[wx-dev] cairo graphics context implementation into generic ?

[Stefan Csomor]

Hi Bill 

> It's really great that work is underway on a better drawing API.
> 
> I seem to have missed the initial discussion -- just caught 
> wind of it on the wx-python list recently.  When is it 
> scheduled for release?
> 2.7.x?

yes, we should get a RC for mac by early november for 2.8 if we want 2.8
to be part of OS X 10.5...
 
> I've been doing some work on the wxArt2D library's low-level 
> drawer class recently.  I'm curious if this new 
> wxGraphicsContext or wxGCDC could possibly serve as a 
> replacement for that.
> 
> Anyway, the two are quite similar in goals (basically provide 
> a wxDC replacement that supports high quality rendering).  
> a2dDrawer2d does this via an AGG back-end.  But it also wraps 
> the wxDC API so that you can trade off quality for speed if 
> that's your preference.  Will wxGCDC also offer a wxDC backend?

the wxGCDC (GraphicsContextDC - still in search of a better and yet not
too long name here ..) is a bridge, implementing the wxDC calls onto a
wxGraphicsContext instance (wxGraphicsContext and wxGraphicsPath
subclasses are the real implementation against a specific backend

> And how about an AGG backend?  Is there any interest in that?
> Currently AGG supposedly beats Cairo for speed, mainly 
> because, as I understand, Cairo just hasn't made performance 
> a priority yet.
> 
> In the mean time I'm hacking on the a2d Agg backend thinking, 
> hmm maybe I should be putting this effort into a wxGCDC AGG 
> backend instead.

the classes to be subclassed for a new backend would be
wxGraphicsContext and wxGraphicsPath

Best,

Stefan