8.2.4 Notes on Video Input Model

An image that can be displayed as a the video is of 24 planes (TrueColor) and cannot be rendered to a pix map.

In the video capture board, the member opaque of the MVEX RenderModel structure is set to True, and the pixel value cannot be referenced.

An invalid value is also set to the red-mask, green-mask, and blue_mask members of the same structure.

8.2.5 Other Notes

• The setup return values of MVEXQuerySetup are not supported for frames and time codes.False is set for all setup return values.
  
  
• Neither the MVEXSetup event nor MVEXSync event are issued.
  
  
• Description for Capture is supported. However, Capture of a video reflection is not possible.
  
  
• When the full-color graphics adapter (with video functions) and multimedia graphics adapter are equipped, video data may be lost if drawing is performed on the 24-plane window during video display. The video reflection display speed is 30 framed per second.
  
  
• When displaying images using apl, use ioctl of the video driver.
  
  
• The video window images are not retained by backing store regardless of on or off of the backing store attribute of the X server.
  
  
• In the video capture board, no data is stored in the flame buffer because opaque of the MVEX Render Model structure becomes True. Therefore, the pixel value cannot be obtained for video images.
  
  
• In the video capture board, one entry (No.255) on the color map si always occupied to display video images. The total number of the color map entries is 256. If drawing is performed at No.255 by pixel or logical operation results in using the colormap at No.255, the video images may be displayed on the portion drawn by the color map.
  
  
• To display video images using the video capture board, the X server visual must be 8-plane Pseudo Color or Gray Scale. (The displaying operation in other X server visual environments is not guaranteed.)
  
  In other environments, add mvexOff to the X server starting-up option to use the video capture board, so that the MVEX extension cannot work.
  
  

8.3 MVEX Protocol

8.3.1 Overview

The spirit of this extension is to provide an X interface to the generally interesting aspects of displaying live video in windows, capturing graphics from windows and converting them to a video signal. Based on an earlier extension called VEX, this extension endevors to provide the minimal support needed for integrating video into the window system.

For applications that need access to the digitized video pixels, this extension allows normal pixmaps or windows with core visual classes to hold video, which in turn allows read and write access to the pixels via the core protocol or other extensions such as the X Image Extension. For hardware that does not actually digitize any pixels, MVEX introduces two new visual classes: VideoColor and VideoGray. Their purpose is to express the visual aspects of a visible but untouchable video picture, hence drawing on a window with one of these visual classes has no effect and the pixels are undefined.

Today, video input and output hardware has complex limitations and capabilities; the capabilities not always scale in expected ways, nor do the limitations always make sense. The MVEX extension can provide large amounts of information about these limitations and capabilities. It is intended that the client, through the use of convenience routines in the MVEXlib implementation, will be able to easily determine what it can and can't do without the overhead of a round-trip request to the server.

8.3.2 Terminology

Full-motion video

The display of video on the screen at a rate at least as fast as that defined by the encoded video signal. For example NTSC is defined as (roughly) 30 frames per second and 60 fields per second.

Opaque pixels

Some video input hardware uses a single frame buffer to hold both video pixels and graphic pixels. If the video pixels are stored in a form that does not match a core visual class, then the meaning of those pixels, from a client perspective, is said to be opaque.

Still video

A single, static frame acquired from a video signal.

Video digitization

A process that converts a video image from an encoded signal into a digital form having a supported depth and format.

Video input

The term video input in general refers to an incoming signal or stream that is decoded, decompressed or digitized to produce a picture on the workstation display. In this document, video input refers to the digitizing or decoding hardware, and it is identified by a VIDEOIN id. Logical, a client will connect an input port, such as "RGB channel 1", to a video input using SelectPort request, and then use RenderVideo to direct in which drawable the picture will appear.

Video input region(VIR)

This is defined as the subset of pixels in a VW or a pixmap that is actually being updated by a RenderVideo request.

Video output

The term video output in general refers to signals produced by encoding workstation graphics. In this document, video output refers to the encoding hardware, and it is identified by a VIDEOOUT id. Logically, a client will connect an output port, such as "NTSC Dl channel 2", to a video output using the SelectPort request, and then use CaptureGraphics to direct from which drawable the graphics will be captured.

Video output region (VOR)

This is defined as the set of pixels on the screen or in a pixmap that are being encoded by a CaptureGraphics request, whether it is accomplished by reading pixels from a frame buffer or by analog conversion.

Video window (VW)

A video window is defined as any window actively displaying video or one that has the potential to display nothing but video. Specifically,

• a window having a visual class VideoColor or VideoGray.
  
  
• a window with a core visual class, and actively servicing a RenderVideo request.
  
  

8.3.3 Visuals

There are three important classes of video input hardware. Each class produces a video picture on the screen using a different method, and the methods affects the visual class used to represent the window or pixmap that contains it. MVEX attempts to recognize all three classes:

• Core visual pixels. Many instances of hardware choose to represent a video picture in a frame buffer that is no different than most graphic frame buffers. In this case nothing new need be added, because one of the core visual classes is sufficient.
  
  
• Inaccessible pixels. Some low-cost video input hardware is contained in a separate subsystem where either pixels are never digitized, or if they are, the pixels are available only at low serial line speeds. The analog video picture is merged with the workstation graphics analog signal such that the picture is updated very quickly. Therefore, this hardware will continue to be reasonable as long as video is not a standard option for every X display. For this, MVEX introduces two new visual class, VideoGray and VideoColor, whose semantics essentially describe a write-only visual: video pixel values cannot be read. This implies that pixmap access for these visual types will never be offered.
  
  
• Opaque pixels. A few instances of hardware chose to represent digitized pixels as an encoded color difference, such as YUV;Y,R-Y,B-Y; or YIQ. This encoding is more compact than RGB, but cannot be represented with any of the core visual classes. Rather than invent more new color models and visual classes, MVEX allows the use of whatever core visual class matches the frame buffer's "normal" mode, but pixels that are modified by RenderVideo are opaque. This implies that while the pixels can be read, their meaning is undefined (note that a vendor may choose to provide more information about the meaning of these pixels via control mechanisms, described later). See the description for the RENDERMODEL type and the RenderVideo request.
  
