WGF finally branded as DirectX 10

The insanity comes to an end..

http://www.neowin.net/comments.php?id=30229&category=main
from WinCustomize Forums

Microsoft had been referring to their next generation graphics API as "Windows Graphic Foundation" (WGF).  But in a moment of sanity, Microsoft has finally decided to rebrand it as DirectX 10.

It gave some details to the developers officially about its upcoming API and we know that it plans to release this API together with Longhorn. Or Vista, as we must learn to call it.

The DirectX 10 API will have completely new and faster dynamic link libraries (DLLs) and is supposed to run much faster. The company decided to cut the backward compatibility with DirectX 9, 8, 7 and lower in this API but there will be a way to use games programmed for those APIs. Microsoft will enable support for DX 9 or lower games through a software layer, meaning it might run slower.

The company did this to make the next API faster, it said, and at the same time will take some burden of the CPU runtime. At the same time we learned that DirectX 10 will have support for Shaders beyond Shaders, model 4.0.

It's coming with Longhorn but we learned that Shader Model 4.0 might come even before Vista.

8,375 views 14 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Wait: "Microsoft will enable support for DX 9 or lower games through a software layer, meaning it might run slower." Then why would I want it? Does MS think that I upgrade and abandon games? They'd be increadibly stupid to think people never play old games.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This is a question for anyone who is kind enough to answer it: I've been struggling to make-up my mind about buying an ATI X850XT PE AGP video card OR an Nvidia 6800Ultra AGP which has Shader Model included. The ATI card doesn't seem to come with ANY Shader Model features whatsoever!! I have to stay with the older AGP bus because of my motherboard. I guess my question is: will DirectX 10 work with the older AGP graphics cards Vista or no Vista(I'm on XP pro) & will I be able to incorporate the Shader Model features with this older AGP card if I decide to go with an Nvida + Vista, set-up??? Thx so much for the space here!
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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Actually, the ATi card has full shader model 2.0 support, it's just that the nVidia card has shader model 3.0.
It makes very little difference though, and in picking your card I'd be looking at the difference in performance/value between the two cards and not worry about the shader model version, as few (or possibly no) games (to my knowledge) currently require or even prefer 3.0.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Actually, there are quite a few games that use SM3.0...oddly enough Lego Star Wars being one of those. Patched Far Cry uses it, HL2 will be using it when it releases its HDR pack (SM3.0 is required to get those fancy "bloom" effects, but you can cheat and get something that gives you the gist of it on SM2.0). There's other's too...George, it's really up to you because both cards offer something and both cards also lack something.

Personally, I have an nVidia card, but I hold no malace towards ATi as I've seen how capable their cards are. I was even thinking of getting an ATi card during this "generation" of graphics cards, but their lack of support of SM3.0 didn't make me too happy: I'd rather have "forward" thinking in my graphics card, knowing that I'm not going to be left behind in games. And when a game does support it, you can see the difference.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Shader model 3 and above is the future.
If your card doesn't support it, then those games won't look as good, regardless of the card's clock speed, etc.. (or may not even run)
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
My ATI 9200 was a blast while it lasted, but I can't play some newer games like San Andreas or Area 51 Time to upgrade again, then one more time one this DirectX 10 becomes internally supported in the cards. Boooo.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
does anybody know if dx10 will be avail for xp? microsoft says that it is going to have updates for xp to bring it up to the level of vista but they are still vague about what exactly they plan to do for updating xp.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
microsoft says that it is going to have updates for xp to bring it up to the level of vista but they are still vague about what exactly they plan to do for updating xp.



Yeah...that is a bit vague...who's going to buy Vista then? Well it's good that they're doing it nonetheless, it means I can wait for Vista SP1 and still have a good XP

Also on the graphics cards, I have an ATI Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition and...it works GREAT! However...just out of personal choice I'd have gone for an nVidia equilavent No hate towards ATI whatsoever, they make good cards, but I always feel better knowing I'm running an nVidia..
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
All this stuff just makes me think that waiting about a year after Vista comes out is the best option. Then get a computer that comes with it.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
All this stuff just makes me think that waiting about a year after Vista comes out is the best option. Then get a computer that comes with it.


Agreed. Until then I'll probably be sticking with my AMD Athlon XP 2000+ system and XP. Maybe next year I'll get a Mac Mini to play with.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The info is interesting but the writing is plagiarized!!!

The same text except for the first paragraph were written by Fuad Abazovic in Londinium on Friday 02 September 2005 at 16:01 for theinquirer.net
(see the article hereLink

It might not be a best selling novel, but at least it should have been mentionned!!
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey, someone has to be an early adopter. I'll probably start using it with the first public beta. I did that with both 2000 and XP and never regretted it.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It might not be a best selling novel, but at least it should have been mentionned!!

It was, on the neowin site that was linked. But it should probably have linked to the inquirer site as well/instead of that.