[DX10] Effect Parameter Blocks Gone?

States in general are much less granular in Direct3D 10 so there is less (if any) need for this sort of construct.

Constants are uploaded as 'constant buffers' which are all-or-nothing groupings and therefore somewhat analagous to the D3D9 parameter blocks you're looking for.

This sort of thing isn't made clear via the FX10 API, it's only by using the cbuffer {} syntax in your FX file that it is exposed to you as a developer.

hth
Jack

I still dont get this...

My current system supports both d3d9 and openGL using stateBlocks and
displayLists. I'm looking at getting DX10 up and running now.
The current pre-dx10 material load routine goes something like this....

1. load mesh, get material name
2. Read material's config file.
3. compile vert/pixel shader(s) specified in material's config.
4. save shaders in a std::map for later to skip recompiling.
5. collect desc/param info from shaders. (name/handle/reg.slot)
6. BeginStateBlock()/ genNewList(displayList) <--- unique per material instance
7. loop thru collected param info setting const values read in from mat config.
8. saved_sb = EndStateblock()/End DisplayList

now during render I just call/apply that stateblock

void render_loop()
{
dev->set_shader(blah.vert); <--- shared
dev->set_shader(blah.pixel); <--- shared
call/apply(saved_sb); <--- unique

render....
}

So by looking at that I can't just set constants at compile time and expect them
to be correct at render time... multiple objects share same shader instance
but need to use different textures or values at render time and so they apply
the state_block. The reason I keep shaders in a map is to save memory
of having to recompile the shader multiple times.

So how would this translate to a dx10 material/shader system. Looking at
const_buffers it looks like the app has to have hardcoded knowledge about the
cbuffers in the shaders? Is that correct?

Does a DX10 stateBlock capture same info as it did in dx9 in regards to setting
shader_constants and texture slots?

I'm more interested in raw shaders not using the effect system that way the
material file can stay generic for d3d and openGL.

Thanks,
WOsborn