Navigate to brothersoft to download DirectX 9.0 freeware. Click "Download Latest Version."
Click "Run" to begin the download. When it is complete, the install window will automatically open.
Click "Yes" on the installation window after reading the terms and agreements. Click "Browse" and select the location folder where you will save the application.
Click "OK" to begin the installation. A status bar will show up with the percentage time elapsed. When it is complete, DirectX 9.0 is installed on your computer.
Visit brothersoft to Microsoft's DirectX download website.
Press the "Download" button that appears near the top of the page underneath a group of links.
Select where you want the downloaded file to be saved on your hard drive.
Double-click on the installation file after it has finished downloading.
Agree to the license agreement to begin installation.
Restart your computer.
Right-click the project name in the navigation panel, and click "Add Reference." Add project references to Microsoft.DirectX.dll and Microsoft.DirectX.DirectDraw.dll.
Copy and paste the following into the top of your Main.vb file:
Imports Microsoft.DirectX
Imports Microsoft.DirectX.DirectDraw
At the top of your Controller object, paste the following variable declarations:
Private display As Device
Private front As Surface = Nothing
Private back As Surface = Nothing
Private title As Surface = Nothing
Private text As Surface = Nothing
Private clip As Clipper = Nothing
Private titlescreen As String = Application.StartupPath + "\title.bmp"
Paste the following code into your class below the constructor:
Private Sub InitDirectDraw()
' Used to describe a Surface
Dim description As New SurfaceDescription()
' Init the Device
display = New Device()
#If DEBUG Then
display.SetCooperativeLevel(Me, CooperativeLevelFlags.Normal)
#Else
' Set the Cooperative Level and parent,
'Setted to Full Screen Exclusive to the form)
display.SetCooperativeLevel(Me, CooperativeLevelFlags.FullscreenExclusive)
' Set the resolution and color depth
'used in full screen(640x480, 16 bit color)
display.SetDisplayMode(640, 480, 16, 0, False)
#End If
' Define the attributes for the front Surface
description.SurfaceCaps.PrimarySurface = True
#If DEBUG Then
front = New Surface(description, display)
#Else
description.SurfaceCaps.Flip = True
description.SurfaceCaps.Complex = True
' Set the Back Buffer count
description.BackBufferCount = 1
' Create the Surface with specifed description and device)
front = New Surface(description, display)
#End If
description.Clear()
#If DEBUG Then
description.Width = front.SurfaceDescription.Width
description.Height = front.SurfaceDescription.Height
description.SurfaceCaps.OffScreenPlain = True
back = New Surface(description, display)
#Else
' A Caps is a set of attributes used by most of DirectX components
Dim caps As New SurfaceCaps()
' Yes, we are using a back buffer
caps.BackBuffer = True
' Associate the front buffer to back buffer with specified caps
back = front.GetAttachedSurface(caps)
#End If
' Create the Clipper
clip = New Clipper(display)
''' Set the region to this form
clip.Window = Me
' Set the clipper for the front Surface
front.Clipper = clip
' Reset the description
description.Clear()
' Create the title screen
title = New Surface(titlescreen, description, display)
description.Clear()
' Set the height and width of the text.
description.Width = 600
description.Height = 16
' OffScreenPlain means that this Surface
'is not a front, back, alpha Surface.
