Next-easiest graphics rendering faster than GDI+?
gdi+, graphics, visual-c++, winapi
Solution
Direct2D is almost like a swap-in for GDI+, just faster and cleaner. The drawing functions are exposed via the `ID2D1RenderTarget` interface.
Unlike Direct2D, GDI+ is not hardware accelerated, so you should notice a huge improvement in speed of rendering. Anti-aliased drawing and alpha-blending operations are part of the package now.
Problem
I have a GDI+ program that I've thoroughly optimized (batching calls with `GraphicsPath`, `DrawLines`, etc.), but it's still slow at rendering (takes a few seconds to draw a complex map with anti-aliasing). There is no way to make my GDI+ faster, so I'm looking for an alternative. What is my next-easiest/lightweight alternative (with at least 20x faster performance or so) for drawing lines/circles/rectangles on the screen with antialiasing, if: - I need compatibility with Windows XP? - I don't need compatibility with Windows XP? I'm looking into DirectDraw and Direct2D right now, but I haven't even figured out how to draw basic shapes on the screen with them. I might consider OpenGL too, but I'm not sure where to start since I've never used it.