[request] Core Image Replacement For Windows

Core Image is the feature of Mac OS X Tiger, you know. Don't you? See this, if you don't.

Well, I've been looking for such graphic system for Windows for a long time.

I think it should be based on DirectX. I can use it, but all I need is to work with graphics usually and to have most of the Image Units that Core Image offers. I hoped GDI+ is such a lib, but it only offers more easy drawing with C++ classes in base (not flat API functions, though classes are built on ones). And also it doesn't have a hardware acceleraion, it's tooo slow for some works.

So maybe someone knows GPU-accelerated high-level graphic libs (I prefer programming in Delphi)?

Or, if there's no such lib, maybe someone would like to help me write it?

#183772

The only other library I know is SDL.

SDL home

It uses OpenGL for 3D and provide low-level access to video hardware.

I am not sure about the speed though.

I have some experience in managed directX and it is easier to use than COM-based version.

Building your own direct access graphics library would be cool but I guess it would require a lot of work. I am interested but I don't use Delphi.

Maybe you can ask AV if he is interested.

If you decide to actually start the project , I wish all best of the luck and I hope you can teach me all the tricks you learn on the way.

#184344

Why dont you try linux.

The most powerfull tools for programing are unix base and you cant get that on windows.

#191016

Originally posted by batuta@Jul 18 2004, 02:42 AM

Why dont you try linux.

The most powerfull tools for programing are unix base and you cant get that on windows.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

*Rolls my eyes*

Do you understand how pointless a comment that was? If RIMMER were looking for the programming tools in any form he could get them, he would use OS X!

It's just that people who preach Linux really annoy me, and you ignoring his question and giving some rather patronizing advice is really rude.

In general, I don't think it's a nice thing when Person A asks how he can do specific Task B, and Person C tells him he ought not to be doing Task B to begin with.

#191025

Also all the tools for programming on linux have a very similar on windows. Except on windows of course, they dont look like crap..

#191133

OK, I see my first post isn't clear enough.

I mean that I need methods to apply, for example, Gaussian blur to an image/DC/whatever. And the implementation must be hardware accelerated.

There's Graphics32 lib for Delphi, which uses MMX and other Intel extended instructions. But it provides only accelerated Blts, when I need effects.

I can't remember exactly, but I think I saw something like nVidia FX SDK.

#192488

If it's nVidia SDK that you need, why not order the NVSDK CD or DVD from them. It's free and contains up to the latest tools, samples, effects & other code that may help. You may also download some SDK stuff from their website http://developer.nvidia.com/page/tools.html

It's going to be quite a tremendous job to create or emulate something similar to Apple's image core. The main difficulty will be finding what codes Apple uses and translate nVidia's code to match with hardly any loss of speed due to the translation.

In my mind, that "core image" is already available to us with the readily available codes provided by nVidia. It is just up to the coders to take advantage of it when creating a "Tiger based Shell" for Windows.

Good luck!

#194601

By the way, take a look at nVidia's SDK effects found here and you may find some similarity to Apple's plug-ins or what they call Image Units.

I'd like to add to the core image statement I just made in the previous post...

Let's give an example of how it may work.

Say you create a "focus filter" Image Unit. What it should do is determine what kind of 3D video card is available on the unit. (nVidia or ATI)

Based on the card, your program will call the proper SDK effect and implement it.

Now if I write a program and use your "core" for the effects, it should work on almost any windows system as long as the graphics cards are compatible to nVidia's or ATI's newer models.

In short, "Portable Graphics Effects Code"

Hope that helps

Cheers

#194619

GameBoyzGB, you've catched my words damn right!

I just have to say that determinig the video card and loading the drivers isn't so fast, thus WinCore should be a service. It should do all initiations on boot and then it just works on our demand.

#195380

As we know, GPU is good at doing vector calculation because of its programable render pipleline. Some researchers have spent some time on how to using GPU to solve complex mathematic problems. I can't remember exactly which paper talks about the result of their research. I think their research will help you to improve the performance of your Core Image Lib.

Good luck

#197020