Replacing legacy DirectDraw code

Question

Yesterday I found source codes for my Tetris game developed many years ago in C++, Win32 API and DirectDraw 7. I tryed to build solution without any success because most recent DirectX SDK (June 2010) does not include DDraw.h and DDraw.lib any more.

Is there any recommended approach (hopefully with examples) to upgrade code from DirectDraw to newer API? Or should I simply install older DirectX SDK?

Dorrisdorry

They were moved to the Windows SDK. – Manicotti

Answer 1

If you use DirectDraw blit functionality then it will be quite a task to port it. In my opinion your best option is to port it to GDI. It may mean writing your own blit functions however.

Failing that you could port to D3D though this will be quite a task and is really dependent on how you do your rendering. If all your rendering is performed using blits (and no direct frame buffer access) then it should be relatively straight forward to port it to D3D. It will also provide you with HUGE speed boosts.

That said you can just get hold of the DirectDraw headers (I believe they are in the Windows SDK) and continue using DirectDraw.

Glim

I just downloaded and installed latest Windows SDK ddraw.h is include but ddraw.lib is not there. But I'm marking your answer because you pointed me to the right direction. Actually I have to use ddraw.dll directly, it is described in the link I posted in my initial question. – Dorrisdorry

That's bad news for me. I have a code which was developed during the DirectX 6 era, it uses Direct2D/DirectDraw BitBlt. I don't want to port it to D3D since it's not 3D at all. If Windows SDK has the headers, then the functionality should be somewhere also. – Pepita

Answer 2

There is no ddraw engine in DirectX SDK (June 2010).

You should find ddraw in windows sdk.

You can find ddraw.h in windows sdk but, there is no ddraw.lib neither.

how to use? use ddraw.dll.

Worry