description.SurfaceCaps.OffScreenPlain = True
' Create the text Surface
text = New Surface(description, display)
' Set the backgroup color
text.ColorFill(Color.Black)
' Set the fore color of the text
text.ForeColor = Color.White
' Draw the Text to the Surface to coords (0,0)
text.DrawText(0, 0, "Managned DirectX Tutorial 1 - Press Enter or Escape to exit", True)
End Sub
Private Sub Draw()
' If the front isn't create, ignore this function
If front Is Nothing Then
Return
End If
' If the form is minimized, ignore this function
If Me.WindowState = FormWindowState.Minimized Then
Return
End If
Try
' Draw the title to the back buffer using source copy blit
back.DrawFast(0, 0, title, DrawFastFlags.Wait)
' Draw the text also to the back buffer using source copy blit
back.DrawFast(10, 10, text, DrawFastFlags.Wait)
#If DEBUG Then
' Draw all this to the front
front.Draw(back, DrawFlags.Wait)
#Else
' Doing a flip to transfer back buffer to the front, faster
#End If
front.Flip(back, FlipFlags.Wait)
Catch generatedExceptionName As WasStillDrawingException
Return
Catch generatedExceptionName As SurfaceLostException
' If we lost the surfaces, restore the surfaces
RestoreSurfaces()
End Try
End Sub
Private Sub RestoreSurfaces()
' Used to describe a Surface
Dim description As New SurfaceDescription()
' Restore al the surface associed with the device
display.RestoreAllSurfaces()
' Redraw the text
text.ColorFill(Color.Black)
text.DrawText(0, 0, "Managned DirectX Tutorial 1 - Press Enter or Escape to exit", True)
' For the title screen, we need to
'dispose it first and then re-create it
title.Dispose()
title = Nothing
title = New Surface(titlescreen, description, display)
Return
End Sub
Copy and paste the following code into your class constructor:
InitializeComponent()
InitDirectDraw()
Me.Cursor.Dispose()
Me.Show()
While Created
Draw()
Application.DoEvents()
End While
Press "F5" to run your application and see the title.bmp being displayed on the screen.
Download "DirectX End-User Runtime" and save it to the computer's desktop. Double-click the executable runtime file (an icon with the letters DX inside a blue circle) to begin the extraction of the DirectX files. A DirectX folder will be created on the desktop or at the location of the saved download.
Double-click "dxsetup.exe" to begin the installation, then click the "Next" button. The installation wizard will guide you through the process.
Double-click the extracted "DirectX" folder on the desktop and right-click the file "ManagedDX.CAB," then click the "Extract" option.
Double-click the file "mdxredist.ms" to begin the installation. Click the "Next" button. After the installation completes, click the "Finish" button.
DirectX 9.0 is a technology that supports a variety of graphic systems like the latest versions of the Pixel Shader and Vertex Shader. One of the later versions of the DirectX technologies, the version 9.0 also supports many other products and is compatible with almost all Windows operating systems except for Vista and Window 7, which require DirectX 10.0. Several new features in the DirectX 9.0 make the gaming experience on the computer more realistic by improving the media quality.
Technology
Microsoft has created a group of technologies that allow the computers using the company's operating systems to play applications that are rich in media content. Some of this media content could be 3-D animation, videos and graphics, which are full color and therefore taxing on a system. With the help of DirectX technologies, users can play this media on the computer without any technical problems.
Updates
Since computer technologies quickly keep becoming obsolete, newer versions of the DirectX technologies also continue to be released. However, if the changes in the technology are minor, the new upgrades are made available as patches, which can be used to upgrade the DirectX 9.0. DirectX 9.0b and DirectX 9.0c are recent updates for Microsoft DirectX 9.0.
New Features
The DirectX 9.0 has a Managed Direct 3D graphics application. Direct 3D is a major improvement on graphics accelerator, as compared to the earlier versions of DirectX technologies. The new additions to the DirectX 9.0 version allow the Direct 3D application to run in the .NET framework, improving the gaming experience.
Specifications
DirectX 9.0 was first released on May 19th, 2003. Subsequent patches were released later. The application is compatible with Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. The application is also available in many languages, including English, Japanese, Chinese (both traditional and simplified), Dutch, French, German, Italian and Korean.
Distribution
Microsoft is well known for its licensing practices. However, in the latest update patch of DirectX 9.0, the DirectX 9.0c makes the application redistributable by third parties. This means that the application can be used by manufacturers of products like gaming CDs and can be distributed along with their own products.
DirectX 10 represents another step forward in the field of 3D gaming. Continuing the success of DirectX 9, DirectX 10 includes more features and enhancements, meant to bring 3D graphics closer to reality. DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 have the same core functionalities, but the latter program includes several enhancements.
About
DirectX is a collection of Application Protocol Interfaces (APIs) that help programmers access hardware functions. DirectX creates an intermediate layer that allows the programmer to write the code, then DirectX adapts it for the particular hardware components installed in the computer.
