Not even close to being the first to announce this, but for completeness.....
Download June 2006 DirectX SDK
Biggest news is that DirectX 10 is now compatible with the latest vista preview release. Otherwise little in the way of changes especially in the managed space. The readme contains a horribly edited update on the status which hopefully I have corrected below.
It shouldn't be news to anyone that D3DX won't be supported on XNA framework - the technical reason being that DirectX on the 360 doesn't support it. However it does mean that any code that uses meshes, sprites or anything else from the DirectX.D3DX assembly may not be 100% portable to XNA framework. If you have an opinion on what should, or should not be there then xna@microsoft.com or post to Tom or Al's blog.
Managed DirectX 2.0 Beta Update
Microsoft is working on a new managed gaming framework which will target Windows and Xbox 360 known as the XNA Framework. The majority of what exists today as the Managed DirectX 2.0 beta will become a key component of the XNA Framework. The MDX 2.0 libraries will remain unchanged as of the April 2006 SDK release and will continue to ship as a beta in DirectX SDK releases until a beta of the XNA Framework is made available. While we are striving to deliver a smooth transition from code written to use the Managed DirectX 2.0 beta, Microsoft can make no guarantees about the API compatibility between the Managed DirectX 2.0 beta and the upcoming graphics API’s in the XNA Framework. Microsoft will be providing guidance about the API differences as well as migration assistance as more information becomes available regarding the XNA Framework.
The following is an initial list of known changes which will exist between the Managed DirectX 2.0 beta and what Microsoft will deliver with the XNA Framework. This list will be updated as more information is available, and is as always subject to change.
- Managed XACT and managed XINPUT will replace managed DirectSound and managed DirectInput respectively. Managed DirectSound and managed DirectInput will no longer be available in the XNA Framework. However, DirectSound and DirectInput will still be available for developers who choose to use Managed DirectX 1.1.
- Managed D3DX will not be available in the XNA Framework. D3DX support will still be available for developers using Managed DirectX 1.1.
- Microsoft is actively investigating how to bring forward functionality from Direct 3DX 9.0 into the XNA Framework. D3DX9 will still be supported in MDX 1.1
- Please note that Managed DirectX 1.1 is fully compatible with the .NET Framework 2.0. Other than the loader lock errors which have an easy workaround.
