DirectX vs. WPF

DirectX vs. WPF

• Rakhee

  You are right that Avalon was the codename for WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation). WPF use Direct3D 9 to render a vector based UI. WPF is not dropped as it is one of the three main parts of WinFX. As WPF supports 3D effects you can build 3D games with it but it supports only a limited subset of the functions that you can access in the case of direct use of Direct3D.
  
  Beginning with the December release the DirectX SDK has lost the version number. Starting with the same release it contains a beta version of Direct3D 10.
  
  In Summary: WPF and Direct3D are two different APIs but WPF use Direct3D internal.
  
  
  

• Saurabh G

  Yes that is the messaging from Microsoft DirectX - versioning is on the components. You can still find references to DirectX with a version number after it but if you look at any recent stuff (e.g. the SDK download http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx/sdk/) you can see the more consistent story.

  From the article. Yes I know I didn't go into too much detail but...

  "WPF uses Direct3D 9Ex for its rendering but they have no other connection"

  They are very separate things, think of WPF like you think or a game engine or even a game, its an application layered on top of the graphical API so there's really no source code to share. They are in fact written by totally different groups within Microsoft.

  Is D3D10 based on Avalon

  No. WPF (previously called Avalon) uses D3D9Ex (if thats what you mean by 'based on'). At least that was the message back at PDC. I've heard nothing to suggest it will use any D3D10 features.

  To be honest given that D3D10 is currently in a early beta and there is no hardware support for it that still makes sense.

  
  
  

• FlamTaps2

  Anyone from MS would like to comment this It's not exactly sensitive information to divulge DirectX roadmap (esp. the versioning scheme).
  
  

• Matt Dunn

  The ZMan wrote:

  No. WPF (previously called Avalon) uses D3D9Ex (if thats what you mean by 'based on'). At least that was the message back at PDC. I've heard nothing to suggest it will use any D3D10 features.

  Last time I have checked this it was only the normal Direct3D 9 version that was used by WPF. As it should run with Windows XP too Microsoft can’t build it on D3D9EX only.

  Maybe an interesting side node: In the last DDK there are two new opcodes for the Windows XP driver model. SETCONVOLUTIONKERNELMONO and COMPOSERECTS. Looks like we are getting Hardware ClearType functions on Windows XP, too.

  
  
  

• amatOrhagen

  Yep, thanks for the correction.
  
  I was writing that in a hurry, but readers should be able to catch the meaning (or shouldn't they )
  
  Correction (or clarification):
  
  There is no more versioning of DX, that means there will be no DX10, DX11, etc, but there is only one DirectX, no version. DX components are the ones being versioned, like D3D10.
  
  And, yes, you said something about WPF in the article, but I need information about the connection between WPF and DX. Will DX be just the "rendering engine" for WPF Are they sharing source code (not API) Is D3D10 based on Avalon You didn't have those in the article.
  
  And, no, you don't need to correct anything.
  
  
  

• JoCa

  Dude, way to go to misquote me.... in fact the same article that talks about DIrect3D10/DirectX10 also has the explanation of what is/isn't WPF etc.... and it doesn't say anywhere that there is no DX10, it says you should correctly call it Direct3D 10.

  http://www.thezbuffer.com/articles/334.aspx

  If there is somewhere else on my site that you think says that DirectX/3d10 does not exisit then let me know so I can correct it.

  
  
  

• NaveenS

  AdrianGodong wrote:

  A friend of mine said that Avalon was dropped off and renamed to DirectX 10.

  You need to find better-informed friends

  AdrianGodong wrote:

  Based on the theZBuffer.com, there is no DX10, and from what I know, Avalon has been renamed to WPF. So what's the connection between Avalon, WPF, and DirectX (10 )

  Well, Avalon and WPF are the same. This is really more about "What is the conenction between WPF and DirectX"

  They are two different things. WPF is made for designers to create vector-based applications using XML and managed code. It uses DirectX as the rendering engine under the covers.

  DirectX is a set of APIs that abstracts access to modern graphics rendering hardware, as well as other technologies such as sound or input devices.

  WPF is not designed for any significant game programming, other than, say, a simple card came. Nor is it designed with the intention of allowing you to create a 3D user interface into your DirectX game.

  If you want to integrate DirectX and WPF applications, you might want to read this article from Nick Kramer. But bear in mind a couple of important points:

  1) The article uses an older version of WPF. But I believe the concept is still valid (use of HWNDs for integration)

  2) The limitations on integrating DirectX and WPF applications are extremely severe.

  In a nutshell: we do not recommend the usage of WPF in the context of a DirectX application, for a variety of reasons.

  
  
  

• graye

  How about the versioning scheme Is it true that DirectX no longer being versioned just the components
  
  
  
• DirectX vs. WPF