HLSL support in .NET Framework 3.5 SP1

[Miksu]

Microsoft will add a HLSL-support to WPF in their upcoming release of SP1 for .NET Framework 3.5. You can already get the beta for the SP1 which contains the HLSL support. Final version of SP1 should be released in couple weeks.

Here's some tutorials about using HLSL in WPF:

• Brightness and contrast manipulation in WPF 3.5 SP1
• HLSL (Pixel shader) effects tutorial

And here's a short description about WPF:

The Windows Presentation Foundation (or WPF), formerly code-named Avalon, is the graphical subsystem feature of the .NET Framework 3.0 (formerly called WinFX) and is directly related to XAML. It is pre-installed in Windows Vista, the latest version of the Microsoft Windows operating system. WPF is also available for installation on Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003. It provides a consistent programming model for building applications and provides a clear separation between the UI and the business logic. A WPF application can be deployed on the desktop or hosted in a web browser. It also enables rich control, design, and development of the visual aspects of Windows programs. It aims to unify a host of application services: user interface, 2D and 3D drawing, fixed and adaptive documents, advanced typography, vector graphics, raster graphics, animation, data binding, audio and video. Although WinForms will continue to be widely used, WPF is now the preferred choice for developing line of business applications, especially since the release of the .NET Framework 3.5, Visual Studio 2008, and Expression Blend.

Personally I haven't used WPF that much because IMHO the development tools just aren't there yet. Doing some WPF feels like going back to VS2002 for Windows Forms. OK, I haven't tried the Blend-tools yet so I'm only talking from VS2008's perspective. But after hearing around 5 "Windows Forms is dead" -speeches from Microsoft representatives, I'm inclined to believe that at some point I have to do the switch.

Anyone here who is using / has used WPF?

 

[Dominik D]

Blend is pretty cool. Has a long way to go to be as good as Flash tools are but at the same time it doesn't have some of the Flash annoyances. And it's not ActionScript with absurd object model but some pretty well defined C# object model. It's much easier than crafting WPF in VS.

 

[Karoshi]

Shameless thread hijacking:

I've a bit of experience with opengl (stand alone) and openscenegraph (quick prototype), sadly, it seems opengl is not going forward as fast as hardware.
Im interested in learning Direct3D, specifically, i'd like to use it from c# (heh, gotta learn that one).

I've heard of XNA but it seems im not able to parse their website, what IS it?
A layer on top of Direct3D? Direct3D c# api? A full blown scenegraph?

What is a good resource to learn Direct3D on C# (on XNA?)?

A client is working on some c#/blend CCTV video application. I'd probably end up writing video processing/analysis for that. I've done some processings on Borland C++ Builder with Matrox Image Library (MIL, direct API, not ActiveX).

Now im considering going the HLSL/D3D/WPF/IPP route. Been doing some IPP (Intel Performance Primitives or sth. like that) testing, seems adecuate. With HLSL I shall have no problems (harhar). C# is for dummies and my project is not complicated.
Is WPF/Blend too much to learn, considering my background?
What is the easiest way to access and integrate Direct3D with C#/WPF?
I guess i can coerce the ActiveX to give me the frames in RGB/YUV, and then draw that on screen. Eventually I'll need directshow to grab the frames, what is the canonical/easy way to do directshow (think webcam) grabs in C#/WPF ?

I'd apreciate your thoughts and bookmarks on those topics.