Editing DirectDraw

{{Short description|Old API of Microsoft's DirectX API}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2009}}
'''DirectDraw''' (ddraw.dll) is an API that used to be a part of [[Microsoft]]'s [[DirectX]] [[application programming interface|API]]. DirectDraw is used to accelerate [[Rendering (computer graphics)|rendering]] of 2D [[Computer graphics|graphics]] in applications. DirectDraw also allows applications to run fullscreen or embedded in a window such as most other MS Windows applications. DirectDraw uses [[hardware acceleration]] if it is available on the client's [[computer]]. DirectDraw allows direct access to [[video memory]], [[hardware overlay]]s, hardware [[bit blit|blitters]], and [[Double buffering|page flipping]]. Its [[video memory]] manager can manipulate video memory with ease, taking full advantage of the [[bit blit|blitting]] and color decompression capabilities of different types of [[video card|display adapters]].

Because DirectDraw is a [[2D computer graphics|2D]] API, it contains commands for 2D rendering and does not support [[3D computer graphics|3D]] hardware acceleration. A programmer could use DirectDraw to draw 3D graphics, but the rendering would be slow compared to an API such as [[Direct3D]] which does support 3D hardware acceleration.

DirectDraw was introduced for [[Windows Mobile]] in Windows Mobile 5.0, replacing the graphics component of [[Games API|GAPI]], which was then deprecated.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Saffitz |first1=Michael |title=Have you migrated to DirectDraw yet? |url=https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/2007/08/13/have-you-migrated-to-directdraw-yet/ |website=Windows Mobile Team Blog |date=13 August 2007 |access-date=23 April 2019}}</ref>

With the release of DirectX version 8.0, DirectDraw was merged into a new package called '''DirectX Graphics''', which extended Direct3D with a few DirectDraw API additions. DirectDraw can still be used by programmers, but they must use older DirectX interfaces (DirectX 7 and below).

In June 2010, DirectDraw was removed from the DirectX SDK package,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article1247.asp |title=DirectX 8 Graphics and Video: A Fresh Start |date=2000-11-30 |publisher=gamedev.net |access-date=2019-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070604171620/http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article1247.asp |archive-date=2007-06-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> but in 2012, the DirectX SDK was merged into the Windows Platform SDK, and DirectDraw was included once again.

== Replacement ==
There has been a deterioration of Windows compatibility with old games that rely upon DirectDraw, with ''[[Command & Conquer]]'', ''[[Warcraft 2]]'', and ''[[Theme Hospital]]'' among those affected. In newer Windows versions, some games will refuse to run under a 32-bit [[Color depth|bit depth]] (''[[Dangerous Waters (video game)|Dangerous Waters]]'' for example), others showing a black screen or glitching when switched out. Re-implementation of DirectDraw has been observed to fix these compatibility problems. Commonly used replacements include:
* WineD3D from [[Wine (software)|Wine]], which translates into [[OpenGL]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dossena |first1=Federico |title=WineD3D For Windows |url=https://fdossena.com/?p=wined3d/index.frag |website=Federico Dossena |access-date=23 April 2019}}</ref>
* cnc-ddraw and ts-ddraw from CnCNet, a ''Command & Conquer'' multiplayer network. Translates into [[Graphics Device Interface|GDI]], OpenGL (with [[GLSL]] support), or Direct3D 9.<ref>{{cite web |title=cnc-ddraw: GDI, OpenGL and Direct3D 9 re-implementation of the DirectDraw API for classic games for better compatibility with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 and Wine |url=https://github.com/CnCNet/cnc-ddraw |website=GitHub|author=CnCNet |access-date=23 April 2019 |date=21 April 2019}}</ref>
* DDrawCompat, a wrapper for the vanilla ddraw that corrects problematic calls.<ref>{{cite web |author1=narzoul |title=DDrawCompat: DirectDraw compatibility and performance enhancements for Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 10 |url=https://github.com/narzoul/DDrawCompat |website=GitHub |access-date=23 April 2019 |date=21 April 2019}}</ref> ddwrapper is an earlier, unrelated wrapper that does the same thing.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Aqrit |title=ddwrapper |url=http://bitpatch.com/ddwrapper.html |website=bitpatch.com}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[DirectDraw Surface]]
* [[Direct2D]]
* [[Direct3D]]
* [[DirectX]]
* [[QuickDraw]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/directdraw/directdraw-reference Microsoft API Reference for DirectDraw]
* [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/api/_directdraw/ Microsoft API Overview for DirectDraw]

{{Microsoft APIs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Directdraw}}
[[Category:DirectX|Draw DirectDraw]]
[[Category:Graphics libraries]]
[[Category:Microsoft application programming interfaces]]


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