From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Quartz 2D
Quartz 2D
Mac OS X graphics model ing should be presented: in a window, sent to a print-
er, an OpenGL layer, or off-screen. Each context raster-
izes the drawing at the desired resolution without alter-
ing the data that defines the drawing. Thus, contexts are
the mechanism by which Quartz 2D employs resolution-
and device-independence. For example, a window con-
text may rasterize an object to the appropriate screen
Rendering
resolution to create actual graphics on the display. The
QuickDraw • Core OpenGL same object can be sent to a printing context at a much
Quartz 2D • Core Image higher resolution. This permits the same graphics com-
Core Animation • Core Video
mands to yield output on any device using the most ap-
ColorSync • QuickTime
propriate resolution.[4]
Compositing
Quartz Compositor History
Quartz 2D is similar to NeXT’s Display PostScript in its use
Quartz 2D is the primary two-dimensional graphics ren-
of contexts. It first appeared as the 2D graphics rendering
dering API for Mac OS X, part of the Core Graphics frame-
library called Core Graphics Rendering; along with Core
work.
Graphics Services (Compositing), it was wrapped into the
initial incarnation of Quartz.[5] Quartz (and its renderer)
Overview were first demonstrated at WWDC in May 1999.[6]
Quartz 2D is available to all Mac OS X application en- Presently, the name Quartz 2D more precisely defines
vironments, and provides resolution-independent and the 2D rendering capabilities of Core Graphics (Quartz).
device-independent rendering of bitmap graphics, text, With the release of Mac OS X 10.2, marketing attention
and vectors both on-screen and in preparation for print- focused on Quartz Extreme, the composition layer, leav-
ing. Its responsibilities within the graphics layer in- ing the term "Quartz" to refer to the Core Graphics
clude:[1] framework or just its 2D renderer. Presently, Quartz tech-
• Rendering text using Apple Type Services (ATS) nologies can describe all of the rendering and composit-
• Displaying, manipulating, and rendering PDF ing technologies introduced by Mac OS X (including Core
documents Image for example).
• Converting PostScript data to PDF data, and vice- Prior to Mac OS X 10.4, QuickDraw rendering out-
versa performed that of Quartz 2D. Mac OS X 10.4 rectified
• Displaying, manipulating, and rendering bitmap this, substantially increasing the standard rendering per-
images via ImageIO formance of Quartz 2D. Mac OS X 10.4 also introduced
• Providing color management via ColorSync Quartz 2D Extreme: optional graphics processor (GPU)
• Displaying the elements of the Aqua user interface acceleration for Quartz 2D, although it is not an officially
supported feature. Quartz 2D Extreme is disabled by de-
fault in Mac OS X 10.4 because it may lead to video redraw
Drawing in Quartz 2D issues or kernel panics.[7] In Mac OS X 10.5, Quartz 2D Ex-
Quartz 2D expands the drawing functions associated with treme was renamed QuartzGL.
QuickDraw. The most notable difference is that Quartz 2D
eliminates output device and resolution specificity. References
The drawing model utilized by Quartz 2D is based
on PDF specification 1.4.[2] Drawing takes place using a [1] "Apple - Developer - Quartz 2D Programming
Cartesian coordinate system, where text, vectors, or Guide". http://developer.apple.com/
bitmap images are placed on a grid.[3] However, drawing documentation/GraphicsImaging/Conceptual/
output is not sent directly to the output device. Quartz 2D drawingwithquartz2d/dq_intro/
uses graphics contexts, environments in which drawing chapter_1_section_1.html. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
takes place. Each graphics context defines how the draw- [2] "Apple - Developer - Graphics & Imaging
Overview". http://developer.apple.com/
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Quartz 2D
graphicsimaging/overview.html. Retrieved
2007-01-25.
See also
[3] "Apple - Developer - Quartz Programming Guide • Quartz (graphics layer)
for QuickDraw Developers: Coordinate Space". • Quartz Compositor
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/ • QuickDraw
Carbon/Conceptual/QuickDrawToQuartz2D/ • Display PostScript
tq_other/chapter_3_section_2.html. Retrieved • Core Image
2007-01-25.
[4] "Apple - Developer - Quartz Programming Guide Competitors
for QuickDraw Developers: Drawing Destinations". • Cairo
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/ • GDI and WPF on Windows Vista
Carbon/Conceptual/QuickDrawToQuartz2D/
tq_other/chapter_3_section_3.html. Retrieved
2007-01-25. External links
[5] "Ars Technica - Mac OS X DP4". • Mac OS X – Features – Quartz Extreme – from Apple
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/2q00/macos-x- • Introduction to Quartz 2D Programming Guide –
dp4/macos-x-dp4-4.html. Retrieved 2007-01-25. developer documentation from Apple
[6] "Ars Technica - Mac OS X Update: Quartz & Aqua". • Introduction to Quartz 2D for QuickDraw
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/1q00/macos-x- Programmers – developer documentation from
gui/macos-x-gui-2.html. Retrieved 2007-01-25. O’Reilly’s MacDevCenter
[7] "Apple - Info - Docs - About the Mac OS X 10.4.3
Update (Delta)". http://docs.info.apple.com/
article.html?artnum=301984. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quartz_2D&oldid=395074047"
Categories:
• Graphics libraries
• Mac OS X APIs
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