Monogame loading in a .fx effect file

Question

Currently I am trying to load into monogame a .fx file from the following tutorial http://www.xnahub.com/simple-2d-lighting-system-in-c-and-monogame/

The FX file is as follows:

sampler s0;  

texture lightMask;  
sampler lightSampler = sampler_state{Texture = lightMask;};  

float4 PixelShaderLight(float2 coords: TEXCOORD0) : COLOR0  
{  
    float4 color = tex2D(s0, coords);  
    float4 lightColor = tex2D(lightSampler, coords);  
    return color * lightColor;  
}  


technique Technique1  
{  
    pass Pass1  
    {  
        PixelShader = compile ps_2_0 PixelShaderLight();  
    }  
}  

I have used the 2MFGX.exe tool to convert my .fx file to a mgfxo file which compiles fine, however when I try and load the mfgxo file into my game with this code:

        Stream s = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetManifestResourceStream("Mist.Content.lighteffect.mgfxo");
        BinaryReader Reader = new BinaryReader(s);
        effect1 = new Effect(GraphicsDevice, Reader.ReadBytes((int)Reader.BaseStream.Length)); 

I receive the following error:

This MGFX effect is for an older release of MonoGame and needs to be rebuilt.

I have looked over the web and I am pulling my hair out trying to understand why this is happening. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

So it turns out the issue was a line of code in the HLSL file.

sampler lightSampler = sampler_state{Texture = lightMask;}; 

should have been

 sampler lightSampler = sampler_state{Texture = <lightMask>;}; 

The funny thing is it was being compiled without this, but monogame didn't like it.