  

Windows created with VideoGray display only the luminance portion of a video signal; windows created with VideoColor are able to display a color picture if chrominance information is available in the video signal. A side effect of this visual class is that the visible rendition of regions not covered by a RenderVideo request are undefined, including the window's border. However, it is expected that server implementors will pick reasonable defaults.

8.3.4 Types

VIDEOIN: 32-bit value (top three bits guaranteed to be zero)
VIDEOOUT: 32-bit value (top three bits guaranteed to be zero)
VIDEOIO: VIDEOIN or VIDEOOUT

When a VIDEOIN or VIDEOOUT is supplied to a request, it must be one returned by the CreateVideo request, else Match error.

VREFERENCE: 32-bit value (top three bits guaranteed to be zero)

This is a special id supplied in a VIDEOGEOMETRY structure that uniquely identifies the corresponding resource.

The FRACTION type is used to represent a rational number; the denominator must be strictly positive (>0) in all requests, else Value error.

A FRACTIONRANGE is used in a PLACEMENT, described below. The set of fractions represented by FRACTIONRANGE depend on the types, and for each type, the range of numerators and denominators of each fraction are as follows:

Linear:	n:	{n=base to limit step inc
Geometric:	nexp:	{n=base; exp=inc to limit step 1

A FRACTIONRANGE supplied by QueryVideo is guaranteed never to generate a fraction with a zero denominator, or a fractional numerator or denominator. For Linear, num-inc and denom-inc are guaranteed to be greater than zero, and the limit is always guaranteed to be -base plus some integral multiple of -inc. For Geometric, num-inc and denom-inc are guaranteed to be greater than or equal to zero. For example, a FRACTIONRANGE of {512, 128, 1024, Linear, 512, 512, 1024, Linear } creates a set containing

A FRACTIONRANGE of {2,0,2, Geometric, 1,1,127, Linear} creates the set

A FRACTIONRANGE of {0, 1, 63, Linear, 63, 1, 63, Linear} creates the set

In this last example, the fixed denominator is expressed with an increment of one because the protocol requires it to be>0.

The FRAME is used by RenderVideo and CaptureGraphics to indicate a relative or absolute frame when the request will take effect. If negative is true, then it refers to a negative frame number or offset.

The TIMECODE is used by RenderVideo and CaptureGraphics to indicate a relative or absolute time point when the request will take effect. If negative is true, then it refers to a negative timecode.

The RECTANGLERANGE is ultimately used in the VIDEOGEOMETRY type below. It describes the possible geometries of sources and destinations for RenderVideo and CaptureGraphics requests. The set of rectangles described by a single RECTANGLERANGE are all combinations of four sets derived for x, y, width and height. The members of the sets are determined based on the type as follows.

Linear:	x =	{ base.x,base.x+x inc,base.x+2x-inc,..., limit.x }
	y =	{ base.y,base.y+y inc,base.y+2y-inc, ..., limit.y }
	width =	{ base.width,base.width+width-inc, base.width+2width-inc, ...,limit.width }
	height =	{ base.height,base.height+height-inc, base.height+2height-inc,...,limit.height }
Geometric:	x =	{ base._xx-inc,base.xx-inc+1,...,base.xlimt.x }
	y =	{ base.xy-inc,base.xy-inc+1,...,base.ylimit.y }
	width =	{ base.widthwidth-inc,base.widthwidth-inc+1,...,base.widthlimit.width }
	height =	{ base.heightheight-inc,base.heightheight-inc+1,...,base.heightlimit.height }

A RECTANGLERANGE supplied by QueryVideo is guaranteed never to generate a rectangle with a fractional component. For Linear, the width-inc and height-inc values are guaranteed to be greater than zero, and the x-inc and y-inc are guaranteed to be nonzero. For example, the RECTANGLERANGE whose value is

[	base = {0,0,320,240}, limit = {960,784,320,240} x-inc=16,y-inc=1 width-inc=0,height-inc=0 type=Linear ]

would describe a total of 47,885 {x,y,width,height} sets

{0,0,320,240}
{16,0,320,240}
...
{960,0,320,240}
{0,1,320,240 }
{16,1,320,240}
...
{960,1,320,240}
etc.
{960,784,320,240}

The PLACEMENT type is used in the VIDEOGEOMETRY type described below. Each placement describes the possible source and destination rectangles used in RenderVideo and CaptureGraphics requests, but restricted to the scale factors described by the x_scale and y_scale elements. For video input, the frame-rate element describes the maximum nominal frame rate that the hardware can achieve in a RenderVideo request using a source and destination rectangle derived from the other elements. For video output, the frame-rate element describes the maximum nominal rate at which frames can be encoded with a CaptureGraphics request. It is important to stress that this is only a nominal rate and may vary due to other factors such as hardware contention.

The x_scale and y_scale FRACTIONRANGE specifies the possible ratios of

destination x pixels: source x pixels
destination y pixels: source y pixels

where the ratio is numerator (destination) divided by denominator (source). The source and destination rectangles derived must have width and height ratios described by x_scale and y_scale. The identity-aspect is true if the ratio of x_scale to y_scale is 1: 1; i.e. they must be equal. For example, given a PLACEMENT of

 

frame-rate	=	[	30,1 ]
source	=	[	base={0,0,10,15},limit={639,479,640,480} x-inc= 1,y-inc= 1 width-inc= 1,height-inc= 1 type=Linear ]
destination	=	[	base={0,0,320,240},limit={960,784,320,240} x-inc= 16,y-inc= 1 width-inc=0,height-inc=0 type=Linear ]
x-scale	=	[	num-{base,inc,limit}= {2,0,6} type=Geometric denom-{base,inc,limit}={1,1,0} type=Linear }
y-scale	=	[	num-{base,inc,limit}= {2,0,5} type =Geometric denom-{base,inc,limit}={1,1,0} type=Linear }
identity-aspect	=	False

it implies that the source rectangles may be any with the constraints that

0x639
0y479
10width640
15height480

and the destination rectangles may be any selected from the earlier example. The combined rectangles are limited to those source-destination pairs where the fractions

can be reduced to one of the fractions from the respective sets

And for this example, using any of these source-destination pairs, the hardware can maintain a nominal 30 fps.

