Microsoft have announced the latest update to the DirectX SDK which includes the Managed DirectX SDK. Download it here. No mentioned of managed code changes in the online ReadMe. Watch this space for updates after I install.

Managed Updates(?)

• The DirectX.cpl now has a tab titled Managed (image), which lists the names of the DirectX Assemblies that are available. The Assembly versions that are installed into the Global Assembly Cache (GAC) are listed under each Assembly name. Right clicking on an assembly version provides you with a popup menu to view additional properties about the Assembly. If a both a retail and debug version of the assembly are available in the "%windir%\Microsoft.Net\DirectX for Managed Code" directory, and option to switch the selected assembly is provided.
• The "What's new" section in the help incorrectly claims that the HDRFormats sample is new, when it was actually new in the February 2005 SDK
• It is rumored (scroll down to the reply) that the managed runtime will get installed automatically with the Directx Redist. This is based on what Tom Miller told Joe at the GDC.
• The install location and folder/version naming convention of the managed SDK appears to have changed, though I'm not sure why. From the summer 2003 SDK it has always installed to %windir%\Microsoft.Net\Managed DirectX\{version}. The April 2005 SDK installs to %windir%\Microsoft.Net\DirectX for Managed Code, and has 2 different version subdirectories neither of which has any correlation to the versions previously used.
• Extensive changes to dxmut.cs (the main framework library if you use that). I've not had time to go into them in any depth but it appears most of the NativeCalls which interoped to the Win32 API have been replaced with more normal looking calls into WinForms. Should make things a little easier to understand.
• Some additions and some interface changes in MS.DX.Direct3DX.dll. This is the only managed DLL which has any changes in this version. I'll post the full list tomorrow but unless you use the FragmentLinker, PrtCompressedBuffer or PrtEngine classes you shouldn't notice any issues. The ShaderFlags enum has a NotCloneable enum added to expose funtionality added in the unmanaged DirectX library.
• As promised here is the Detailed API update. Only Direct3DX.dll has changed.

See Also: Microsoft, Technologies