Direct2D

Direct2D is a hardware-accelerated, immediate-mode 2D graphics API developed by Microsoft as part of the DirectX family. It provides high-performance rendering of vector graphics, bitmap images, and text, leveraging modern GPUs to offload drawing operations. Direct2D is designed to work closely with DirectWrite for text rendering and with the Windows Imaging Component (WIC) for image formats, enabling high-quality rendering across common screen resolutions.

The API is COM-based and centers on render targets, brushes, geometries, and render state. A typical program creates an ID2D1Factory to instantiate render targets such as an ID2D1HwndRenderTarget for windows or a bitmap render target for off-screen drawing. Drawing operations use brushes (solid, gradient, bitmap) and shapes described by geometry objects (rectangles, rounded rectangles, ellipses, or path geometries). Text rendering integrates with DirectWrite, and the system supports post-processing and compositing through a range of effects and transforms.

Direct2D can interoperate with Direct3D, allowing mixed 2D/3D scenes by sharing surfaces or rendering 2D content onto Direct3D textures. The typical rendering flow involves beginning a drawing session, issuing drawing commands, and ending the session to present the result to the screen via a window swap chain or by blitting into a Direct3D surface.

Platform and development considerations: Direct2D is available on Windows 7 and later and benefits from hardware acceleration on capable GPUs. It is designed to complement GDI, enabling modern, high-quality user interfaces and graphics by combining with DirectWrite and WIC for text and image handling.