This type describes the abilities of video inputs and video outputs and is returned by the QueryVideoRequest. If one of the lists has zero length, then adjustments to that list are ignored. The meaning for saturation, contrast, hue and brightness are described below, but in general, the fraction ranges will convey values from 0 to 1, inclusive. Thus, naive clients may compose their own fractions, if they wish.

Saturation is the amount of color information present in the video image. Small values result in black and white images; large values provide increasing amounts of color. The normal-saturation is a suggested mean value.

Contrast determines the dynamic range of information present in the video image. Small values result in an image of constant color and intensity; large values produce more contrast. The normal-contrast is a suggested mean value.

Hue shifts the phase of the video's color information relative to its reference, causing a shift in color. A middle value results in no shift, smaller values shift red towards blue and larger values shift red towards green. The normal-hue is a suggested mean value.

Brightness determines the black level of the video signal. Small values result in a dimmer image, large values produce a brighter image. The normal-brightness is a suggested mean value.

This type describes the attributes of video inputs and video outputs and is returned by the QueryVideo request. The signal-frame-rate and signal-field-rate describe the number of frames per second and fields per second in the signal format. For input, the rate describes the signal received; for output, the signal produced.

For video input, the signal-width and signal-height describe the dimensions of the signal picture as if it were placed directly on the workstation screen. For video output, they describe the dimensions of a screen region whose pixels would map one-to-one to the output signal. It is important to note that the frame-buffer holding the video picture, if any, may not actually have these dimensions; the numbers describe the extent of the source rectangle for video input, or the destination rectangle for the video output.

For a video input and output, the concurrent-use indicates the number of times the resource may be in simultaneous use, and suggests the maximum number identifiers a client should create using CreateVideo. The server should publish a number that the hardware can support with respect to connectivity and quality of the input or output. Clients should use this number in deciding how many resources they may use, and a video resource manager should use this in deciding how to handle allocation among multiple clients.

The protocol represents priority in RenderVideo and CaptureGraphics as a number between 0 and 100 inclusive. The priority-steps conveys the resolution of this adjustment for a particular video resource; its value is guaranteed to be greater than 0. The resolution is calculated by dividing 100 by the number of steps and rounding to the nearest integer. The resulting number is iteratively added to 0 to reach the beginning of the next priority level. Note that this means the last step will be larger than others by one or two. For example, a value of 1 means that priority adjustments are ignored; a value of 2 means that there are two real priority levels, those below 50(100 divided by 2) and those greater or equal to 50; a value of 3 means three levels: 0-32, 33-65, 66-100; etc.

The reference id uniquely identifies the resource, and this id is used by the CreateVideo request to create video input and output identifiers. If the same reference id appears in a VIDEOGEOMETRY returned from different screens, then the concurrent use for will be the same and a video manager can infer that one physical resource services both screens. This implies that usage of this resource on one screen reduces the available usage on another screen.

Each placement element in the list describes its own range of values. The complete range of placement parameters is derived from the entire list, but parts of one element in the list may not be combined with another. For example, source and destination rectangles described in one placement may not be combined with scale factors described in another placement.

For simplicity, a server's list of placements may be zero length. This implies that any placement is acceptable by the hardware.

This type is used by QueryVideo to describe the depth and visual class of a potential source for CaptureGraphics or destination for RenderVideo. The visual id is one returned by the connection setup or the QueryVideo request. The boolean, opaque, is true when a video input is used to render to a drawable created with this visual id, and the pixel values created cannot be interpreted by a core visual class.

The red, green and blue mask are those used for CaptureGraphics when the source is a pixmap and the colormap is None; and for RenderVideo when the destination is a pixmap and opaque is false. A server may supply a RENDERMODEL with a visual id of None for depths that can only be captured from or rendered to pixmaps; and a RENDERMODEL may be supplied with red-, green-, and blue-mask set to zero; but not both in the same RENDERMODEL.

It is conceivable that a system will support a depth for pixmaps, but not for windows. A server may support a gray scale CaptureGraphics for this depth by supplying a RENDERMODEL with visual id None and red- green- and blue- masks with identical bits set.

Note that if opaque is true, then the visual id is guaranteed to have a core visual class.

This type is used by the ChangeOwnership request to establish ownership for any of the video resources: input and output. The specified window identifies the client, and the videoid indicates the resource of which it gains ownership.

8.3.5 Errors

MVEX introduces one new error type.

8.3.6 Requests

QueryVideo

wid: WINDOW

screen: CARD8
video-depths: LISTofDEPTHS
allowed-depths: LISTofRENDERMODEL
in-attr: LISTofVIDEOGEOMETRY
out-attr: LISTofVIDEOGEOMETRY
in-ability: LISTofVIDEOABILITY
out-ability: LISTofVIDEOABILITY
in-ports: LISTofLISTofATOM
out-ports: LISTofLISTofATOM
video-input-models: LISTofBITMASK {Pixmap, Window}
video-output-models: LISTofBITMASK {Pixmap, Window, Composite}
clip-size: LISTofRECTANGLE
input-overlap: BOOL
capture-overlap: BOOL
io-overlap: BOOL
time: TIMESTAMP
major-version: CARD16
minor-version: CARD16

Errors: Window, Match

This request returns information about video hardware for the screen associated with the specified window. The screen is returned as the first element in the reply. If there is no video hardware available for the screen, a Match error is returned.

