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The following features have changed in the October 2005 DirectX SDK update:
XInput is an API that allows applications to receive input from the Xbox 360 controller for Windows. Controller rumble effects and voice input and output are supported.
For a quick start guide to using the XInput API, see Getting Started With XInput, and the XInput Reference. Four XInput Samples are available in the Sample Viewer. See XInput Frequently Asked Questions for answers to commonly-asked questions about XInput.
XACT is an audio design tool and associated API that allow application designers and audio content designers to work together to bring vibrant sounds to games.
To access the XACT documentation, click the Start Menu, choose All Programs, Microsoft DirectX 9.0 SDK Update (October 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 9.0 SDK Update (October 2005), Utilities, and select "Microsoft Audio Creation Tool".
Included with the October 2005 DirectX SDK is the first 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 (Beta 2 or later), 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 2.0.900. 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 DirectX Ops tool (see DirectX Ops (dxops.exe)) can accept an expression string, which contains a series of script commands, files and optional arguments. Each expression is built from one or more script commands. See DirectX Ops Script Commands.
EffectEdit and Mesh Viewer are no longer shipped with the SDK. The equivalent functionality for these tools can be achieved by using the new DirectX Ops (dxops.exe) and DirectX Viewer (dxviewer.exe) tools.
Graphics Card Capabilities: A new chart containing a collection of the capabilities exposed by current drivers on a wide range of graphics hardware available on the market today is available in the SDK. To view it, use the DirectX SDK Sample Browser and search for "Graphics Card Capabilities".
The article introducing the gaming experience on Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 has been updated with a new section to help you make your application accessible using the Media Center interface. Two new corresponding samples, MCELauncher and MediaCenterGame, have been added to illustrate this. For more information see: Installing Games on Windows XP Media Center Edition.