Introduction - Philips DirectX Visualizer User Manual

3D Solutions

1 1 1 1 Introduction

The DirectX Visualizer enables one to view the output of 3D applications or games on Philips 3D
displays even though the applications have not been designed to support them. It does this by
intercepting the interaction between the 3D application and DirectX.
Direct3D application
Figure 1: A Direct3D application running with and without the Visualizer
Because the application is unaware of the Visualizer doing its work, all configuration and tweaking has
to be done through the Visualizer's configuration file. An overview of how to get a new application to
work with the Visualizer is given in section 3, while the configuration file format and an explanation of
all possible settings are given in sections 5 and 6 respectively.
This document assumes basic knowledge of the Direct3D API in its explanation of the Visualizer
configuration process. For example it expects the reader to understand what render targets and depth
stencils are, what the IDirect3DDevice9::Clear() function can do and what a projection matrix is.
As an alternative to the rather complicated process of creating a Visualizer configuration for a new
application or game, we provide configuration files and installation instructions for several games on
our website.
Note that as the Visualizer works without the application being aware of it, there will always be
applications or parts of applications that will not generate proper output with the Visualizer, regardless
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Direct3D application
Direct3D
function calls
d3d9.dll
The same Direct3D application
running with the WOWvx
DirectX Visualizer DLL
Direct3D application
Direct3D
function calls
WOWvx DirectX
Visualizer DLL
forwarded Direct3D
function calls
d3d9.dll
©2005-2009 Philips Electronics Nederland B.V.
DirectX Visualizer