DirectX/C++ 3D Engine programming: Learn now, or wait for DirectX 12?

c++ 3d directx game-engine direct3d

Bogey · Apr 18, 2015 · Viewed 7.3k times · Source

I'm a relatively ok-ish programmer, but my main focus has been in application development with C# so far. I have almost zero experience with game development and 3d engines - I've begun reading up on how 3d Engines work in general, e.g. there was a wonderful guide explaining how to develop a very simple software-based 3D engine in C#. Very helpful, but that pretty much summarizes my whole experience with the topic. Also, I haven't really been working with C++ much so far (even though I'm aware of the basic conceptual differences to C#, and would consider getting up to at least "sufficient" speed in that language manageable).

So anyway, out of pure personal interest, I'd like to play around with developing - or rather, learning how to develop - simple DirectX-based 3d Graphics Engines for educational purposes. I'm simply interested in the graphics parts (no sound/animation/game states/networking or whatever, only very rudimentary input). Rendering some simple geometry, and then progressively learning how to extend this with more modern shading techniques would be fine.

I've already found some great resources for this. But before I dig into the topic: I know DirectX12 is around the corner, and seeing how much it seems to evolve the system, I'm really not sure if there are going to be many breaking changes to the API. Or in other words: I'm afraid that I start learning DirectX 11 stuff now, and in a few months from now it'll all be useless as DirectX 12 works in a significantly different way, from a programming point of view.

I'm not sure how much of this is already known, or if there are developer previous available to the broader public already. But if its possible to tell already: Would you guys recommend me waiting for DX12, or start with v11 as development will be very similar in the future anyway?

For the record, I know of course that learning DX11 won't hurt in any case. But I'm not in a rush, and if half of what I'd be learning now becomes obsolete in a few months, I'd prefer just waiting until then to slowly get started.

Answer

Think of DX12 as "DirectX without training wheels, without brakes, and at the moment maybe without tires".

It will be more than a 'few months' for DirectX 12 to have a rich set of tutorials, support libraries, best practices, rock-solid drivers, and widely deployed support in the operating system on end-users machines. It's "bleed edge" right now, and best consumed by GPU graphics programming experts actively working on titles and engines today who want to make sure it all works.

For everyone else, learn DirectX 11 at least for the next year or so, and possibly longer depending on the needs of your app, your personal skill level, and the focus of what you are trying to learn in the meantime.

What I can say is that learning to program DirectX 11 using the legacy DirectX SDK stuff like D3DX is a dead-end for DX12. Focus instead on DirectX 11 using 'modern' helpers like DirectX Tool Kit and DirectXMath for C++.

UPDATE: DirectX Tool Kit for DirectX 12 is now available along with some tutorials. That said, it is best to learn Direct3D 11 first as Direct3D 12 is an API designed for graphics experts and is quite unforgiving for newbies. Knowing how to use DirectX Tool Kit for DX11 will naturally map to the DirectX 12 version if you want to go that route.

DirectX/C++ 3D Engine programming: Learn now, or wait for DirectX 12?

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