SDL_Surface* load_image( std::string filename ) Question

[GameDevver4Evr]

Hey guys, this might sound stupid, but im not sure exactly on this.

is there any hope of using this function, or similar within a class?, as in defining it within a class.

SDL_Surface* load_image( std::string filename )
{
return 0;
}

or will it always need to remain Global?, sorry if it's a stupid question.

[Ginto8]

The short answer: it depends. You can have it hidden somewhere in the depths of your graphics engine, lurking like a troll under a bridge, or you could lightly encapsulate it in some other class that adds certain functionality to your surfaces. I could go even more into the possibilities, but I'm tired and don't really want to right now; but you get the point.

[eatcomics]

Well like ginto said, it depends. I would usually have a function to load them like that, then load the textures I need at the beginning so that I can access them with my class which would have a pointer to that surface

[dandymcgee]

Yes, I always put it into a class. In the past I've used something like

Code: Select all

Renderer.LoadSurface( "example.png" );

[XianForce]

What I did is encapsulated an SDL_Surface* within it's own class so I had something like this:

Code: Select all

class Surface
{
private:
     SDL_Surface* m_pSurface;
public:

bool LoadImage(std::string filename);
};

So basically I'd have it load in the file, then assign whatever it would normally return, to m_pSurface. If m_pSurface is NULL, return false, otherwise return true =D

[GameDevver4Evr]

Cool, thanks all for the replies, and thanks Xian, that was kinda of what I was looking for!

[dandymcgee]

What I did is encapsulated an SDL_Surface* within it's own class so I had something like this:

Code: Select all

class Surface
{
private:
     SDL_Surface* m_pSurface;
public:

bool LoadImage(std::string filename);
};

So basically I'd have it load in the file, then assign whatever it would normally return, to m_pSurface. If m_pSurface is NULL, return false, otherwise return true =D

I have personally used this approach as well, and I've found it works great for smaller projects where one doesn't necessarily need a complete rendering or video class.

[XianForce]

What I did is encapsulated an SDL_Surface* within it's own class so I had something like this:

Code: Select all

class Surface
{
private:
     SDL_Surface* m_pSurface;
public:

bool LoadImage(std::string filename);
};

So basically I'd have it load in the file, then assign whatever it would normally return, to m_pSurface. If m_pSurface is NULL, return false, otherwise return true =D

I have personally used this approach as well, and I've found it works great for smaller projects where one doesn't necessarily need a complete rendering or video class.

Well I have a Video class, but it just takes a reference to my surface class instead of an SDL_Surface*... I decided to split it, because I thought that loading the files had less to do with the video system, than actually rendering them =p

[WSPSNIPER]

ya you can use it in a class, i always usto but using it as a global may be simpler if you dont have much exp. with oo programming. but on the other hand how will you learn. I use to think the same way i always wanted things global but once i learned about oo programming i always use it and i find it makes life easier