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DirectX7: DirectXEvent
By: Jack Hoxley
Written: June 2000


DirectXEvent is used only in DirectMusic, DirectSound, DirectInput and DirectPlay. It allows you (the programmer) to recieve information from DirectX. A good example of this is in DirectSound. When you can use the DirectXEvent to get DirectX to tell you when the sound buffer has got to a certain point; and then you can act on it.

You could think of it like this; almost your entire program is you telling directX to do this, to do that - you're talking to it; but apart from any return values it's not talking to you. Using the directXEvent you can get it to talk back to you without you directly asking it to; although you're setting it up to talk to you, it automatically talks to you after this point - regardless of whether you just asked it to.

DirectXEvent can only be used in a form object; not in modules or classes. It uses this code:

'In the declarations section:
Implements DirectXEvent

'This part will automatically appear:
Private Sub DirectXEvent_DXCallBack(ByVal eventid as Long)

End Sub

'You can then modify it like so:
Private Sub DirectXEvent_DXCallBack(ByVal eventid as Long)
select case eventid
case 0 'Event 0 has happened
'This code is executed when event 0 happens

case 1 'Event 1 has happened
'Event 1 code is here

case 2 'Event 2 code is here
'Do stuff for Event 2

end select
End Sub

'Events Must be created before they can be used;
Dim EventHandle as long
EventHandle = dx.CreateEvent(Me) 'Creates a general event
EventHandle = dx.CreateEvent(0) 'Creates a specific event - you can then use
'the select case method above.


'Events MUST be explicitely destroyed before you're application terminates; otherwise
'you'll get 'unexpected' results - ie. It'll crash :)

If EventHandle <> 0 Then 'If the EventHandle value is 0 there is no event there.
dx.DestroyEvent EventHandle 'Destroy the event represented by the value in the variable.
end if
'NB: destroying events can take several seconds; bare this in mind when you're application
'takes ten minutes to shut down :)

DirectSound
-Getting the current playback position in a normal buffer; or detecting when the end of the sound has been reached.

'The variables that we need,
Public EventID(1) As Long
Public EVNT(1) As DSBPOSITIONNOTIFY

'Create two Events
EventID(0) = DX.CreateEvent(Me)
EventID(1) = DX.CreateEvent(Me)

'Set up the first event.
EVNT(0).hEventNotify = EventID(0) 'This event has this ID (0)
EVNT(0).lOffset = 0 'Time from when the start of the buffer
'to when it is triggered. 0 would therefore mean it is triggered at the start.


'Set up the second event.
EVNT(1).hEventNotify = EventID(1) 'This event is represented by event 1
EVNT(1).lOffset = DSBPN_OFFSETSTOP 'A simple constant. This sets the event
'To be raised when the buffer has finished playback (a natural finish) or it was halted (by you - buffer.Stop)


'The events have been created; but we now need them to be linked to the sound buffer.
Buffer.SetNotificationPositions 2, EVNT() 'the 2 specifies that there are 2 entries in the EVNT() member

'Now we can put code behind these events.
Private Sub DirectXEvent_DXCallback(ByVal EventID As Long)

'Check which event was triggered...
Select Case EventID
case EVNT(0).hEventNotify
msgbox "Event 0 occured: Sound should be playing"
Case EVNT(1).hEventNotify
msgbox "Event 1 occured: Sound should have just finished"
End Select

End Sub

'REMEMBER TO DESTROY THE EVENTS - see above.

DirectMusic and DirectInput
-When the music being played gets to a certain point.
-Change in state of the device: Joystick moved, mouse moved, buttons pressed etc...

Both DirectMusic and DirectInput can be handled in a similiar way:

dim EventHandle as long
Implements DirectXEvent

EventHandle = Dx.CreateEvent(me)

DiDev.SetEventNotification EventHandle 'For directinput
'-Or-

Perf.SetEventNotificationHandle EventHandle
'For DirectMusic
'Because there is no special way of checking what the status of these two are; you can just use
'the fact that when the Event is triggered something has changed. In the case of DirectInput; when
'the event is triggered check the status of whichever device you are using - as it has just changed
'With DirectMusic; check the position of the performance.

DirectPlay
- When a lobby recieves a message.

dim EventHandle as long
Implements DirectXEvent

EventHandle=Dx.CreateEvent(me)

Lobby.SetLobbyMessageEvent(0, EventHandle)
'The first argument is the Application number. The number is obtained from the "runApplication" method.
'If you are only comunicating with one lobby client; this number must be 0.

'The event is raised when the lobby hosting the event recieves a message. The EventHandle is used to create a
'standard event to host this.
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