Abstract: A framework for and hosting rendering plug-ins in remote access services is disclosed. The framework provides an interface between the core components of the remote access system and the rendering plug-ins. The framework utilizes public APIs to provide the interface between the core components and the rendering plug-ins. Using the APIs, the framework can allow various existing and new rendering plug-ins to interact with the core components of the remote access system, thereby making an extensible system that can support a variety of rendering plug-ins.

Abstract: Described are systems and methods for implementing seamless window support for applications, such as applications based on Windows® Presentation Foundation (WPF). Seamless support for WPF applications can be implemented by remoting information associated with structural representation of the applications from a remote server to a remote client. The structural representation may be replicated at the client in accordance with the structural information. The replicated structural representation is utilized to render visual content associated with the application by local rendering mechanisms at the client.

Abstract: A multiple-level graphics processing system and method (e.g., of an operating system) for providing improved graphics output including, for example, smooth animation. One such multiple-level graphics processing system comprises two components, including a tick-on-demand or slow-tick high-level component, and a fast-tick (e.g., at the graphics hardware frame refresh rate) low-level component. In general, the high-level, less frequent component performs computationally intensive aspects of updating animation parameters and traversing scene data structures, in order to pass simplified data structures to the low-level component. The low-level component operates at a higher frequency, such as the frame refresh rate of the graphics subsystem, to process the data structures into constant output data for the graphics subsystem. The low-level processing includes interpolating any parameter intervals as necessary to obtain instantaneous values to render the scene for each frame of animation.

Abstract: A system that provides graphics commands that represent graphics or an image, to a consuming process. The graphics commands are represented by a visual tree which includes objects and resources describing the objects. The objects and resources are communicated to a composition engine that creates an analogous composition tree that is analogous to the visual tree. The composition tree is used to render the graphics or image.

Abstract: A visual tree structure as specified by a program is constructed and maintained by a visual system's user interface thread. As needed, the tree structure is traversed on the UI thread, with changes compiled into change queues. A secondary rendering thread that handles animation and graphical composition takes the content from the change queues, to construct and maintain a condensed visual tree. Static visual subtrees are collapsed, leaving a condensed tree with only animated attributes such as transforms as parent nodes, such that animation data is managed on the secondary thread, with references into the visual tree. When run, the rendering thread processes the change queues, applies changes to the condensed trees, and updates the structure of the animation list as necessary by resampling animated values at their new times. Content in the condensed visual tree is then rendered and composed. Animation and a composition communication protocol are also provided.

Abstract: Described is the multiplexing and de-multiplexing of graphics streams, including by generating first higher-level graphics instructions from a first application program upon connecting to a client computer. A first identifier representing the first application program is associated with the first higher-level graphics instructions. Second higher-level graphics instructions are generated from a second application program, with a second identifier representing the second application program associated with the second higher-level graphics instructions. The first higher-level graphics instructions and the second higher-level graphics instructions are sent to the client computer. A server computer thus allows one or more application programs to be accessed by a client computer.

Abstract: A server computer hosts one or more application programs that are accessed by a client computer. Higher-level graphics commands describing graphics images are received from the application programs. The server computer determines whether the client computer is able to generate graphics using the higher-level graphics commands or generates graphics using relatively lower-level graphics commands. The server computer sends higher-level or relatively lower-level graphics commands depending on whether the client computer generates graphics using higher-level or relatively lower-level graphics commands.

Abstract: A method and protocol to create and control compositions on a remote device is disclosed. The protocol allows servers and other devices to take advantage of processing capabilities of remote devices to render compositions on the remote devices, thereby increasing server scalability and leveraging the remote device processing capabilities. The protocol provides high-level command packets to communicate resource command packets and control packets to the remote device with the payload having the information needed to process the commands.