This topic has information about Microsoft® DirectX® version 3 and includes the following sections:

DirectX APIs Supported by Java Classes
Redistribution Components
DirectX Runtime Installation
Known Issues for DirectX Version 3

DirectX APIs Supported by Java Classes

Microsoft® DirectX® version 3 contains Java classes for the following DirectX multimedia APIs:

• Microsoft® DirectDraw® provides 2-D graphics services and bitmap composition.
  
  
• Microsoft® Direct3D® Retained Mode and Immediate Mode have high and low-level 3D graphics APIs that provide comprehensive 3-D graphics services.
  
  
• Microsoft® DirectSound® provides sound-mixing and playback services.
  
  
• Microsoft® DirectPlay® provides multiplayer game connectivity over the Internet.
  
  
• Microsoft® DirectInput® provides services for joysticks and other input devices.

For more information about the DirectX multimedia APIs, see http://www.microsoft.com/directx/ .

Redistribution Components

For information about redistribution of the DirectX 3 runtime, see the release notes for Redistributable Files and the section on Redistribution Requirements in the End-User License Agreement. The DirectX version 3 class library ships with the Microsoft VM.

Read the End User License Agreement before using the SDK. You can submit comments using the public forum news:msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.java.sdk or news:msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.java.directxj. Send bug reports and the steps to reproduce the bug to the Java Feedback Page .

DirectX Runtime Installation

The DirectX 3a runtime can be downloaded from the Web by running SDKSetup.exe. Install the DirectX 3a runtime to use DirectX 3 class libraries, view the samples, and so on. If you run any of the Microsoft® DirectAnimation™ samples, the DirectX 3a runtime is required.

If you are using Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, you already have some DirectX runtime components installed on your computer. Internet Explorer 4.0 contains the DDrawEx and DirectX subset runtime components, which are the most widely used elements of DirectX. Note that these components do not include DirectPlay, DirectInput, or support for ramp (256-color palettized mode) in Direct3D, and unless the full DirectX 3a runtime (or a later DirectX runtime) is installed as previously described, you cannot run the corresponding elements of DirectX version 3.

Known Issues for DirectX Version 3

• Microsoft® Windows NT®: DirectX 3 depends on the DirectX 3a runtime. Some elements of DirectX 3a (for example, DirectSound) work on Windows NT only in emulation. Direct3D, which will also remain in emulation only until Microsoft® Windows® 2000, must be downloaded separately from the runtimes included here if needed for Microsoft® Windows NT®. Direct3D for Windows NT is available with the Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 (SP3) or later, which can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ .
  
  
• Rasterizers: When using the default Dxmini runtimes included with the Internet Explorer 4.0 minimum install, you can use only RGB (true color) software rasterizers rather than installing the DirectX 3a runtime included with the SDK. This is becausae Dxmini supports only RGB rendering modes. Dxmini does not support ramp (256-palettized) rendering modes. To take advantage of the DirectX 3 ramp mode rasterizers, install the full DirectX 3a or later runtime as previously described.
  
  
• Palettes: (Only relevant to 8-bit mode) DirectX 3 exactly reflects the palette management techniques employed by DirectX itself. This means, unless care is taken to reflect the system palette when running in a windowed browser in 8-bit mode, palette artifacts will be seen. All the DirectX 3 graphics samples included in the SDK have been created to demonstrate how to effectively use the system palette and avoid these problems.
  
  
• Object Management: The reference counting in DirectX requires developers to specifically release some high-level "master" objects (for example, Direct3DDevice) before an applet or application is terminated. This is because an ordering dependency where high-level DirectX "master" objects automatically destroy their children. While DirectX version 3 does not require you to release these objects, you may want to be entirely confident that all objects have been released when terminating the application. All the DirectX samples included in this SDK demonstrate how to free the appropriate high level objects before terminating the application or applet.
  
  
• Specific Hardware: The ATI Rage++ OEM driver, shipped with new Gateway Pentium IIs, fails on most DirectX applications. The fix is to install the latest ATI Rage drivers from the ATI Web site, http://www.atitech.com/ .
  
  
• Direct3D Immediate Mode: The Direct3D Immediate Mode ramp driver does not work in 8-bit mode with a z-buffer; it works with a z-buffer on the newer DirectX 5 runtime, available from http://www.microsoft.com/directx/ . The work-around is to stay in 16-bit mode.