3d models of molecules

Question

I've been working 2 projects parallel with each other, one in wpf and one in metro.  My next part of the project involves allowing the user to make 3d models of molecules.  You remember those little colorful balls back in school where we could attach them together to represent molecules?  I will start on it next week.

I've found enough info to do this in wpf, but there's almost nothing for metro.  I'm not looking to create a game.  Just a simple create little spheres, each having a different property like how many other molecules we can attach to.

Can someone please tell me how I should start?

Answer 1

The 3D API for Windows Store apps is Direct3D. It is only provided for C++, but you can write the DX code in C++ and then interop with your C# Xaml code. See DirectX and XAML interop for information on mixing DirectX and Xaml in a single app and the XAML SurfaceImageSource DirectX interop sample (Windows 8)

You can get started (in C++) with the Visual Studio 3D Starter Kit (Windows Store only) .

If you want to stay purely in C# you will need to look into a 3rd party wrapper library such as SharpDX or MonoGame.

--Rob

Answer 2

About writing it in c++ and interrop it, I tried it before with another project and it only worked on x86.  Wont run at all on arm.  Is this true or did I mess up aomething back then?

Answer 3

You can absolutely write in C++ and interop with C# on ARM. I suspect you didn't have an ARM build of the native code: you use the same source code, but it has to be built separately for each platform.

--Rob

Answer 4

There is some good starter code here:

http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/windowsapps/DirectXTK-Simple-Sample-608bc274

I used this as the basis for a game.

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n.Wright