DirectX 8.1 available now for download

Charles Johnston · 11-09-2001, 09:27 PM

Here is a URL with the link for DirectX 8.1

http://www.activewin.com/

It installed with no trouble here on WinMe. DXDiag tests all passed OK. Frame rates in the Sachs Aquarium and Flight Simulator 98 increased about 15% in my case.

DirectX 8.1 is about a 25M download....glad I got cable modem!

"swim on lil' fishies swim on!"

thebard · 11-16-2001, 07:17 PM

This is my 6th attempt at the DirectX 8.1 upgrade [8.8 MB]. I can't get it with the much faster Mozilla browser as ActiveX is necessary. And during the last 5 I.E. attempts, I've suffered disconnects due to the length of time it takes[2 hrs remaining now!] even though I "ping" my ISP.
Am ready to give up if this attempt fails. So does anyone know if there's much advantage to upgrading from DirectX 8.0?

feldon34 · 11-16-2001, 07:27 PM

Why is ActiveX required?

<img src="http://www.activewin.com/directx/images/directx.jpg" align=right>
Direct links here:

Windows 98/ME
http://www.activewin.com/directx/d81eng.shtml
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...US/DX81eng.exe

Windows 2000
http://www.activewin.com/directx/d8eng2000.shtml
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo.../DX81NTeng.exe

Note that DirectX 8.1 cannot be downgraded to 8.0a easily.

Jim Sachs · 11-16-2001, 07:47 PM

If DX7 was working for you, I'd stick with that until they get all the bugs ironed out in DX8.

thebard · 11-16-2001, 08:42 PM

Thanks to you both, I feel better & have given up this nonsense. Plus I hate having to enable ActiveX anyway.
The last d/load attempt hung & quivered violently after it reached the 7MB mark so cancelled & put up my "I hate MS" wallpaper, the Win logo displayed on a toilet roll.
I wasn't sure if I needed this upgrade, I have DirectX 8.0[4.08.00.0400] & the Aquarium runs beautifully.

The Windows Update link requires ActiveX enabled - thanks for those other links, will try them in future.

feldon34 · 11-17-2001, 12:13 PM

I have only used Windows Update twice in the past 5 years. I always use direct links through Microsoft's website.

And yes, upgrading to the latest DirectX is only slightly less perilous than upgrading to the latest nVidia driver. Upgrade if you need it, not just for laughs. Otherwise you might be spending some time trying to rebuild your system.

I really don't think 8.0a has any bugs of any consequence, but 8.1 probably does.

Jim, before you spend any amount of time working on a DirectX 7 port of the Aquarium, it would be worth the effort to install DirectX 8.1 on one of your Windows 98 machines and try the DirectX 8 prototype you produced of the Aquarium on it and see if password protection and the Settings screen work properly. If so, you could move forward with a DirectX 8.1 version after all.

Coelacanth · 11-17-2001, 12:40 PM

Stupid question: How do you determine your DirectX version in XP? I can't find where it shows that info.

I know it's 8.1, since 8.1 is included with XP. But I just want to see where it shows me that info.

Jim Sachs · 11-17-2001, 01:24 PM

Morgan -

DX8 still suffers from one of the basic problems that caused me to abandon it in the first place - the inability to know which buffer it is currently displaying. I have no idea why MS would remove this critical feature, but without it my textboxes come up underneath the main screen half the time. All the MS example programs get around this by destroying the 3D environment, bringing up the requester, then re-initializing the 3D environment when the requester closes. This is not only unacceptably ugly, but the multiple initialize/teardown sequences have caused me lots of problems.

The lack of support for 3D glasses might also have something to do with this, since each eye would have to know which buffer it is displaying.

thebard · 11-17-2001, 02:53 PM

After reading Jim's post, I guess I must have been lucky. I'd read something in the forum some time ago & thought it meant that DirectX 8.0 would soon be necessary for the Aquarium [I probably didn't read it properly though] so I got it. fps increased from 65 to 85 but of course it looks exactly the same to me.
3D glasses sound awesome, they're very dear in Oz when you factor in the shipping cost & I haven't found them directly available here.
If XP doesn't give the DirectX info by running dxdiag, MS must sure have changed a few things!

Coelacanth · 11-17-2001, 04:41 PM

I knew it was a stupid question. Jim reminded me in another thread about DXDiag. I had forgotten about that.

Jav400 · 11-17-2001, 07:10 PM

thebard,

No you weren't mistaken about DX8. The original plans were to upgrade to DX8, and when Jim started working on the DX8 version that Microsoft required for the XP version, he found many problems with the Screen Saver libraries towards older Operating Systems. So at that point, he deceided to tackle the features that he thought he would need DX8 for, using DX6. Most all of them have been accomplished at this point. So until the situation changes with older OS, Jim has just continued working the way he was in the beginning.

2greedy · 11-21-2001, 07:16 AM

gday ppl for what it's worth i thought i would let yous know about directx 8.1.

i have installed it on my sytem with win98se and havn't had a problem yet! (touch wood)

my sytem comprises of

SYSTEM: celeron 800 clocked to 1180
GRAPHICS: sis630 3d onboard graphics at 16meg.
MEMORY: 128meg.
HDD: 20gig fireball.

11-09-2001, 09:27 PM	#1
Charles Johnston Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Prescott, AZ - USA Posts: 2	DirectX 8.1 available now for download Here is a URL with the link for DirectX 8.1 http://www.activewin.com/ It installed with no trouble here on WinMe. DXDiag tests all passed OK. Frame rates in the Sachs Aquarium and Flight Simulator 98 increased about 15% in my case. DirectX 8.1 is about a 25M download....glad I got cable modem! "swim on lil' fishies swim on!" Charles T Johnston Last edited by Charles Johnston; 11-09-2001 at 09:35 PM.