The video-depths specify what depths/visuals are unique for video input and output. These are guaranteed to be different from those returned in the X connection setup; the list may be null; pixmaps are supported for each depth listed. Further, the presence of a MVEX extension in a server may cause the LISTofFORMAT provided by the connection setup to be extended with additional formats that would allow GetImage and PutImage access to windows or pixmaps created with depths and visuals not published in the connection setup. The definition of DEPTH is included in the core protocol's description of the connection information.
Visual ids found in video-depths having a core visual class (PseudoColor, TrueColor, etc.) imply that graphic requests with corresponding windows are expensive. Thus, it may be that pixels must undergo software translation before or after graphic requests. Depths and visual ids listed in allowed-depths that are selected from the X connection setup imply that they are not expensive, even though they may also be used for RenderVideo and CaptureGraphics requests.

The allowed-depths specify what depths and visual ids are supported for use with video input and video output. These depths and visual ids include those listed in video-depths plus appropriate ones selected from those provided by the X connection setup. The list is in no particular order. For each unique depth, at most one red-, green-, blue- mask will have non zero values. This avoids ambiguity over which mask to use for a given depth when a client requests RenderVideo or CaptureGraphics with colormap None.

The in-attr list the attributes of the decoder or digitizer used by the video inputs. The outattr list the attributes of the encoder used by the vide outputs The entries in both lists correspond one-to-one with the unique video input renderers and video output encoders; the length of these lists imply the number of rows in video input models and video output models. CreateVideo references these resources by this implied index, starting from 0.

The in-ability are lists of device abilities (no pun intended) specific to the display of video on the workstation display, one list for each input in the same order as the in-attr. The outability are lists of device abilities specific to the production of video output from the contents of the window system, one list for each output in the same order as the out-attr. This list may expand in future versions of MVEX as other abilities appear common to most video input and output hardware.

The in-ports are lists of input port names (encoded as atoms), one list for each input in the same order as the in-attr. Similarly, the out-ports are lists of output port names, one list for each output in the same order as the out-attr. The intent is that each list of ports is fully dedicated to the corresponding input or output; any additional switching or negotiation for connections should be addressed by a device control server. The string used to encode the atoms is site-specific and is intended as marker in a user interface such as the name for a menu item or a button label. Further meaning should be handled by a device control server.

The list of video input models should be interpreted as a two dimensional array, column moving fastest and represents the relationship between the video input resources and the set of depths and visualids used to create video windows(VW). The columns are labeled left to-right with the list of allowed-depths, and the rows are labeled top-to-bottom with the list of video inputs. Each cell is a bitmask containing zero or more true bits.

Window is asserted if a RenderVideo request may specify a window with the intersecting depth/visual as a destination and the intersecting video input as the source. If Pixmap is asserted at the intersection of an allowed-depth and a video input, then a RenderVideo request may specify a pixmap with that depth as a destination and that video input as the source (see RenderVideo for a discussion of pixmap pixel values.) There is guaranteed to be at least one Window or Pixmap assertion in every row. In addition, there is guaranteed to be no more than one Pixmap assertion for every unique depth, per row: this avoids ambiguity for the RENDERMODEL use of opaque and the red-, green- and blue-masks.

Home

---

If a window is created with a visual id whose type is VideoGray or VideoColor, then the window's pixel are always undefined. A RenderVideo will not change window's pixel values (although the picture may still be visible).

For example, the following array means that a VW for video input #1 must be depth 12, TrueColor; or depth 8, VideoColor; pixmaps of depth 24 can be used as a destination for a RenderVideo request. The #2 video input can only support pixmaps of depth 12.

		VideoColor depth 8	TrueColor depth 12	None depth 24
Video in	#1 #2	Window 0	Window Pixmap	Pixmap 0

The list of video-output models should be interpreted as a two dimensional array, column moving fastest, and represents the relationship between the video output resources and the set of depths and visual ids that each may capture. The columns are labeled left-to-right with the list of allowed depths, and the rows are labeled top-to-bottom with the list of video outputs. Each cell is a bitmask containing zero or more true bits.

If Window is asserted, then a video output can capture the intersecting depth/visual in a window, including the border. If Pixmap is asserted, then a pixmap with the intersecting depth can be captured (see CaptureGraphics description of the interpretation of pixmap pixel values). There is guaranteed to be at least one Window or Pixmap assertion in every row. In addition, there is guaranteed to be no more than one Pixmap assertion for every unique depth, per row: this avoids ambiguity for the use of the red-, green- and blue-masks. If Composite is asserted then the subwindow-mode for a CaptureGraphics request will be effectively IncludeInferiors, regardless of the value specified in the request.

For example, if the video hardware has two video outputs, both are only capable of capturing with a subwindow-mode of IncludeInferiors, one is able to capture depth 12, TrueColor, and one is able to capture depth 24 picmaps; then the array would look like:

TrueColor depth 12 TrueColor depth 24 Video in #1 #2 Window,Composite 0 0 Pixmap,Composite

The clip-size list corresponds to the list of video inputs (in-attr), and describes the smallest rectangle that can be used to clip a VIR partly occluded by other windows. If either the width or the height are 0, then the entire VIR must be displayed and cannot be clipped. This is meant as advisory for clients and window managers as they choose window placement.

If input-overlap is false, then VIRs may not overlap; true otherwise. Capture-overlap is false if the hardware does not allow VORs to overlap; true otherwise. lo-overlap element is false if the hardware does not allow a VIR and a VOR to overlap; true otherwise. Note that io overlap may be true, but video-output-models determines if a VIR may be captured or not.

In all cases, if clip-size, input-overlap, or io-overlap constraints are violated, the content of the violated regions is undefined; if capture-overlap or io-overlap is violated, then the output signal for violated regions are undefined and is hardware dependent; no errors are returned to the offending request, but a VideoViolation event may be generated. In addition, other constraints that MVEX cannot express may be violated, and a VideoViolation event may be generated. Requests that may violate constraints are RenderVideo, CaptureGraphics, MapWindow, UnmapWindow, MapSubwindows, UnmapSubwindows, ConfigureWindow, CirculateWindow, DestroyWindow, DestroySubwindows, ReparentWindow.

