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author | Timothy Pearson <kb9vqf@pearsoncomputing.net> | 2011-11-08 12:31:36 -0600 |
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committer | Timothy Pearson <kb9vqf@pearsoncomputing.net> | 2011-11-08 12:31:36 -0600 |
commit | d796c9dd933ab96ec83b9a634feedd5d32e1ba3f (patch) | |
tree | 6e3dcca4f77e20ec8966c666aac7c35bd4704053 /examples/opengl/overlay_x11/README.X11-OVERLAYS | |
download | tqt3-d796c9dd933ab96ec83b9a634feedd5d32e1ba3f.tar.gz tqt3-d796c9dd933ab96ec83b9a634feedd5d32e1ba3f.zip |
Test conversion to TQt3 from Qt3 8c6fc1f8e35fd264dd01c582ca5e7549b32ab731
Diffstat (limited to 'examples/opengl/overlay_x11/README.X11-OVERLAYS')
-rw-r--r-- | examples/opengl/overlay_x11/README.X11-OVERLAYS | 92 |
1 files changed, 92 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/examples/opengl/overlay_x11/README.X11-OVERLAYS b/examples/opengl/overlay_x11/README.X11-OVERLAYS new file mode 100644 index 000000000..6029ca3eb --- /dev/null +++ b/examples/opengl/overlay_x11/README.X11-OVERLAYS @@ -0,0 +1,92 @@ + + HOW TO USE X11 OVERLAYS WITH THE QT OPENGL EXTENSION + +X11 overlays is a powerful mechanism that allows one to draw +annotations etc. on top of an image without destroying it, thus saving +significant image rendering time. For more information, consult the +highly recommended book "OpenGL Programming for the X Window System" +(Mark Kilgard, Addison Wesley Developers Press 1996). + +----------------------------------------------------------------------- +UPDATE: From version 5.0 onwards, the Qt OpenGL Extension includes +direct support for use of OpenGL overlays. For many uses of overlays, +this makes the technique described below redundant. See the 'overlay' +example program. The following is a discussion on how to use non-QGL +widgets in overlay planes. +----------------------------------------------------------------------- + +In the typical case, X11 overlays can easily be used together with the +current version of Qt and the Qt OpenGL Extension. The following +retquirements apply: + +1) Your X server and graphics card/hardware must support overlays (of + course). For many X servers, overlay support can be turned on with + a configuration option; consult your X server installation + documentation. + +2) Your X server must (be configured to) use an overlay visual as the + default visual. Most modern X servers do this, since this has the + added advantage that pop-up menus, overlapping windows etc. will + not destroy underlying images in the main plane, saving expensive + redraws. + +3) The best (deepest) visual for OpenGL rendering is in the main + plane. This is the normal case. Typically, X servers that support + overlays provide a 24 bit deep TrueColor visuals in the main plane, + and an 8 bit PseudoColor (default) visual in the overlay plane. + +The provided example program "overlayrubber" will check for all this +and tell you what is wrong, if anything. See "About X11 Visuals" below +for more information. + + +How it works: +------------- + +Given the above, a QGLWidget will by default use the main plane +visual, while all other widgets will use the overlay visual. Thus, one +can place a normal widget on top of the QGLWidget, and do drawing in +it, without destroying the image in the OpenGL window. In other words, +one can use all the drawing capabilities of QPainter to draw the +annotations, rubberbands, whatever. For the typical use of overlays, +this is much easier than using OpenGL for rendering the annotations. + +An overlay plane has a specific color called the transparent +color. Pixels drawn in this color will not be visible, instead the +underlying OpenGL image will show through. In the example program +"overlayrubber", the file main.cpp contains a routine that returns a +QColor containing the transparent color. For the overlay widget, one +will typically want to set the background color to the transparent +color, so that the OpenGL image shows through except where explicitly +overpainted. + +Note: To use this technique, you must not use the "ManyColor" or +"TrueColor" ColorSpec for the QApplication, because this will force +the normal Qt widgets to use a TrueColor visual, which will typically +be in the main plane, not in the overlay plane as desired. + + + +About X11 visuals: +------------------ + +The utilities directory contains two small programs that can help you +determine the capabilities of your X server. These programs are from +the OpenGL book mentioned above, see utilities/NOTICE for copyright +information. The full set of example programs from this book is +available at ftp://ftp.sgi.com/pub/opengl/opengl_for_x/ + +"glxvisuals" will list all the GL-capable visuals the X server provides, +together with the depth and other GL-specific information for +each. Note especially the column "lvl"; a number in this column means +the visual is in an overlay plane. + +"sovinfo" will list all available visuals, and provides special +transparency information for overlay visuals. + +The overlayrubber example program will output what visual is used for +the normal Qt widgets, and what visual is used by the QGLWidget. + + + +Comments are welcome at info@trolltech.com. |