Plug-in architecture for window management and desktop compositing effects
AssigneeNovell, Inc.
InventorDavid Reveman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method that relates to a plug-in architecture that enables accelerated rendering and compositing of one or more graphical effects instantiated by one or more separate visual effect plug-ins. The plug-in architecture enables setting up visual effects, accepting graphical output requests, customizing visual effects, and/or allowing enhanced graphics rendering for desktop usage, among other things. The invention provides a modular approach to customizing and rendering visual effects. The plug-in architecture enables plug-ins to be exchanged, modified, removed, and added, among other things.
Claims22
A computer based system including a plug-in architecture storing one or more visual effect plug-ins providing visual effects information for rendering images, the system comprising:
- loading means for loading the one or more visual effect plug-ins from the plug-in architecture;
- an event handler for instantiating the one or more visual effect plug-ins based at least in part on received event information;
- compositing manager module for compositing the visual effects associated with the one or more instantiated visual effect plug-ins;
- and
- transmitting means for transmitting instructions to a graphics card for rendering the composited visual effects on an output display.
A computer based method including a plug-in architecture storing one or more visual effect plug-ins providing visual effects information for rendering images, the comprising the steps of:
- loading the one or more visual effect plug-ins from the plug-in architecture;
- instantiating the one or more visual effect plug-ins based at least in part on received event information;
- compositing the visual effects associated with the one or more instantiated visual effect plug-ins;
- and
- transmitting instructions to a graphics card for rendering the composited visual effects on an output display.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.