he DirectX® Team is pleased to announce the release of DirectX 9.0 SDK Update (Summer 2004) - Beta 1. This is Microsoft’s DirectX 9.0 Software Development Kit (SDK) Update for Summer 2004 (Beta 1) release. Primary areas of concentration for the Summer Update was for the Direct3D Extension Library (D3DX), Graphics Samples, Sample Frame work, tools, documentation and updated developer runtime support. The end-user or retail version of the runtime has not changed (version DirectX 9.0b).

In the DirectX 9.0 SDK Update (Summer 2004) you will find: a new, simplified sample framework; new Direct3D samples (CustomUI, EffectParam, HDRFormats, PostProcess & ShadowMap); new tools (PIX for Windows, Photoshop & Paintshop Pro texture format plug-ins; updated Maya exporters and an extended Direct3D debug runtime with improved debugging and runtime statistic display.

As the first beta release of the DirectX 9.0 SDK Update (Summer 2004), we hope you will take the opportunity to install it, work with the new features and provide feedback through BetaPlace. We look to you and your feedback to help get the kinks out prior to the next beta release.

Thanks,
DirectX Team

News source: Beta Place