
Requirements
You must have DirectX7a or higher installed on your PC. This may work with DirectX7, but that's not been tested (that's your job - if someone could tell me that'd be great!). You don't need a Direct3D graphics card but if you do then you can use the Hardware option on the program to give faster rendering.
Usage
Start the program, choose a height (I recommend that you leave it at 10) and colour (don't choose black or you won't see much!) and then click the "Load Bitmap" button. Select a any picture you want (up to 181 pixels wide) and then click OK. After a few seconds of loading, you will be placed in the center of a 3D landscape! Walk around the landscape using the arrow keys. Your current position will be circled in red on the overhead map. You will walk just above the ground, because the collision detection part of the engine stops you falling through the floor. Larger bitmaps create larger landscapes, but they are also slower to render. There are several sample bitmaps included in the download, I suggest you try those first. However, you can easily make your own in any picture editing program!
And if you thought this was cool...
Well, first of all, please go to www.planet-source-code.com/vb and vote for me! It has taken alot of time and effort to make this graphics engine and I have given the source code to you for free (at this point I should say that the engine IS being used for a commercial game!). It's only fair that in return that you vote for me. Also, you can visit my website, www.VBgames.co.uk , to see the latest updates on all my Visual Basic programs. There are likely to be many more programs made with this graphics engine, since this took just one day I will spend a longer time on a game one day.
And if you think this sucks...
Then I really need your help! Please inform me of any bugs by emailing me : [email protected] . I need bug reports to improve the engine. Since this program was made in just one day, there's bound to be a few glitches. The program creates an error log, in the folder /main/log files/ , so please send me that because it should give me information as to what is wrong.
Boring legal stuff
Run this program and use this source code at your own risk! This code is free, and therefore comes with no guarantees! So if you click on my program, then your monitor explodes, your hard disk starts smoking and your printer squirts ink in your face, tough! Also, don't copy my source code without giving me credit - especially because this engine is being used commercially
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