# Windows Canvas

Windows Canvas is an easy-to-use Windows Runtime API for immediate mode 2D graphics 
rendering with GPU acceleration. It is available to C# and C++ developers writing 
Windows Store apps for Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1. It utilizes the power of 
Direct2D, and integrates seamlessly with XAML and ICoreWindow.

Windows Canvas is work in progress and evolving rapidly. The goal of releasing this code 
in an early, incomplete state is to solicit early developer feedback.

More information can be found on the [blog](http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowscanvas/).

## Setup
### Visual Studio
- Download [here](http://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/downloads/download-visual-studio-vs.aspx)
- Visual Studio 2013 Update 2 required

### Clone Repository
- Go to 'View' -> 'Team Explorer' -> 'Local Git Repositories' -> 'Clone'
- Add the Windows Canvas repository URL (https://github.com/Microsoft/WindowsCanvas.git) and hit 'Clone'

### Build NuGet Packages
- In Windows search, type 'Visual Studio Tools', and select that folder to open it
- Launch 'Developer Command Prompt for VS2013'
- Change directory to your cloned Windows Canvas repository and run 'build'
- Point Visual Studio at the resulting 'bin' directory:
  - In Visual Studio, go to 'Tools' -> 'NuGet Package Manager' -> 'Package Manager Settings'
  - Choose 'Package Sources'
  - Click the '+' button to add a new source
  - Set 'Name' to 'Windows Canvas' (or a name of your choosing)
  - Set 'Source' to the full path to the 'bin' directory (inside your cloned Windows Canvas repository)
  - Click the 'Update' button
  - Click 'OK'

## Quickstart
Follow the steps below to get started on writing your own apps.
 
A working sample can be found in the Samples directory.

- Go to 'File' -> 'New' -> 'Project...'
- Select 'Visual C#' -> 'Store Apps' -> 'Universal Apps'
- Create a 'Blank App (Universal Apps)'
- Set a 'Name' of your choosing
- Click 'OK'
- Go to 'Tools' -> 'NuGet Package Manager' -> 'Manage NuGet Packages for Solution...'
- Select 'Windows Canvas' package and click 'Install'
- Click 'Close'
- Change Solution platform from 'Any CPU' to x86
- You are now ready to hit F5 (Build)

## Code Example
To give you a flavor of what the code looks like, here is a snippet:
```cs
canvasControl.Draw += canvasControl_Draw; 
...
void canvasControl_Draw(CanvasControl sender, CanvasDrawEventArgs args)
{
    args.DrawingSession.Clear(Colors.BlueViolet);
}
```

## Resources

### Project Backlog
- https://github.com/Microsoft/WindowsCanvas/wiki

### License
- [Apache License, Version 2.0](http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html)

### Contributions
- Check out CONTRIBUTING in the root folder

## Windows Canvas Directory Structure

**Note: For the bulk of interesting product code, go to /winrt/lib.**

**/bin** - Binary files generated by the build

**/build** - Shared, build-related resources that are common across projects

- /Assets - Common Windows Store assets used for tests and samples
- /nuget - Resources needed for building the NuGet package

**/numeric** - Cross-platform vector and matrix library. There are three implementations:
- /Cpp
- /DotNet
- /WinRT

**/obj** - All intermediate object files generated during a build

**/samples** - Example projects showing how to use Windows Canvas

**/tests** - Test projects that consume Windows Canvas in a similar way to how an 
external customer would. Each one is a Windows Store app. These tests are run for manual 
verification.
- /CppConsumer
- /CsConsumer
- /ExampleGallery

**/tools** - Standalone utilities, separate from Canvas product code
- /codegen - Generates headers+IDL from XML resource files (you don't have to build this to build Windows Canvas)
- /copyright - Verifies the right copyright banner appears at the top of each source file

**/winrt** - Windows Canvas product code and automated tests
- /dll - Build resources for the product dll
- /inc - Common includes
- /lib - All the projected IDL and runtime class implementations!
  - /WinRTDirectX - projections for D3D/DXGI types
- /published - Contains headers included in the NuGet package that are required to use Windows Canvas
- /test.internal - Automated tests that link directly with winrt.lib to access internals of the implementation
- /test.external - Automated tests that use only the public WinRT interface