Windows Graphics Overview

David Blythe
Architect
Windows Graphics & Gaming Technologies
dblythe @ microsoft.com
Microsoft Corporation
Session Outline
Windows Graphics Big Picture
Windows codenamed "Longhorn" Display
Driver Model
Basic, Advanced driver models
Graphics APIs
Legacy, Direct3D9,
Windows Graphics Foundation, OpenGL
Desktop Window Manager
Content Protection & Protected Video Path
Glitch-Free Media Support
Windows Graphics Foundation 2.0
Windows Graphics in Longhorn
Microsoft- IHV-written
Avalon/DWM
written code code

Legacy DX WGF
D3D9 OpenGL32
D3D APIs VA 1.0
WGF 2.0
OpenGL
Common pipeline OGL→D3D ICD

User-Mode
Driver
User Mode

Kernel Mode
Kernel-Mode
DXG Kernel
Driver
Longhorn Display Driver Model
Graphics Just Works
Fundamental principle
New driver model delivers:
Stability
Security
Availability (virtualization)
Performance
Staged introduction of driver model
Basic model supports current hardware (planned for Longhorn)
e.g., pre-Longhorn hardware
Advanced model utilizes new hardware features (post-Longhorn)
More efficient virtualization
Old XP driver model still supported for compatibility
No new features
Stability & Security
Application graphics state isolated from other
applications
Surface data (textures, render targets, etc)
Virtual address spaces
Current rendering state
Shaders, etc

Command stream is validated

Prevents access to unauthorized resources
e.g., another application’s surfaces
Prevents illegal command streams
Avoid sending bad commands to hardware
But, still have a watchdog timer
Time out if not making forward progress
Basic driver model does sw validation in kernel
Advanced driver model does hw validation
Virtualization
Allow multiple applications to “time slice” the
graphics hardware
Scheduler determines which command
stream to run
Basic driver model schedules batches
Batch = sequence of commands submitted by application
Batch can’t be interrupted once started
Advanced driver model schedules contexts
Batches accumulated in application context
Can interrupt a context and run a different one
More responsive to input changes (new work, priority changes)
Better user experience
Virtualization
Memory manager determines which memory resources
need to be resident
Unused resources can be paged out
Application resources can be larger than video memory
In Window Graphics Foundation APIs only
No duplication of data
Either in graphics memory, system memory, or page file
Basic driver model
All referenced surfaces must be present for application to run
Can fail if too many surfaces (WGF 2.0 can be demanding)
Pages for inactive surfaces can be paged out
Advanced driver model
Only referenced pages need to be resident
Can fault pages in on demand
More efficient utilization of physical memory
Device Lost and Device Removed
Virtualization eliminates “device lost”
Eliminate notion of exclusive access to device
However, device can be removed
Low frequency, but possible
Hot-plug
“Device hang” followed by reset equivalent to:
Removal + insertion
Best to not have device hang at all (hint hint)
Use to avoid reboot on driver install
Remove device, add device with new driver
Applications should be written to handle
“device removed” events
Performance
New model designed with performance in mind
Hardware command streams built directly in user mode
New DDIs better match for modern hardware
Support for renaming and other pipelining operations
Both Basic and Advanced driver models
Advanced model enables maximum performance
Eliminates CPU processing
Validation
Handle mapping, patching
Advanced Driver Model
Advanced Driver Model is the Future
More responsive scheduling
More efficient memory management
All future content protection, glitch free, etc.
plans build on the Advanced Driver Model
Legacy APIs
Microsoft- IHV-written
Avalon/DWM written code code

Legacy DX WGF
D3D9 OpenGL32
D3D APIs VA 1.0
WGF 2.0
OpenGL
Common pipeline OGL→D3D ICD

User-Mode
Driver
User Mode

Kernel Mode
Kernel-Mode
DXG Kernel
Driver
Legacy APIs
Older Direct3D immediate mode APIs supported
D3DRM (retained mode) API retired
Map older runtimes onto Direct3D9 DDIs
e.g., runtimes ≤ Direct3D8
Fixed-function onto shaders, etc
Direct3D9 interface matches DirectX 9.0c
Device removed maps to device lost
Memory virtualization “partially hidden” from Direct3D9
Application limited to size of video memory
Avoids breaking existing applications
Port to WGF 1.0 for full virtualization
Windows Graphics Foundation 1.0
Microsoft- IHV-written
Avalon/DWM
written code code

