Question 1

How do I create a window for d3d9 in Go?

Accepted Answer

d3d9 doesn't handle window creation; you need to use a separate library like SDL2 or w32 to create a window and pass the handle to d3d9. Check the samples folder for examples with SDL2 or Allen Dang's w32.

Question 2

Is d3d9 still supported on Windows 10 and 11?

Accepted Answer

Yes, d3d9.dll is pre-installed on all Windows versions from XP onwards, so d3d9 should work on Windows 10 and 11 without additional dependencies, as mentioned in the Installation section.

Question 3

d3d9 vs SDL for Go game development – which should I use?

Accepted Answer

d3d9 is a low-level Direct3D9 wrapper best for Windows-specific graphics, while SDL provides cross-platform windowing and input. Choose d3d9 if you need Direct3D9 features; opt for SDL for portability and higher-level abstractions.

Question 4

How to handle textures and buffers in d3d9 Go?

Accepted Answer

Use Lock methods on IndexBuffer or VertexBuffer to get wrappers with GetFloat32s and SetFloat32s for data manipulation. For textures, LOCKED_RECT has Set functions, but reading data requires manual pointer work, as noted in the Usage section.

Question 5

Does d3d9 support shaders and advanced rendering?

Accepted Answer

Yes, d3d9 wraps the full Direct3D9 API, so you can use shaders and other features as per Direct3D9 specifications, but you'll need to manage them through the provided Go interfaces, referencing MSDN for details.

Question 6

What are the performance trade-offs with d3d9 in Go?

Accepted Answer

Performance is close to native Direct3D9 due to the pure Go wrapper, but the single-threaded restriction can bottleneck multi-threaded applications, and the legacy API may lack optimizations found in newer graphics libraries.

Question 7

Can I use d3d9 for 2D games or just 3D?

Accepted Answer

d3d9 can be used for both 2D and 3D graphics; the samples and game jam entries show 2D rendering, but you'll need to handle sprites and textures manually without built-in 2D helpers.

d3d9

What is d3d9?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions