Rendering Line Segments with a width in DX8

[abhi2011]

Hi guys, 

I was brainstorming to find a way to render a line in DX8 for a various purposes and I found that DX8 didn't have a method to render a line with a width. It'll always have a width of I think 1 pixel. So I googled and found the only way this was possible is by rendering a Quadrilateral with a length and a width. So here is my function for this: 

```
Public Sub RenderLine(ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, width As Long, ByVal length As Long, ByVal Colour As Long, Optional ByVal Horizontal As Boolean = True)
Dim linev(0 To 3) As TLVERTEX, i As Long
' THIS PROCEDURE DOES NOT USE D3DPT_LINESTRIP. It USES QUADS TO SIMULATE A LINE.

For i = 0 To 3
linev(i).color = dx8Colour(colour, -1)
linev(i).RHW = 1
Next

If Horizontal Then
linev(0).x = x
linev(0).y = y

linev(1).x = x + width
linev(1).y = y

linev(2).x = x
linev(2).y = y + length

linev(3).x = x + width
linev(3).y = y + length
Else
linev(0).x = x
linev(0).y = y

linev(1).x = x + length
linev(1).y = y

linev(2).x = x
linev(2).y = y + width

linev(3).x = x + length
linev(3).y = y + width
End If
Call D3DDevice8.DrawPrimitiveUP(D3DPT_TRIANGLESTRIP, 2, linev(0), FVF_Size)
End Sub

```
This accepts a x and y coordinate as the start position of the "line" and a length for the line and it's width. A color can also be given. The last variable is for determining how to render the line. Along the x axis or the y axis. 

One problem to this that you can't (or I don't think you can) render a line diagonally. 

If you can't understand a specific part of the above code post below and I'll be glad to help.

[Stach]

Diagonal:

```

linev(0).x = x
linev(0).y = y

linev(1).x = x + width
linev(1).y = y - width

linev(2).x = x + length
linev(2).y = y + length

linev(3).x = linev(1).x + length
linev(3).y = linev(1).y + length

```
Now all you have to do is tell it which way to go (this goes from left to right), but this is the basics.

[YourBestNightmare]

If you understand basic maths then you can make this working at any angle, not only diagonal, horizontal or vertical lines.

[abhi2011]

> If you understand basic maths then you can make this working at any angle, not only diagonal, horizontal or vertical lines.

Yes, yes you can except none of this works… DX8 is crap.

[Growlith1223]

Dx8 is not the one in the wrong right now, it's your code. for one, you'd want to use D3DPT_LINESTRIP instead of a trianglestrip. linestrip uses 2 points, instead of what YOU are doing, which is 4 points…

[YourBestNightmare]

```
Private buffer As Direct3DVertexBuffer8
Const fvfUDVertex = (D3DFVF_XYZRHW Or D3DFVF_DIFFUSE)

Public Sub DrawPolyLine(Vertices() As typUDVertex, lPointCount As Integer)
Dim VertexSize As Long
VertexSize = Len(Vertices(0))

Set buffer = d_D3DDevice.CreateVertexBuffer(VertexSize * lPointCount, 0, fvfUDVertex, D3DPOOL_DEFAULT)
Call D3DVertexBuffer8SetData(buffer, 0, VertexSize * lPointCount, 0, Vertices(0))
d_D3DDevice.SetStreamSource 0, buffer, VertexSize
d_D3DDevice.SetVertexShader fvfUDVertex
d_D3DDevice.DrawPrimitive D3DPT_LINESTRIP, 0, lPointCount - 1
End Sub 
```
Nope, isn´t that big crap that it cannot handle basic shapes. With this f.e. you can draw basic polyline using DX8:

[abhi2011]

> Dx8 is not the one in the wrong right now, it's your code. for one, you'd want to use D3DPT_LINESTRIP instead of a trianglestrip. linestrip uses 2 points, instead of what YOU are doing, which is 4 points…

Using a line strip or a triangle strip doesn't matter. The rendered image won't show up. I never could figure out why. 

> ```
> Private buffer As Direct3DVertexBuffer8
> Const fvfUDVertex = (D3DFVF_XYZRHW Or D3DFVF_DIFFUSE)
>
> Public Sub DrawPolyLine(Vertices() As typUDVertex, lPointCount As Integer)
> Dim VertexSize As Long
> VertexSize = Len(Vertices(0))
>
> Set buffer = d_D3DDevice.CreateVertexBuffer(VertexSize * lPointCount, 0, fvfUDVertex, D3DPOOL_DEFAULT)
> Call D3DVertexBuffer8SetData(buffer, 0, VertexSize * lPointCount, 0, Vertices(0))
> d_D3DDevice.SetStreamSource 0, buffer, VertexSize
> d_D3DDevice.SetVertexShader fvfUDVertex
> d_D3DDevice.DrawPrimitive D3DPT_LINESTRIP, 0, lPointCount - 1
> End Sub 
> ```
> Nope, isn´t that big crap that it cannot handle basic shapes. With this f.e. you can draw basic polyline using DX8:

Thanks.