Re: Deployment from MDX Sample Framework

From: Phil Taylor (phil_at_private-citizen.com)
Date: 02/03/05 

Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 09:54:50 -0800

"Kev" <Kev@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:7DDCCC1F-EF9E-4B5F-AB84-C76101F0C058@microsoft.com...
> Thanks for your comments, Phil
>
> So I need to re-install the SDK on my dev machine but ensure I have the
> Debug version. Ok, I'm with you there.

that will let you verify you run clean on your machine. that narrows it down
to an unobvious problem with your framework or a potential problem with the
target machine. if the debug runtime complains on your machine, then you
have an obvious problem with your framework. note, solutions to obvious
problems are not always immediately obvious, just the problem is.

>
> Then I "run the app on the offending machine under the debugger with the
> debug runtime installed and see why you cant create a hw device."
>
> So I also need to install the full SDK Debug version on the offending
> machine to do this?

yes, in this case thats the best option to track down the issue.

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> "Phil Taylor" wrote:
>
>> when you install the SDK, you get the option to install the debug
>> runtime.
>> always pick yes.
>>
>> the debug runtime is discussed in the C++ docs. to be an effective M-DX
>> developer, you have to use the C++ docs as well as the Managed docs. have
>> to. period. they discuss setting things up, but I will go over it again
>> briefly. you install the debug runtime, the dx sdk control panel applet
>> then
>> lets you switch between debug and retail runtimes, and dial the debug
>> level
>> up or down. the debug runtime uses the debug level to control internal
>> debugging statements ( info, warning, error ) that tell you what is going
>> on. not using the debug runtime for development is flying blind into a
>> cliff, guaranteed. once you have the debug runtime up, you can debug a
>> C++
>> compiled in debug mode and run it under the debugger and see the debug
>> output in the debug output pane ( dbmon or other tools let you do this
>> also,
>> but its best to get the debugger settings working first as you will
>> inevitably need them ) you then enable unmanaged debugging when using a
>> managed language ( varies from IDE version to IDE version, iirc ) and
>> c'est
>> voila one can see the debug runtime output whilst debugging a managed
>> app.
>>
>> now that we have gone thru all that, run the app on the offending machine
>> under the debugger with the debug runtime installed and see why you cant
>> create a hw device.
>>
>> if you take an SDK sample and it works, its your framework.
>>
>> as far as your dependency on the sample framework, I think the SDK
>> license
>> agreement says you cant commercially ship the sample code unmodified. at
>> a
>> minimum copy the classes into your own namespace and dont treat them
>> verbatim from the sdk. then the error would be for your namespace and not
>> 'samples'. or else something else wierd is going on and you have a clue.
>> thats what debugging is all about, after all.
>>
>> "Kev" <Kev@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:D1D3CD65-1241-4D27-B20B-2C8301402352@microsoft.com...
>> > Hi Phil - thanks for the quick response.
>> >
>> > "are you sure the proper .NET framework version and MDX version is
>> > deployed
>> > already on the target machine"
>> >
>> > Pretty sure, all Machines run .NET 1.1 with DirectX9.0c installed.
>> > DXDiag
>> > shows no problems.
>> >
>> > In addition (and importantly I think) I have successfully deployed MDX
>> > applications to all test machines before, but only using my own D3D
>> > Framework, and then only if "SoftwareVertexProcessing" was selected on
>> > the
>> > present params by the user. Choosing HardwareVertexProcessing would
>> > cause
>> > a
>> > null reference exception without fail on all tested machines (1 * Win2K
>> > low
>> > spec card, 2 * XP, one with high Spec GeForce Card & one with TNT2).
>> >
>> >
>> > "what does the debug runtime output stream tell you".
>> >
>> > I'm sorry - I'm quite new at this. What is that? How would I see it? If
>> > you
>> > mean the error message, it told me that "CreateDevice" failed with an
>> > error
>> > number which translated to "Not available, Device does not support the
>> > queried technique".
>> >
>> > "its strange that your app has a dependency on the samples".
>> >
>> > You think? I'm not so sure, I imported the cs files from the
>> > "C:\DXSDK90C\Samples\Managed\Common" folder into my project and I
>> > depend
>> > the
>> > framework on it to get D3D up & running and make the following calls to
>> > get
>> > it running:
>> >
>> > // Show the cursor and clip it when in fullscreen
>> > sampleFramework.SetCursorSettings(true, true);
>> >
>> > // Init the sample framework and create the desired window and
>> > // direct3D device for the application. Calling each of these functions
>> > is
>> > optional
>> > // but they allow you to set several options that control the behavior
>> > // of the sample framework
>> > sampleFramework.Initialize(false, true, true);
>> > sampleFramework.CreateWindow("Test App");
>> > sampleFramework.CreateDevice(0, true, Framework.DefaultSizeWidth,
>> > Framework.DefaultSizeHeight, TestEngine);
>> >
>> > // Pass control to the sample framework for handling the message pump
>> > and
>> > // dispatching render calls. The sample framework will call your
>> > FrameMove
>> > // and FrameRender callback when there is idle time between handling
>> > // windows messages
>> > sampleFramework.MainLoop();
>> >
>> > As for the dependancy, you may notice here that I'm using
>> > "Initialize(false,
>> > true, true);" the second "true" asks the framework to support the
>> > standard
>> > button presses, which means F2 brings up the "Device settings screen"
>> > where
>> > the user can change the D3D setup. The UI "controls" on that screen
>> > are
>> > rendered using a dds file, the dds file is located by a method in the
>> > framwork called "FindMediaFile"..... the upshot is that the method will
>> > fail
>> > if you do not deploy the dds file in question with your app. The method
>> > will
>> > near enough search your entire hard drive for the needed file but if it
>> > ain't
>> > there, it ain't there! This is definate dependancy the SampleFramework
>> > has
>> > on the SDK installation (unless you do something about it).
>> >
>> > Of course I find this out by digging around and so, naturally, am
>> > wondering
>> > if there are some other "hidden" set of things that an application that
>> > uses
>> > the sample framwork needs to be deployed with in order to work. Other
>> > things
>> > to consider.
>> >
>> > Or is all that just a total red herring and this is purley a matter
>> > that a
>> > device cannot be created for some reason - for example, Device Caps
>> > says
>> > that
>> > the host machine supports HardwareVertexProcessing & a pure device but
>> > when
>> > you call it, it fails?
>> >
>> > "does it always work on a machine with the SDK installed but not on a
>> > machine without the SDK?"
>> >
>> > I don't know the answer to that as I only have the SDK on my dev
>> > machine.
>> > I
>> > do have a download URL if anyone with the SDK is interested - its
>> > around
>> > 2MB
>> > though I'm afraid - I was ambitious enough to start texuring stuff,
>> > never
>> > imagined the deploy would fail.....
>> >
>> > www.victory-road.co.uk/download/setupFrame1.msi
>> >
>> > I'd be grateful for any assistance anyone can offer!
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > "Phil Taylor" wrote:
>> >
>> >> are you sure the proper .NET framework version and MDX version is
>> >> deployed
>> >> already on the target machine, before the app deployment process
>> >> occurs?
>> >> if
>> >> so, what does the debug runtime output stream tell you? the debug
>> >> runtime
>> >> output always has info for failed calls...
>> >>
>> >> also, its strange that your app has a dependency on the samples, as
>> >> evidenced by the errror...does it always work on a machine with the
>> >> SDK
>> >> installed but not on a machine without the SDK? so do you have another
>> >> dependency on the SDK?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> "Kev" <Kev@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:AD66A13C-2B48-4084-B66C-480005148886@microsoft.com...
>> >> >I hope someone can help me. I'm using the Managed DX sample framework
>> >> >and
>> >> > have created a setup project of a simple Direct3D program.
>> >> >
>> >> > This installs & run fine on my dev machine but not on others, the
>> >> > initialisation of Direct3D Fails. The error is always the same:
>> >> >
>> >> > ERROR at Microsoft.Samples.DirectX.UtilityToolkit.Framework.....
>> >> >
>> >> > I looked up the error number and found that it means, "Not
>> >> > available,
>> >> > Device
>> >> > does not support the queried technique".
>> >> >
>> >> > This is the same on Win2K, WinXP.
>> >> >
>> >> > I've noticed that the framework code depends on
>> >> > "Media\UI\dxutcontrols.dds"
>> >> > for rendering the UI for buttons etc so have included this (and the
>> >> > other
>> >> > UI
>> >> > files) in my msi but still no success, testing has showed that this
>> >> > would
>> >> > only cause an error when the UI is displayed anyway - not at
>> >> > startup.
>> >> >
>> >> > Has anyone else had deployment problems? Share some tips? Does
>> >> > anyone
>> >> > know
>> >> > what the problem likely is? Is there something about the sample
>> >> > framework
>> >> > I
>> >> > should be aware of when attempting deployment? I've run into
>> >> > problems
>> >> > with
>> >> > deployment before from my own 3d framework - always specifying
>> >> > Hardware
>> >> > Vertex Processing would cause a "Null Reference" exception, even on
>> >> > machines
>> >> > with GeForce FX cards ...
>> >> >
>> >> > I should also say that I'm supporting the IDeviceCreation Interface,
>> >> > here
>> >> > is
>> >> > some code from that.
>> >> >
>> >> > public bool IsDeviceAcceptable(Caps caps, Format adapterFormat,
>> >> > Format
>> >> > backBufferFormat, bool windowed)
>> >> > {
>> >> > // Skip back buffers that do not support Alpha blending
>> >> > if (!Manager.CheckDeviceFormat(caps.AdapterOrdinal, caps.DeviceType,
>> >> > adapterFormat,
>> >> > Usage.QueryPostPixelShaderBlending, ResourceType.Textures,
>> >> > backBufferFormat))
>> >> > return false;
>> >> >
>> >> > // Skip devices that do not support at least one light!
>> >> > if (caps.MaxActiveLights == 0)
>> >> > return false;
>> >> >
>> >> > return true;
>> >> > }
>> >> >
>> >> > public void ModifyDeviceSettings(DeviceSettings settings, Caps caps)
>> >> > {
>> >> > // This application is designed to work on a pure device by not
>> >> > using
>> >> > // any Get methods, so create a pure device if supported and using
>> >> > HWVP
>> >> > if ( (caps.DeviceCaps.SupportsPureDevice) &&
>> >> > ((settings.BehaviorFlags & CreateFlags.HardwareVertexProcessing) !=
>> >> > 0) )
>> >> > settings.BehaviorFlags |= CreateFlags.PureDevice;
>> >> > }
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > I'm totally at a loss with trying to deploy managed DirectX
>> >> > applications -
>> >> > please someone elighten me to the secrets!
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
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