Introduction

Welcome to the Microsoft® DirectX™ 3 for Java class libraries. DirectX 3 for Java contains Java classes for the following DirectX multimedia APIs:

• DirectDraw® - provides 2-D graphics services and bitmap composition.
• Direct3D® Retained Mode and Immediate Mode - high and low-level 3D graphics APIs that provide comprehensive 3D graphics services.
• DirectSound® - provides sound-mixing and playback services.
• DirectPlay® - provides multiplayer game connectivity over the Internet.
• DirectInput® - provides services for joysticks and other input devices.

Redistribution Components

See the license for redistribution of the DirectX 3 runtime. The DirectX 3 for Java package is part of the retail system class library that ships with the Microsoft VM for Java.

Read the license agreement before using the SDK. You can submit comments using the public forum news:msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.java.sdk or news:msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.java.directxj. Please send bug reports with repro steps following the instructions included in the support section of the main release note.

Runtime Installation:

The DirectX 3a run time can be downloaded from the Web by running the SDK sdksetup.exe. You will need to install the DirectX 3a runtime of DirectX to use DirectX 3 for Java class libraries, view the samples, and so on. The DirectX 3a runtime is also required if you run any of the DirectAnimation samples.

If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, you already have some DirectX runtime components installed on your machine. Internet Explorer 4.0 contains the DDrawEx and DirectX subset run-time components, which are the most widely used elements of DirectX. Note that these components do not include DirectPlay, DirectInput or support for ramp (256-color palettized mode) in Direct3D, and therefore, unless the full DirectX 3a runtime (or a later DirectX runtime) is installed as described previously, you will not be able to run the corresponding elements of DirectX 3 for Java.

Known Issues

• Windows NT: DirectX 3 for Java depends on the DirectX 3a runtime. Some elements of DirectX 3a (for example, DirectSound) work on Windows NT in emulation only. Direct3D, which will also remain in emulation only until Windows NT 5.0, must be downloaded separately from the runtimes included here if needed for Windows NT. Direct3D for Windows NT is available with the Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 (SP3), which can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/.
• Rasterizers: When using the default Dxmini runtimes included with the Internet Explorer 4.0 minimum install, rather than installing the DirectX 3a runtime included with the SDK, you will only be able to use RGB (true color) software rasterizers, as Dxmini supports RGB rendering modes only. It does not support ramp (256 palettized) rendering modes. To take advantage of DirectX 3 for Java's ramp mode rasterizers, please install the full DirectX 3a or later runtime as described previously.
• Palettes: (Only relevant to 8-bit mode) - DirectX 3 for Java reflects exactly the palette management techniques employed by DirectX itself. This means that, unless care is taken to reflect the system palette when running in a windowed browser in 8-bit mode, palette artifacts will be seen. All the DirectX 3 for Java graphics samples included in the SDK have been created to demonstrate how to effectively use the system palette and avoid these problems.
• Object Management: DirectX's reference counting requires that developers specifically release some high-level 'master' objects (for example, Direct3DDevice) before an applet or application is terminated. This is due to an ordering dependency where high-level DirectX "master" objects automatically destroy their children. While DirectX 3 for Java does not require you to release these objects, you may wish to do so to be entirely confident that all object have been released when terminating the application. All the DirectX samples included in this SDK demonstrate how to free the appropriate high level object before terminating the application or applet.
• Specific Hardware: The ATI Rage++ OEM driver, shipped with new Gateway Pentium IIs, fails on most DirectX applications. The fix is to install the latest ATI Rage drivers from the ATI web site, http://www.atitech.com/.
• Direct3D Immediate Mode: The Direct3D for Java Immediate Mode ramp driver does not work in 8-bit mode with a z-buffer; it works with a z-buffer on the newer DirectX 5 runtime, available from http://www.microsoft.com/directx. The workaround is to stay in 16-bit mode.

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