DirectX 8.0 SDK

Microsoft� DirectX� 8.0 SDK This CD is the Microsoft DirectX 8.0 Software Development Kit (SDK). It contains all DirectX software required to create DirectX 8.0 compliant applications. Parts of this SDK will also be made available for download at the Microsoft DirectX developer web page (http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx). Major components include: DirectX 8.0 system components (runtimes); DirectX 8.0 Application Programing Interface (API) Documentation for each of the DirectX core areas (written for C++ or Visual Basic developers); DirectX 8.0 headers & libraries; Sample applications and source code; miscellaneous tools and utilities. After installing, those new to DirectX should start with the DirectX 8.0 documentation. More seasoned developers may also want to view the "WHAT'S NEW" section. Professional DirectX developers should refer to the "KNOWN ISSUES" section prior to raising concerns. __________________________________________________________________ Contents: - INSTALLATION - WHAT'S NEW - CD LAYOUT - DIRECTX 8.0 SDK RELEASE NOTES AND KNOWN ISSUES - COMPILER SUPPORT __________________________________________________________________ INSTALLATION: ALWAYS UNINSTALL PREVIOUS RELEASES of the DirectX SDK prior to installing DirectX 8.0 SDK Release (see UnInstall). The directory structure and file names have changed significantly. Installing on top of a previous installation will cause you problems. On Windows 2000 systems, you must be logged in as administrator to install the DirectX 8.0 runtimes. If you install the BDA cab, the DirectX 8.0 setup program requires that you restart your system. UnInstall: To uninstall, use "Add/Remove Programs" from the Control Panel to uninstall the InstallShield installations. __________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S NEW: DirectX Audio (DirectSound & DirectMusic) ========================================= DirectX 8.0 audio covers both DirectSound and DirectMusic API's. In DirectX 8.0, these API's are more closely aligned and tied together. There are many new features. They include: Effects processing on DirectSound Buffers DLS2 synthesis Arbitrary loop points Release waveforms Optional Filter per voice 6-stage envelope Ramped volume scaling Time-stamped playback "Audiopaths": a powerful and easy way to use the DirectMusic DLS2 synthesizer for sound effects programming. Submixing of audio prior to 3D processing (by DLS2 synthesizer) Automatic streaming and ACM compression (ADPCM, etc.) Composition enhancements Audio Scripting We also think you will want to look at using the DLS2 synthesizer as your main sound effects engine. The DLS2 synthesizer is accessed primarily through the DirectMusic API's. Please do not let the word, "Music" mislead you; the DirectX 8.0 DirectMusic API's have been enhanced *specifically* for sound effects playback. The new DirectMusic API's that are designed to support sound effects refer to audiopaths. Please investigate audiopaths; they provide a lot of cool features for sound effects. For example, if you have multiple sounds that need to come from the same 3d location, you can pre-mix them (using Audiopaths) and use only one 3d hardware buffer to play them. Parameter Validation: DirectSound in particular has some greater parameter validation in place when the DirectSound8 interfaces are used. -Waveformats are more tightly parsed -You can no longer create a DirectSoundBuffer with both CTRL_3D and CTRL_PAN set -You can no longer create a DirectSoundBuffer with CTRL_3D set and a wave format with more than 1 channel. I.e. Only mono buffers may be created with CTRL_3D. Scripting is very exciting. It puts much of the control over the audio implementation of the game into the hands of the sound designer. Using scripts, audio designers can change implementations, make the music 'magically' interactive, and play different sound effects based on in-game variables. It also drastically shortens the edit-integrate-listen cycle. This should result in improved sound effects and music, with much less game-programmer time required. There are sections in the documentation on a new FullDuplex interface and "Capture effects." These interfaces are not currently supported. If you are using DirectPlayVoice, you should use those interfaces. If your application requires audio capture outside of DirectPlayVoice, you should use the existing DirectSoundCapture interfaces. Direct3D ======== Migration of DirectDraw into Direct3D: In DirectX 8.0, DirectDraw� is fully integrated into Microsoft Direct3D to enable drastically simplified application initialization, improved data allocation and management performance, and reduced memory footprint. The new Direct3D infrastructure provides the services that are called at relatively low frequency. These services comprise: - Creation of Direct3D - Creation of resources (textures, vertex buffers etc) - Display mode selection - Presentation of rendered images to the display New Graphics Features for DirectX 8.0 are: Parallel vertex input streams for more flexible mapping to dynamic application data structures. Programmable vertex processing language enables programmers to write hardware shaders for: - Morphing/tweening animation - Matrix palette skinning - User-defined lighting models - General environment mapping - Procedural geometry - Any other developer-defined algorithm Programmable Pixel processing language enables programmers to write hardware shaders for: - Per-pixel lighting/bump mapping - Per-pixel environment mapping - Any other developer-defined algorithm MultiSample Rendering support enables: - Full-scene antialiasing - Multisample effects such as motion blur, depth-of-field, etc. Point Sprites enable: - High-performance rendering of particle systems 3-D Volume textures enable: - Range-attenuation in per-pixel lighting - Volume atmospheric effects - Easy texturing of very complex geometry Higher-Order Primitive Support: - For enhancing the appearance of 3-D content - Facilitating mapping of content from major 3-D authoring tools Higher-Level Technologies: - 3-D content creation tool plugins for export into Direct3D of skinned meshes using a variety of Direct3D techniques such as, multi-resolution LOD geometry, and higher order surface data. Direct3D Feature Notes: No significant API changes are contemplated beyond this point. All implemented features have been tested individually to some extent, but they have not been tested in exhaustive combinations yet. Many features in DirectX 8.0 are awaiting new hardware, however there is at least one implementation available for each of the features shipped: - Programmable vertex shaders are supported on the host CPU. On CPUs they will operate with performance comparable to HW implementations and can be used immediately for DirectX 8.0 prototyping and development. - Programmable pixel shaders are supported on the host CPU using refrast only. These can be used for prototyping DirectX 8.0 shaders for use when hardware ships. - Parallel DMA data input is supported on refrast and the SW geometry pipeline. - Point Sprites are supported in refrast, software T&L pipeline, and should be supported in a prototype DirectX 8.0 driver from at least one hardware manufacturer. - Volume Textures are supported in refrast. - Multisample rendering is supported in refrast and future hardware. - Higher-Order Primitives are supported in refrast and via D3DX utilities. D3DX ==== Debug Binaries for D3DX: The D3DX library is a static library. However, to help debugging, we also have