Editing Direct3D (section)

===Direct3D 10.0===
'''Direct3D&nbsp;10.0''' level hardware must support the following features: the ability to process entire primitives in the new geometry-shader stage, the ability to output pipeline-generated vertex data to memory using the stream-output stage, multisampled alpha-to-coverage support, readback of a depth/stencil surface or a multisampled resource once it is no longer bound as a render target, full HLSL integration – all Direct3D&nbsp;10 shaders are written in HLSL and implemented with the common-shader core, integer and bitwise shader operations, organization of pipeline state into 5 immutable state objects, organization of shader constants into constant buffers, increased number of render targets, textures, and samplers, no shader length limit, new resource types and resource formats,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb205133(v=vs.85).aspx|title=Resource Types (Direct3D 10)|publisher=MSDN|access-date=30 September 2014}}</ref> layered runtime/API layers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb205068(v=vs.85).aspx|title=API Layers (Direct3D 10)|publisher=MSDN|access-date=30 September 2014}}</ref> option to perform per-primitive material swapping and setup using a geometry shader, increased generalization of resource access using a view, removed legacy hardware capability bits (caps).
* Fixed pipelines<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.com.com/An+inside+look+at+Windows+Vista+-+page+4/2100-1043_3-6051736-4.html?tag=st.num|title=CNet News|access-date=30 September 2014}}</ref> are being done away with in favor of fully programmable pipelines (often referred to as unified pipeline architecture), which can be programmed to emulate the same.
* New state object to enable (mostly) the CPU to change states efficiently.
* [[Unified shader model]] enhances the programmability of the [[graphics pipeline]]. It adds instructions for integer and bitwise calculations.
* The common shader core<ref>{{cite web|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb509580(v=vs.85).aspx|title=Common-Shader Core|date=June 30, 2021 |publisher=Microsoft}}</ref> provides a full set of IEEE-compliant 32-bit integer and bitwise operations. These operations enable a new class of algorithms in graphics hardware—examples include compression and packing techniques, FFTs, and bitfield program-flow control.
* [[Geometry shaders]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ff471423(v=vs.85).aspx|title=Geometry Shader Features|date=August 23, 2019 |publisher=Microsoft}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb205146(v=vs.85).aspx#Geometry_Shader_Stage|title=Shader Stages|date=October 11, 2016 |publisher=Microsoft}}</ref> which work on adjacent triangles which form a [[Polygon mesh|mesh]].
* [[Texture mapping|Texture]] arrays enable swapping of textures in GPU without CPU intervention.
* [[Predicated rendering]] allows drawing calls to be ignored based on some other conditions. This enables rapid [[hidden-surface determination|occlusion culling]], which prevents objects from being rendered if it is not visible or too far to be visible.
* [[Geometry instancing|Instancing 2.0]] support, allowing multiple instances of similar meshes, such as armies, or grass or trees, to be rendered in a single draw call, reducing the processing time needed for multiple similar objects to that of a single one.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/direct3d-10,1356-6.html |title=What Direct3D 10 is all about – Additional Improvements |date=2006-11-08|publisher=Tom's Hardware}}</ref>