Systems for negotiating buffer size and attribute characteristics in media processing systems that create user-defined development projects

A computer-readable medium embodying computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed, implement a method comprising:

• providing one or more processing chains that can be utilized to implement a user-defined development project, wherein individual processing chains comprise a plurality of filters;
• providing a matrix switch, coupled to the one or more processing chains, to recursively pass content received from the one or more processing chains through one or more filters to implement the development project;
• and
• negotiating, with the matrix switch, buffer size and attributes between the matrix switch and adjacent filters, wherein the negotiated buffers are utilized to communicate media content between the matrix switch and adjacent filters without requiring a buffer copy operation;
• wherein the plurality of filters comprises a filter graph having a separate buffer for each input and output of each filter within the project, and
• wherein the method further comprises after and responsive to said act of negotiating, replacing at least a pair of separate adjacent buffers with a single buffer shared therebetween.

A computer-readable medium embodying computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed, implement a method comprising:

• providing a matrix switch object;
• providing a dynamically determined number of matrix switch object inputs to receive content from one or more processing chains;
• providing a dynamically determined number of matrix switch object outputs;
• selectively coupling one or more of the dynamically determined inputs to one or more of the dynamically determined outputs;
• and
• negotiating, using the matrix switch object, with filters coupled to each of the dynamically determined inputs and outputs for buffer size and attribute requirements to facilitate communication between filters and within the matrix switch object using a shared buffer of agreed upon size and attribute characteristics;
• wherein the filters comprise a filter graph having a separate buffer for each input and output of each filter;
• and
• wherein the method further comprises after and responsive to said act of negotiating, replacing at least a pair of separate adjacent buffers with a single buffer shared therebetween.