DirectX API Reference - Overview
Welcome to the DirectX API Reference. This section provides comprehensive documentation for the various components and APIs that make up the DirectX family of technologies. DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms.
What is DirectX?
DirectX is a set of technologies designed to make Windows a platform for the Microsoft Games and the .NET Framework. DirectX APIs can help unmanaged code developers write high-performance graphics and multimedia applications that take full advantage of hardware acceleration. DirectX includes:
- Direct3D: For rendering 2D and 3D graphics. This is the most widely recognized part of DirectX, powering the visual experience in countless games and applications.
- Direct2D: For high-performance 2D graphics rendering with a modern API.
- DirectSound: For managing audio playback and capture.
- DirectInput: For handling input from various devices like keyboards, mice, and game controllers.
- DirectShow: For multimedia streaming and playback (though largely superseded by Media Foundation).
- DirectCompute: For general-purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPUs).
Key Components
The DirectX ecosystem is vast and constantly evolving. Here are some of the core components you'll find documented:
- DXGI (DirectX Graphics Infrastructure): Provides services for hardware enumeration, GPU selection, and managing the swap chain for graphics output.
- Direct3D 11: A versatile and widely supported version of Direct3D, offering a balance of performance and features.
- Direct3D 12: A low-overhead, modern API designed for next-generation games and graphics applications, offering more direct control over the GPU.
- DirectCompute: Enables developers to leverage the parallel processing power of GPUs for non-graphical tasks.
Getting Started
To begin exploring the DirectX APIs, we recommend starting with the core concepts and then diving into specific components relevant to your project. Understanding the hardware abstraction and graphics pipeline is crucial for effective use of these powerful tools.
Use the navigation on the left to explore specific API categories, interfaces, structures, functions, and enumerations. Each reference page provides detailed information on parameters, return values, remarks, and code examples where available.