Legacy DX WGF
D3D9 OpenGL32
D3D APIs VA 1.0
WGF 2.0
OpenGL
Common pipeline OGL→D3D ICD

User-Mode
Driver
User Mode

Kernel Mode
Kernel-Mode
DXG Kernel
Driver
Windows Graphics Foundation 1.0
Enhanced version of Direct3D9
Also known as “DX9.L”
Cross-process shared surfaces
“Unlimited memory”
All memory resources are “managed”
Creation fails when run out of pagefile
Resource management controls
Prioritization of resources
Antialiased text rendering support
Monochrome texture filter with large kernel size
More accurate gamma control
Extended, higher resolution gamma tables
Still support legacy 256x3 table for GDI
No more “device lost”
OpenGL
Microsoft- IHV-written
Avalon/DWM
written code code

Legacy DX WGF
D3D9 OpenGL32
D3D APIs VA 1.0
WGF 2.0
OpenGL
Common pipeline OGL→D3D ICD

User-Mode
Driver
User Mode

Kernel Mode
Kernel-Mode
DXG Kernel
Driver
OpenGL
Continue OpenGL support
Important component of the Windows platform,
particularly for high-end workstation applications
In-box hardware accelerated version of OpenGL
Uses WGF 1.0 as common graphics pipeline
Upgraded API support compared to XP
OpenGL 1.4
Continue to support OpenGL ICDs
Can be shipped by OEMs
New ICDs required for LDDM
Old XP ICDs work with XP driver model in Longhorn
Desktop Window Manager
New desktop presentation built using
Avalon and DirectX
Uses new WGF 1.0 interfaces
Desktop Window Manager (DWM)
Composited desktop
Window movement without repainting underlying windows
No more dragging garbage
Client areas from applications
GDI, Direct3D, Windows Graphics Foundation, Avalon
Video
Non-client areas from the Window Manager
Allows different views of application windows
Desktop Window Manager
Supports high-dpi displays
Composition with magnification
Supports video playback
Takes advantage of Direct3D9 shaders
For non-client areas, transitions
Animated transitions, etc.
New WGF 1.0 cross-process shared surfaces
Allows DWM to access application back buffers
Turns off when certain application types running
Overlay planes, front buffer rendering, …
Desktop Window Manager

Avalon WGF/DX GDI

Application Application Application

surface surface surface

Desktop Window Manager

Full-Screen Exclusive, Multimon, and DWM
So, what happens to full-screen exclusive?
Replaced with exclusive output control
Full-screen application owns the display output
Video mode, gamma, etc.
Desktop window manager disappears
Other applications can continue to run
Doesn’t trigger device lost, etc.
May bump the priorities of the output-exclusive app
Applications should recognize case where client
area is occluded
Background processing on the GPU
Multiple monitors independent
Composited desktop image per monitor
Exclusive output independent for each monitor
Content Protection
Microsoft- IHV-written
Avalon/DWM
written code code

Legacy DX WGF
D3D9 OpenGL32
D3D APIs VA 1.0
WGF 2.0
OpenGL
Common pipeline OGL→D3D ICD

User-Mode
Driver
User Mode

Kernel Mode
Kernel-Mode
DXG Kernel
Driver
Content Protection
Preparing the PC for HD-DVD
Prevent “high-value” content from escaping
Work with content providers on protection rules
Two areas of protection
While content being processed on CPU
While content being transmitted to GPU
and processed on GPU
Supported by Protected Media Path (PMP) and
Protected Video Path (PVP)
Protected Video Path
Protection requirements
Ensure that graphics device is trusted
Driver authenticates graphics chip, OS authenticates driver
Protect content transmitted to graphics card
Special case for data crossing a “user-accessible bus” (UAB)
Encrypt content crossing UABs with an approved cipher
E.g., AES128 in counter mode
Encryption requires initialization using Diffie-Hellman algorithm
Protect content transmitted from graphics card to
display device
Use “standard” output protection mechanisms (HDCP, etc)
Control using Output Protection Manager (OPM)
Protected Video Path Roadmap
Non-UAB systems planned for Longhorn:
Small set of driver DDIs
Driver authentication
OPM
Updates to DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA)
Authentication of cross-process shared surfaces
Basic driver model
UAB systems require Advanced driver model
Support for paging with encrypted transfers
New DDIs
Initialization, encrypted transfers, key management, paging
Glitch-Free Media Support
Microsoft- IHV-written
Avalon/DWM
written code code