The time element can be used to prevent race conditions between the delivery of a VideoChange event and the use of some other MVEX requests. The value of the timestamp is constant until there is a change in the availability of video inputs or outputs, and is then replaced with the current server time.

The major and minor version numbers reflect the version of the extension run by the server.

Create Video

id: VVIDEOIO
reference: VREFERENCE

Errors: Alloc, IDChoice, Video

This request creates the specified identifier handle for the video input or output resource associated with reference. This resource is freed on connection close for the creating client. The number of identifiers created for a single client corresponding to a particular input or output is not limited to the concurrent-use for that resource as supplied by QueryVideo. However, the number of ids in use at once is limited by the concurrent use limit and ownership.

QuerySetup

vid: VIDEOIO
port: ATOM

frames-available: BOOL
timecodes-available: BOOL
frame-accurate: BOOL

Errors: Match,Atom,Video

This request returns the synchronization ability of video setup: a video input or output paired with a port. Whether timecodes or frame numbers are available from the video media is outside the domain of MVEX; i.e., another system must be used to obtain media information and events. This request enables the user to decide before making a request whether to specify in and out points for RenderVideo and CaptureGraphics.

 

The frames-available is true if the videoio is capable of recognizing frames with the specified port; likewise, the timecodes-available is true if the videoio is capable of recognizing timecodes with the specified port. The frame-accurate is true if RenderVideo and CaptureGraphics can be performed on precise frame boundaries; e.g., if frames-available is true and frame-accurate is false, the requests will perform "close" to the specified marker.

The ability of a setup may change at anytime, for example, because of a media change, and a VideoSetup event may be generated.

Render Video

source: videoin
import: ATOM
destination: DRAWABLE
src-x,src-y,dest-x,dest-y: INT16
src-width,src-height,dest-width,dest-height: CARD16
gc: GCONTEXT
value-mask: BITMASK
value-list: LISTofVALUE

Errors: Drawable, Match, Value, Video

The destination must be a valid drawable id, else Drawable error. The specified region of the source video signal is decoded or digitized from the specified input port, inport, and directed to the destination drawable. The visible portion of the destination rectangle becomes a VIR.

 

In general, it is intended that when a window of visual class VideoGray or VideoColor is the destination, the pixels of the video picture are inaccessible. If the visual class is a core X type, and opaque is true (as returned by QueryVideo), the pixels are accessible, but cannot be interpreted by the core X visual.

 

When a window is created with a visual id from a RENDERMODEL whose opaque member is true, then the intent is to say that digitized pixels are accessible, but they are not defined. When the destination is a window having a core visual class, the intent is that the video pixels are fully accessible, but happen to change "very frequently". The same is true for a pixmap depth (note that there is only one RENDERMODEL per depth; see QueryVideo).

 

If the destination is a window, then Window must be asserted in the video-input-models returned by QueryVideo for the intersecting visual/depth of the window and the specified video input, else Match error. If the window is visible, then the visible pixels are displayed. If the destination is an unmapped window, then the window's pixels may be rendered, depending on the value of backing-store for the window.

If the destination is a pixmap, then Pixmap must be asserted in the video-input-models for the intersecting allowed-depth of the pixmap and the specified video input, else Match error. In this case, if opaque is false, then the red-, green- and blue-mask define the meaning of the bits after a frame has been rendered. The source and destination must belong to the same screen, else Match error. If opaque is true, then the pixels are modified, but are undefined.

 

The src-x, src-y, src-width and src-height describe the extent of the source rectangle in the video picture. The dest-x, dest-y, dest-width and dest-height describe the rectangle in the destination drawable to receive the video picture. The source video picture will be scaled by

If the source or destination width or height is zero, then the a Value error is generated. If the source and destination rectangles and scaling factors do not match one of those provided in a single PLACEMENT for the specified video input source, a VideoViolation event may be generated. If the destination rectangle is valid, but some or all of it is outside the extent of the destination drawable, the result is clipped to a granularity advertised by QueryVideo, and a VideoViolation event may be generated. If the source rectangle is valid, but some or all of it is outside the extent of the video picture, the result in the corresponding region of the destination is undefined: it is hardware dependent.

 

The subwindow-mode in the gc controls the treatment of the window's children. For ClipByChildren, the destination is clipped by all viewable children. For IncludeInferiors, viewable inferiors of the destination that overlap the VIR are updated with pixels from the video picture if the destination and its inferiors have a matching visual/depth; otherwise, the result in the inferiors is undefined. The clip-mask in the gc is also applied to the request. The server makes an internal copy of the clip-mask and the subwindow-mode at the time of the request so that the proper request can be maintained until it is stopped.

 

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The value-mask and value-list specify attributes of the request that are to be explicitly initialized. The possible values are:

Attribute Type
full-motion	BOOL
priority	CARD8
marker-type	None or FrameMarker or TimecodeMarker
in-frame	FRAME
out-frame	FRAME
in-timecode	TIMECODE
out-timecode	TIMECODE
hue	FRACTION
saturation	FRACTION
brightness	FRACTION
contrast	FRACTION

The default values when attributes are not explicitly initialized are:

Attribute Type
Full-motion	TRUE
priority	100
marker-type	None
in-frame	current point
out-frame	never
in-timecode	current point
out-timecode	never
hue	the normal-hue (see VIDEOABILITY)
saturation	the normal-saturation (see VIDEOABILITY)
brightness	the normal-brightness (see VIDEOABILITY)
contrast	the normal-contrast (see VIDEOABILITY)

It is a Match error to specify marker-type FrameMarker and in or out timecodes; it is a match error to specify marker-type TimecodeMarker and in or out frames.