DirectX provides API interfaces for input devices such as joysticks, audio devices such as sound cards and video devices, including graphics cards.
Availability
DirectX 9 is available for Microsoft Windows 2000 and higher operating systems up to Windows Vista. DirectX 10 works with Windows Vista and above.
Compatibility
Both DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 feature backward compatibility with prior versions of DirectX.
Direct3D and VDDM
The Direct3D (D3D) interface accesses 3D functions of the graphics hardware. This is mostly used in gaming, and D3D 10 brings up several enhancements over D3D 9. The Geometry Shader allows programmers to perform functions on whole polygons, instead of just pixels. D3D 10 requires Vista Display Driver Model (VDDM), so DirectX 10 is not available for operating systems prior to Windows Vista.
Considerations
DirectX 10 provides minor improvements over input devices and sound API, but focuses more on video. Video, therefore, is the first consideration when deciding which version of DirectX to use. While DirectX 10 has higher system requirements, most tests showed no major performance or visual improvements over DirectX 9 to justify those requirements. However, if you're into gaming, switching to DirectX 10 may still be a good idea, since most new game releases use DirectX 10.
DirectX 8.1 is an application program interface, or API, that is designed to allow software to send instructions to your computer's hardware components, regardless of which brand of components you have installed in your computer.
History
Microsoft released DirectX 8.1 in 2008, while the company released the first version of DirectX in 1995.
Function
DirectX is primarily used for gaming. It allows games to communicate with a computer's hardware, specifically the graphics card, to improve performance and efficiency. DirectX also communicates with your monitor, permitting you to control the resolution and color settings through the game you are playing. Additionally, it allows you to control your sound card--the volume--from within a game, instead of controlling it through your operating system.
Fun Fact
DirectX was not initially included in the first release of Windows 95; however, Microsoft later added DirectX 2.0 to Windows 95 Release 2.
Warning
DirectX 8.1 is now obsolete. Microsoft has made further revisions to the DirectX technology, and current games use newer versions of DirectX. The company released DirectX 10 with Windows Vista.
Dell introduced the Dimension C521 desktop computer in 2006. It was one of Dell's first systems to use an AMD central processing unitCPU rather than an Intel CPU, according to CNET. While not a power-packed gaming machine, the C521 is DirectX 9-capable.
DirectX 9 Support
All three video-card options for the C521 included support for Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics and visual enhancements. Despite its slim case, the C521 included a PCI-Express x16 expansion-card slot, allowing it to accommodate a 256 MB ATI Radeon X1300 Pro video card or the somewhat slower 128 MB Radeon X1300. The third option for C521 systems, the NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE, was the first motherboard-integrated graphics unit to support DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0, according to NVIDIA.
CPU
The CPU is another key factor in graphics enhancement. Configurations of the C521 with AMD Athlon processors fared particularly well in graphics testing by reviewers.
Test Results
When put through its paces with games designed for DirectX 9 such as Quake 4, reviewers said the C521 provided acceptable performance. The Dell system is "a realistic choice as a casual gaming system," according to PC World magazine.
DirectX 9.0, launched in 2002, was the standard Windows PC programming interface for computer game graphics for years. There are numerous graphics cards available on the market, with more released on what seems like a constant basis. A DirectX 9.0 card will not be as powerful as those capable of supporting DirectX 10, which was released in 2006 as the successor to DirectX 9.0, but it will be able to aptly handle most games released between 2002 and 2006.
EVGA GeForce 6200
This graphics card comes with 512 megabytes of video memory. This is basically how much room the card has to store active graphics elements. This card installs into the AGP slot on your desktop PC's motherboard. Nvidia, one of the leading companies in computer graphics, supplied the GeForce architecture that powers this card. It is available for $45.99.
PNY GeForce FX 5200
This is another Nvidia-powered graphics card capable of supporting DirectX 9.0-enabled games. The GeForce FX was the video card designed to target the more budget-conscious gamer, so it isn't as high-end as the EVGA GeForce 6200. This card has 256 megabytes of video memory. This card installs into the PCI slot on your motherboard and is available for $39.99.
