Blitz 3D SDK 1.0 vs Other Engines: Pros and Cons of Using an Old but Classic Engine
Blitz 3D SDK 1.0: A Guide for Beginners
If you are looking for a simple yet powerful way to create 3D games for Windows, you might want to check out Blitz 3D SDK 1.0. This is a 3D graphics engine based on the engine in Blitz3D, a classic game programming language for PC that was released in 2001. Blitz 3D SDK 1.0 allows you to use C++, C#, BlitzMax, PureBasic, or any other language that follows compatible calling conventions to create games using the BlitzBasic dialect and commands. In this article, you will learn what Blitz 3D SDK 1.0 is, how to use it, what features and benefits it offers, how it compares with other engines, and some frequently asked questions.
Blitz 3D SDK 1.0
What is Blitz 3D SDK 1.0?
Blitz 3D SDK 1.0 is a 3D graphics engine that was developed by a team of programmers led by Mark Sibly, the creator of BlitzBasic and Blitz3D. It was released in 2008 as an alternative to the original Blitz3D IDE, which required MFC and was not compatible with later versions of MSVC. Blitz 3D SDK 1.0 is compatible with MSVC 6.0 or later, as well as other compilers such as GCC or MinGW.
Blitz 3D SDK 1.0 uses DirectX7 for rendering graphics, which means that it can run on most Windows machines without requiring any additional drivers or libraries. It also uses FMOD for playing sound effects and music, which supports various formats such as MP3, OGG, WAV, MIDI, MOD, XM, IT, S3M, etc.
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 has many features that make it easy to create games such as:
A simple yet powerful syntax that is based on BASIC but supports object-orientation and multithreading
A large set of commands that cover graphics, sound, input, output, math, strings, arrays, types, etc.
A built-in physics engine that supports rigid bodies, joints, springs, hinges, etc.
A collision detection system that supports spheres, boxes, cylinders, cones, planes, meshes, etc.
A lighting system that supports ambient light, directional light, point light, spot light
A texture system that supports various formats such as BMP, JPG, PNG, TGA, DDS, etc.
A shader system that supports vertex and pixel shaders written in HLSL
A mesh system that supports various formats such as 3DS, X, B3D, MD2, MD3, etc.
A camera system that supports various modes such as free, follow, orbit, etc.
A sprite system that supports 2D and 3D sprites with alpha blending, scaling, rotation, etc.
A font system that supports bitmap and vector fonts with color, size, alignment, etc.
A GUI system that supports buttons, sliders, checkboxes, radio buttons, text boxes, etc.
With Blitz 3D SDK 1.0, you can create games of various genres such as action, adventure, puzzle, strategy, simulation, etc. You can also create applications such as demos, tools, editors, etc. Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 is suitable for beginners who want to learn game programming as well as experienced programmers who want to create games quickly and easily.
How to use Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0?
To use Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0, you need to have a Windows PC with DirectX7 or later installed. You also need to have a compiler that can link with the Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 libraries. The recommended compiler is MSVC 6.0 or later, but you can also use other compilers such as GCC or MinGW. You can download the Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 from the official website or from other sources such as GitHub. The download size is about 15 MB and it contains the following files:
Blitz3D.lib: The main library that contains all the BlitzBasic commands and functions
Blitz3D.h: The header file that declares all the BlitzBasic commands and functions
Blitz3D.dll: The dynamic link library that contains the implementation of the BlitzBasic commands and functions
FMOD.dll: The dynamic link library that contains the FMOD sound library
Examples: A folder that contains some example projects that demonstrate how to use Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0
Docs: A folder that contains the documentation of Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 in HTML format
To install Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0, you need to copy the Blitz3D.lib, Blitz3D.h, Blitz3D.dll, and FMOD.dll files to your compiler's library and include directories. You also need to add the Blitz3D.lib and FMOD.lib files to your linker's input files. You can then create a new project and start coding with Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0.
