Microsoft DirectX 8.0 (C++) |
The .x file format was introduced with Microsoft® DirectX® 2.0. A binary version of this format was subsequently released with DirectX 3.0, which is also detailed in this reference. Then DirectX version 6.0 introduced interfaces and methods that enable reading from and writing to DirectX (.x) files.
The .x file format provides a rich, template-driven format that enables the storage of meshes, textures, animations, and user-definable objects. Support for animation sets enables you to store predefined paths for playback in real time. Instancing and hierarchies are also supported. Instancing enables multiple references to an object, such as a mesh, while storing its data only once per file. Hierarchies are used to express relationships between data records.
The .x file format provides low-level data primitives on which applications define higher-level primitives through templates.