SlimDX November Release

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10 comments, last by Promit 16 years, 5 months ago
The SlimDX November release is now available. This release includes binaries built against both the August 2007 and November 2007 SDK. We also have a number of extra samples in our samples distribution. Notable Changes:
  • Extensive math library functionality additions.
  • Improved D3DX mesh-related interfaces for D3D9.
  • Added D3DX animation-related interfaces for D3D9.
  • Added shader reflection interfaces for D3D10.
  • The user now has full control over device-lost handling in DirectInput.
  • Lots of additional samples.
  • Some methods of DataStream were renamed; this was unfortunate, but neccessary due to potential ambiguous resolutions that could prove dangerous in the future.
  • The assemblies are properly signed.
Read the full release notes. As always, we welcome your feedback. Requests for new features or bug reports should be filed in our issue tracker to ensure maximum visibility.
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Sweet! [smile]
For anyone who was interested, I'm still looking at doing an official x64 version. It's not clear whether or not that will actually happen, so...stay tuned I guess.

Personally, I'd say this release is a really quite vast improvement over the stuff we've produced before. We're starting to accumulate users, and it has really helped us to identify the most important features and support them. It's also been invaluable in knocking out the various subtle bugs that tend to creep into this type of software. At this point, I'd say that MDX is completely dead and you may as well make the jump.

I'm looking to make the next SlimDX release a multimedia release. The hope is to have functional DirectSound, DirectShow, and XAudio2 support available within the next two months. (A December release with some of that functionality would be nice, but it's not clear if that will happen.) At that point, there will be absolutely no need to use MDX ever again.
SlimDX | Ventspace Blog | Twitter | Diverse teams make better games. I am currently hiring capable C++ engine developers in Baltimore, MD.
This is so cool!

"At that point, there will be absolutely no need to use MDX ever again"

Nice. Sad, in a way, but nice.

Great release. Very complete. I've been able to port over so much from MDX with ease.

One question about skinning, since this is an exciting new feature. How is the format of the whole thing changed in SlimDX? Specifically, AllocateHierarchy is now an interface - all well and good, but I can't inherit it in my own custom class (since AllocateHierarchyShim is private). Why is this? Also, it's prob. something you haven't got round to yet (I haven't seen it so far), but an implementation of D3DXLoadMeshHierarchyFromX would be nice. Plus, I don't think we need AnimationRootFrame, since we can do everything with Frame and AnimationController, but confirmation of that would be appreciated. The actual animation stuff like AnimationController looks really polished.
AllocateHierarchyShim is an internal implementation detail that you shouldn't need to worry about. There is a public interface called IAllocateHierarchy that you should be able to derive from.

I actually just finished X-File support, including all of the X-File interfaces and the LoadHierarchy functions, so you should be able to get the latest update from the repository. (Side note: I put the LoadHierarchy functions in the Frame class instead of the Mesh class, as it really doesn't have anything to do with the mesh itself.)

As far as AnimationRootFrame, it appears to be only an MDX feature, and I can't find mention of it in the DirectX docs. It will not be supported.
Mike Popoloski | Journal | SlimDX
Thanks for the quick reply. Maybe I'm missing something, but the source bit of the trunk seems not to have the updates - is this a mistake?
Sorry, for some reason my commit got canceled. Check now.
Mike Popoloski | Journal | SlimDX
Quote:Original post by Promit
For anyone who was interested, I'm still looking at doing an official x64 version. It's not clear whether or not that will actually happen, so...stay tuned I guess.


This would be awesome.

I've been compiling an x64 version of SlimDX for some time now and for the parts I use, it works fine. I do get two warnings about data size in the DX10 stuff (which I can't use and thus I can't test). The only warning that's giving me some pause is the one I've documented in this thread. This particular warning hasn't caused any issues for me yet, but I always worry about these things coming back and biting me in the ass.

As simple as building an x64 binary is, it'd be nice to get a pre-compiled binary because it'll be signed, and I would prefer signed binaries, which I can't get right now.

If jpetrie (I understand he's doing the DX10 stuff?) is interested in looking at the x64 DX10 related warnings they are:
  • warning C4244: 'argument' : conversion from '__int64' to 'int', possible loss of data ShaderDescription.cpp 40

  • warning C4244: 'argument' : conversion from 'SIZE_T' to 'int', possible loss of data EffectPass.cpp 49
I hope this helps some.

@Promit/jpetrie: If there's anything that I can provide to help out regarding the x64 stuff, let me know.
I was looking at the x64 stuff, but I don't think I have the x64 compilers installed at the moment, so I have to dig out a few discs and such. I'll get back to you when I've done a better job of looking at it.
SlimDX | Ventspace Blog | Twitter | Diverse teams make better games. I am currently hiring capable C++ engine developers in Baltimore, MD.

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