Windows Game Programming for Dummies (2nd Edition)/WinGamProgFD.iso/pc/ReadMe.txt

Text File | 2002-08-08 | 9.0 KB | 225 lines

About the CD-ROM

The CD-ROM that comes with this book contains key software that you need to follow the
examples in the book and even develop your own games.

System Requirements

Make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements listed here. If your
computer doesn't match up to most of these requirements, you may have problems using the
contents of the CDs:

For Windows 9x, Windows 2000, Windows NT4 (with SP 4 or later), Windows Me, or Windows XP:

*    PC with a Pentium processor running at 120 Mhz or faster

*    At least 32 MB of total RAM installed on your computer; for best performance, we
    recommend at least 64 MB

*    Ethernet network interface card (NIC) or modem with a speed of at least 28,800 bps

*    A CD-ROM drive

Using the CD with Windows

To install the items from the CD to your hard drive, follow these steps:

        1.    Insert the CD into your computerÆs CD-ROM drive.

    2.    A window will appear with the following options: Install, Browse,
        eChapters, and Exit.

Install: Gives you the option to install the supplied software and/or the author-created
samples on the CD-ROM.

Explore: Allows you to view the contents of the CD-ROM in its directory structure.

eChapters: Allows you to view an electronic version of the bonus Chapters.

Exit: Closes the autorun window.

If you do not have autorun enabled or if the autorun window does not appear, follow the
steps below to access the CD.

1.    Click Start --> Run.

2.    In the dialog box that appears, type d:\setup.exe, where d is the letter of your
    CD-ROM drive. This will bring up the autorun window described above.

3.    Choose the Install, Browse, eBook, Links, or Exit option from the menu. (See Step
    2 in the preceding list for a description of these options.)

When you Browse the CD you will find it is organized with a general directory structure.
Each directory has a Read Me file with specific instructions to install its contents.

To work through the demonstrations in the book, follow these steps to install DirectX and
the Windows Game Programming For Dummies source code:

    1.    Place the CD in your computer's CD-ROM drive and open it with either
        Windows Explorer or My Computer.

    2.    Install the DirectX SDK and run-time, if they aren't already installed on
        your computer.

        DirectX is on the CD-ROM in the \DirectX SDK folder. Follow the Read Me
        file instructions to install DirectX and the run-time.

    3.    Copy the code and executables for each chapter to your hard drive. The
        easiest way to copy these is to drag the \Source folder from the CD to
        your hard drive.

    4.    Install specific applications and games from the \Source folder on your
        hard drive as needed. (Even if you aren't following the chapter examples
        step by step, you will need the Direct X run-time to use the finished
        demos.) Details on these procedures are in the \Software and \Games
        subfolders. Depending on the file, files must be either

    *    Installed by an install application

    *    Installed by a setup application

    *    Decompressed

CD Contents

The CD-ROM contains applications for game programming, cool shareware games, the DirectX
SDK, stock artwork, and sound effects you can use in your games, and the source code from
all the programs and demos in the book. There are also two extra chapters (Chapter 23 and
Chapter 24) in Adobe Acrobat format, plus the Adobe Acrobat reader.

Software

You'll find these valuable applications on the CD:

    *    Paint Shop Pro. This JASC, Inc. product is a shareware graphics viewing
        and editing tool.

    *    DirectX. This book is focuses on DirectX game programming, so you can save
        about two days of downloading (if you're stuck with a modem connection to
        the Internet) by simply installing DirectX from the CD!

        Be sure to read the Read Me files. They inform you of the installation
        details and the latest DirectX system changes.

    *    Sound Forge. This is the premiere sound processing application for game
        programmers and musicians around the world. SoundForge has more features
        than any other program -- I still haven't needed half of them!

    *    Adobe Acrobat Reader. Install this to read the Bonus Chapters from the CD,
        if you haven't already installed Acrobat on your PC.

    *    WinACE. One of the best compression programs around.