 

The full-motion element determines whether the video input signal is continually updated or not. If it is true, then the server will try to achieve the maximum nominal rate advertised by the QueryVideo request for the specified scale factors and placement. If it is False, then a single still video frame will be rendered, as if the RenderVideo request was immediately followed with a StopVideo request specifying the same drawable. A full-motion element of False should be used where possible to avoid unnecessary digitization.

Priority (0 to 100 inclusive, else Value error) represents the percentage of video bandwidth that the server should try to preserve. A value of 0 tells the server that graphic output to the screen should have top priority and that the video decoding may occasionally miss some incoming or outgoing frames. A value of 100 gives video decoding top priority meaning that the graphics performance may be degraded. It is advisory only and does not guarantee anything.

The in and out marker is used by RenderVideo to indicate a relative or absolute point when the request will start or stop. The request will wait indefinitely for the in marker to appear and will begin on that frame. The request will wait indefinitely for the out marker and will stop on the frame immediately preceding. If the marker is type None or the in point is not specified, the request begins immediately. If the out marker is type None, the request will only terminate in response to a StopVideo request or some other implicit stimulous listed under VideoOverride. If timecodes or frame numbers are not available, and an in or out point is specified it will behave as if the marker is never encountered; see QuerySetup and VideoSetup.

 

The hue, saturation, brightness and contrast specify the hardware settings. If a specified value is not listed among the abilities for the video resource, it does not generate an error, but a VideoViolation event may be generated; see VIDEOABILITY, QueryVideo and VideoViolation.

 

Any time a RenderVideo is stopped because of an environment change, a VideoOverride event will be generated. See the description under VideoOverride for what constitutes an environment change.

If the destination window is clipped by siblings or children, a VideoViolation event may be generated if an overlap or clipping constraint is violated; see QueryVideo.

 

Clients that do not need access to digitized pixels should use a window having a VideoGray or VideoColor visual class as a destination. This allows the server to display the video picture using the most efficient means. With all visual classes, there is no guarantee that the signal is actually digitized.

 

If pixels are accessible (any core X visual class), then CopyArea, CopyPlane and GetImage requests with a source region within a VIR are guaranteed to return a single frame with respect to the video signal. Note that the digitized picture may come from a signal whose frame is composed of fields, and that there may be temporal differences between fields. More device-specific information about the format of the picture may be available from one of the video input's controls.

 

If the specified window changes size while the request is still active, the destination x and y the original request will be adjusted to follow the bit gravity of the destination, but the width, height and scale are not adjusted. If the window changes size or root window coordinates, the result is clipped appropriately, and a VideoViolation event may be generated. In the case of ForgetGravity, a window size change will cause an implied StopVideo with an action of Render to be issued on the window.

 

Graphics may be drawn on a VW, but if the window is servicing an active RenderVideo request, the results are undefined.

 

GC components: subwindow-mode, clip-x-origin, clip-y-origin, clip-mask.

 

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CaptureGraphics

source: DRAWABLE
outport: ATOM
destination: VIDEOOUT
cmap: COLORMAP or None
src-x,src-y,dest-x,dest-y: INT16
src-width,src-height,dest-width,dest-height: CARD 16
subwindow-mode: {ClipByChildren, IncludeInferiors}
value-mask: BITMASK value-list: LISTofVALUE

 

Errors: Drawable, Match, Value, Video, Colormap

 

The specified region of the source is encoded into a video signal by the destination encoder and placed on the output port, outport. If the source is a window, then Window must be asserted in the video-output models returned by QueryVideo for the intersecting visual/depth of the window and the specified video output, else Match error. If the source is a pixmap, then Pixmap must be asserted in the video output, else Match error.

If the source is a window, cmap must be None (else Match error), and the window's colormap or the installed colormap is used, depending on the video output hardware. If the source is a pixmap and the colormap is not None, then the visual id of the RENDERMODEL that intersects with the specified video output must be defined (else Match error), and the visual id of the colormap must match the RENDERMODEL (else Match error). The colormap defines the visual and colormap for the encoded picture. If the source is a pixmap and the colormap is None, then the interpretation of the pixel values is provided by the red-,green and blue-mask for the RENDERMODEL. The source and destination must belong to the same screen, else Match error.

 

The src-x,src-y,src-width and src-height describe the extent of the source rectangle of the region captured. The dest-x, dest-y, dest-width and dest-height describe the rectangle in the destination video picture to receive the graphics. The source graphics region will be scaled by

If the source or destination width or height is zero, then the a Value error is generated. If the source and destination rectangles and scaling factors do not match one of those provided in a single PLACEMENT for the specified video output destination, a VideoViolation event may be generated. If the destination rectangle is valid, but some or all of it is outside the extent of the video picture, those pixels are clipped in the output video picture. If the source rectangle is valid, but some or all of it is beyond the extent of the source drawable, the result in the encoded video signal is undefined: it is hardware dependent.

 

Subwindow-mode controls the capture of the window's children. If ClipByChildren is specified, the source is clipped by all viewable children. If Composite is asserted in the video-output models for the video output destination, the subwindow-mode will be effectively IncludeInferiors, regardless of its specified value.

If IncludeInferiors is specified for the subwindow-mode, then each visible region of an inferior of the source that overlaps the VIR may captured, but only if one or both of the following are true:

• The inferior is the same depth, visual and window type as the source window.
  
  
• Composite is asserted in the video-output-models for the video output destination.

Otherwise, the source rectangle is clipped.

 

If the source rectangle is clipped by siblings or children, the appearance of the clipped regions in the encoded picture are undefined: it is hardware dependent.

 

The value-mask and value-list specify attributes of the request that are to be explicitly initialized. The possible values and defaults are listed under RenderVideo.

 

The full-motion element determines whether the video output signal is constantly updated or not. If it is true, then the server will try to achieve the maximum rate advertised by the QueryVideo request for the specified scale factor and placement. If it is False, then a single still video frame will be captured. It is just as if the CaptureGraphics request was immediately followed with a StopVideo request specifying the same drawable; however, a full-motion element of False is an aid to the server to avoid extra encoding.

