Скачать или смотреть How to Achieve 1 Billion Colors in Windows with C+ + MFC

Discover how to utilize DirectX for seamless 10-bit color support in your C+ + MFC applications without conversion delays.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/67492436/ asked by the user 'Zoltán Hegedüs' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/15473074/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/67493572/ provided by the user 'jwezorek' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/1413244/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Understanding the Color Limitations of MFC

When working with graphics in Windows applications using C+ + MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes), many developers encounter a significant limitation: the inability to work with more than 16 million colors. This limitation arises because functions that rely on the Graphics Device Interface (GDI) use a COLORREF structure, which supports only up to 16,777,216 colors (or 24-bit color depth). This can be a hurdle when attempting to take advantage of high-resolution displays, such as those offering 1,073,741,824 colors (or 30-bit color depth) on modern graphics cards.

In particular, for applications requiring deeper color representation, such as image editors or advanced graphics programs, this can lead to subpar performance and unsatisfactory results, especially when generating a vast array of colors directly from memory.

The Problem with GDI

For developers using Visual C+ + 2019 and building applications on Windows 10, the challenge is evident: standard GDI functions like CDC::SetPixel, FillSolidRect, SetTextColor, and others simply don’t support more than the standard 24-bit color depth. This means that even when your display and graphic card can handle it, the GDI will restrict you to a significantly lower range of colors. As a result, your application might suffer from slower performance when trying to create or render images requiring a broader palette, ultimately affecting user experience.

The Solution: Transitioning to DirectX

To unlock the potential of 1 billion colors in your Windows applications, you need to move beyond the limitations imposed by GDI. The advanced rendering of graphics can be accomplished with DirectX, particularly Direct2D or Direct3D, which fully supports 10-bit color and beyond. Here’s how you can implement this transition:

Why DirectX?

10-bit Color Support: DirectX natively supports deeper color depths which means you can directly specify 30-bit color depth without any conversion.

Performance: DirectX can handle graphics rendering much faster than GDI, especially for high-resolution projects. This is critical if your application is intended for real-time rendering or interactive graphics, like custom IDEs or game development.

Hardware Acceleration: DirectX utilizes the GPU for rendering tasks, leading to significant performance improvements, especially when manipulating large volumes of colors or graphics.

Steps to Implement DirectX in Your Application

Set Up Your Development Environment:

Make sure to include the DirectX SDK in your Visual Studio project for C+ + .

Link against necessary DirectX libraries in your project settings.

Initialize DirectX:

Create a DirectX device and context that allows for high color depth.

Utilize the new graphics pipeline to instantiate rendering targets that support 10-bit color.

Rendering with DirectX:

Instead of using GDI functions, replace them with corresponding DirectX functions.

Use Direct2D for 2D drawing operations and Direct3D for 3D graphics.

Implement techniques like bitmaps in DXGI_FORMAT, which handle different pixel formats for rendering.

Optimize Performance:

Batched rendering and off-screen buffers can enhance performance further by minimizing state changes and gathering multiple drawing commands in fewer operations.

Profile your application regularly to ensure that rendering maintains a high frame rate, as achieving responsiveness is key.

Conclusion

Moving to DirectX not only opens up the world of 10-bit color and significantly higher color fidelity for your C+ + MFC applications but also ensures that your applications remain performant and modern. If you're looking to break free from the 16 million colors constraint, implementing DirectX will undoubtedly p