What's New in Graphics in Symbian^3

ScreenPlay

ScreenPlay is a new graphics architecture which enables device creators to take advantage of improved software performance, hardware acceleration and third party graphics engines. For more information, see:

• The ScreenPlay Graphics Architecture
• The NonScreenPlay Graphics Architecture
• Enabling the Graphics Architecture Variants
• Graphics Composition
• Graphics Hardware Acceleration
• Dynamic Resolution Switching
• Common Graphics Headers Component Overview
• Advanced Pointer Overview
• External Surfaces Overview
• Render Stages Overview
• MiniGUI Environment

Khronos APIs

For information about the supported Khronos APIs, see:

• Khronos API Support
• OpenVG Collection
• OpenGLES Collection
• EGL Collection
• OpenWF Composition

Other new features

• Extended Bitmaps
• Implementing Dynamic DSA Allocation
• Multiple Pointer Support in the Emulator

Interface breaks and deprecated functionality

On ScreenPlay, support for direct screen access (DSA) is maintained for backward compatibility reasons, although Symbian recommends the use of external surfaces in preference to DSA. However, whereas on some earlier devices, applications might work without fully conforming to the rules of DSA, these rules are now necessarily enforced. See DSA Migration Guide for information about the guidelines applications must follow in order to be able to run correctly on a ScreenPlay device.

The following functionality is deprecated in Symbian^3:

• DirectGDI is deprecated. See DirectGDI Component for more information.

• The Graphics Resource components are deprecated and will be removed in Symbian^4. See Graphics Resource Services Collection for more information.

• Creating transparent windows using a mask and RWindow is deprecated. See Transparent Windows for more information.

• Backed-up windows are deprecated. See Displayable Windows for more information.

Guide documentation changes

The following documentation has been added to the Graphics Reference:

• Graphics Components and Their CBR Package Names
• Pixel Formats

The following documentation has been added to the Windowing collection:

• Window Server Component Overview
• Display Control and Mapping in the Window Server Client
• Transparent Windows
• Redraw Drawing
• Advanced Pointers
• External Surfaces
• Render-Stages
• Window Server Plug-in Framework Overview
• MiniGUI Environment
• Window Server Internals Concepts
• The wsini.ini File
• Window Server Plug-ins Component

The following documentation has been added to the Font and Bitmap Server collection:

• Creating an Extended Bitmap Rasterizer

The following documentation has been added to the OpenGLES collection:

• OpenGLES Collection

The following documentation has been added to the OpenVG collection:

• OpenVG Collection

The following documentation has been added to the EGL collection:

• EGL Collection

The following documentation has been added to the Graphics Utilities collection:

• Common Graphics Headers Component Overview
• Selection of Adaptations

The following documentation has been added to the Graphics Composition collection:

• Graphics Composition Collection

The following documentation has been added to the Graphics Hardware Drivers collection:

• Graphics Hardware Drivers Collection

The following documentation has been updated:

• Graphics and Drawing
• The Font and Bitmap Server Overview