Tag: directx 11

DirectX with Windows 7 Support

September 19, 2009 by Jason

The latest updates to DirectX resources from Microsoft have been tailored to the most recent iteration of the Windows client. In this regard, the Redmond company revealed that both DirectX End-User Runtimes (August 2009) and the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer come with support for Windows 7. Earlier this month, the software giant made available an update for the DirectX Software Development Kit (SDK) bringing to the table Direct3D 11, DXGI 1.1, Direct2D, and DirectWrite. The August 2009 (even though it was released in mid-September) DirectX SDK enables developers to build and distribute Direct3D 11 programs designed to play nice with DirectX 11 not only in Windows 7 but also in Windows Vista.

DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer – “provides updates to 9.0c and previous versions of DirectX — the core Windows technology that drives high-speed multimedia and games on the PC. Microsoft DirectX is a group of technologies designed to make Windows-based computers an ideal platform for running and displaying applications rich in multimedia elements such as full-color graphics, video, 3D animation, and rich audio. DirectX includes security and performance updates, along with many new features across all technologies, which can be accessed by applications using the DirectX APIs,” Microsoft noted. Read More»

Windows Vista Gaming Tips

January 14, 2009 by Jason

Update Vista’s DirectX9 files for better game compatibility

One of the fixes for getting games to run in Vista that do not normally (such as FEAR and 3Dmark06 as two examples) is relatively simple. These games require the latest version of Directx 9. Vista does not actually contain a full installation of Directx 9, just some elements for compatibility purposes. So, install Directx 9.

To install Directx 9c on Windows Vista:

step 1: Download the latest DirectX 9 redistributable file from Microsoft.com here.

step 2: Unzip the file into a folder on your desktop or in your documents.

step 3: Run the DXSETUP file.

step 4: You can delete the folder after the install has finished.
Read More»

Top 10 – November 2008 Popular Tips

December 01, 2008 by Jason

November 2008 Popular Tips for Pctipsbox.com – TOP 10

  1. Installing Windows XP Using A USB Flash Drive
  2. XP SP3 and Vista SP1 DirectX Update
  3. DirectX 11 for Windows 7 and Vista SP1
  4. How To Reduce Firefox Memory Usage
  5. Make Your Windows Vista Super Fast
  6. How To Change Text On XP Start Button
  7. Vista SP1 and XP SP3 Vulnerability Hit by Malware
  8. Maximize Security in Outlook Express
  9. PcTipsBox October 2008 Popular Tips – TOP10
  10. 9 Tips Make Your Computer Run Faster

Read More»

Windows 7 Direct3D 11 Features

November 30, 2008 by Jason

As of November 2008, Microsoft is delivering the first taste of DirectX 11 for Windows 7 for download. A release aimed at developers, The November 2008 DirectX Software Development Kit, brings to the table the successor of Direct3D 10.1, namely Direct3D 11. In the SDK package, the Redmond company is offering a technical preview of Direct3D 11, but also the adjacent components and tools. Backwards compatible, content developed for Direct3D 11 hardware will also be compatible with earlier products supporting Direct3D 10 and 10.1 (in Vista SP1). Via the Windows 7 Developer Guide, Microsoft provides an insight into the new features made available by Direct3D 11.

“Geometry and high-order surfaces can now be tessellated to support scalable, dynamic content in patch and subdivision surface representations. To make good use of the parallel processing power available from multiple CPU cores, multithreading increases the number of potential rendering calls per frame by distributing the application, runtime, and driver calls across multiple cores. In addition, resource creation and management has been optimized for multithreaded use, enabling more efficient dynamic texture management for streaming,” Microsoft revealed. Read More»

DirectX 11 for Windows 7 and Vista SP1

November 12, 2008 by Jason

With Windows 7 pre-Beta Build 6801 out of Redmond, it was only natural that DirectX 11 would follow. And this is precisely what happened. Having served Milestone 3 Build of the next iteration of the Windows client, Microsoft is also moving forward with the graphics technology included by default with the operating system. The transition from Vista to Windows 7 is synonymous with the evolution from DirectX 10.1 (in Vista SP1) to DirectX 11. At this point in time, the first taste of the next version of the DirectX suite of multimedia application programming interfaces (APIs), namely DirectX 11, is available for download via the November 2008 DirectX Software Development Kit.

“Included in the November 2008 DirectX SDK is a technical preview of Direct3D 11 and associated components and tools. Direct3D 11 is an update to Direct3D 10.1 enabling new hardware features as well as improving the breadth of configurations supported by Direct3D. As such, Direct3D 11 enables developers to create applications and games that work on Direct3D 10, Direct3D 10.1, and Direct3D 11 hardware when it becomes available. With the addition of WARP and Direct3D 10 Level 9, Direct3D 10.1 and Direct3D 11 have the ability to target fast software rasterization and Direct3D 9 hardware,” Microsoft revealed. Read More»

Windows 7 DirectX 11 Tessellation

August 08, 2008 by Jason

Microsoft has already indicated through the voice of Anantha Kancherla, manager of Windows desktop and graphics technologies, that DirectX 11 would be at the vanguard of the upcoming general purpose graphics processing (GPGPU) revolution. However, the real details have only been shared with developers and not the general public. From the recent Microsoft GameFest 2008 conference, details related to the evolution of DirectX 11 managed to slip through, but of course not through the company’s official channels, which are keeping mum in relation to the next generation of its graphics technology. Ignacio Castaño, NVIDIA Technology Developer, indicated that end users are in for a treat via the Tessellation of Displaced Subdivision Surfaces in DX11 presentation.

The Tessellation enhancements cooking for DirectX 11 will enable developers to offer what Castaño referred to as “unprecedented visuals”, namely “highly detailed characters and realistic animation”. But of course there is more to it, in the line of performing “expensive computations at lower frequency: realistic animation: blend shapes, morph targets, etc. and physics, collision detection, soft body dynamics, etc.”. DirectX 11 will ensure that the users will benefit from an increased level of detail while fewer resources will be consumed because of compression features. Read More»