Cheat Engine

[oib111]

I wanted to know which is better, OpenGL or DirectX 9. And furthermore if I was to go with OpenGL what would I use for sound, and some good tutorials would be nice.

[atom0s]

This was discussed not too long ago.

And it came down to:
- OpenGL is best for portability.
- DirectX is best for everything else.

[TerryDonahugh]

I prefer OpenGL because I can use it on Linux. OpenGL on windows gives the advantage that I don't have to recode everything because I want to use one of the newer features. The Direct3D interfaces are slightly different in each generation of D3D, if you'd want to use a D3D10 feature and your code uses D3D9, you will have to update all of your code to use the new interfaces. The interfaces change only every two or three years, but still..

OpenGL is a bit messy with all its extensions, most of them with poor documentation. Direct3D actually comes with pretty good documentation and all of the features you are ever going to need are neatly packed in the D3D interfaces.

For sound one could use the BASS or FMOD libraries, which are fairly easy to use.

[Poent]

DirectX is, simply enough, a more powerful API when compaired to OpenGL. Granted openGL is not bad at what it does. Mac's first new-age OS (and every one sense) has used OpenGL, allowing them to do all of the fancy stylistic effects to their windows, and there are thousands of games that have been made in OpenGL.

As already mentioned, OpenGL is portable across multiple platforms (Mac, windows, linux). Where as DirectX is very specifically a Microsoft Windows only API. So unless you're porting to mac or linux in the near future use DirectX.

I've actually spent the past two years Learning DirectX and it is no easy trip. I'm still not completely use to the syntax it uses and d3d9/d3d10 is a pain in the ass. You should at least be intermediate at C++ before you start learning DirectX. It will help you a lot.

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[hcavolsdsadgadsg]

I hear good things about DirectX10, as it's much cleaner, neater and faster than its predecessors. Of course if you don't have the hardware...

OpenGL is nice and clean too, it's seemingly outshined now though in everywhere other than portability now though. If you're interested in OpenGL, go take look at Quake 3's source code. The full source for the engine is available. (as is the source for most other ID games before it...)

I'm still going to recommend using an existing engine and modding it. Unreal Engine 3 is amazingly optimized, well developed and of course, just like all the others, completely modable. Mod teams often make entirely new and different games. There's plenty of documentation on modding for it and it will be out in a month or so if all goes according to plan.

Plus the Make Something Unreal contest will probably be coming back for it, giving not only mod teams a chance to score some cash and stuff, but guys working solo that make their own small mods or changes rather than entire conversions. There's all sorts of categories, for best levels with stock models and things of the such, best custom content, it's a great way to learn and test your skills I would think.