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The following features have changed in the December 2005 DirectX SDK update:
The Direct3D 10 Technology Preview showcases the newest set of graphics APIs for games and other high-performance multimedia applications on next-generation graphics hardware. This technology preview provides reference material, conceptual content, developer libraries, tutorials and samples that demonstrate how to use Direct3D 10. Additional content will provided in upcoming SDK releases.
Samples and applications built with the Direct3D 10 December 2005 Technology Preview require the Windows Vista December 2005 CTP to run. The Windows Vista December 2005 CTP is available to MSDN subscribers.
Instantiating a Direct3D 10 hardware device requires Direct3D 10-capable graphics hardware with a Windows Vista Display Driver Model (WDDM) driver. As of the release of this Technology Preview, such hardware is not publicly available. A software fallback (the Direct3D 10 reference rasterizer) is provided.
For more information (including known limitations of this Technology Preview), refer to the Microsoft DirectX SDK ReadMe.
To access the Direct3D 10 documentation, click the Start Menu, choose All Programs, Microsoft DirectX SDK (December 2005), and select "Documentation for Direct3D 10". To access the ReadMe, click the Start Menu, choose All Programs, Microsoft DirectX SDK (December 2005), and select "Microsoft DirectX SDK ReadMe".
XACT has been updated for December with new features, as well as improved performance.
To access the XACT documentation, click the Start Menu, choose All Programs, Microsoft DirectX SDK (December 2005), and select "Microsoft Audio Creation Tool Documentation".
To get started using the XACT design tool, click click the Start Menu, choose All Programs, Microsoft DirectX SDK (December 2005), Utilities, and select "Microsoft Audio Creation Tool".
Included with the December 2005 DirectX SDK is updated support for the .NET Framework 2.0 in Managed DirectX. This assembly addresses the issues users were having with using Managed DirectX in Visual Studio 2005. It also includes new features designed to take full advantage of the features included in the .NET Framework 2.0 such as generics.
To use the new assembly, load up Visual Studio 2005, and after creating a new project add a reference to "Microsoft.DirectX.dll" You may see multiple versions of this assembly depending on any past DirectX SDK's you've installed, so add the reference to the one with the version 2.0.0.0. The namespaces you'll find in this assembly are:
Besides support for the .NET Framework 2.0, this updated assembly has a number of new additions which we would love feedback on, including better performance, and a cleaner API.
Note Managed DirectX for .NET Framework 2.0 is an early beta; complete samples and documentation will be provided in a later release of the DirectX SDK.
The Windows Vista Game Explorer is a new feature of Windows Vista that provides a rich game browsing experience. The documentation details how you can prepare your game to appear in the Game Explorer.
To access the Game Explorer documentation, click the Start Menu, choose All Programs, Microsoft DirectX SDK (December 2005), and select "Documentation for Game Explorer".
The Redist now includes by default the core DirectX runtime and the all versions of the SDK redistributable components (D3DX, Managed DirectX, and XInput). See Installing DirectX with DirectSetup for updated instructions on DirectSetup and the DirectX Redist.
An API set has been added for preprocessing of shaders. This allows for all #define and #include instructions in shaders to be preprocessed, leaving a self-contained shader that can be compiled at a later point.
A new article has been posted detailing the differences between XInput and DirectInput, and how the two APIs can be used together: XInput and DirectInput
PIX has been updated with these workflow improvements:
A list of D3DX functions that are supported by PIX is now available, see D3DX.
The DirectX Error Handling Utility Library has been updated to support new API sets, including Direct3D 10, D3DX 10, and XACT, using the new DxErr.h header file and DxErr.lib library file.
A new sample detailing the intermediate processing steps of high dynamic range (HDR) lighting has been added to the SDK: HDRDemo Sample
The Pick sample has been updated and added back into the SDK. You can access this sample through the Sample Browser.
A variety of new articles have been added to the SDK: