SlimDX
Encyclopedia
SlimDX is an open-source API to DirectX
programming under .NET. SlimDX can be used from any language under the .NET runtime (due to the CLR
).
SlimDX can be used to develop multimedia
and interactive applications
(e.g. games
). Enabling high performance graphical representation and enabling the programmer to make use of modern graphical hardware while working inside the .NET framework.
SlimDX was first publicly revealed in beta form on June 30, 2007. Since then it has grown at a rapid pace and now covers most multimedia APIs provided by Microsoft. As of the June 2008 release, it is no longer in beta and is considered stable. Several commercial projects and companies are using SlimDX, including at least one shipped AAA game title for Windows
.
For the March 2011 release, SlimDX fully supports the following APIs:
DirectX
Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,...
programming under .NET. SlimDX can be used from any language under the .NET runtime (due to the CLR
Common Language Runtime
The Common Language Runtime is the virtual machine component of Microsoft's .NET framework and is responsible for managing the execution of .NET programs. In a process known as just-in-time compilation, the CLR compiles the intermediate language code known as CIL into the machine instructions...
).
SlimDX can be used to develop multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
and interactive applications
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
(e.g. games
Computer Games
"Computer Games" is a single by New Zealand group, Mi-Sex released in 1979 in Australia and New Zealand and in 1981 throughout Europe. It was the single that launched the band, and was hugely popular, particularly in Australia and New Zealand...
). Enabling high performance graphical representation and enabling the programmer to make use of modern graphical hardware while working inside the .NET framework.
SlimDX was first publicly revealed in beta form on June 30, 2007. Since then it has grown at a rapid pace and now covers most multimedia APIs provided by Microsoft. As of the June 2008 release, it is no longer in beta and is considered stable. Several commercial projects and companies are using SlimDX, including at least one shipped AAA game title for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
.
For the March 2011 release, SlimDX fully supports the following APIs:
- Direct3DDirect3DDirect3D is part of Microsoft's DirectX application programming interface . Direct3D is available for Microsoft Windows operating systems , and for other platforms through the open source software Wine. It is the base for the graphics API on the Xbox and Xbox 360 console systems...
9.0c, 9.0 Ex, 10.0, 10.1, 11 - DXGIDXGIDirectX Graphics Infrastructure is a user-mode component of Windows Vista and above which provides a mapping between particular graphics APIs such as Direct3D 10.0 and above and the graphics kernel, which in turn interfaces with the user-mode Windows Display Driver Model driver...
1.0, 1.1 - DirectInputDirectInputIn computing, DirectInput is a Microsoft API for collecting input from a computer user, via input devices such as the mouse, keyboard, joystick or other game controllers. It also provides a system for action mapping, which allows the user to assign specific actions within a game to the buttons and...
, XInput, Raw Input - DirectSoundDirectSoundDirectSound is a software component of the Microsoft DirectX library for the Windows operating system. DirectSound provides a low-latency interface to the sound card driver and can handle the mixing and recording of multiple audio streams....
, XAudio 2, X3DAudio, XAPO, XACT3 - Direct2DDirect2DDirect2D is a 2D and vector graphics application programming interface designed by Microsoft and implemented in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, and also Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 and Platform Update Supplement for Windows Vista and for Windows Server 2008 & KB2505189 update...
, DirectWriteDirectWriteDirectWrite is a text-layout and glyph-rendering API by Microsoft. It was designed to replace GDI/GDI+ and Uniscribe for screen-oriented rendering and was shipped with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, as well as Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 DirectWrite is a text-layout and...
External links
- SlimDX
- Developer blogs: Promit Roy, Mike Popoloski, Josh Petrie