11-16-2001, 07:17 PM	#2
thebard Copperband Butterfly Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 32	## Upgrade!!! This is my 6th attempt at the DirectX 8.1 upgrade [8.8 MB]. I can't get it with the much faster Mozilla browser as ActiveX is necessary. And during the last 5 I.E. attempts, I've suffered disconnects due to the length of time it takes[2 hrs remaining now!] even though I "ping" my ISP. Am ready to give up if this attempt fails. So does anyone know if there's much advantage to upgrading from DirectX 8.0?

11-16-2001, 07:27 PM	#3
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	Why is ActiveX required? <img src="http://www.activewin.com/directx/images/directx.jpg" align=right> Direct links here: Windows 98/ME http://www.activewin.com/directx/d81eng.shtml http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...US/DX81eng.exe Windows 2000 http://www.activewin.com/directx/d8eng2000.shtml http://download.microsoft.com/downlo.../DX81NTeng.exe Note that DirectX 8.1 cannot be downgraded to 8.0a easily. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman Last edited by feldon34; 11-16-2001 at 07:30 PM.

11-16-2001, 07:47 PM	#4
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,788	If DX7 was working for you, I'd stick with that until they get all the bugs ironed out in DX8. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

11-16-2001, 08:42 PM	#5
thebard Copperband Butterfly Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 32	Upgrade aborted Thanks to you both, I feel better & have given up this nonsense. Plus I hate having to enable ActiveX anyway. The last d/load attempt hung & quivered violently after it reached the 7MB mark so cancelled & put up my "I hate MS" wallpaper, the Win logo displayed on a toilet roll. I wasn't sure if I needed this upgrade, I have DirectX 8.0[4.08.00.0400] & the Aquarium runs beautifully. The Windows Update link requires ActiveX enabled - thanks for those other links, will try them in future. Last edited by thebard; 11-16-2001 at 08:45 PM.

11-17-2001, 12:13 PM	#6
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	I have only used Windows Update twice in the past 5 years. I always use direct links through Microsoft's website. And yes, upgrading to the latest DirectX is only slightly less perilous than upgrading to the latest nVidia driver. Upgrade if you need it, not just for laughs. Otherwise you might be spending some time trying to rebuild your system. I really don't think 8.0a has any bugs of any consequence, but 8.1 probably does. Jim, before you spend any amount of time working on a DirectX 7 port of the Aquarium, it would be worth the effort to install DirectX 8.1 on one of your Windows 98 machines and try the DirectX 8 prototype you produced of the Aquarium on it and see if password protection and the Settings screen work properly. If so, you could move forward with a DirectX 8.1 version after all. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

11-17-2001, 12:40 PM	#7
Coelacanth Thought to be Extinct Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: My Watery Abode Posts: 180	Stupid question: How do you determine your DirectX version in XP? I can't find where it shows that info. I know it's 8.1, since 8.1 is included with XP. But I just want to see where it shows me that info.

11-17-2001, 01:24 PM	#8
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,788	Morgan - DX8 still suffers from one of the basic problems that caused me to abandon it in the first place - the inability to know which buffer it is currently displaying. I have no idea why MS would remove this critical feature, but without it my textboxes come up underneath the main screen half the time. All the MS example programs get around this by destroying the 3D environment, bringing up the requester, then re-initializing the 3D environment when the requester closes. This is not only unacceptably ugly, but the multiple initialize/teardown sequences have caused me lots of problems. The lack of support for 3D glasses might also have something to do with this, since each eye would have to know which buffer it is displaying. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

11-17-2001, 02:53 PM	#9
thebard Copperband Butterfly Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 32	Guess I was lucky After reading Jim's post, I guess I must have been lucky. I'd read something in the forum some time ago & thought it meant that DirectX 8.0 would soon be necessary for the Aquarium [I probably didn't read it properly though] so I got it. fps increased from 65 to 85 but of course it looks exactly the same to me. 3D glasses sound awesome, they're very dear in Oz when you factor in the shipping cost & I haven't found them directly available here. If XP doesn't give the DirectX info by running dxdiag, MS must sure have changed a few things!

11-17-2001, 04:41 PM	#10
Coelacanth Thought to be Extinct Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: My Watery Abode Posts: 180	I knew it was a stupid question. Jim reminded me in another thread about DXDiag. I had forgotten about that.

11-17-2001, 07:10 PM	#11
Jav400 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,725	thebard, No you weren't mistaken about DX8. The original plans were to upgrade to DX8, and when Jim started working on the DX8 version that Microsoft required for the XP version, he found many problems with the Screen Saver libraries towards older Operating Systems. So at that point, he deceided to tackle the features that he thought he would need DX8 for, using DX6. Most all of them have been accomplished at this point. So until the situation changes with older OS, Jim has just continued working the way he was in the beginning. Michael Administrator of Inside:SereneScreen Aquarium Forum, Chatroom, Fan Site & *Gallery* DVD Collection

11-21-2001, 07:16 AM	#12
2greedy Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: australia Posts: 4	for what it's worth gday ppl for what it's worth i thought i would let yous know about directx 8.1. i have installed it on my sytem with win98se and havn't had a problem yet! (touch wood) my sytem comprises of SYSTEM: celeron 800 clocked to 1180 GRAPHICS: sis630 3d onboard graphics at 16meg. MEMORY: 128meg. HDD: 20gig fireball. [img]http://2greedy.homestead.co m/files/2GREEDY2.jpg[/img]