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DirectX 9 Finally Out
T-Kir writes "Microsoft has finally released DirectX 9... although we'll have to wait until the games that fully exploit it are released, at least those with high end cards (aka Radeon 9700+) will be able to unlock more of the advanced features. Now all we have to wait for is OpenGL 2.0!"
Note that ATI has also released its Catalyst 3.0 drivers with full DX9 support for those cards which can handle it. Those demos look sweet.
It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
Download the latest drivers, then download the demos. They're nothing short of incredible. The Animusic one is spectacular.
Microsoft, with its money and power, is able to deal with hardware manufacturers, to receive specs of planned features early and to develop API for those extremely quickly
Hmm... The major Hardware manufacturors (and software developers) are members of the OpenGL ARB :
http://www.opengl.org/developers/about/arb.html
The OpenGL Architecture Review Board (ARB), an independent consortium formed in 1992, governs the OpenGL specification. Composed of many of the industry's leading graphics vendors, the ARB defines conformance tests and approves new OpenGL features and extensions. As of June 2002, voting members of the ARB include 3Dlabs, Apple, ATI, Dell Computer, Evans & Sutherland, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Matrox, NVIDIA, Microsoft, SGI, Sun. Other companies and organizations are encouraged to join the ARB as non-voting participants by signing the ARB Participant Undertaking (PDF, Word format, Postscript format), so they are covered by participation and disclosure terms similar to the ARB member agreement signed by voting Members. Prospective participants should talk with the OpenGL ARB Secretary (email to arb-secretary 'at' sgi.com) to discuss their reasons for joining and their projected level of committment to the group, and to find out how to submit the Participant Undertaking. Participants may apply for ARB membership when new slots are opened up. A partial list of participants includes Alt.software, Crytek GmbH, Discreet, Empire Interactive, Ensemble Studios, Epic Games, GLSetup, Id Software, Imagination Technologies (PowerVR), Intelligraphics, Micron, NEC, Obsession Development, Quantum3D, RAD Game Tools, Raven Software, S3/Diamond Multimedia, SiS, Spinor GmbH, Tungsten Graphics, University of Central Florida, Verant Interactive, and Xi Graphics.
High-level shading language
It has a language very close to Cg but that is integrated with VS.NET, meaning you can debug it just like C code. Here's a newsgroup thread where MS says they are working to keep it close to Cg, but it won't be 100% compatible.
Managed support
If you're programming in C#, Managed C++, or any other managed language, you can now use DirectX 9 directly.
Links
Converting to DirectX 9
DX9 client stand-alone download
DX9 SDK download
I had the same problem getting the windows .net server release candidates.
:)
Just look at where the form submits to and right your own basic form that will do the same thing, their site doesn't check referrer strings for submitting forms
X(7): A program for managing terminal windows. See also screen(1).
Using the DX9 Network Setup program is already bogged.
.EXE file)
:)
Here is a direct link to the redistributable setup file (i.e. the
I'm getting about 100KBps right now. The file is a tad over 30MB. My DL is currently at 99%, so I suppose this is safe to post now
Knunov
Why do users with IDs under 100,000 or over 700,000 usually have the most worthwhile comments?
Some of them require that you read the whole thing too (i.e. page down to the bottom).
You've got it backwards... DirectX doesn't support cars, cards support DirectX (hereafter, "DX"). When we say, "The Radeon 9700 is a DX9 card," what we mean is that the Radeon 9700 can support all of the DX9 features *in hardware* (in the DX HAL ("hardware abstraction layer"). The GeForce4 is a DX8.1 card, meaning that it can support all of the DX8.1 features *in hardware*, but if you install DX9 on your system nothing horrendous will happen. All that will happen is that when a program tries to use DX freatures that your card doesn't support, DX will simply implement those features in software (on the HEL ("hardware emulation layer")), which is slower. But when a game just uses DX8.1 features, it'll still run on the HAL.
So, assuming that there aren't any bugs in the new version of DX, upgrading isn't harmful. And no, the Voodoo 3, 4, and 5 aren't going to support many of the new features in hardware. But that doesn't mean you can't install and play DX9 games -- it just means they'd run like ass.
