Direct3D 11 Graphics API Reference - Constants

This section provides a comprehensive list of constants used in the Direct3D 11 Graphics API. These constants define various states, flags, and identifiers essential for configuring and interacting with the Direct3D 11 rendering pipeline.

Commonly Used Constants

D3D11_COMPARISON_FUNC Enumeration

Specifies comparison options for depth, stencil, and texture sampling operations.

Name	Description
`D3D11_COMPARISON_NEVER`	Never pass.
`D3D11_COMPARISON_LESS`	Pass if the source is less than the destination.
`D3D11_COMPARISON_EQUAL`	Pass if the source is equal to the destination.
`D3D11_COMPARISON_LESS_EQUAL`	Pass if the source is less than or equal to the destination.
`D3D11_COMPARISON_GREATER`	Pass if the source is greater than the destination.
`D3D11_COMPARISON_NOT_EQUAL`	Pass if the source is not equal to the destination.
`D3D11_COMPARISON_GREATER_EQUAL`	Pass if the source is greater than or equal to the destination.
`D3D11_COMPARISON_ALWAYS`	Always pass.

D3D11_STENCIL_OP Enumeration

Specifies stencil buffer operations.

Name	Description
`D3D11_STENCIL_OP_KEEP`	Keep the current stencil buffer value.
`D3D11_STENCIL_OP_ZERO`	Set the stencil buffer value to 0.
`D3D11_STENCIL_OP_REPLACE`	Replace the stencil buffer value with the reference value.
`D3D11_STENCIL_OP_INCR_SAT`	Increment the stencil buffer value, clamping at the maximum value.
`D3D11_STENCIL_OP_DECR_SAT`	Decrement the stencil buffer value, clamping at 0.
`D3D11_STENCIL_OP_INVERT`	Invert the stencil buffer value.
`D3D11_STENCIL_OP_INCR`	Increment the stencil buffer value.
`D3D11_STENCIL_OP_DECR`	Decrement the stencil buffer value.

D3D11_FILL_MODE Enumeration

Specifies fill modes for rasterization.

Name	Description
`D3D11_FILL_WIREFRAME`	Render primitives as wireframes.
`D3D11_FILL_SOLID`	Render primitives as solid surfaces.

D3D11_PRIMITIVE_TOPOLOGY Enumeration

Specifies the primitive type.

Name	Description
`D3D11_PRIMITIVE_TOPOLOGY_POINTLIST`	A list of points.
`D3D11_PRIMITIVE_TOPOLOGY_LINELIST`	A list of lines.
`D3D11_PRIMITIVE_TOPOLOGY_TRIANGLELIST`	A list of triangles.
`D3D11_PRIMITIVE_TOPOLOGY_LINELIST_ADJ`	A list of lines with adjacency information.
`D3D11_PRIMITIVE_TOPOLOGY_TRIANGLELIST_ADJ`	A list of triangles with adjacency information.

Other Important Constants

Note on Flags

Many Direct3D 11 functions accept flags that are combined using the bitwise OR operator (|). For example, when creating a texture, you might use flags like D3D11_BIND_SHADER_RESOURCE and D3D11_BIND_RENDER_TARGET simultaneously.

D3D11_BIND_FLAG Enumeration

Specifies how a resource will be used.

D3D11_BIND_VERTEX_BUFFER
D3D11_BIND_INDEX_BUFFER
D3D11_BIND_CONSTANT_BUFFER
D3D11_BIND_SHADER_RESOURCE
D3D11_BIND_STREAM_OUTPUT
D3D11_BIND_RENDER_TARGET
D3D11_BIND_DEPTH_STENCIL
D3D11_BIND_UNORDERED_ACCESS
D3D11_BIND_DECOUPLE_SWAP_CHAIN

D3D11_USAGE Enumeration

Specifies memory usage and access patterns for resources.

D3D11_USAGE_DEFAULT: Resource is accessed by the GPU and CPU. Typically immutable or updated infrequently.
D3D11_USAGE_IMMUTABLE: Resource cannot be modified after creation. Offers best performance.
D3D11_USAGE_DYNAMIC: Resource is updated frequently by the CPU. Best for data that changes every frame.
D3D11_USAGE_STAGING: Resource is used for CPU read/write operations. Cannot be bound to the pipeline.

D3D11_CPU_ACCESS_FLAG Enumeration

Specifies CPU read/write access to resources.

D3D11_CPU_ACCESS_WRITE: Allows CPU writing to the resource.
D3D11_CPU_ACCESS_READ: Allows CPU reading from the resource.

D3D11_MAP Enumeration

Specifies how to map a resource.

D3D11_MAP_READ
D3D11_MAP_WRITE
D3D11_MAP_READ_WRITE
D3D11_MAP_WRITE_DISCARD
D3D11_MAP_WRITE_NO_OVERWRITE

Tip

For a complete and exhaustive list of all constants, please refer to the official DirectX SDK documentation (if available in this archive context).