Legacy DX WGF
D3D9 OpenGL32
D3D APIs VA 1.0
WGF 2.0
OpenGL
Common pipeline OGL→D3D ICD

User-Mode
Driver
User Mode

Kernel Mode
Kernel-Mode
DXG Kernel
Driver
Glitch-Free Media Support
Multi-faceted plans to address causes of glitches
Several graphics-related initiatives
Memory, scheduler controls
Statistics & feedback
Video sync & flip counts with timestamps
Method to calibrate GPU timestamps against CPU timestamps
Compute current frame being displayed
Hardware “flip” buffering
Hardware-supported “flip queue”
Allow playback to get several frames ahead
Provide elasticity to cover unexpected delays
Hardware support eliminates all software delays
Comes at “modest” increase in latency
Comes at a cost in additional memory
Windows Graphics Foundation 2.0
Microsoft- IHV-written
Avalon/DWM
written code code

Legacy DX WGF
D3D9 OpenGL32
D3D APIs VA 1.0
WGF 2.0
OpenGL
Common pipeline OGL→D3D ICD

User-Mode
Driver
User Mode

Kernel Mode
Kernel-Mode
DXG Kernel
Driver
Windows Graphics Foundation 2.0
Next Version of Direct3D
Supported in Longhorn
Proposed Gold Logo requirement
Major improvements in
Hardware consistency
Clearest, most detailed specification
Elimination of capability bits
Programmer expressiveness
Unified shader programming model
More capable shader unit
Flexible memory model
New pipeline stages
LDDM + WGF 2.0 are fundamental improvement
to the Windows Gaming Platform
Windows Graphics Foundation 2.0
Performance improvements
Applications limited by state change performance
LDDM helps by eliminating extra processing
WGF 2.0 refactors state for efficient management
Enable GPU processing without CPU intervention
More flexible memory model
Stream output from middle of pipeline
Feedback to front of pipeline, with predication
Efficiency improvements
Multiple samples from textures, integer addressing
Compact surface formats (scenario-specific)
HDR, normal map compression, …
Arrayed resources
Windows Graphics Foundation 2.0
Geometry shader stage
“Sees” entire primitive (3 vertices of triangle)
Can have adjacent vertices too (6 vertices total)
Limited amplification
Extrude edges, expand points, generate shells, …
Per-primitive processing
Generate extra per-primitive constant data for pixel shaders
Constant colors, normals, etc
Compute plane equations, barycentric parameters, etc.
Combine with stream output or arrayed resources
Render to cube map
Render multiple shadow maps
Windows Graphics Foundation 2.0
fixed

programmable

memory

Constant Constant Constant

Input Vertex Geometry Setup Pixel Output

Assembler Shader Shader Rasterizer Shader Merger

Sampler Sampler Stream out Sampler

Vertex Index Stream Depth Render

Texture Texture Texture
Buffer Buffer Buffer Stencil Target

Memory
Call To Action
Longhorn Display Driver
Basic model for Longhorn launch
Future Advanced model
Support Windows Graphics Foundation 2.0
Comprehensive hardware spec for next
generation content
Support Protected Video Path features
Output protection management, for Longhorn launch
Protected transfers (discrete cards) for
validation in 2006
Support Glitch Free features
Counters, timestamps, flip queue ASAP
Advanced driver model
Community Resources
Windows Hardware & Driver Central (WHDC)
www.microsoft.com/whdc/default.mspx
Technical Communities
www.microsoft.com/communities/products/default.mspx
Non-Microsoft Community Sites
www.microsoft.com/communities/related/default.mspx
Microsoft Public Newsgroups
www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups
Technical Chats and Webcasts
www.microsoft.com/communities/chats/default.mspx
www.microsoft.com/webcasts
Microsoft Blogs
www.microsoft.com/communities/blogs
Additional Resources
Email
directx @ microsoft.com
Related Sessions
Avalon Technologies
“Advances in Display and Composition Architecture for
Windows”
PMP and PVP
“Protected Media Path & Driver Interoperability Requirements”
“Longhorn Output Content Protection”
WAVE
“Windows Audio Video Excellence”