EVGA GeForce 9500 GT
This graphics card has a whopping one gigabyte of video memory installed and uses a PCI-express port to connect to the motherboard. This is a newer kind of slot found on most motherboards manufactured in the past few years. This connection provides overall faster transfer speeds than both PCI or AGP, and it is the new standard for video card connections. This Nvidia-designed video card can be purchased for $49.99.
Microsoft is one of the biggest players in the software market, producing their extremely popular operating systems like XP, Vista, and the current Windows 7 as well as a variety of other popular software tools like Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office. Microsoft Directx is another piece of valuable software that makes many of the complex graphics and multimedia functions of your computer possible.
Basics
Directx is a series of APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, that handles multimedia-related functions on a computer, including video and video game programming and graphics. An API is an interface, typically used by a software program like Directx, that enables certain pieces of software to interact with other pieces of software. Directx contains has gone through many changes over the years and contains several programs designed to facilitate multimedia. Think of it as a package of tools used by artists and computer or game programmers for creating graphics and video games.
Components
Every issue of Directx, which is currently in its eleventh generation (Directx 11), contains certain components which work together for multimedia editing, particularly in the gaming field. DirectDraw and Direct2D are used for drawing 2D graphics while Direct3D draws the now more common 3D graphics. DirectWrite handles fonts. DirectCompute handles GPU and CPU computing. DirectInput handles the incorporation of interface devices such as mice and keyboards. DirectPlay for communication over local-area or wireless networks. DirectSound and DirectSound3D for the recording and playback of waveform sounds. DirectMusic for the recording and playback of music, typically recorded using the DirectMusicProducer. There's DirectX Media which is a compilation of several components, as well as DirectX Media Objects, and finally a DirectSetup which is used for the installation of all aforementioned components.
DirectX Media and Objects
DirectX Media is a separate set of APIs that complements DirectX and is typically contained in the same package. DirectX Media includes DirectAnimation, available in both 2D and 3D, for creating web-based animation, DirectShow, which is used for playback and to stream multimedia, DirectX Transform, which is used to implement web-based interactivity into graphics and Direct3D, which is used for high-end 3D graphics. DirectX Media objects contains support files for streaming objects, and includes graphical effects, both 3D and 2D, like slow-downs and wobbles.
History
DirectX was originally created with game design in mind. MS-DOS, which preceded Windows 95, was an easier platform for game designers because it did not restrict access to components like mice, keyboards, sound devices, etc. Knowing that sales may be limited with Windows 95 because of these limitations, Microsoft created DirectX for release in 1995 to alleviate these issues and give game designers what they wanted. Simply put, DirectX was created to attract game developers to Microsoft's operating systems, with an exclusive version being implemented within Microsoft's gaming console, the Xbox, which was released in 2001.
There have been numerous other versions of DirectX released, each one containing an update over its predecessor. DirectX 2.0 was released in June of 1996 and DirectX 3.0 was released in September of 1996. DirectX 4.0 was never officially launched, leading to the release of 5.0 in July of 1996. DirectX 6.0 was released in August of 1997, and the next version, DirectX 7.0, was not released until September of 1999. DirectX 8.0 was released in November of 2000, and version 9.0 was released in December of 2002. DirectX 10 was released in November of 2006 and DirectX 11 in October of 2009.
Other APIs
DirectX is not exclusively used by game developers. Other popular APIs for producing multimedia graphics, sounds, etc. include OpenMax, SDL, Allegro, FMOD, OpenML, OpenCL, OpenAL and Wine.
DirectX is essentially a standardized series of commands programmers can use when developing for Windows. It is most commonly associated with video games, however. DirectX 9 is a previous version of DirectX -- the most recent is DirectX 11.
What Does DirectX Do?
DirectX is an application programming interface (API) that gives developers access to a predefined series of commands they can use to control graphics, audio and controller (e.g. mouse, joystick) input. In order to use a DirectX program, a user must have the appropriate version of DirectX "End-User Runtime" installed on his computer.
