Difference between revisions of "DirectX 10"

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{{Infobox Software
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'''DirectX 10''' is the latest version of [[Microsoft]]'s [[proprietary]] multimedia API. It is only compatible with [[Windows Vista]]. New features in DirectX 10 include:
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| name                  = DirectX
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*geometry shader
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| screenshot            = [[Image:DirectX10 logo.png]]
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*virtual memory for the GPU
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| caption                = Current DirectX
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*shader model 4.0
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| developer              = [[Microsoft]]
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*fully programmable pipeline
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| latest_release_version = 6.00.6001.18000
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*higher precision
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| latest_release_date    = [[4 February|4 February]] [[2008]]
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*cube map arrays
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| operating_system      = [[Microsoft Windows]]
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[[Category:Information Technology]]
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| genre                  = [[Application framework]]
 
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| license                = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[EULA]]
 
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| website                = [http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/ DirectX Homepage]
 
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}}
 
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'''Microsoft DirectX''' is a collection of [[application programming interface]]s (APIs) for handling tasks related to [[multimedia]], especially [[game programming]] and video, on [[Microsoft]] platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay, DirectSound, and so forth. DirectX, then, was the generic term for all of these APIs and became the name of the collection. After the introduction of the [[Xbox]], Microsoft has also released multiplatform game development APIs such as [[XInput]], which are designed to supplement or replace individual DirectX components.
 
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Direct3D (the 3D graphics API within DirectX) is widely used in the development of [[computer game]]s for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Microsoft]] [[Xbox]], and Microsoft [[Xbox 360]]. Direct3D is also used by other software applications for visualization and graphics tasks, most notably among the engineering sector for CAD/CAM, because of its ability to quickly [[Rendering (computer graphics)|render]] high-quality 3D graphics using DirectX-compatible [[graphics card|graphics hardware]]. As Direct3D is the most widely publicized component of DirectX, it is common to see the names "DirectX" and "Direct3D" used interchangeably.
 
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The DirectX [[software development kit|software development kit (SDK)]] consists of [[runtime library|runtime libraries]] in redistributable binary form, along with accompanying documentation and [[header file|headers]] for use in coding. Originally, the runtimes were only installed by games or explicitly by the user. [[Windows 95]] did not launch with DirectX, but DirectX was included with Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.<ref>[http://www.computerhope.com/directx.htm DirectX Help<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Windows 98]] and [[Windows NT 4.0]] both shipped with DirectX, as has every version of Windows released since. The SDK is available as a free download. While the runtimes are proprietary, closed-source software, source code is provided for most of the SDK samples.
 
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The latest versions of Direct3D, namely, Direct3D 10 and Direct3D 9Ex, are exclusive to [[Windows Vista]]. The reasons, as Microsoft claims, is that there were extensive changes in the Windows graphics architecture, and in particular the introduction of the [[Windows Display Driver Model]]. Critics argue that there may be [[planned obsolescence|possible commercial motives]] as well.
 
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This redesign of the graphics infrastructure for Windows Vista supports virtualizing graphics hardware to multiple applications and services such as the [[Desktop Window Manager]], in contrast to the exclusive access afforded to DirectX applications on Windows XP. Both Direct3D 9Ex and Direct3D 10 rely on the WDDM infrastructure and WDDM drivers.
 
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==Components==
 
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[[Image:DirectX 1.png|thumb|[[DxDiag]] from DirectX 6.1 (4.06.02.0436) running on<br/>[[Windows 95]] and DirectX 1.0]]
 
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The components comprising DirectX are
 
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*'''DirectX Graphics''', which consists of several APIs:
 
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**[[DirectDraw]]: for drawing 2D Graphics ([[raster graphics]]). Now deprecated, though still in use by a number of games and as a video renderer in media applications.
 
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**[[Direct3D]] (D3D): for drawing [[3D computer graphics|3D graphics]].
 
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**[[DXGI]]: for enumerating adapters and monitors and managing swap chains for Direct3D 10 and up.
 
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*[[DirectInput]]: for interfacing with input devices including [[computer keyboard|keyboards]], [[computer mouse|mice]], [[joystick]]s, or other [[game controller]]s. Deprecated after version 8 in favor of [[XInput]] for Xbox360 controllers or standard [[WM INPUT]] window message processing for keyboard and mouse input.
 
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*[[DirectPlay]]: for communication over a local-area or wide-area network. Deprecated after version 8.
 
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*[[DirectSound]]: for the playback and recording of waveform sounds.
 
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**[[DirectSound3D]] (DS3D): for the playback of [[3D audio effect|3D sounds]].
 
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*[[DirectMusic]]: for playback of soundtracks authored in [[DirectMusic|DirectMusic Producer]].
 
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*[[DirectX Media]]: comprising DirectAnimation for 2D web animation, [[DirectShow]] for multimedia playback and [[streaming media]], DirectX Transform for web interactivity, and Direct3D Retained Mode for higher level 3D graphics. DirectShow contains [[DirectX plugin]]s for [[audio signal processing]] and [[DXVA|DirectX Video Acceleration]] for accelerated video playback.
 
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''As of April 2005 DirectShow is no longer a part of the DirectX API. It now comes bundled along with the Platform SDK.''
 
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*[[DirectX Media Objects]]: support for streaming objects such as encoders, decoders, and effects.
 
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*[[DirectSetup]]: for the installation of DirectX components. Not a game API per se.
 
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DirectX functionality is provided in the form of [[Component Object Model|COM]]-style objects and interfaces. Additionally, while not DirectX components themselves, [[Managed code|managed]] objects have been built on top of some parts of DirectX, such as managed Direct3D 9.<ref>[http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc164112.aspx Introducing the New Managed Direct3D Graphics API in the .NET Framework]</ref>and the XNA graphics library<ref>[http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.xna.framework.graphics.aspx Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics namespace]</ref>
 
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===DirectX 10===
 
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{{seealso|Direct3D#Direct3D 10|Direct3D#Direct3D and Vista|List of games with DirectX 10 support|l1=Direct3D 10|l2=Direct3D and Vista}}
 
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A major update to DirectX API, DirectX 10 ships with and is only available with [[Windows Vista]]; previous versions of Windows are not able to natively run DirectX 10-exclusive applications,<ref>[http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb219721.aspx#Will_DirectX_10_be_available_for_Windows_XP DirectX Frequently Asked Questions]</ref> although there are reports of DirectX 10 being ported to Windows XP.{{Fact|date=August 2008}} Changes for [[Features new to Windows Vista#DirectX|DirectX 10 were extensive]], but only Direct3D featured a major overhaul of the API.
 
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However, some gamers have found that some DirectX 10 games, such as [[Crysis]] can be made to run with DirectX 9 by editing configuration files.<ref>[http://www.crysis-online.com/forum/index.php?topic=11837.0#msg203789 Forum post] with instructions for [[Crysis]]</ref>
 
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Many former parts of DirectX API were deprecated in the latest DirectX SDK and will be preserved for compatibility only: [[DirectInput]] was deprecated in favor of [[XInput]], [[DirectSound]] was deprecated in favor of [[XACT]] and lost support for hardware accelerated audio, since [[Technical features new to Windows Vista#Audio|Vista audio stack]] renders sound in software on the CPU. The DirectPlay DPLAY.DLL was also removed and was replaced with dplayx.dll; games that rely on this DLL must duplicate it and rename it to dplay.dll.
 
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In order to achieve backwards compatibility, DirectX in Windows Vista contains several versions of Direct3D:<ref>{{cite web | url=http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb173477.aspx | title=Graphics APIs in Windows Vista | author=Chuck Walbourn | date=August 2006 | work=MSDN | accessdate=2007-02-26}}</ref>
 
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*'''Direct3D 9''': emulates Direct3D 9 behavior as it was on Windows XP. Details and advantages of Vista's [[Windows Display Driver Model]] are hidden from the application if WDDM drivers are installed. This is the only API available if there are only XP graphic drivers (XPDM) installed, after an upgrade to Vista for example.
 
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*'''Direct3D 9Ex''' (known internally during Windows Vista development as 9.0L or 9.L, the L standing for Vista's codename: Longhorn): allows full access to the new capabilities of WDDM (if WDDM drivers are installed) while maintaining compatibility for existing Direct3D applications. The [[Windows Aero]] user interface relies on D3D 9Ex.
 
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*'''Direct3D 10''': Designed around the new driver model in Windows Vista and featuring a number of improvements to rendering capabilities and flexibility, including [[High Level Shader Language|Shader Model 4]].
 
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'''Direct3D 10.1''' is an incremental update of Direct3D 10.0 which is shipped with, and requires, [[Windows Vista#Service Pack 1|Windows Vista Service Pack 1]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2177205,00.asp|title=Microsoft Unleashes First Service Pack for Vista|date=[[2007-08-29]]|accessdate=2007-08-29|publisher=PC Magazine}}</ref> This release mainly sets a few more image quality standards for graphics vendors, while giving developers more control over image quality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,2168429,00.asp?kc=ETRSS02129TX1K0000532|title=Microsoft Presents DirectX 10.1 Details at SIGGRAPH|date=[[2007-08-07]]|accessdate=2007-08-27}}</ref> It also adds support for parallel cube mapping and requires that the video card supports Shader Model 4.1 or higher and 32-bit floating-point operations. Direct3D 10.1 still fully supports Direct3D 10 hardware, but in order to utilize all of the new features, updated hardware is required.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xyzzy-links.blogspot.com/2007/08/directx-101-requires-no-new-gpu.html|title=DirectX 10.1 Requires No New GPU|date=[[2008-03-05]]|accessdate=2008-03-05|publisher=Windows Vista: The Complete Guide}}</ref> As of June 25, 2008, only the ATI Radeon HD3xxx and HD48xx series of GPUs are fully compliant. Recent NVIDIA GPUs support many, but not all of the new features in DirectX 10.1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/nvidia-geforce-gx2-review.ars|title=NVIDIA's GTX 280: G80, Evolved|date=[[2008-07-11]]|publisher=ars technica|accessdate=2008-07-11}}</ref>
 
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===DirectX 11===
 
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Microsoft unveiled '''DirectX 11''' at the Gamefest 08 event in Seattle, with the major scheduled features including [[GPGPU]] support, [[tesselation]] support, and improved [[multi-threading]] support to assist video game developers in developing games that better utilize [[multi-core]] processors. DirectX 11 will run on [[Windows Vista]] and its successor [[Windows 7]]. Parts of the new API such as mult-threaded resource handling can be supported on DirectX 10/10.1-class hardware if GPU manufacturers implement them in their graphics drivers. Hardware tesselation and Shader Model 5.0 will require DirectX 11 supporting hardware. <ref> [http://blogs.msdn.com/ptaylor/archive/2008/07/28/gamefest-2008-and-the-directx-11-announcement.aspx Gamefest 2008 and the DirectX 11 announcement] </ref> Additional features of DirectX 11 will be disclosed upon release of the new SDK.
 
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==History==
 
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In late 1994 Microsoft was just on the verge of releasing its next [[operating system]], [[Windows 95]]. The main factor that would determine the value consumers would place on their new operating system very much rested on what programs would be able to run on it. Three Microsoft employees – Craig Eisler, [[Alex St. John]], and Eric Engstrom – were concerned, because [[game programmer|programmers]] tended to see Microsoft's previous operating system, [[MS-DOS]], as a better platform for game programming, meaning few games would be developed for Windows 95 and the operating system would not be as much of a success.
 
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DOS allowed direct access to video cards, [[computer keyboard|keyboards]] and [[computer mouse|mice]], [[sound card|sound devices]], and all other parts of the system, while Windows 95, with its protected memory model, restricted access to all of these, working on a much more standardized model. Microsoft needed a way that would let programmers get what they wanted, and they needed it quickly; the operating system was only months away from being released. Eisler, St. John, and Engstrom worked together to fix this problem, with a solution that they eventually named DirectX.
 
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The first version of DirectX released was shipped September 1995 as the Windows Games SDK. It was the [[Windows API|Win32]] replacement for the DCI and [[WinG]] APIs for [[Windows 3.1]]. A development team at ATI brought fundamental game graphics technology to the attention of Microsoft. The development of DirectX was led by the team of Eisler (development lead), St. John, and Engstrom (program manager). Simply put, it allowed all versions of Microsoft Windows, starting with Windows 95, to incorporate high-performance multimedia. Eisler wrote about the frenzy to build DirectX 1 through 5 in his blog.<ref>[http://craig.theeislers.com/2006/02/directx_then_and_now_part_1.php Craig Eisler's blog post about the frenzy to build DirectX 1 through 5] on craig.theeislers.com</ref>
 
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Prior to DirectX's existence, Microsoft had already included [[OpenGL]] on their [[Windows NT]] platform. At the time, [[OpenGL]] required "high-end" hardware and was limited to [[engineering]] and [[Computer-aided design|CAD]] uses. Direct3D (introduced by Eisler, Engstrom, and St. John as an alternative to SGI's OpenGL) was intended to be a lightweight partner to the then-slower OpenGL for game use. As the power of [[graphics card]]s and the computers running them grew, OpenGL became the de-facto standard and a mainstream product. At that point a "battle" began between supporters of the cross-platform OpenGL and the Windows-only Direct3D, which many argued was another example of Microsoft's [[embrace, extend and extinguish]] business tactic (see [[Fahrenheit graphics API|Fahrenheit]] or [[Direct3D vs. OpenGL]]). Nevertheless, the other APIs of DirectX are often combined with OpenGL in [[computer games]] because OpenGL does not include all of DirectX's functionality (such as sound or joystick support). However, the combination of OpenGL and [[Simple DirectMedia Layer|SDL]] for this purpose is becoming increasingly popular.{{Fact|Septober 2007|date=December 2007}}
 
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The very first versions of DirectX (1-3) did not support hardware acceleration at all. Each DirectDraw and Direct3D API call had to go through the Windows [[GDI]], and DirectSound was simply acting as an API wrapper for the 16-bit MMSOUND.DRV device driver. In later versions, hardware acceleration is supported, and many new components have been added. DirectSound 3D was introduced in DirectX as an extension of DirectSound.
 
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In a console-specific version, DirectX was used as a basis for Microsoft's [[Xbox]] and [[Xbox 360]] [[video game console|console]] API. The API was developed jointly between Microsoft and [[Nvidia]], who developed the custom graphics hardware used by the original Xbox. The Xbox API is similar to DirectX version 8.1, but is non-updateable like other console technologies. The Xbox was code named DirectXbox, but this was shortened to Xbox for its commercial name.<ref>J. Allard, [http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/55995/games-interview-xbox-supremo-allard-on-the-future-of-microsofts-console-part-ii.html PC Pro Interview], April 2004</ref>
 
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In 2002 Microsoft released DirectX 9 with support for the use of much longer shader programs than before with pixel and vertex shader version 2.0. Microsoft has continued to update the DirectX suite since then, introducing shader model 3.0 in DirectX 9.0c, released in August 2004.
 
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As of April 2005, [[DirectShow]] was removed from DirectX and moved to the [[Microsoft Platform SDK]] instead. The DirectX SDK is, however, still required to build the DirectShow samples<ref>[http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx/sdk/readmepage/default.aspx DirectX SDK Release Notes] on [[MSDN]]</ref>.
 
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=== Release history ===
 
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{| class="wikitable"
 
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|-
 
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! DirectX version
 
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! Version number
 
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! Operating system
 
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! Date released
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 1.0||4.02.0095||&nbsp;||[[September 30]] [[1995]]
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 2.0||?||''Was shipped only with a few 3rd party applications''||1996
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 2.0a||4.03.00.1096||[[Windows 95]] OSR2 and NT 4.0||[[June 5]] [[1996]]
 
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|-
 
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|rowspan="2"|DirectX 3.0||4.04.00.0068||&nbsp;||[[September 15]] [[1996]]
 
