Chapter 4: Direct3D Initialization

Overview

The initialization process of Direct3D requires us to be familiar with some basic Direct3D types and basic graphics concepts; the first section of this chapter addresses these requirements. We then detail the necessary steps to initialize Direct3D. After that, a small detour is taken to introduce accurate timing and the time measurements needed for real-time graphics applications. Finally, we explore the sample framework code, which is used to provide a consistent interface that all demo applications in this book follow.

Objectives:

• To obtain a basic understanding of Direct3D’s role in programming 3D hardware.

• To understand the role COM plays with Direct3D.

• To learn fundamental graphics concepts, such as how 2D images are stored, page flipping, depth buffering, and multisampling.

• To learn how to use the performance counter functions for obtaining high-resolution timer readings.

• To find out how to initialize Direct3D.

• To become familiar with the general structure of the application framework that all the demos in this book employ.