It's always a long day... 86400 doesn't fit into a short.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
From the DirectX 9.0 FAQ:
Due to enhancements in the way DirectPlay functions, it is strongly recommended that all users who want to join or host multiplayer games upgrade to DirectX 9.0. A user with earlier versions of DirectX may have trouble joining or hosting games, or my see a significant performance reduction when playing with users who have 9.0 installed.
ancarett, historian and zombie gamer
As to spyware, it's not exactly like any software house has to be complicit to get it on your system if you use the Internet and download programs. Read here for details.
Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
-- Dr. Spock, stardate 2822-3.
Comparing Direct3D and OpenGL (which is probably what you want to do): Direct3D is by far much more advanced, supporting more functions + features that OpenGL's out of date API doesn't. Programming-wise, I have no idea how they compare.
A better comparison would be between Direct3D and OpenGL, with SDL up against all other parts of DirectX.
i believe that directx is geared towards the consumer. like you said, it is more than just video but also network, sound, and input.
opengl, on the other hand, is geared for professional applications especially 3d. look at the pro graphic cards like firegl and quadro, they are supporting opengl. and most pro apps like maya, softimage, and lightwave require opengl and do not support the regular consumer video cards even though it may be faster and supports directx.
so i don't think that directx and opengl are closely matched. they are made for different applications and each is doing very well in their respective fields.
Live your life each day as if it was your last.
The Radeon 7500 will work under DirectX 9.0, but due to the design of the chipset on the Radeon 7500 the majority of the desireable features of DirectX 9.0 won't be available to your card.
You need a card that takes full advantage of DirectX 9.0; the ATI Radeon 9500/9500Pro (just released) and Radeon 9700/9700 Pro (which has been around for a couple of months) will fully take advantage of DirectX 9.0, especially if you install ATI's CATALYST 3.0 display driver that works with Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
Unfortunately, nVidia's GeForce4 Ti4xxx series chipsets won't take advantage of DirectX 9.0 features; that will have to wait for the GeForce FX that will ship in the first quarter of 2003.
Well, I program with OpenGL, i've seen code for directX, and i knew then that DX had a huge amount of code for doing non-graphics related stuff, but when it come to graphics, opengl wins hands down, mostly because of the simplicity of implememting different rendering techniques and the way polygon creation is set up
So if you want to upgrade to DX 9 I'd say hit up Voodoo Files first. By that token though, I don't think DX 9 will go any faster for you and you in all likelihood won't be able to run any of the "new" features, but it's better than nothing. Might help put off that upgrade for a little while.
I'd love to know how people are making these new drivers, though.
Schnapple
I installed DX 9 (but made a restore point prior to installing it) and found that with Age of Kings that I was getting a black screen on 1280x1024 resolution. So I had to go back.
DirectX 9 is now available from Microsoft but in very large files. Icarus Independent now offers an alternative here at the DevZone. Download as much or as little as you need. Each section of DirectX 9 is neatly zipped up in it's own file.
If the download is still a bit daunting head to here and request the DirectX 9 SDK be included on a Content CD which costs only $2 per 650MB plus shipping which is typically less than $2 within the US.
Ben
Work Safe Porn
Although I can't be bothered to search for the link (it was on Anandtech or Toms Hardware), but apparently the ATI cards incorporate the DirectX version in their names.. hence the 9xxx cards were designed with DirectX 9.x in mind (hardware manufacturers have had the spec for months), and the Radeon 8xxx series was designed with DirectX 8.x... etc.
nVidia on the other hand started messing things up with the MX's, Ti's and Pure versions (let alone the FX, what next? FX2 or FX Part Deux?)... let alone any correlation to new or existing graphics technologies... i.e. they're just there to confuse Joe Public into thinking a GeForce 4 MX is better than a GeForce 3 etc.
Are you local? There's nothing for you here!
I just installed the new DirectX 9 and upgraded the ATI driver for Radeon8500 (there is no real advantage for DirectX 9 with Radeon8500). The system got completely screwed up. I had to reinstall everything.
After installing the ATI drivers the system restarts...here it hangs. Be careful while doing this...there is some problem with DirectX and ATI Radeon drivers.
Tat Tvam Asi