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|-
 
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|4.04.00.0069||''Later package of DirectX 3.0 included Direct3D 4.04.00.0069''||1996
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 3.0a||4.04.00.0070||[[Windows NT]] 4.0 SP3 (and above)<br/>''last supported version of DirectX for Windows NT 4.0''||December 1996
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 3.0b||4.04.00.0070||''This was a very minor update to 3.0a<br/>that fixed a cosmetic problem with the Japanese version of Windows 95''||December 1996
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 4.0||Never launched||&nbsp;||
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 5.0||4.05.00.0155&nbsp;(RC55)||''Available as a beta for Windows NT 5.0 that would install on Windows NT 4.0''||[[July 16]] [[1997]]
 
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|-
 
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|rowspan="2"|DirectX 5.2||4.05.01.1600&nbsp;(RC00)||''DirectX 5.2 release for [[Windows 95]]''||[[May 5]] [[1998]]
 
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|-
 
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|4.05.01.1998&nbsp;(RC0)||[[Windows 98]] exclusive||[[June 25]] [[1998]]
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 6.0||4.06.00.0318&nbsp;(RC3)||[[Windows CE]] as implemented on [[Dreamcast]]||[[August 7]] [[1998]]
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 6.1||4.06.02.0436&nbsp;(RC0)||&nbsp;||[[February 3]] [[1999]]
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 6.1a||4.06.03.0518&nbsp;(RC0)||[[Windows 98 SE]] exclusive||[[May 5]] [[1999]]
 
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|-
 
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|rowspan="2"|DirectX 7.0||4.07.00.0700&nbsp;(RC1)||&nbsp;||[[September 22]][[1999]]
 
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|-
 
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|4.07.00.0700||[[Windows 2000]]||[[February 17]] [[2000]]
 
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|-
 
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|rowspan="2"|DirectX 7.0a||4.07.00.0716&nbsp;(RC0)||&nbsp;||[[March 8]] [[2000]]
 
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|-
 
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|4.07.00.0716&nbsp;(RC1)||&nbsp;||2000
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 7.1||4.07.01.3000&nbsp;(RC1)||[[Windows Me]] exclusive||[[September 14]] [[2000]]
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 8.0||4.08.00.0400&nbsp;(RC10)||&nbsp;||[[November 12]] [[2000]]
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 8.0a||4.08.00.0400&nbsp;(RC14)||''Last supported version for Windows 95''||[[February 5]] [[2001]]
 
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|-
 
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|rowspan="2"|DirectX 8.1||4.08.01.0810||[[Windows XP]], [[Windows Server 2003]] and [[Xbox]] exclusive||[[October 25]] [[2001]]
 
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|-
 
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|4.08.01.0881&nbsp;(RC7)||''This version is for the down level operating systems<br/>(Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000)''||[[November 8]] [[2001]]
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 8.1a||4.08.01.0901&nbsp;(RC?)||''This release includes an update to Direct3D (D3d8.dll)''||2002
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 8.1b||4.08.01.0901&nbsp;(RC7)||''This update includes a fix to DirectShow on Windows 2000 (Quartz.dll)''||[[June 25]] [[2002]]
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 8.2||4.08.02.0134&nbsp;(RC0)||''Same as the DirectX 8.1b but includes DirectPlay 8.2''||2002
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 9.0||4.09.00.0900&nbsp;(RC4)||&nbsp;||[[December 19]] [[2002]]
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 9.0a||4.09.00.0901&nbsp;(RC6)||&nbsp;||[[March 26]] [[2003]]
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 9.0b||4.09.00.0902&nbsp;(RC2)||&nbsp;||[[August 13]] [[2003]]
 
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|-
 
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|rowspan="3"|DirectX 9.0c||4.09.00.0903||Service Pack 2 for Windows XP exclusive||&nbsp;
 
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|-
 
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|4.09.00.0904&nbsp;(RC0)||&nbsp;||[[August 4]] [[2004]]
 
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|-
 
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|4.09.00.0904||Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2003 R2 and [[Xbox 360]]||[[August 6]] [[2004]]
 