 

Priority is a value (0 to 100 inclusive, else Value error), representing the percentage of video bandwidth that the server should try to preserve. A value of 0 tells the server that graphic output to the screen should have top priority and that the video capture process may occasionally miss some incoming or outgoing frames. A value of 100 gives video capture top priority meaning that the graphics performance may be degraded. It is advisory only and does not guarantee anything.

 

The in and out marker is used by CaptureGraphics to indicate a relative or absolute point when the request will start or stop. The request will wait indefinitely for the in marker to appear and will begin on that frame. The request will wait indefinitely for the out marker and will stop on the frame immediately preceding. If the marker is type None or the in point is not specified, the request begins immediately. If the out marker is type None, the request will only terminate in response to a StopVideo request or some other implicit stimulous listed under VideoOverride. If timecodes or frame numbers are not available, and an in or out point is specified it will behave as if the marker is never encountered; see QuerySetup and VideoSetup.

 

Any time a CaptureGraphics is stopped because of an environment change, a VideoOverride event will be generated. See the description under VideoOverride for what constitutes an environment change.

 

If the specified window changes size while the request is still active, only the source x and y of the original request will be adjusted to follow the bit gravity of the source. If the specified window changes size or root window coordinates a VideoViolation event may be generated. If a portion of the new rectangle is beyond the extent of the source, the result in the output signal is undefined. In the case of ForgetGravity, a window size change will cause an implied StopVideo with an action of Capture to be issued on the window.

StopVideo

idlist: LISTofDRAWABLE
action: BITMASK {Render,Capture}

Errors: Drawable, Value

Each id must be a valid drawable, else Drawable error. If more than one id is in error, which one is reported is arbitrary.

 

The currently active renders and/or captures are stopped on all of the listed ids, even if one of the ids produces an error. If Render is specified, then RenderVideo requests on the listed ids are terminated. If Capture, is specified, then CaptureGraphics requests on the listed ids are terminated. Both may be specified; if neither are specified, a Value error is reported. If neither a RenderVideo or CaptureGraphics request is currently active on a id, no error is reported, and no event is generated.

 

If a RenderVideo on window W having a visual of type VideoColor or VideoGray is followed by a StopVideo on W, then the visible result on the screen is undefined, because it is hardware dependent. If a RenderVideo on a window W having a core visual class is followed by a StopVideo on W, the result in W is the pixels take on the value of the last frame acquired: they can be manipulated by other X requests.

 

In all cases, when it takes effect, this request will generate a VideoOverride event for each drawable that is servicing an active RenderVideo or CaptureGraphics request.

 

ChangeOwnership

Owners: LISTofOWNER

Errors: Window, Video, Match

Note: this request is designed for the use of a video resource manager, not a client. Conventions should be developed such that a client designates interest in video resources, perhaps through properties, and the video manager allocates ownership as appropriate.

 

For each member of the list, the client that created the specified window is given ownership of the specified resource; if the client no longer exists, no action is taken. Ownership for a video input or video output means that subsequent RenderVideo or CaptureGraphics requests are guaranteed not to be redirected, respectively. In addition, all controls associated with the resource may only be changed by the owning client. The number of clients given ownership of a single video input or output must not exceed the concurrent use limit for that resource as supplied by QueryVideo, else Match error. Note that a VIDEOIO specified in a OWNER is simply an alias for a VREFERENCE; a VIDEOIO created by any client may be used to specify the resource; and the window is used to designate the client owner.

 

If a RenderVideo or CaptureGraphics request is issued for a resource, and one or more instances of the resource are in use by a client that does not have ownership, then a StopVideo request will be implied as described by RenderVideo and CaptureGraphics, regardless of whether the last issuing client has ownership for that resource or not. A VideoOverride event will be generated on the drawable. Under the same circumstances, if the issuing client does not have ownership, and all instances of the resource have ownership, the request will not take effect and a VideoRequest event will be generated with redirect set to TRUE.

If a video input or output is in use for less than its specified concurrent use limit, then a request requiring that resource will always succeed, regardless of ownership. Conversely, if a resource is utilized to its concurrent use limit, and the client utilizing the resource does not have ownership, and a client having ownership issues a request that requires the resource, then the owning client takes precedence, and a VideoOverride event will be generated, as appropriate.

 

Non ownership is achieved by designating the root window as the client-owner or by destroying the previously designated window.

 

SelectVideoEvents

id: VIDEOIO or DRAWABLE
mask: BITMASK

{SetupNotify, SyncNotify,
OverrideNotify, VideoRedirect, ViolationNotify}

 

Errors: Drawable, Video, Access, Value, Alloc

 

This requests selects events for the specified resource. Four of the masks are for drawables: VideoRedirect, OverrideNotify and ViolationNotify; the SetupNotify and SyncNotify masks are for a VIDEOIO. If any of the drawable masks are included with any of the VIDEOIO masks, a Value error occurs. If the id is not a drawable for any of the drawable masks, a Drawable error occurs. If the id is not a VIDEOIO for SyncNotify or SetupNotify, a Video error occurs.

 

Selecting VideoRedirect will allow a client to receive VideoRequest events generated on the screen of the specified drawable; only one client may select the event on a given screen, else Access error. After a client has selected the event, to maintain control, the client must assert VideoRedirect in every subsequent SelectVideoEvents request that specifies a drawable; first request by the client specifying a drawable on the same screen without VideoRedirect asserted will release control. This selection is intended for use by a video resource manager.

 

Selecting SetupNotify allows the client to receive VideoSetup events generated on the specified VideoIO.

Selecting SyncNotify allows the client to receive VideoSync events generated on the specified VideoIO.

Selecting OverrideNotify will allow client to receive VideoOverride events generated on the named drawable.

Selecting ViolationNotify will allow the client to receive VideoViolation events generated on the named drawable.

If any of the bits generates an error, which error is returned is not specified, and the state of selected events does not change.

