DirectX 10 for Techies
Nick Thibieroz European Developer Relations [email protected]
Introduction
DirectX 10 Basics DXGI Formats Shader Model 4.0 Geometry Shader Stream out Multisampling
DirectX10 Basics
DirectX 10 Overview Timeframe DirectX 10 requires Vista OS
and DX10-capable graphics card!
DirectX 10 release alongside Vista
Currently planned for Q1 2007
Beta program available for Vista and DX10
Register with Microsoft (connect.microsoft.com)
DX10 SDK publicly available
With full REF implementation
DirectX 10 Overview Design goals
Thin runtime
No legacy code No fixed function
New driver model
User-mode driver Resource virtualization
Less CPU dependency on API calls
Validation done at creation time State objects Constant buffers
Common feature set
No more caps! (well) Main difference between DX10 implementations will be performance
Direct3D 10 Pipeline
Frame buffer
New pipeline in Direct3D 10 IA = Input Assembler RS =Rasterizer Stage OM = Output Merger
IA VS GS RS PS OM
VB IB Tex Const Tex Const Stream Out
Tex Const
Render Target
Depth/Stencil
Resource Views
All resources are memory arrays A resource view defines how a resource is accessed
Resources are not bound directly to the pipeline; views are bound instead
Allows reinterpretation of video memory through views
Example 1: a specific MIP level can be selected as a render target Example 2: 3D texture viewed as an array of 2D render target textures Example 3: texture viewed as depth buffer
DXGI
DXGI Formats
Some formats come with different suffices _UNORM _SNORM _UINT _SINT _FLOAT _SRGB _TYPELESS Examples: DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM: each channel maps to [0.0, 1.0] DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_SNORM: each channel maps to [-1.0, 1.0] DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UINT: each channel maps to [0, 255] DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_SINT: each channel maps to [-128, 127] DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM_SRGB: gamma-corrected read DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_TYPELESS: ? Cheap HDR formats DXGI_FORMAT_R9G9B9E5_SHAREDEXP & DXGI_FORMAT_R11G11B10_FLOAT
DXGI Compressed Formats
DXGI_FORMAT_BC1_TYPELESS / _UNORM / _SRGB For opaque or 1-bit alpha textures 4 bits per pixel compression (DXT1) DXGI_FORMAT_BC2_TYPELESS / _UNORM / _SRGB For translucent textures explicit alpha 8 bits per pixel compression (DXT3) DXGI_FORMAT_BC3_ TYPELESS / _UNORM / _SRGB For translucent textures interpolated alpha 8 bits per pixel compression (DXT5) DXGI_FORMAT_BC4_ TYPELESS / _UNORM / _SNORM Single channel textures (signed or unsigned) 4 bits per pixel compression (ATI1N) DXGI_FORMAT_BC5_TYPELESS / _UNORM / _SNORM Dual channel textures (signed or unsigned) 8 bits per pixel compression (3DC/ATI2N)
Shader Model 4.0
Shader Model 4.0
Unified API shader code for VS, GS and PS Only HLSL supported (no assembly shaders, but can debug asm) Input Data
Memory Resources
Constant Buffers
Shader Code
Samplers
Textures
Buffers
Output Data
Shader Model 4.0 HLSL Basics
Load-time or offline compilation supported Offline compilation recommended! especially for longer shaders No partial precision (half exists for legacy purposes only) Integer registers Full (x,y,z,w) screen coordinates can be input to pixel shader Textures and samplers now independent objects System Values 16 VS inputs, 16 PS inputs (32 with GS) Effect file system now part of core D3D10 API
Constant Buffers
Constant updates are done per block Allows reduced API overhead compared to DX9-style constant setting One API call to update all constants within a buffer Constant buffers declared within a namespace Cbuffer MyConstantBlock { float4x4 matMVP; float3 fLightPosition; } Group constants into buffers according to update frequency Constant buffers updated with resource loading operations Map()/Unmap() or UpdateSubResource().