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|-
 
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|DirectX 9.0c - bimonthly updates||4.09.00.0904&nbsp;(RC0)||''The December 13 '04 is last 32-bit only build sufficient for Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000 32-bit, that are two last parallel activation-free Windows systems.''<ref>[http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/3/e/63e8f5ff-02d8-4baf-93b7-4d6f96b9610e/directx_9c_Dec04sdk_redist.exe Direct link to] [http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=2c40a7a5-7742-44d2-9f5c-420815448ea4 last '''pure 32-bit''' DirectX 9.0c from [[December 13]] [[2004]]] & [http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/e/5/1e5135a7-552b-42a6-a7ff-7646522f9277/directx_9c_Feb05sdk_redist.exe Direct link to] [http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=03c30962-4b78-4e59-8c70-32998dceffe5 first '''64-bit capable''' DirectX 9.0c from [[February 9]] [[2005]]]</ref>''The last build for Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000 is the redistributable from October 2006.''<ref>[http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=013c0f78-3c9b-44dc-b8be-46783bcac3cb&DisplayLang=en Last DirectX 9.0c for Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000 from October 2006] & [http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=77BC0499-19D0-46B6-A178-033D9E6C626B&displaylang=en First DirectX 9.0c not for Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000 from December 2006]</ref>||Released bimonthly from October 2004 to August 2007, and quarterly thereafter; Latest version: June, 2008
 
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|-
 
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|rowspan="2"|DirectX 10||6.00.6000.16386||[[Windows Vista]] exclusive||[[November 30]] [[2006]]
 
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|-
 
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|6.00.6001.18000||[[Windows Vista#Service Pack 1|Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista]], [[Windows Server 2008]]<br/>''includes Direct3D 10.1''||[[February 4]], [[2008]]
 
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|}
 
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Notes:
 
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# DirectX 4 was never released. [[Raymond Chen]] explained in his book, ''The Old New Thing'', that after DirectX 3 was released, Microsoft began developing versions 4 and 5 at the same time. Version 4 was to be a shorter-term release with small features, whereas version 5 would be a more substantial release. The lack of interest from game developers in the features slated for DirectX 4 resulted in its being shelved, and the corpus of documents that already distinguished the two new versions resulted in Microsoft choosing to not re-use version 4 to describe features intended for version 5.<ref>{{cite book
 
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| title = The Old New Thing
 
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| edition = 1st edition
 
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| chapter = Etymology and History
 
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| pages = pg. 330
 
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| last = Chen
 
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| first = Raymond
 
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| authorlink = Raymond Chen
 
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| year = 2006
 
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| publisher = Pearson Education
 
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| id = ISBN 0-321-44030-7
 
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}}</ref>
 
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# The version number as reported by Microsoft's [[DxDiag]] tool (version 4.09.0000.0900 and higher) use the x.xx.xxxx.xxxx format for version numbers. However, the DirectX and Windows XP [[Microsoft Developer Network|MSDN]] page claims that the registry always has in the x.xx.xx.xxxx format. Put another way, when the above table lists a version as '4.09.00.0904' Microsoft's [[DxDiag]] tool may have it as '4.09.0000.0904'.<ref>[http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive/default.asp?url=/archive/en-us/directx9_c_Dec_2004/directx/directxsdk/dxandxp.asp DirectX and Windows XP]</ref>
 
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===Awards and accolades===
 
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On [[January 8]], [[2007]], DirectX (specifically, Direct3D) earned a [[Technology & Engineering Emmy Award]] for Microsoft and partners AMD and Nvidia Corporation "for pioneering work in near and real-time fully programmable shading via modern graphics processors."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/tech_2k6_winners.html | title=National Television Academy Announces Emmy Winning Achievements: Honors Bestowed at 58th Annual Technology & Engineering Technical Awards}}</ref>
 
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==Compatibility==
 
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APIs such as Direct3D and DirectSound need to interact with hardware, and they do this through a [[device driver]]. [[Hardware]] manufacturers have to write these drivers for a particular DirectX version's device driver interface (or DDI), and test each individual piece of hardware to make them DirectX compatible. Some hardware devices only have DirectX compatible drivers (in other words, one must install DirectX in order to use that hardware). Early versions of DirectX included an up-to-date library of all of the DirectX compatible drivers currently available. This practice was stopped however, in favor of the web-based [[Windows Update]] driver-update system, which allowed users to download only the drivers relevant to their hardware, rather than the entire library.
 