Creating a simple project
To create a simple project with Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0, you need to follow these steps:
Create a new project in your compiler and set the project type to Windows Application
Add the Blitz3D.lib and FMOD.lib files to your linker's input files
Create a source file (e.g., main.cpp) and include the Blitz3D.h header file at the top
Write your code using the BlitzBasic dialect and commands
Build and run your project
Here is an example of a simple project that creates a window with a blue background and displays "Hello World" in white:
#include "Blitz3D.h" int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance,HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine,int nCmdShow) // Initialize the engine BBStartup(hInstance,hPrevInstance,nCmdShow); // Create a window with a blue background Graphics(800,600); Color(0,0,255); Cls(); // Set the font color to white Color(255,255,255); // Display "Hello World" in the center of the window Text(400-TextWidth("Hello World")/2, 300-TextHeight("Hello World")/2, "Hello World"); // Wait for a key press WaitKey(); // Shut down the engine BBShutdown(); return 0;
This is how the window looks like when you run the project:
Coding with Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 uses a dialect of BASIC called BlitzBasic, which is similar to other versions of BASIC such as QBasic, Visual Basic, or FreeBASIC. BlitzBasic is a simple yet powerful language that supports object-orientation, multithreading, and dynamic typing. It also has a large set of commands that cover various aspects of game programming such as graphics, sound, input, output, math, strings, arrays, types, etc.
BlitzBasic has a simple syntax that consists of keywords, operators, variables, constants, literals, expressions, statements, functions, and comments. Here are some examples of BlitzBasic syntax:
Keywords are reserved words that have a special meaning in the language. For example, Graphics, Color, Cls, Text, WaitKey, etc.
Operators are symbols that perform arithmetic, logical, or bitwise operations on operands. For example, +, -, *, /, %, =, , , =, And, Or, Not, Shl, Shr, etc.
Variables are names that store values of different types. For example, x = 10; y = 3.14; z = "Hello"; etc.
Constants are names that store fixed values that cannot be changed. For example, Pi = 3.14159; True = -1; False = 0; etc.
Literals are values that are written directly in the code. For example, 10; 3.14; "Hello"; etc.
Expressions are combinations of operands and operators that produce a value. For example, x + y; z * 2; Not (x < y); etc.
Statements are instructions that perform an action or control the flow of the program. For example, If x > y Then Print "x is greater than y"; For i = 1 To 10 Step 2 Print i; Next; etc.
Functions are blocks of code that perform a specific task and return a value. For example, Function Add(a,b) Return a + b End Function; Print Add(2,3); etc.
Comments are parts of the code that are ignored by the compiler and are used to explain or document the code. For example, // This is a single-line comment /* This is a multi-line comment */
To write code with Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0, you need to follow some rules and conventions such as:
The code must start with #include "Blitz3D.h" to include the header file that declares all the BlitzBasic commands and functions
The code must be inside a WinMain function that takes four parameters: hInstance, hPrevInstance, lpCmdLine, and nCmdShow
The code must call BBStartup at the beginning and BBShutdown at the end to initialize and shut down the engine
The code must use semicolons (;) to separate statements and commas (,) to separate parameters
The code must use parentheses (()) to enclose expressions and function calls
The code must use indentation and whitespace to make the code more readable and organized
The code can use single quotes (') or double quotes (") to enclose string literals
The code can use decimal (.) or hexadecimal (0x) notation to write numeric literals
The code can use uppercase or lowercase letters to write keywords, variables, constants, functions, etc., but they must be consistent throughout the code
Debugging and testing
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 has some features and tools that help you debug and test your code such as:
A debugger that allows you to set breakpoints, watch variables, step through the code, etc.
Error messages that display the line number and description of the error when your code fails to compile or run
Performance tools that measure the frames per second (FPS), memory usage, CPU usage, etc.