Shader Model 4.0 HLSL Resource Functions
Texture functions now templated
<T>.GetDimensions() <T>.Sample() <T>.SampleCmp() <T>.SampleCmpLevelZero() <T>.SampleGrad() <T>.SampleLevel()
New function to load data from resources
<T>.Load()
Template types:
Buffer Texture1D Texture2D Texture2DMS Texture3D Texture1DArray Texture2DArray Texture2DMSArray
GPU Considerations: Unified Shader Architecture
Common core for vertex/geometry/pixel shader A dedicated hardware unit handles load-balancing
100% usage of shader units = best efficiency possible
The concept of free stages is not true anymore
Load-balancing Unit
Video Memory Vertex Shader Geometry Shader Pixel Shader
Geometry Shader
Geometry Shader
Geometry shader has the ability to generate and kill primitives Can be disabled by passing a NULL Geometry Shader Also allow render target index output Shadow volumes Fur/Fins generation Point sprites Render to cube map
VS Geometry Shader Rasterizer PS
Geometry Shader: Inputs & Outputs
GS inputs are geometric primitives: Triangle, line, point
No index data Adjacency data can also be requested
Supported primitive output types
Triangle strip Line strip Point list
Number of primitives emitted can vary
Maximum number of primitives must be declared
<T>.Append() adds a new vertex to the output stream <T>.RestartStrip() resets strip
Geometry Shader: Syntax
struct GS_INPUT_VERTEX { float4 Pos : SV_POSITION; float Radius : TEXCOORD0; } struct GS_OUTPUT_VERTEX { float4 Pos : SV_POSITION; float2 Tex : TEXCOORD0; } [maxvertexcount(4)] void GSmain( point GS_INPUT_VERTEX input, inout TriangleStream< GS_OUTPUT_VERTEX> Stream ) { GS_OUTPUT_VERTEX output; // Expand data to turn point to quad... for (i=0; i<4; i++) { float3 position = g_positions[i]*input.Radius; position = mul(position, g_mInvView) + input.Pos; output.Pos = mul( float4(position, 1.0), g_mWorldViewProj); output.Tex = g_texcoords[i]; Stream.Append(output); } // Start a new strip Stream.RestartStrip();
Geometry Shader: GPU Considerations
Geometry Shader can require a lot of memory accesses Especially when doing amplification or decimation Each input element can generate up to 1024 float values This may require the output of results to video memory Use ALU instructions to cover latency This means longer programs GPU process elements in parallel Varying number of outputs can cause efficiency issues Talk to us about your GS intentions
Stream Out
Stream Out
Ability to store primitives into a buffer Data output from Geometry Shader
Or Vertex Shader if GS is NULL
DrawAuto()
VS GS
Stream Out
Rest of the pipeline will still execute
Unless disabled e.g. color writes off
Topologies converted to lists on output ID3DDevice::DrawAuto() to recirculate streamed out buffer
No need to know how much data was written Only works on a single vertex stream
Rasterizer PS
Stream Out (2) Data can be copied to staging resource for CPU readback
Leverage GPU for (complex) transformations Watch out for stalls! Try to make the copy as late as possible
Multipass triangles with index buffer:
Render the vertex buffer as a point list Index buffer can then be used in subsequent passes
Multisampling
Multisampling: DX9
MULTISAMPLED RENDER TARGET
StretchRect()
RENDER TARGET Read PIXEL SHADER 3.0 Read Write
BACK BUFFER
Multisampling: DX10
h Alp
o at
ge era v Co
MULTISAMPLED MULTISAMPLED MULTISAMPLED RENDER RENDER RENDER TARGET(S) TARGET(S) TARGET(S)
a Re d
ResolveSubresource()
PIXEL SHADER 4.0 Write Read
BACK BUFFER
Shader resolve
rit e
RENDE RENDE RENDE R R R TARGET TARGET TARGET (S) (S) (S) Read
Conclusion
Next iteration of DirectX is more than just evolution this time around
Awesome API design Better CPU performance Ubiquitous access to resources Unified shader API Geometry Shader Data recirculation techniques New multisampling features
Learning curve may be higher than with previous iterations
But results will be worth it
Talk to us about how you want to use the API
