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 operating system is operable to: receive draw events; 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 directing an input event in a three-dimensional event space, the three-dimensional space comprising a plurality of two-dimensional graphics regions ordered along a third-dimension axis, the method comprising:
associating each two-dimensional graphics region of a set of the two-dimensional graphics regions with a respective one of a plurality of hardware layers, wherein the hardware layers are included in a layering hardware;
receiving the input event directed to the three-dimensional event space;
traversing at least a portion of the third-dimension axis with the input event;
determining one or more intersections of the input event with the two-dimensional graphics regions as the input event traverses the at least a portion of the third-dimension axis; and
for each of the one or more intersections with a respective intersected graphics region:
determining whether the respective intersected graphics region is associated with any of the hardware layers;
determining, when the respective intersected graphics region is not associated with any of the hardware layers, whether the input event is to be processed by a software application associated with content of the respective intersected graphics region and, when the input event is to be processed by the software application, directing the received input event to the software application; and
directing, when the respective intersected graphics region is associated with any of the hardware layers, the input event to the software application associated with the content of the respective intersected graphics region.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the software application to which the input event was directed, an indication to further process the input event; and
continuing the traversing the at least a portion of the third-dimension axis with the input event.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, for each of the one or more intersections, continuing the traversing the at least a portion of the third-dimension axis with the input event when an attribute associated with the respective intersected graphics region indicates the intersected region is insensitive to the input event.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying event characteristics associated with the input event.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the event characteristics include at least one of: an originating region, a type, a direction, an attached list of rectangles, or event-specific data.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input event represents at least one of:
a key press, keyboard state information, a mouse button press and release, a pointer motion, or a drag operation.
7. A system comprising:
a plurality of hardware layers, each of the hardware layers configured to store graphic content;
a layering hardware configured to composite the graphics content stored in the hardware layers;
a processor; and
a computer memory comprising instructions executable with the processor, the executable instructions comprising:
a configuring application executable to associate each two-dimensional graphics region of a set of a plurality of two-dimensional graphics regions with a respective one of the hardware layers, wherein a three-dimensional event space comprises the two-dimensional graphics regions ordered along a third-dimension axis; and
a windowing system application executable to receive an input event directed to the three-dimensional event space,
the windowing system application further executable to traverse at least a portion of the third-dimension axis with the input event,
the windowing system application further executable to determine one or more intersections of the input event with the two-dimensional graphics regions during a traversal of the at least the portion of the third-dimension axis,
the windowing system application further executable to, for each of the one or more intersections with a respective intersected graphics region:
determine, when the respective intersected graphics region is not associated with any of the hardware layers, whether the input event is to be processed by a software application associated with the graphics content of the respective intersected graphics region, and direct the input event to the software application when the windowing system determines that the input event is to be processed by the software application; and
direct, when the respective intersected graphics region is associated with any of the hardware layers, the input event to the software application associated with the graphics content of the respective intersected graphics region.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the windowing system application is further executable to receive, from the software application to which the input event was directed, an indication that the input event continue the traversal of the at least the portion of the third-dimension axis, and wherein the windowing system application is further executable to continue the traversal of the at least the portion of the third-dimension axis with the input event in response to receipt of the indication.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein, for each of the one or more intersections, the windowing system application is further executable to continue the traversal of the at least the portion of the third-dimension axis with the input event when an attribute associated with the respective intersected graphics region indicates the respective intersected graphics region is insensitive to the input event.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the windowing system application is further executable to modify event characteristics associated with the input event.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the event characteristics include at least one of: an originating region, a type, a direction, an attached list of rectangles, or event specific data.
12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the input event represents at least one of: a key press, keyboard state information, a mouse button press and release, a pointer motion or a drag operation.