Method and system for providing transparent access to hardware graphic layers
The present invention relates generally to computer graphics, and more specifically to methods of, and systems for, configuring, controlling and accessing multiple hardware graphics layers that are used to compose a single video display. One aspect of the invention is broadly defined as follows: in a computer environment including a software application and an operating system running on a computer, the computer including a graphics card and a video display, the graphics card being operable to render images to the video display, the improvement comprising: the operating system including a universal application programming interface (API) which supports hardware layers on graphics cards; the operating system being operable to: receive draw events via the universal API; determine what hardware layers are available on the graphics card, and what their parameters are; and respond to draw requests from the software application by rendering the draw requests selectively to any of the available hardware layers on the graphics card; whereby the computer environment allows software applications to exploit available hardware layers on the graphics card.
1. A method of providing an image to a video display in a computer system, the computer system including a multilayer graphics controller having a graphics controller operating system that directs draw streams to respective hardware layers, the method comprising:
executing a universal application programming interface (API) to communicate draw streams to the graphics controller operating system;
generating a plurality of draw streams using respective software applications, where a first draw stream of the plurality of draw streams includes target information identifying that the first draw stream is provided directly to the universal API and where a second draw stream of the plurality of draw streams includes target information identifying that the second draw stream is provided indirectly to the universal API through a three-dimensional event space; and
directing draw streams provided to the universal API to the graphics controller operating system for provision to the respective hardware layers.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating a plurality of draw streams using respective software applications comprises generating the first draw stream using a first software application and the second draw stream using a second software application.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing draw streams comprises directing the first draw stream to a video surface associated with one of the respective hardware layers.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a number of the respective hardware layers to receive at least one of the plurality of draw streams.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining at least one capability of at least one of the respective hardware layers.
6. A system configured to provide an image to a video screen, the system comprising:
a processor;
a memory device;
a multilayer graphics controller including a graphics controller operating system, the graphics controller configured to direct draw events to respective hardware layers;
an operating system including a universal application programming interface (API) configured to support hardware layers on the graphics controller, the operating system stored on the memory device and executable by the processor to:
receive a plurality of draw events with the API, wherein each of the draw events is configured to include respective target information identifying whether each of the draw events is to be provided directly to the universal API or indirectly to the universal API through a three dimensional event space; and
direct draw events provided to the universal API to the graphics controller operating system for provision to the respective hardware layers.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the operating system is further executable to receive a first draw event from a first software application and a second draw event from a second software application, wherein the first draw event includes target information identifying that the first draw event is to be directly provided to the universal API, and wherein the second draw event includes target information identifying that the second draw event is to be indirectly provided to the universal API through the three dimensional event space.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operating system is further configured to direct the first draw event to a video surface associated with one of the respective hardware layers.
9. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions executable by a processor, the computer-readable medium comprising:
instructions to execute a universal application programming interface (API) to communicate draw streams to a multilayer graphics controller operating system of a graphics controller, the graphics controller configured to direct draw streams to respective hardware layers;
instructions to generate a plurality of draw streams using respective software applications, where the draw streams include target information identifying whether a given draw stream is provided directly to the universal API or indirectly to the universal API through a three-dimensional event space; and
instructions to direct draw streams provided to the universal API to the graphics controller operating system for provision to the respective hardware layers.
10. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to direct draw streams comprises instructions to direct at least one of the draw streams to a video surface associated with a respective hardware layer.
11. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions to determine a number of the respective hardware layers to receive at least one of the plurality of draw streams.
12. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions to determine at least one capability of at least one of the respective hardware layers.