SDLTexture

SDLTexture is the SDL library’s abstraction for a 2D image resource that can be rendered using the SDL rendering API. In SDL2, this concept is represented by the SDL_Texture type and is the primary means of displaying pixel data through a renderer. Textures can originate from a system surface or be created from raw pixel data, and they can be classified as static, streaming, or render-target textures depending on how often their contents change and how they are used.

Creation and sources: Textures are created with a renderer, a pixel format, an access mode, and a width and height, via a function such as SDL_CreateTexture. They can also be created from an existing SDL_Surface using SDL_CreateTextureFromSurface. The access mode determines how the texture will be updated: SDL_TEXTUREACCESS_STATIC for rarely changed textures, SDL_TEXTUREACCESS_STREAMING for frequently updated ones, and SDL_TEXTUREACCESS_TARGET for render-to-texture operations.

Properties and updating data: SDL_QueryTexture retrieves a texture’s format, access, width, and height. Streaming textures can be updated by locking the texture with SDL_LockTexture (which yields a pixel pointer) and then unlocking it with SDL_UnlockTexture; updates can also be performed with SDL_UpdateTexture for simpler data transfers.

Rendering: Textures are drawn with SDL_RenderCopy or SDL_RenderCopyEx, using source and destination rectangles, and may be rotated or flipped. Texture state can be adjusted with color modulation (SDL_SetTextureColorMod), alpha modulation (SDL_SetTextureAlphaMod), and blend mode (SDL_SetTextureBlendMode).

Memory and lifecycle: Textures typically reside in GPU memory on capable backends, offering efficient rendering. They should be destroyed with SDL_DestroyTexture when no longer needed to free resources.