DirectX 9
DirectX 9 was simply one iteration of the DirectX API (the most recent is 11). Microsoft released it in 2002, and it was notable primarily for including pixel and vertex shader version 2.0, which supported longer shading programs than previous versions. DirectX 9 graphics, therefore, could refer to the visuals of any program created with that version of DirectX.
Getting the Latest Version of DirectX
Since all versions of DirectX are designed to be backwards-compatible, it is best to obtain the latest version. For Windows XP users, this is DirectX 10, for Windows 7, DirectX 11. Both are available free at www.techmixer.com.
Dell's Dimension C521 desktop computer, released in 2006, featured an AMD processor and a slim case that could be placed upright or horizontally. Reviewers generally praised the PC, while noting that the tight confines of the case offered few upgrade options.
Processor and Memory
The C521 helped usher AMD processors into Dell's lineup, which previously focused on Intel central processing units. Buyers chose from among AMD Athlon and Sempron CPUs. The C521, typically running Windows Vista, could be configured with up to 4 GB of DDR2 memory. The website PCMag.com, which tested a unit with a 2.4 GHz Athlon 64 X2 4600+ processor and 1 GB of memory, found it provided "a good mix of value, features and performance."
Video and Storage
The base model C521 included an integrated NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE graphics processing unit, but buyers could choose a more powerful standalone graphics card in the ATI Radeon X1300 or X1300 Pro. The C521 supported only one hard drive, with capacities of up to 320 GB available.
Ports and Dimensions
Users accessed a pair of USB 2.0 ports, as well as headphone and mic jacks, on the front of the PC, along with four USB 2.0 ports in the rear. A 16x, double-layer DVD burner was included. The PC measured 15.8 inches high, 4.5 inches wide and 14.2 inches deep.
DirectX is software developed by Microsoft serving as a collection of application program interfaces for handling multimedia tasks. DirectX is especially important for playing video games and videos. This is a necessary program to have in order to play the latest video games and multimedia files smoothly.
Operating System
DirectX is a program made specifically for the Windows operating system. It will run on all standard and modern versions of Windows, including Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. It will also work on older versions of the operating system such as Windows Millennium Edition and Windows 98. In addition, the program runs on professional versions of Windows 2000.
Service Pack
In order to run DirectX 9 you will need Windows Service Pack 2 or 3. These downloadable packages are normally part of your regular Windows updates, but they can also be found at the Microsoft website. DirectX 9 was originally developed in 2002 to be an exclusive for Windows XP Service Pack 2. In 2004 it was updated to include Windows Server 2003 SP1 and Windows Server 2003 R2, and it was developed for the Microsoft Xbox 360. In 2008 it was developed for Service Pack 3.
Memory and Installation
In addition to having the latest Windows service pack information and running a Windows OS you'll need at least 90 MB of hard drive space to install the program. You may also need to create a restore point for your computer if you are running certain versions of Windows because DirectX cannot be uninstalled. Windows ME and Windows XP users are encouraged to create a restore point in case there are conflicting issues between DirectX and previously installed drivers.
DirectX software was created to improve system performance with multimedia applications such as games. Microsoft does not recommend that DirectX be uninstalled unless absolutely necessary. In cases where it is necessary, DirectX does not have a simple remove feature; however there are methods that may remove DirectX without additional software and several tools which will assist with its removal if the first method doesn't work.
System Restore
A built in feature of Windows is the System Restore tool which will restore an operating system to a previous point before installations were made. If DirectX or an updated version of DirectX was recently installed, it should be possible to undo the installation by using system restore under the Microsoft Support menu.
DirectX Uninstaller
Cyrstalidea recommends using third party software called DirectX 9 Uninstaller under safe mode in combination with the Windows installer CD or DVD. This method can also be used to revert to a previous version of DirectX if a newer version of the software appears to be causing problems that the older version did not.
Other Solutions
A variety of other third-party solutions exist to uninstall DirectX. According to Instant-registry-fixes.org though, many of these packages are buggy and error prone. It is a good idea to look for consumer reviews of DirectX uninstall tools before attempting to run one of them on a PC.