SDL without DirectX

SDL Development
1

Hi,

I would like to know if it is possible to use SDL library without Directx in Win32.

Best Regards,

RVO

2

Hi,

I would like to know if it is possible to use SDL library without Directx in Win32.

Yes.
-Sam Lantinga, Software Engineer, Blizzard Entertainment

3

I would like to know if it is possible to use SDL library
without Directx in Win32.

Yes,

You can use the WinDIB interface. That’s what I use on NT on Alpha since
only DX3 is supported and it runs just fine, even changes full screen
resolutions and everything.

mike

4

I would like to know if it is possible to use SDL library without
Directx in Win32.

Yes.

Just to expand on that answer a little: :slight_smile:

SDL chooses video backends by a few parameters:

  1. If the environment variable SDL_VIDEODRIVER is set, it’ll use the
    specified driver (and fail if that specific driver doesn’t initialize or
    doesn’t exist).

  2. It chooses the best (or maybe just the first?) driver that will work
    out of the available ones. For example, if DirectX failed to initialize
    (as it will on WinNT 4.0), it would then try the windib driver.

You’re best bet is to go to a command prompt, and type:

set SDL_VIDEODRIVER=windib

and then run your program from the command prompt. If you are using WinNT,
you can also set this in the “Environment” tab of the System icon in the
control panel, so that you can run programs from explorer without the
need for the command prompt.

It’s almost certain that the DirectX driver will give you better results,
that is, higher performance, unless DirectX is buggy on your system for
whatever reason.

–ryan.