Windows Graphics Foundation

The Windows Graphics Foundation (WGF) is a next-generation presentation subsystem of Microsoft that unifies a whole range of output services: user interface, 2-D and 3-D drawing and imaging, document-based printing and rendering, speech, and audio and video services. In addition, the Windows Presentation Foundation introduces new and enhanced services such as animation, while retaining interoperability with existing code written for GDI/GDI+.

The WGF 1.0 subset named Direct3D9.L will add a couple of new features beyond DirectX 9.0c. These new features include: cross-process shared surfaces, managed graphics memory (and virtualized graphics memory), priorisation of resources, text antialiasing, advanced gamma functions, and device removed (in order to gracefully recover from a failure the hardware can be removed and then added ).

WGF 2.0 is the next version of Microsoft s DirectX application programming interface (API). It is currently being developed by Microsoft and leading graphics card manufacturers, such as ATI Technologies and NVIDIA Corporation. When the WGF is finalised, it will be included as standard in Windows Vista. Microsoft is also calling this version Direct3D10 on their web site.

Recently Microsoft announced that Direct3D will return to the DirectX name and WGF 2.0 (Direct3D10) will be known as DirectX10.

=See also=

GDI

WinG

=External links=

*[http://www.theinquirer.net/article=25902 Microsoft speaks DirectX 10] (Take with a grain of salt considering source) *[http://www.anandtech.com/tradeshows/showdoc.aspxi=2403&p=4 Anandtech s WinHEC 2005 Coverage Wrap] *[http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/8/f/98f3fe47-dfc3-4e74-92a3-088782200fe7/TWPR05007_WinHEC05.ppt Windows Graphics Overview PPT] - from David Blythe WinHEC 2005 presentation (171 KB) *[http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/8/f/18f8cee2-0b64-41f2-893d-a6f2295b40c8/TW04079_WINHEC2004.ppt Microsoft s WGF PowerPoint Slides] - from David Blythe s WinHEC 2004 presentation (622 KB) *[http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1629331,00.asp Microsoft Longhorn Reinvents Desktop Graphics] - Dave Salvator writing for extremetech.com