> Sorry, Mark, but you are the one spreading "non-factual"
> comments. If you
> installed a microsoft DDK, you had to click your "agreement"
> to a Microsoft
> EULA. If you have a DDK installed, look in the root directory
> where you will
> find a copy of that EULA in a file call "license.txt". This
> <Snip various other issues>
>
> I hope I didn't come across as dumping on you. As you
> implied, this is an
> important area to get the facts straight.
Not at all. I was just pointing out that the license for the
DDKs only applies to redistributing derivatives of their sample
code (as I read it anyway). The stuff I've got so far isn't
based on their samples.
Hope I wasn't too offhand but I was just trying to get across
the point of view that emulating a 3DFX card sounds like a
complete project in itself (even if you assume an OpenGL
backend). A more realistic emulation target maybe something
like one of the old Cirrus chipsets that just has basic
BitBlt and hardware cursor. Just trying to get the
conversation back from wish list to task list! :>)
> Well... I've seen the internals of windows DDI (GDI/desktop) drivers,
> DirectDraw drivers and Direct3D driver. I've also seen card
> interfaces. I
> have to say, it isn't at all clear to me which is more
> complicated. I do
> agree, however, that both are Herculean efforts. There's
> going to be some
> real heroics on this project before we see really good
> graphics (on less
> than two display adapters). Hopefully there's useful stuff in
> Bochs that can
> help us out... One thing about going with a virtual card, rather than
> emulating a real one, though. We could implement a DDI-only
> driver that way
> and delay worrying about DirectX acceleration (DirectX is
> optional in a
> display driver, though if it isn't there a lot of games won't
> work). That
> would GREATLY simplify the initial task.
Exactly my point - with a basic video driver you can choose to
just accelerate BitBlt, for example, and delegate everything
else to the DIB engine (in Win95). XFree acceleration would
be a fairly similar task. As you say, this wouldn't be the
ideal solution but it can be added to as time goes by.
Mike.