Artwork

The \Artwork directory has lots of graphics you can use or modify, royalty-free: textures,
monsters, explosions, mechanisms, backgrounds, and more.

DirectX

To save you about two days of downloading by modem, the DirectX SDK and run-time are on
the CD in the \DirectX SDK folder. (When you install it, be sure to read the Read Me files
for instructions and updates).

Games

The \Games subfolder has some really cool examples for you to try. (If someone sees you
playing them, say it's "research.") They're great examples of what other programmers are
doing, and you'll get some terrific ideas. Each game has its own installation method; the
Read Me file in the \Games will save you time when you install them.

Source code

All the source code for the book, along with all the executables and data, are inside the
\Source folder of the CD. Each chapter of Windows Game Programming For Dummies is
represented by a folder inside the \Source folder. For example, the source code for
Chapter 12 is in the subfolder GPCHAP12\.

Bonus chapters

Chapter 23, "The Lowdown on Artificial Intelligence," and Chapter 24, "Game Programming
Potpourri," are on the CD as Adobe Acrobat files in \Source subfolders GPCHAP23\ and
GPCHAP24\. If your computer doesn't have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, you'll need to
install it from the CD.

If You Have Problems (Of the CD Kind)

I tested all the software and programs for this book on many machines, and everything
worked fine. But the complex universe of hardware, games, and DirectX means that some
installations may not work properly. If you have such problems, check the following lists
for some solutions.

Installation

The likeliest installation problems are

    *    Not enough memory (RAM)

    *    Other running programs keep your program from installing or running

If you get such error messages as Not enough memory and Setup cannot continue, try some of
the following solutions and rerun your software:

    *    Turn off antivirus software

    *    Close all running programs (including instant messaging)

    *    Add more RAM to your computer (yes, this is more complicated and
        expensive)

General execution problems

Some DirectX problems can occur after you start your program:

    *    DirectX driver problems may occur if there isn't a DirectX driver for your
        sound card or video card. (DirectX will warn you when you install
        DirectX.) Check the card manufacturer's Web site and the Microsoft DirectX
        site for driver updates. DirectX will work without a specific driver, but
        not as well.

    *    Compilation problems may result if you don't correctly set up your
        compiler and environment. Make sure you can compile a simple program
        successfully before you compile your complex game. Be sure to take the
        following compilation steps:

    *    Set up the DirectX library and your header paths in the compiler.

    *    Verify that you are creating a standard Win32 .EXE if you're making a
        DirectX app.

    *    Video cards may need setup changes, even if you have a DirectX driver. If
        you see a sudden flash of black or white video when you run some of the
        demos, click the Display Properties icon in the Control Panel and change
        your video settings to 640 X 480 and 256 colors. This setting may solve
        your problem.

    *    Read-only protection errors appear if you try to edit a file that has its
        Read-only flag enabled. This often happens after copying files from CD-ROM
        to your hard drive. You can clear the Read-only flag on files you want to
        modify with one of these methods:

    *    Change one file in Windows Explorer or My Computer. To do so, right-click
        the file in Windows Explorer or My Computer, then select Properties in the
        pop-up list, clear the Read-only check box in the Attributes section, and
        click the apply button. (If you want to change several files at once,
        select all the files before you right click.)

    *    Change all the files in a directory and its subdirectories by using the
        ATTRIB command at a DOS prompt. The command takes this form:

     ATTRIB - R C:\dir\dir\*.* /S

        For example, if you want to clear the Read-only flag for all the files in
        the hard-drive directory C:\SOURCE\APPS and all of its subdirectories,
        enter this ATTRIB command at a DOS prompt:

     ATTRIB - R C:\SOURCE\APPS\*.* /S

If you still have trouble with the CD, please call the Customer Care phone number: (800)
762-2974. Outside the United States, call 1 [phone]. You can also contact Customer
Service by e-mail at [e-mail]. Wiley Publishing, Inc. will provide technical
support only for installation and other general quality control items; for technical
support on the applications themselves, consult the programÆs vendor or author.