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Prior to DirectX 10, DirectX was designed to be ''backward compatible'' with older drivers, meaning that newer versions of the APIs were designed to interoperate with older drivers written against a previous version's DDI. For example, a game designed for and running on Direct3D 9 with a graphics adapter driver designed for Direct3D 6 would still work, albeit possibly with gracefully degraded functionality. However, as of Windows Vista, due to the significantly updated DDI for Windows Display Driver Model drivers, Direct3D 10 cannot run on older hardware drivers.
 
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Various releases of Windows have included and supported various versions of DirectX, allowing newer versions of the operating system to continue running applications designed for earlier versions of DirectX until those versions can be gradually phased out in favor of newer APIs, drivers, and hardware.
 
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==.NET Framework==
 
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In 2002 Microsoft released a version of DirectX compatible with the Microsoft [[.NET Framework]], thus allowing programmers to take advantage of DirectX functionality from within .NET applications using compatible languages such as managed C++ or the use of the [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]] programming language. This API was known as "[[Managed DirectX]]" (or MDX for short), and claimed to operate at 98% of performance of the underlying native DirectX APIs. In December 2005, February 2006, April 2006, and August 2006, Microsoft released successive updates to this library, culminating in a beta version called Managed DirectX 2.0. While Managed DirectX 2.0 consolidated functionality that had previously been scattered over multiple assemblies into a single assembly, thus simplifying dependencies on it for software developers, development on this version has subsequently been discontinued, and it is no longer supported. The Managed DirectX 2.0 library expired on October 5th, 2006.
 
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During the [[Game Developers Conference|GDC]] 2006 Microsoft presented the [[Microsoft XNA|XNA Framework]], a new managed version of DirectX (similar but not identical to Managed DirectX) that is intended to assist development of games by making it easier to integrate DirectX, [[High Level Shader Language]] (HLSL) and other tools in one package. It also supports the execution of managed code on the Xbox 360. The XNA Game Studio Express RTM was made available on [[December 11]] [[2006]], as a free download for Windows XP. Unlike the DirectX runtime, [[Managed DirectX]], [[Microsoft XNA|XNA Framework]] or the [[Xbox 360]] APIs (XInput, XACT etc) have not shipped as part of Windows. Developers are expected to redistribute the runtime components along with their games or applications.
 
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No Microsoft product including the latest XNA releases provides DirectX 10 support for the .NET Framework.
 
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==Alternatives==
 
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There are alternatives to the DirectX family of APIs, some more complete than others. While there is no unified solution that will do everything DirectX does, with a combination of libraries – [[Simple DirectMedia Layer|SDL]], [[Allegro library| Allegro]], [[OpenMAX]], [[OpenML]], [[OpenGL]], [[OpenAL]], [[FMOD]], etc. – one can implement a comparable but cross-platform and frequently free/open source solution.
 
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There are also alternative implementations that aim to provide the same API, such as the one in [[Wine (software)|Wine]].
 
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==References==
 
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{{reflist|2}}
 
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==External links==
 
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*[http://www.microsoft.com/directx Microsoft's DirectX site]
 
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*[http://wiki.directxers.com DirectX Wiki site from DirectXers]
 
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*{{dmoz|Computers/Programming/Libraries/DirectX/}}
 
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*[http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/95 DirectX Versions]
 
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{{Windows Components}}
 
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{{MS DevTools|close}}
 
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{{Microsoft|close}}
 
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{{Microsoft APIs|close}}
 
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[[Category:Application programming interfaces]]
 
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[[Category:Microsoft application programming interfaces]]
 
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[[Category:DirectX]]
 
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[[Category:Virtual reality]]
 

Latest revision as of 13:56, June 28, 2016

DirectX 10 is the latest version of Microsoft's proprietary multimedia API. It is only compatible with Windows Vista. New features in DirectX 10 include:

  • geometry shader
  • virtual memory for the GPU
  • shader model 4.0
  • fully programmable pipeline
  • higher precision
  • cube map arrays
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