server questions

[Alex Deucher]

--- stuart kreitman <Stuart.Kreitman@Sun.COM> wrote:
> 
> Questions on hardware panning in XFree implementation:
> 
> This is the feature that allows one to define a screen size larger
> than 
> the displayable
> area, and then performs a hardware pan when the cursor is moved to an
> 
> edge of the viewable.
> 
> Is it an extension? Where is the functionality implemented?

I'm not as familair with the fd.o xserver, but in xfree86 it's
implemented in the driver in the chips's AdjustFrame() function.  It's
not an extension, it's just a standard part of the xserver.

> 
> Is it possible to extend the idea to allow some amount of client side
> 
> control of the viewed area?
> 
> I wonder if there is a natural limitation to the max available size
> that 
> can be configured. EG some current graphics
> cards have huge memory.  If this is texture store, is it still
> possible 
> to somehow apply it to panning? I'm
> aware of some limitations where 3D engines are involved.
> 

Depends on the hardware.  2D and 3D engines have limits.  on radeon for
instance the 2D engine is limited to 8191x8191 while 3D is limted to
2048x2048.  there are some ways around this.

> I would like to see some control in allocation of the onboard memory
> so 
> that panning-freaks, pixmap-freaks,
> or 3D freaks could tune the hardware to their liking. Would
> appreciate a 
> push in the right direction if this
> work is possible.

In xfree86/DRI there is not yet a good 2D/3D memory manager so that can
limit you in some cases.  Several people have discussed solutions.  I'm
not sure what the status is in the fd.o xserver.

Alex

> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Stuart Kreitman
> 


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