Direct2D Off-Screen Rendering & WIC Export Demo

This demo demonstrates how to render graphics to an off-screen memory canvas (MemDC) using Direct2D and save the resulting images as files through a custom WIC-based DLL.

🚀 Key Features

• Off-Screen Rendering: Utilizes Direct2D to draw onto a virtual bitmap (MemDC), allowing full control over resolution and format without displaying on-screen.
• Flexible Output Formats: Supports saving images in PNG, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, GIF formats via the SaveDCToFileWIC.dll.
• Simple Integration: Easily save images with a single function call:

• Declare Function SaveDCToFileWIC CDecl Lib "SaveDCToFileWIC.dll" (ByVal hDC%, ByVal filename$) As Long       

• Modern & Efficient: Leverages hardware-accelerated Direct2D for rendering and WIC for fast image encoding, outperforming older APIs like GDI+.
• Extensible Design: The DLL can be extended to include features such as compression settings, DPI metadata, or support for animations.

🧩 Usage Scenarios

• High-Resolution Screenshots: Capture windows or scenes for sharing or analysis.
• Automated Graphic Generation: Create charts, diagrams, or visualizations for reports or websites.
• Game Asset Creation: Generate textures, sprites, or UI elements programmatically.
• Thumbnail Generation: Produce preview images for media content.
• Scientific Visualization: Render high-quality heatmaps or simulation outputs (e.g., TIFF for publications).
• Image Processing Pipelines: Apply filters or overlays automatically.
• Legacy App Modernization: Add high-quality image export to outdated graphics systems.
• Server-Side Image Generation: Create dynamic images such as avatars or charts.
• Animation Frame Export: Generate frames for animations or GIFs.
• Debugging & Testing: Save intermediate rendering states.

🌟 Why It’s Awesome

• High Performance: Hardware-accelerated rendering via Direct2D.
• Versatile Format Support: Save images in multiple formats with easy extension by file extension.
• No Display Required: Ideal for automation, server-side processing, or background tasks.
• Open Source: Source code for the DLL is available on GitHub: https://github.com/XmanGB32

🛠️ Get Started

Place SaveDCToFileWIC.dll in your application directory or system path. Pass the handle of your off-screen memory DC and the desired filename to the DLL function to save your image effortlessly.

Perfect for developers looking for fast, high-quality graphic exports!