DirectX 10.1, The latest Directx 10 extension that available download via Windows Vista Services Pack 1 Build 6001.16659. This DirectX 10.1 is a improvement version of DirectX 10 which still maintaining the overall structure and programming model of DirectX 10, while enhancing on directX 10 vertex, geometry, and pixel shader instruction sets.

Beside that, the new features of DirectX 10.1 are new shading and texturing capabilities, anti-aliasing improvements, and tighter specifications.

The purpose of improvement of DirectX 10 is offers incremental improvements to the programming interface that address limitations of DirectX 10, and unlock new graphical techniques that will take the quality of 3D graphics to the next level in 2008 and beyond. Advantages include global illumination delivering lighting and shadow quality in real-time that matches the ray tracing techniques used in CG films, improved anti-aliasing techniques to clean up distracting shimmering artifacts, and tighter specifications for improved compatibility”, reads the conclusion of the ATI whitepaper.

TO utilize the new features of DirectX 10.1 will require you to have a new GPU hardware such as ATI Radeon HD 3800. But it is obviously backward compatible with any graphic card.

To download Direct X 10.1 for Windows Vista, you will need to install Service Pack 1 through Windows Update Services using a registry hack.

Hack tips for Windows Vista Services Pack 1 for DirectX 10.1

All you have to do is a little registry hack. Open a notepad file and copy paste the following code. Make sure to save the file with a name similar to the one that follows: WindowsVistaSP1_Beta_Hack.cmd. In the file format area of the dialog box do not select .txt but opt for All Files instead.

CODE

@echo off
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWindowsUpdateVistaSp1 /v Beta1 /t REG_SZ /d a2c3c14a-9586-4d37-9aaa-79fbd64069d2 /f
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWindowsUpdateVistaSP1 /v Beta1 /t REG_SZ /d a2c3c14a-9586-4d37-9aaa-79fbd64069d2 /f

echo

Vista SP1 registry key has been set. Please check for updates in Windows Update.

Then navigate to the location where you saved the file and right click it in order to select the Run as administrator from the contextual menu that will pop up. In this manner you will launch the registry hack with administrative privileges, otherwise the changes that the file is designed to introduce to the Windows Vista registry will fail. Microsoft is delivering the first beta for Windows Vista SP1 through the Windows Update infrastructure and the registry hack will render WU to display the refresh as available for download.

Following the execution of the WindowsVistaSP1_Beta_Hack.cmd and the associated registry alterations, run Windows Update in Vista. You will come across update KB935509 and you have to download and install it. After reboot make your way to Windows Update again and this time grab and deploy update KB937287. After yet another restart you will be able to find a third update - KB938371. The next time you boot into your copy of Vista and access Windows Update you will be able to find Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta.

Instructions to active directx 10.1 on Windows vista:

1) Save this text file as File.cmd

2) Then run the batch file with elevated administrator privileges.

3) Install and reboot the computer after installing each update: KB935509, KB937287 and KB93837.

4) After the final reboot, you will get the option to download Windows Vista SP1 in Windows Update.

5) Verify that you have DirectX 10.1 by running dxdiag from the command prompt.

Here are some pictures sample to difference’s from DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 on images quality.

DX 9 scenery from Flight Simulator X

And a rendering of the same scenery with DirectX 10