DirectX: Do I need this?

[johnb41]

I am building a .net app that does some simple image tasks (Tiff
files): viewing Tiff, viewing thumbnails from multipage tiff,
rotation, page (frame) deletion, etc.

The problem is that it is so frustratingly slow. Creating and viewing
thumbnails for a 50-page tiff (scan of text document) takes about 40
seconds. Commercial image viewers do the same thing in a split second.

I read on bobpowell.net that for fast GDI+, you need DirectX 9.0. I
don't know anything about DirectX. Before I spend days/months
tinkering with it, i'd like to know if DirectX is the "ticket" to a
speedy graphics application. By using DirectX, could my application
potentially be lightening fast for doing the tasks i mentioned above?

Also, is DirectX an alternative to GDI+? Or do they work together?

Thanks for your help!

John

 

[Ken Tucker [MVP]]

Hi,

Directx is an low level api for creating games and multimedia
applications. I dont think you will find much help from directx. Two
suggestion for speeding up program. Create the tumbnail for the tiff page
in the background so the program doesnt appear locked up. Second come up
with a way to store the thumnails. Only create thumbnails for files you
dont have any for or have changed.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/03/02/Multithreading/default.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/04/05/BasicInstincts/

Ken
-----------------------
I am building a .net app that does some simple image tasks (Tiff
files): viewing Tiff, viewing thumbnails from multipage tiff,
rotation, page (frame) deletion, etc.

The problem is that it is so frustratingly slow. Creating and viewing
thumbnails for a 50-page tiff (scan of text document) takes about 40
seconds. Commercial image viewers do the same thing in a split second.

I read on bobpowell.net that for fast GDI+, you need DirectX 9.0. I
don't know anything about DirectX. Before I spend days/months
tinkering with it, i'd like to know if DirectX is the "ticket" to a
speedy graphics application. By using DirectX, could my application
potentially be lightening fast for doing the tasks i mentioned above?

Also, is DirectX an alternative to GDI+? Or do they work together?

Thanks for your help!

John

 

[Oenone]

Directx is an low level api for creating games and multimedia
applications. I dont think you will find much help from directx.

Hmm... Not that I'm able to offer any help to the OP, but I do think DX
could potentially be useful.

It does have some restrictions and limitations, but it would mean that a
thumbnail could be created by getting the graphics hardware to do the
resizing. This could potentially be many times faster than a software
solution.

 

[johnb41]

I see 2 replies to my message (thanks to DevelopersDex emailing me a
notification). How come nothing is showing up in Google Groups?
Hmmm...

Anyway, thanks Ken Tucker and Oenone for your replies. I'll definitely
look into "threading" to fool the user to thinking my app is faster!

John