Graphics Concepts
This section provides overview material about some important graphics
topics, including introductions to ScreenPlay and the graphics architecture
when ScreenPlay is not enabled.
- The ScreenPlay Graphics Architecture
This topic provides an introduction to ScreenPlay and its
architecture. ScreenPlay is a new graphics architecture, introduced
in Symbian^3 (S^3). ScreenPlay enables device creators to take advantage
of improved software performance, hardware acceleration and third
party graphics engines. ScreenPlay is sometimes known as the New
Graphics Architecture (NGA).
- Graphics
Composition
- The Non-ScreenPlay Graphics Architecture
ScreenPlay provides improved support for graphics hardware
acceleration and some other new features. However, it is possible
to use the Symbian platform without enabling ScreenPlay. This is called
the non-ScreenPlay variant (sometimes referred to as the non-NGA variant). This topic provides an introduction to the graphics architecture
when ScreenPlay is not enabled.
- Graphics
Hardware Acceleration
This topic describes some of the issues surrounding the use of
graphics hardware to improve graphics performance. It also provides a summary
of the components that device creators need to adapt to take advantage of
graphics hardware.
- Khronos
API Support
The Symbian platform provides support for a number of APIs created
by the Khronos Group (www.khronos.org). This is a member-funded industry consortium
focused on the creation of open standard, royalty-free APIs to enable the
authoring and accelerated playback of dynamic media on a wide variety of platforms
and devices. This topic provides a brief summary of the Khronos APIs that
are supported in the Symbian platform.
- Dynamic
Resolution Switching
ScreenPlay provides support for externally connected displays,
such as TV-out. Previous versions of Symbian and the non-ScreenPlay variant
consider the size of all displays to be fixed, assuming them to be built into
the phone. However, for High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and composite
video connectors, there is a range of resolutions that can change dynamically.
ScreenPlay provides an optional feature that supports switching between resolutions
at runtime.
Related concepts
Related information