Winforms + OgreDotNet With C# and VS 2005 Express

nickgravelyn

19-07-2006 17:32:14

Are there any tutorials for creating a Winforms app with an Ogre rendering view? I wanted to start working with ODN a bit more, but without access to Winforms, I don't see the advantage (in my specific case) to using ODN vs Ogre with C++.

pjcast

19-07-2006 18:15:30

I am just curious.. Express does not have System.Windows.Forms (Winforms)? I was under the impression that it was only lacking the visual designer.. Which I rarely use anyway, I design all my forms in code.

Ajare

19-07-2006 18:20:27

There are various Winforms tutorials on the web. I used this one to get started. I think you need to create a Windows app, rather than a console one. Anyway, to get Ogre in, create a Panel in the form somewhere, and then call



mRenderWindow = mRoot.Initialise (panel);

in your OGRE startup code. That's how the WinForms demo that ODN comes with does it. Having said that, I'm still bombing out on creating the Root, so I don't know if it actually works.

nickgravelyn

20-07-2006 02:01:07

I am just curious.. Express does not have System.Windows.Forms (Winforms)? I was under the impression that it was only lacking the visual designer.. Which I rarely use anyway, I design all my forms in code.

Nope, it definitely has System.Windows.Forms as well as the visual designer.

There are various Winforms tutorials on the web. I used this one to get started. I think you need to create a Windows app, rather than a console one. Anyway, to get Ogre in, create a Panel in the form somewhere, and then call



mRenderWindow = mRoot.Initialise (panel);

in your OGRE startup code. That's how the WinForms demo that ODN comes with does it. Having said that, I'm still bombing out on creating the Root, so I don't know if it actually works.
Thanks. I'll see what I can come up with later this evening.

pjcast

20-07-2006 03:05:56

Hmm, I see now.. I just missunderstood your post (of not having access to winforms).

In anycase, this is how I create Ogre:



           if( msInstance != null )

                throw( new Exception("Duplicate Ogre Instance!") );

            

            msInstance = this;

            mCreator = main;

            OutputManager.Instance.CreateWindow("Ogre");



            //Create ogre subsystem

            String plugins = mCreator.AppDirectory + "/plugins.cfg";

            OutputManager.Instance.AppendTextLine("Ogre", "Loaded Plugins.cfg");



            mOgreContainer.mRoot = new Root(plugins);

            OutputManager.Instance.AppendTextLine("Ogre", "Created Root");



            //Try to restore saved settings

            mOgreContainer.mRoot.RestoreConfig();



            //Create a list of found rendersystems (and try to load one)

            String configRenderer = MainForm.Instance.GetConfigOption("Rendersystem");

            RenderSystemList renderers = mOgreContainer.mRoot.GetAvailableRenderers();

            RenderSystemList.RenderSystemListEnumerator i = renderers.GetEnumerator();

            int count = 0;

            int index = -1;

            while (i.MoveNext())

            {

                EditorManager.Instance.EditBox.RenderDropDownList.Items.Add(i.Current.Name);

                msAvailRenderers[count] = i.Current.Name;

                if (configRenderer == i.Current.Name)

                    index = count;



                ++count;

            }



            if( count == 0 )

                throw(new Exception("No Rendersystem to load!"));



            //Set one that was saved

            if (index >= 0)

                mOgreContainer.mRoot.SetRenderSystem(renderers[index]);

            else //Set the first found one

                mOgreContainer.mRoot.SetRenderSystem(renderers[0]);

            

            msCurrentRenderer = mOgreContainer.mRoot.GetRenderSystem().Name;

            OutputManager.Instance.AppendTextLine("Ogre", "Activated " + msCurrentRenderer);

            EditorManager.Instance.EditBox.RenderDropDown.Text = msCurrentRenderer;

            mOgreContainer.mRoot.SaveConfig();



            mOgreContainer.mRenderWindow = mOgreContainer.mRoot.Initialise(mForm);

            mOgreContainer.mSceneManager = mOgreContainer.mRoot.CreateSceneManager((UInt16)SceneType.Generic, "ExampleSMInstance");



            mOgreContainer.mCamera = mOgreContainer.mSceneManager.CreateCamera("MainCamera");

            mOgreContainer.mCamera.Position = new Math3D.Vector3(200, 200, 150);

            mOgreContainer.mCamera.LookAt = new Math3D.Vector3(0, 0, 0);

            mOgreContainer.mCamera.NearClipDistance = 5;

            mOgreContainer.mCamera.AutoAspectRatio = true;



            mOgreContainer.mViewport = mOgreContainer.mRenderWindow.AddViewport(mOgreContainer.mCamera);

            mOgreContainer.mViewport.BackgroundColor = Color.Black;

            TextureManager.Instance.SetDefaultNumMipmaps(5);

            

            //This timer updates the rendering

            mTimer = new System.Windows.Forms.Timer();

            mTimer.Interval = (int)msRenderingSpeed;

            mTimer.Tick += new System.EventHandler(mTimer_Elapsed);

            mTimer.Start();



            //Register some event listeners

            mForm.Resize += new System.EventHandler(mForm_Resize);

            mForm.SizeChanged += new System.EventHandler(mForm_Resize);

            mForm.Disposed += new System.EventHandler(mForm_Disposed);



            //Movement

            EnableMovement = true;



            //Hook up to Tabwindow

            mTab = new Crownwood.Magic.Controls.TabPage(mTitle, mForm, mCreator.Icon);

            mCreator.EditorM.AddEditorPane(this, mTab);



            mForm.AllowDrop = true;

mOgreContainer is just a class I made that contains references to a camera, viewport, scenemanager, root, window, and some helper methods in my editor. I don't use a config dialog, but just load the last used rendersystem from the previous app run. And mForm is a System.WIndows.FOrms.Panel, and that is placed inside a tab window.

Anyway, HTH..

My Editor