VBGamer

Currently what I have is a simple 1 layer 16dx16pixels map..... it currently runs at 30fps on my 450mhz. Which is... sloowww... anyways, if I used more layers it would get slower by 1/2 so, like 2 layers would be 15fps, 3 layers would be like 7 fps.. real slow... but anyways.... The engine is currently full screen... * i know i know* I made the client (demo) first before making a map editor... but.. I now need to make a map editor. Right now the everytime the client runs it loads a random 100x100 tile map. Anyways, what I started was with a MDI form and one MAP form... and it's like a irc client and a Channel Form... just open a new copy of the form, and it'll start it's own DirectDraw from teh main DirectX object on the MDI form.. anyways, it's going good so far.... However, I ran into 2 major snags.. 1.) I have it right now, so that each time a new MAP form is loaded, it will load all the tile and character graphics into that directdraw on that form... so you can see, the more tiles we have, the longer it takes just to load that map form... and this happens for every single map form.. What I need is a "global" way to load all the graphics and stuff when the program is started... then each time the MAP form is loaded, it will just get the required tiles off the global load..... 2.) I cant get the stupid MDI Child forms to load DirectDraw in a picture box, in windowed mode... I can do Fullscreen no problem, but that would create kind of a heck of a problem for map editing, so I need one in windowed mode... So here's what I ask.. If someone can create a quick MDI framework, just to show how to have multiple MDI Children open with each it's own DirectDraw running... like... the Tutorial 2 or 1 in the DirectX 7 VB Samples SDK.... but in a MDI setting... can someone send something like that over? I should be able to get past this snag if that will happen..