Greg Schechter's Blog

The word is - "Java on Vista: Yes, it Works"

Some folks have noticed that when they run Java applets in the browser, that Aero and desktop composition would get disabled. This was due to Java locking the primary buffer, and when that happens, the DWM no longer has access to the resources needed

A Couple of Cool Uses of the DWM Thumbnail APIs

I've seen a couple of cool uses in the past week of the DWM Thumbnail API (described in my previous post ) and wanted to share them here. " Simon on the .NET " wrote a great-looking Exposé-like mini-app that, when you press F12, shows a representation

APIs in the Desktop Window Manager

For the most part, the Vista Desktop Window Manager is an end-user feature. However, because it so fundamentally changes the game of how the desktop gets composed, there was both the opportunity and the requirement to introduce a relatively small number

Responding to Comments on "High DPI Support in Windows Aero Vista"

I received a number of great comments and questions on my last post about High DPI Support in Windows Aero Vista . Adrian makes a very solid point about applications that do in fact work correctly at high DPI, and scale appropriately, and in general are

High DPI Support in Windows Vista Aero

A good amount of ink has been spilled on this blog talking about all the cost, nuance, impact, and techniques we go through to get a composited desktop. Less ink is spilled on the benefits of the composited desktop. Those were most broadly covered in

How underlying WPF concepts and technology are being used in the DWM

In the earlier posts I've done on the DWM, there's been a hint of the relationship between it and the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF, aka Avalon). This post delves deeper into that relationship. Because of core OS component requirements (the desktop

I'm on TV... and just in time for Mother's Day...

I got to do this fun Channel9 video the other day with Charles Torre and Tim Sneath . In it we talk about some of the fundamentals and architecture of the underlying composition system for Windows Presentation Foundation and for the Desktop Window Manager.

Redirecting GDI, DirectX, and WPF applications

As mentioned in earlier posts , by far the most important aspect of the DWM is the fact that application windows are redirected to render offscreen, and then the DWM is responsible for compositing those windows to the screen. So, how exactly does that

The role of the Windows Display Driver Model in the DWM

The Problem Ever since the advent of dedicated graphics processors, even old-school graphics processors that only accelerated GDI blits, the way you would program against them would be similar to how you programmed against the main CPU/memory system before

Desktop Window Manager Index of Post Topics

Here's a list of topics that I have posted on (with active links) or expect to post on (without links) related to the Desktop Window Manager in Windows Vista. Under the Hood of the Desktop Window Manager -- a technical introduction (and response to comments

Responding to Comments from "DWM's use of DirectX, GPUs, and hardware acceleration"

My earlier post on " DWM's use of DirectX, GPUs, and hardware acceleration " generated some good comments and questions. I'll use this post to respond. dzCepheus wonders about end users and developers creating their own effects, for instance, mapping

DWM's use of DirectX, GPUs, and hardware acceleration

For the last few years, both desktop and laptop PCs have been outfitted with increasingly powerful graphics chipsets, including blazingly fast geometry and pixel processing, higher fill rates, and faster and faster bandwidth between system memory and

Responding to Comments from "Under the Hood of the DWM"

Wow... lots of great interest and comments in my previous post on "Under the Hood of the Desktop Window Manager" . Rather than attempting to comment inline, I figured I'd try to address in a separate post. So here goes: Anonymous : I'd like to know why

Under the Hood of the Desktop Window Manager

I've made a grand total of one post in about the last 21 months. What have I been doing during this time? Why, working on the new Desktop Window Manager for Windows Vista, of course! The Desktop Window Manager (DWM) is one of the more visible features