Abstract: The present disclosure provides techniques for management of user interface elements based on historical configuration data. Use of historical configuration data to render user interface elements improves usability of graphical user interfaces by maintaining a consistent user experience. The states of user interface objects in a hosting environment are retained as historical configuration data and linked to a hosting environment profile. When the same or similar hosting environment is detected, the user interface elements are rendered based on the historical configuration data. For example, the last positions of windows in a particular monitor topology are stored as historical configuration data linked to that monitor topology. The windows are returned to their previous positions when a computing device is next configured with the same or similar monitor topology.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides techniques for management of user interface elements based on historical configuration data. Use of historical configuration data to render user interface elements improves usability of graphical user interfaces by maintaining a consistent user experience. The states of user interface objects in a hosting environment are retained as historical configuration data and linked to a hosting environment profile. When the same or similar hosting environment is detected, the user interface elements are rendered based on the historical configuration data. For example, the last positions of windows in a particular monitor topology are stored as historical configuration data linked to that monitor topology. The windows are returned to their previous positions when a computing device is next configured with the same or similar monitor topology.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides techniques for management of user interface elements based on historical configuration data. Use of historical configuration data to render user interface elements improves usability of graphical user interfaces by maintaining a consistent user experience. The states of user interface objects in a hosting environment are retained as historical configuration data and linked to a hosting environment profile. When the same or similar hosting environment is detected, the user interface elements are rendered based on the historical configuration data. For example, the last positions of windows in a particular monitor topology are stored as historical configuration data linked to that monitor topology. The windows are returned to their previous positions when a computing device is next configured with the same or similar monitor topology.

Abstract: Object sets are often organized and traversed in a hierarchical manner according to ownership, wherein a subset of contained objects are processed before or after a containing object that contains the contained objects. Such object sets may also be presented as a scene, which may involve traversing the object set in a drawing order, such as a descending distance order that renders objects in a back-to-front manner. It may be difficult to reconcile these distinct traversal techniques, particularly if different portions of the object set utilize a different traversal order. Presented herein are hybrid traversal techniques in which a selected subset of related objects is identified and traversed in a drawing order, and the remainder of the object set is traversed in an ownership order, in furtherance of various tasks that involve hybrid traversal orders and/or to facilitate the traversal of different types of object subsets within the object set.

Abstract: Virtual environments may be presented to a user with an inclusion of one or more applications, but many such techniques for integrating the applications with the virtual environment may exhibit disadvantages. For example, a two-dimensional “flat” rendering of the application may require a loss of visual depth, and/or may appear inconsistent; an immersive presentation that is mutually exclusive with the presentation of the virtual environment may achieve very limited integration; and a holographic presentation may appear incongruous. Such techniques may also increase presentation latency, with noticeable and significant consequences. Instead, the virtual environment may define an application region, and may notify the application of the application region and a perspective of the user within the virtual environment.

Abstract: Object sets are often organized and traversed in a hierarchical manner according to ownership, wherein a subset of contained objects are processed before or after a containing object that contains the contained objects. Such object sets may also be presented as a scene, which may involve traversing the object set in a drawing order, such as a descending distance order that renders objects in a back-to-front manner. It may be difficult to reconcile these distinct traversal techniques, particularly if different portions of the object set utilize a different traversal order. Presented herein are hybrid traversal techniques in which a selected subset of related objects is identified and traversed in a drawing order, and the remainder of the object set is traversed in an ownership order, in furtherance of various tasks that involve hybrid traversal orders and/or to facilitate the traversal of different types of object subsets within the object set.

Abstract: A scene may be rendered as objects that are lit by various light sources. A scene designer may arrange the scene to create particular lighting effects when viewed from an initial perspective, such as gloss, translucency, and iridescence, and may choose lighting effects to create a desired aesthetic tone and/or highlighting within the scene. However, rendering the scene from a different perspective may alter the lighting effects (e.g., losing or misplacing desired lighting effects, and/or creating new and undesirable lighting effects, such as glare). Instead, when the scene is rendered from the initial perspective, the lighting effects created therein may be stored with the scene representation of the scene. A second rendering of the scene from a different perspective may reapply the stored lighting effects to the lit objects, thereby maintaining the lighting effects and the intent of the designer in the presentation of the scene from a different perspective.

Abstract: Objects in a computing environment are often utilized by threads through an object lifecycle, and are destroyed at the end of the object lifecycle to reclaim the computing resources used by the object. In some cases, a thread that initiates an object destruction of an object may be unable to complete the destruction (e.g., a second thread may hold a synchronization lock over an object resource of the object). An object destruction workflow initiates the destruction of an object on behalf of a thread. If the object destruction workflow encounters a failure to complete the object destruction, a new reference to the object is inserted into an object destruction list, as the last reference to the object. A second thread discovers and releases the last reference in the object destruction list, prompting the object destruction workflow to resume the attempt to destroy the object on behalf of the second thread.

Abstract: Virtual environments may be presented to a user with an inclusion of one or more applications, but many such techniques for integrating the applications with the virtual environment may exhibit disadvantages. For example, a two-dimensional “flat” rendering of the application may require a loss of visual depth, and/or may appear inconsistent; an immersive presentation that is mutually exclusive with the presentation of the virtual environment may achieve very limited integration; and a holographic presentation may appear incongruous. Such techniques may also increase presentation latency, with noticeable and significant consequences. Instead, the virtual environment may define an application region, and may notify the application of the application region and a perspective of the user within the virtual environment.

Abstract: A scene may be rendered as objects that are lit by various light sources. A scene designer may arrange the scene to create particular lighting effects when viewed from an initial perspective, such as gloss, translucency, and iridescence, and may choose lighting effects to create a desired aesthetic tone and/or highlighting within the scene. However, rendering the scene from a different perspective may alter the lighting effects (e.g., losing or misplacing desired lighting effects, and/or creating new and undesirable lighting effects, such as glare). Instead, when the scene is rendered from the initial perspective, the lighting effects created therein may be stored with the scene representation of the scene. A second rendering of the scene from a different perspective may reapply the stored lighting effects to the lit objects, thereby maintaining the lighting effects and the intent of the designer in the presentation of the scene from a different perspective.

Abstract: Objects in a computing environment are often utilized by threads through an object lifecycle, and are destroyed at the end of the object lifecycle to reclaim the computing resources used by the object. In some cases, a thread that initiates an object destruction of an object may be unable to complete the destruction (e.g., a second thread may hold a synchronization lock over an object resource of the object). An object destruction workflow initiates the destruction of an object on behalf of a thread. If the object destruction workflow encounters a failure to complete the object destruction, a new reference to the object is inserted into an object destruction list, as the last reference to the object. A second thread discovers and releases the last reference in the object destruction list, prompting the object destruction workflow to resume the attempt to destroy the object on behalf of the second thread.