This sample demonstrates how to implement custom Direct2D effects using HLSL pixel, vertex, and compute shaders.
Specifically, this sample shows how to:
- Define the effect's properties, metadata and implement required interfaces
- Author HLSL that conforms to Direct2D requirements, including opting into effect shader linking
- Register and use a custom effect in an app
Note The Windows universal samples require Visual Studio 2015 to build and Windows 10 to execute.
To obtain information about Windows 10 development, go to the Windows Dev Center
To obtain information about Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 and the tools for developing Windows apps, go to Visual Studio 2015
This sample contains three separate projects, demonstrating a custom pixel, vertex, and compute shader effect. Each project has a similar set of files that follow the same pattern.
The following files are the core effect implementation, i.e. the main educational content of the sample:
- *.hlsl: The core shader routines that operate on image data. These are written using standard HLSL with some helper Direct2D intrinsics that enable the custom effect to take advantage of shader linking. [TODO: link to the intrinsics/shader linking page]
- *Effect.cpp/.h, *Transform.cpp/.h: Implementation of the Direct2D effect interfaces, e.g. ID2D1EffectImpl. This code is called by the Direct2D renderer to setup and control the effect shader operation.
A custom Direct2D effect does nothing on its own, as it must be loaded and executed by a calling app. The following files provide a simple demo environment to exercise the effect:
- App.cpp/.h
- *Main.cpp/.h, *Renderer.cpp/.h
The following files provide common functionality needed by DirectX SDK samples:
- DeviceResources.cpp/.h: Manages creation and lifetime of the core Direct3D and Direct2D device-dependent resources. Handles cases such as device lost and window size and orientation changes.
- DirectXHelper.h: Common inline helper functions, including ThrowIfFailed which converts HRESULT-based APIs into an exception model.
- BasicReaderWriter.cpp/.h: Basic file I/O functionality, needed for things like loading shaders, textures and geometry.
- SampleOverlay.cpp/.h: Renders the Windows SDK overlay badge on top of sample content.
- BasicTimer.cpp/.h: Wraps QueryPerformanceCounter to provide an accurate, low-overhead timer.
All DX SDK samples and the Visual Studio template DX project contain a version of these files (some are not always needed). These common files demonstrate important best practices for DX UWP apps, and you are encouraged to use them in your own projects.
Variants of the following files are found in every UWP app written in C++:
- Package.appxmanifest
- pch.cpp/.h
- *.vcxproj
- *.vcxproj.filters
- *.sln
- Direct2D effects: provides built-in effects and the ability to create custom effects.
- Direct2D: used to render images, primitives, and text.
- Windows Imaging Component (WIC): used to load, scale, and convert the images.
Custom effect interfaces:
Related DirectX app APIs:
Client: Windows 10
Server: Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview
Phone: Windows 10
- If you download the samples ZIP, be sure to unzip the entire archive, not just the folder with the sample you want to build.
- Start Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 and select File > Open > Project/Solution.
- Starting in the folder where you unzipped the samples, go to the Samples subfolder, then the subfolder for this specific sample, then the subfolder for your preferred language (C++, C#, or JavaScript). Double-click the Visual Studio 2015 Solution (.sln) file.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+B, or select Build > Build Solution.
The next steps depend on whether you just want to deploy the sample or you want to both deploy and run it.
- Select Build > Deploy Solution.
- To debug the sample and then run it, press F5 or select Debug > Start Debugging. To run the sample without debugging, press Ctrl+F5 or selectDebug > Start Without Debugging.