8.3.7 Core Requests

CreateWindow

< this is a core protocol request >

If the MVEX extension is present, this request will understand two new visual classes: VideoGray and VideoColor. These are used to create one instance of a video window (VW). Visuals specified in a CreateWindow request must be one supported by the screen, and may be supplied by QueryVideo.

8.3.8 Events

Every MVEX event also contains the least-significant 16 bits of the sequence number of the last request issued by the client that was (or is currently being) processed by the server.

VideoViolation

id: DRAWABLE
vid: VIDEOIO
action: ACTIONMASK
where ACTIONMASK is {Scale, Placement, Clip, Overlap, Hue, Saturation, Contrast, Brightness}
state: {Success, Subset, Fail}
time: TIMESTAMP

 

This event is reported to the client selecting ViolationNotify on the drawable. The event is generated for the specified drawable and video input or output when scaling, placement, clipping and overlap constraints are violated; it is also generated when a value for hue, saturation, contrast or brightness does not match a value listed in the abilities of the video resource. If state is Success, then the listed violations caused no discernable problem in the display or video output for the specified drawable, although some other drawable may be affected.

 

For scale, placement, clip and overlap, if state is Subset, then some subset of the unobscured regions are still being displayed or captured; if the state is Fail, then the originating RenderVideo and CaptureGraphics will be cancelled (no VideoOverride event is generated). Note that for pixmaps, Overlap will never be asserted.

 

For hue, saturation, contrast and brightness, if the state is Subset, then a suitably close value has been substituted; if the state is Fail, then normal value was substituted. Note that Violation events for these are not generated when the hardware lists no abilities for the adjustments.

 

The time is the current server time.

 

VideoSetup

vid: VIDEOIO
port: ATOM
frames-available: BOOL
timecodes-available: BOOL
frame-accurate: BOOL
time: TIMESTAMP

 

This event is reported to the client selecting SetupNotify on the vid.

 

It is generated whenever the videoio-port pair changes in its ability to recognize and synchronize to frames and timecodes change.

 

The time is the current server time.

 

VideoSync

id: DRAWABLE
vid: VIDEOIO
state: { Acquired, Lost }
time: TIMESTAMP

 

This event is reported to the client selecting SyncNotify on the vid.

 

It is generated following a RenderVideo request with the specified id and video input, whenever the sync is lost or gained. When selected, at least one VideoSync event is guaranteed following a RenderVideo request. An event with state Lost will be delivered if the picture cannot be rendered for some reason; e.g. no video sync, or a digital feed is down. An event with state Acquired will be delivered after the a complete frame has been rendered.

 

The event is also generated following a CaptureGraphics request with the specified id and video output, whenever the output signal begins to be produced. When selected, at least one VideoSync event is guaranteed following a CaptureGraphics request. An event with state Lost will be delivered if the picture cannot be captured for some reason; e.g. no video sync, or a digital feed is down. An event with state Acquired will be delivered after the a complete frame has been captured.

 

Note that if the original request specified fullmotion false, and the request succeeded, this will be the only event generated.

 

The time is the current server time.

 

Video Override

id: DRAWABLE
vid: VIDEOIO
override-id: VIDEOIO
state: { DrawableChange, Stopped, RequestOverride, MarkerReached, HardwareError, Reused }
time: TIMESTAMP

 

This event is reported to the client selecting OverrideNotify on the id. It is generated when a change in the system state causes a RenderVideo or CaptureGraphics request to stop.

 

Given a RenderVideo or CaptureGraphics request specifying VIDEOIO V and drawable D, the following changes in the environment will cause the request to stop, and the VideoOverride event to be generated with the specified state:

• An unexpected hardware error; state HardwareError
  
  
• An explicit StopVideo request with drawable D and render; state Stopped
  
  
• a change state of the window D such that it is no longer viewable (defined by the core protocol); state DrawableChange
  
  
• a change in the size of the window D with bitgravity ForgetGravity; state DrawableChange
  
  
• destruction of D; state DrawableChange
  
  
• destruction of V; state Stopped
  
  
• a connection close for the client that created V, thereby causing destruction of the identifier V; state Stopped
  
  
• another RenderVideo (CaptureGraphics) request specifying V as a source (destination); state Reused. Note that for every VREFERENCE, there may be many V;reuse of the same V will stop the earlier request
  
  
• another RenderVideo (CaptureGraphics) request specifying D as a destination (source); state Reused
  
  
• the client does not have ownership for the VIDEOIO, the concurrent use for video input resource is exhausted and some client issues a request that specifies a different VIDEOIO created from the same VIDEOREFERENCE as V; state RequestOverride; override-id will contain the VIDEOIO of the overriding request
  
  
• An out marker was reached; state MarkerReached
  
  

Note that if a client has ownership for a VIDEOIO, the system is guaranteed never to stop an issued request given any of the conditions marked with state RequestOverride. A video resource manager may arbitrarily decide to revoke ownership at any time, but a request will not be stopped until there is contention for the resource.

 

Normally, when a client receives a VideoOverride event with state RequestOverride and the override-id is not its own, it should not try to restart the RenderVideo (CaptureGraphics) request until being notified by some video manager, or explicit instruction by the user. This model will work whether or not a video manager is present.

 

The time is the current server time.

 

VideoRequest

request: { Render, Capture }
redirect: BOOL
source: VIDEOIN or DRAWABLE
destination: VIDEOOUT or DRAWABLE
time: TIMESTAMP

 

This event is reported to the client selecting VideoRedirect. The request element indicates whether the request was RenderVideo or CaptureGraphics. Every RenderVideo or CaptureGraphics request using a resource for which the requesting client does not have ownership, and the concurrent use limit has been reached, and there are no non-owners using the resource, will generate a VideoRequest event with redirect set to true. Events are generated for requests that do not match this criteria with redirect set to false.

 

This event is intended to be used by video resource managers so that it can be notified about clients that want to use a video resource that is currently in use.

 

The time is the current server time.