To use Dark GDK it will be necessary to obtain Microsoft’s Visual C++ 2008 and Microsoft’s DirectX 9.0c SDK from August 2007. Visit our Download page for links to both of these.

Once you have obtained the required software take the following steps:

• Install Microsoft Visual C+ 2008
• Install Microsoft DirectX 9.0c SDK (August 2007)
• Install Dark GDK

When this process is complete you will be ready to start using Dark GDK.

The installer for Dark GDK will perform several checks:

• It will determine if you have installed Microsoft Visual C++ 2008
• It will determine if you have installed Microsoft DirectX 9.0c SDK August 2007
• It will ask if you have run Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 at least once so the compiler can perform initial set up

If the installer does not detect Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 then you will be asked to install it. If you select to install the compiler then you will be taken to MSDN and provided with a download link. The installer will then quit. After this install the compiler and rerun the Dark GDK installer.

If the installer does not detect Microsoft DirectX 9.0c SDK August 2007 then you will be asked to install it. If you select to install the SDK then the installer will attempt to download the SDK installer and prompt you to save this. The installer will then quit. At this point you may be shown the following dialog:

If this dialog is displayed select the option for “This program installed correctly”. When the download for the DirectX SDK has finished install it and then rerun the Dark GDK installer.

Having multiple versions of the DirectX 9.0c SDK installed may cause some issues with the installation process. For example, if you have the August 2007 version installed and then install the November 2007 version the installer will not be able to detect the August 2007 version. If this is the case then select the option to continue with the installation and then manually set up paths to the August 2007 SDK in the compiler after the installation has ended.

For Dark GDK to integrate into Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 it is necessary that you have run the compiler at least once. This will allow the program to perform some initial set up. The installer will ask if you have run Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 at any point before the installation. If you have then the install will continue. If you have not the installer will quit and you can run Microsoft Visual C++ 2008, let it perform initial set up, quit out and then rerun the Dark GDK installer.

If you are using Windows Vista and try to run Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 with a limited user account then you may see the following when working with the tutorials and sample projects:

If this is the case then change your user account so you have administrator access. Selecting ignore at this point will result in being unable to compile:

Launch Microsoft Visual C++ 2008, go to the File menu and select New Project

You will now be presented with a new dialog. Select the Wizards item on the left and on the right side you will be shown a list of Dark GDK templates

Each of these templates offers you a simple starting point for a Dark GDK game. The 2D game template contains basic code to display some sprites on screen. The 3D game template contains code demonstrating how to create 3D objects and move the camera. Finally the game template contains the minimum code required for a Dark GDK game.

When you have decided which template to base your project off give it a name and location for saving to and then press the ok button.

In this example the game template has been used and it has provided us with one source file named Main.cpp

From this point onwards you have everything you need to start using Dark GDK.

More documentation can be found when you install Dark GDK which covers resolving compiler errors and much more.