Hour 4. Learning to Draw Basic Graphics

A computer game consists of many different pieces, all of which must come together to form a unique entertainment experience for the player. By far the most important piece of any game is the graphics. Graphics are used to represent the characters and creatures in a game, as well as background worlds and other interesting objects that factor into the overall game design. Granted, games have certainly done well because of factors outside of graphics, such as game play and sound quality, but those games are very rare. Besides, nowadays game players expect to see high-quality graphics just as we all expect to see high-quality visual effects in Hollywood movies. So, it's important to develop a solid understanding of graphics programming and how to use graphics wisely in your games .

In this hour, you'll learn:

The basics of drawing graphics using the Windows Graphics Device Interface
What a device context is, and why it's important to GDI graphics
How to paint text and primitive graphics in Windows
How to create a sample program that demonstrates GDI graphics in the context of the game engine