Graphics Environment: 1.1 Graphics Road Map: Chapter Structure

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This chapter is divided into sections. Which sections you'll want to read depend on what you're interested in.

1 Road Map
You're reading the road map now.
2 Goals
This section goes into the design philosophy behind the GEOS graphics system.
3 Architecture
The Graphics Architecture section describes the basics behind how the graphics system works.
4 How to Use Graphics
This section is for programmers new to GEOS who know what sort of graphics they want their geode to have but don't know how to get it. This section discusses the different contexts in which graphics appear and how you can work within each of those contexts. After going through the section, you may wish to return to this road map to find out where to read more about whatever sort of graphics you'll be working with.
5 Coordinate Space
The GEOS graphics system describes locations and distances using a rectangular grid coordinate system. This section explains how to work with and manipulate this space.
6 Graphics State
This section describes the GState, a data structure used in many contexts and for many purposes throughout the graphics system.
7 Bitmaps
It is possible to specify an image by using a data structure in which an array of color values is used to represent a rectangular area of the screen. This section describes how such a data structure can be manipulated.
8 Graphics Strings and Metafiles
This section describes how to create and draw Graphics Strings, also known as GStrings. (See the Vocabulary section, below, for a simple definition of GString.)
9 Graphics Paths
The graphics system allows you to specify an arbitrary area of the display which can be used in powerful graphics operations. This section explains how to set up a path, a data structure describing the outline of the area you want to specify.
10 Video Drivers
Most programmers can safely skip this section, but video game writers might want to read it. This section includes some advanced techniques for getting faster drawing rates.
11 Windowing and Clipping
This section explains some of the work the graphics system does to maintain windows in a Graphical User Interface. Included is an in-depth look at clipping, along with some commands by which you can change the way clipping works.
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