To use the debugger with Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0, you need to follow these steps:
Build your project in debug mode by adding /Zi to your compiler's options and /DEBUG to your linker's options
Run your project in debug mode by pressing F5 or selecting Debug > Start Debugging from your compiler's menu
Set breakpoints by clicking on the left margin of the code window or pressing F9 or selecting Debug > Toggle Breakpoint from your compiler's menu
Watch variables by hovering over them with your mouse cursor or adding them to the Watch window or pressing Shift+F9 or selecting Debug > QuickWatch from your compiler's menu
Step through the code by pressing F10 or F11 or selecting Debug > Step Over or Debug > Step Into from your compiler's menu
Stop debugging by pressing Shift+F5 or selecting Debug > Stop Debugging from your compiler's menu
To use the error messages with Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0, you need to follow these steps:
Build your project in normal mode by removing /Zi from your compiler's options and /DEBUG from your linker's options
Run your project in normal mode by pressing Ctrl+F5 or selecting Debug > Start Without Debugging from your compiler's menu
If your code fails to compile, you will see a message box that displays the line number and description of the error. For example, "Syntax error in line 10: Expected ')'"
If your code fails to run, you will see a message box that displays the line number and description of the error. For example, "Runtime error in line 20: Division by zero"
Fix the error by editing your code and rebuilding and running your project
To use the performance tools with Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0, you need to follow these steps:
Build and run your project in normal mode as described above
Press F1 to toggle the FPS display on or off. The FPS display shows the number of frames per second that your game is running at. For example, "FPS: 60"
Press F2 to toggle the memory display on or off. The memory display shows the amount of memory that your game is using. For example, "MEM: 12 MB"
Press F3 to toggle the CPU display on or off. The CPU display shows the percentage of CPU usage that your game is consuming. For example, "CPU: 25%"
Use these tools to optimize your game by reducing the graphics, sound, input, output, math, strings, arrays, types, etc. commands that are slowing down your game or consuming too much memory or CPU
Advanced features and benefits
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 has some advanced features and benefits that make it stand out from other engines such as:
3D graphics and effects
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 supports various 3D graphics and effects that can enhance the look and feel of your game such as:
Lighting: You can use ambient light, directional light, point light, and spot light to create realistic lighting effects in your game. You can also use fog to create atmospheric effects.
Shadows: You can use stencil shadows to create dynamic shadows for your objects. You can also use shadow volumes to create more accurate shadows.
Textures: You can use various texture formats such as BMP, JPG, PNG, TGA, DDS, etc. to apply textures to your objects. You can also use texture blending, texture filtering, texture wrapping, etc. to modify the appearance of your textures.
Shaders: You can use vertex and pixel shaders written in HLSL to create custom effects for your objects. You can also use shader constants, shader parameters, shader techniques, etc. to control the behavior of your shaders.
Meshes: You can use various mesh formats such as 3DS, X, B3D, MD2, MD3, etc. to load meshes for your objects. You can also use mesh manipulation commands such as ScaleMesh, RotateMesh, TranslateMesh, etc. to transform your meshes.
Sprites: You can use 2D and 3D sprites to create simple objects such as particles, icons, bullets, etc. You can also use sprite commands such as ScaleSprite, RotateSprite, TranslateSprite, etc. to transform your sprites.
Fonts: You can use bitmap and vector fonts to display text in your game. You can also use font commands such as Color, Size, Align, etc. to modify the appearance of your text.
Physics and collision detection
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 supports a built-in physics engine that can simulate realistic physical behavior for your objects such as:
Rigid bodies: You can use rigid bodies to create objects that have mass, velocity, acceleration, force, torque, etc. You can also use rigid body commands such as SetMass, ApplyForce, ApplyTorque, etc. to control the movement of your rigid bodies.
Joints: You can use joints to connect two or more rigid bodies together and limit their relative motion. You can also use joint commands such as CreateHingeJoint, CreateSpringJoint, CreateBallJoint, etc. to create different types of joints.
Constraints: You can use constraints to restrict the position or orientation of one or more rigid bodies. You can also use constraint commands such as CreatePointConstraint, CreateAxisConstraint, CreatePlaneConstraint, etc. to create different types of constraints.
