DIB engine

[Lionel Ulmer]

> 1. Have X export the required API
> ---------------------------------
> 
> XFree86 4 has all the needed code, for all bit depths and layouts we
> care about. We could try to have the X guys export this in the form of
> an API ala Xft. Wine could then link with this library to implement the
> DIB engine (or dlopen that library).

Well, when I look at the bug report, I see this :

 '* the X bitmap has to be in the format of the X display. So if X is
    running in 15bpp, a 32bpp DIB is converted to 15bpp, the operation is
    performed in 15bpp, and the bitmap is then converted back to 32bpp.
    Obviously this implies that each operation occurs a loss of color
    resolution (fortunately they should not accumulate).'

This is, AFAIK, not a problem anymore on XFree 4 (at least on the drivers
based on the 'fb' driver) as they support all Pixmap depth whatever the
depth of the current screen. For example, on my 16bpp display, 'xdpyinfo'
gives me this :

number of supported pixmap formats:    7
supported pixmap formats:
    depth 1, bits_per_pixel 1, scanline_pad 32
    depth 4, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
    depth 8, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
    depth 15, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
    depth 16, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
    depth 24, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
    depth 32, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32

So it should support almost all 'usual' formats (except the funky non 555 /
565 formats or BGR ones that are pretty rare). As far as I can remember, my
Solaris box at work does also support a lot of Pixmap formats even on a
32bpp screen. There may be problems with the palette for the 'depth 8'
format though.

But, as far as I can remember, the other big problem comes from the
'exception handler' that is needed to detect direct write from the Windows
program to the DIB (or maybe I am thinking about something completely else
:-) ) to be sure that the X pixmap and the Windows DIB are always in sync
one with the other. And that cannot be solved easily with X Pixmaps at all
(maybe hacking around with XShmPixmaps).

Anyway, enough of my ramblings for tonight :-)

                   Lionel

-- 
		 Lionel Ulmer - http://www.bbrox.org/