Is the express version the best visual studios C++ compiler?

Is the express version the best visual studios C++ compiler?

• prasannadotnet

  Hi Zach, sounds like you are going through the same process as me. If so, I am a delphi programmer and started with directX using a directX engine. This simplifies the directX part enourmesly. Further one need to get familiar with 3D modelling for the art. The best choices are Maya and 3DS Max, quite expensive though, cheap other options are milkshape and fragmotion. This where it starts and you will learn from here. There are many game websites with forums that have tons of information about this.
  

• Mieux

  hey Zach7
  
  a good place to start is with the free stuff as unless your going to write a new engine from which you need to be dam good at maths :P best get a free engine like DevLib which Doom was made with and can use that for free just not sell on etc gpl...
  
  http://www.devlib-central.org
  
  
  download there Documentation, API-Reference & Tutorials
  download there DevLib SDK

  And you are set for writeing in DevIL, FreeType 2, LUA, ODE, libjpeg, libmpeg2, libpng, TinyXML, unzip, ZLib, SDL, DirectX 9, FMOD, GLEW and finally STL.

  And gl with that lol its alot off work...

  
  

• jsmans

  Its a Cut down Version
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/visualc/
  

• Eric Kim

  Thankyou very much you guys! Thats very helpful. :)
  
  

• George Bolsch

  Zach7 wrote:

  Ive been learning about C++ and Ive been wondering. I know that most of the games that are made these days are made with C++ and other things, but what are those "other things" Whats used to make the graphics, and the differenct objects on the screen that react to things you do If you dont understand then take the xbox game halo for example. C++ was used to code the game but what was used for the graphics and the movement and stuff What was used to make it so that when you pressed up on the controller, the character would move up

  You asked a great question and I wanted to supplement what you have already by some resources that are freely available and that work with Express Editions.

  1. There are books and materials on Game Architecture, Development and Programming, including programming with C++. Check the book sites and also check the Web by searching.
     
  2. There are resource on introduction to gaming at Coding4Fun on the Game Development page. Check out the Essential Links on that page. There are six MSDN Forums on Game Technologies. There are also conferences, including one near Microsoft.
     
  3. There's a new site on developing games with lots of samples, especially for .NET developers.
     
  4. To get one particular organized view of game development, there are some great webcasts and how-to-do-it tutorial series. One thing you'll notice is that the latest Microsoft samples like Rocket Commander are in C#. And you can drool over XNA, which also shows a lot about all of the coordination that happens in developing animated interactive systems.

  Recommendation: The easiest way to see all of the available support and techniques for game development on Microsoft platforms, especially in the Windows Vista and XBox 360 world, is by installing Visual C# Express Edition side-by-side with Visual C++ Express Edition. The samples and kits are easier to get going in C# and you can use that to see how games work and what other tools are required, whether you ultimately work in C++ or C#.

  In addition to seeing the more-powerful tools being provided for managed code, I think this will equip you in another important way. You can more-easily learn how the C# looks when redone with Visual C++ using C++/CLI language features. This will also help avoid confusion with non-C++/CLI features that may only be used (generally) when building unmanaged native Win32 Applications and standard C/C++ console applications.

  - Dennis

  
  
  

• Alexander Khimich

  Should I stick with C++ express since Im a newb to C++ or is the full version much better then this
  
  

• Kevin Xiao

  The compiler itself is a full-up optimizing compiler. The VC++ 2005 Express Edition IDE does not have all of the features of VC++ 2005 Standard or Visual Studio 2005.

  For a beginner, VC++ 2005 Standard Edition is just fine. You can do everything that you want, learn with it, do exercises from books, and then decide on more advanced software after you know where you want to go further.

  The only difference that may matter to you is if you want to make native Windows applications. There are some C++ class libraries that simplify that development but that are only available with commercial editions of VC++. You can still make Windows applications, but it takes a little more work to use the Windows APIs without benefit of the Microsoft Foundation Classes libraries.

  By the time that is important, if it is of interest, you should consider whether developing using .NET is preferable. You can do that with VC++ 2005 Express Edition and you can also get the free Visual C# 2005 Express Edition for even more ease in developing for .NET.

  You really have nothing to lose, as a newbie, by beginning with the Express Editions.

  - Dennis

  
  
  

• Julien Lavigne du Cadet

  I didnt want to make a whole new topic for this so I thought Id just post it here. Ive been learning about C++ and Ive been wondering. I know that most of the games that are made these days are made with C++ and other things, but what are those "other things" Whats used to make the graphics, and the differenct objects on the screen that react to things you do
  
  If you dont understand then take the xbox game halo for example. C++ was used to code the game but what was used for the graphics and the movement and stuff What was used to make it so that when you pressed up on the controller, the character would move up
  
  

• Michael Brooks

  "And you are set for writeing in DevIL, FreeType 2, LUA, ODE, libjpeg, libmpeg2, libpng, TinyXML, unzip, ZLib, SDL, DirectX 9, FMOD, GLEW and finally STL.

  And gl with that lol its alot off work..."

  What do you mean when you say that It sounds like you mean that I have to learn those languages but unzib is not a language. Or do you mean I need to know how to use those in C++.
  
  

• zjs

  I mean by that you can use this engine which makes use of all of them libraries, your not just have to learn them libraries but also how to use them with the engine, your best start would be the tutorials and then take a librarie and then learn that like Dx9.

  tutorials on Dx9 http://www.codesampler.com/dx9src.htm

  
  
• Is the express version the best visual studios C++ compiler?