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 also supports a collision detection system that can detect collisions between various shapes such as:
Spheres: You can use spheres to create simple objects that have a radius and a center. You can also use sphere commands such as CreateSphereShape, SetSphereRadius, GetSphereRadius, etc. to manipulate your spheres.
Boxes: You can use boxes to create simple objects that have a width, height, and depth. You can also use box commands such as CreateBoxShape, SetBoxSize, GetBoxSize, etc. to manipulate your boxes.
Cylinders: You can use cylinders to create simple objects that have a radius and a height. You can also use cylinder commands such as CreateCylinderShape, SetCylinderSize, GetCylinderSize, etc. to manipulate your cylinders.
Cones: You can use cones to create simple objects that have a radius and a height. You can also use cone commands such as CreateConeShape, SetConeSize, GetConeSize, etc. to manipulate your cones.
Planes: You can use planes to create infinite objects that have a normal and a distance from the origin. You can also use plane commands such as CreatePlaneShape, SetPlaneNormal, GetPlaneNormal, etc. to manipulate your planes.
Meshes: You can use meshes to create complex objects that have vertices, faces, and indices. You can also use mesh commands such as CreateMeshShape, AddMeshVertex, AddMeshTriangle, etc. to manipulate your meshes.
With the physics and collision detection system, you can create games that have realistic interactions between objects such as bouncing, sliding, rolling, breaking, etc.
Sound and music
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 supports playing sound effects and music using the FMOD sound library, which is a cross-platform audio engine that supports various formats such as MP3, OGG, WAV, MIDI, MOD, XM, IT, S3M, etc. You can also use sound commands such as LoadSound, PlaySound, StopSound, etc. to control the playback of your sounds.
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 also supports 3D sound effects that can create spatial audio effects for your objects such as panning, volume, pitch, doppler, etc. You can also use 3D sound commands such as PositionSound, VelocitySound, RotateSound, etc. to control the position and orientation of your sounds.
With the sound and music system, you can create games that have immersive audio effects that enhance the mood and atmosphere of your game.
Input and output
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 supports various input and output devices that can handle user interaction and data storage for your game such as:
Keyboard: You can use keyboard commands such as KeyDown, KeyHit, GetKey, etc. to detect and read keyboard input from the user.
Mouse: You can use mouse commands such as MouseX, MouseY, MouseZ, MouseHit, etc. to detect and read mouse input from the user.
Joystick: You can use joystick commands such as JoyX, JoyY, JoyZ, JoyHat, JoyButton, etc. to detect and read joystick input from the user.
File: You can use file commands such as OpenFile, CloseFile, ReadFile, WriteFile, etc. to open, close, read, and write files on your disk.
With the input and output system, you can create games that have responsive and intuitive controls and data management for your game.
Comparison with other engines
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 is one of the many engines that are available for game development. How does it compare with other popular engines such as Unity, Unreal Engine, or Godot? Here are some pros and cons of Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0:
Pros
It is simple and easy to use for beginners who want to learn game programming
It has a large set of commands that cover various aspects of game programming
It has a built-in physics engine and collision detection system that can simulate realistic physical behavior for objects
It has a low system requirement that can run on most Windows machines without requiring any additional drivers or libraries
It is free and open source that anyone can download and modify
Cons
It is outdated and unsupported by the original developer since 2008
It uses DirectX7 for rendering graphics, which is an old version of DirectX that does not support modern features such as shaders, textures, lighting, shadows, etc.
It does not have an integrated development environment (IDE) that can provide code editing, debugging, testing, etc.
It does not have a visual editor that can provide drag-and-drop interface for creating scenes and objects
It does not have a cross-platform support that can run on other operating systems such as Linux, Mac, Android, iOS, etc.
Conclusion
Blitz 3 D SDK 1.0 is a 3D graphics engine that is based on the engine in Blitz3D, a classic game programming language for PC. It allows you t