GPU surfaces on Windows 7?

[tdenniston]

Is it possible to create a GPU-backed SKSurface on Windows 7? I'm currently getting a DllNotFoundException thrown when calling GRGlInterface.CreateDefaultInterface(): "Unable to load libEGL.dll".

I think libEGL.dll is a part of the Microsoft ANGLE package, which only seems to be available for Windows 10 and beyond?

[prepare]

yes, you can use GPU-backed SKSurface on Windows 7
I've test it :)

I use libEGL from this ...
https://github.com/google/angle

SKIA sample (4,5) here
PaintLab/PixelFarm#1

[mattleibow]

@tdenniston This can be done in two ways. CreateDefaultInterface uses the preferred platform engine - on Windows it is DirectX. I haven't yet got the targets in place for it to work out the box.

CreateDefaultInterface is basically a wrapper: CreateNativeAngleInterface() ?? CreateNativeGlInterface(). On non-Windows platforms CreateNativeAngleInterface just returns null, so automatically falls back to OpenGL[ES].

However, OpenGL is working fine: GRGlInterface.CreateNativeGlInterface(). This will work on Windows 7 out the box and is what I use for the GL controls. I need to get the ANGLE bits for Windows Classic and then hook up the DirectX/OpenGL context to WinForms. This is a bit of work, so I haven't had a chance to do it yet.

[tdenniston]

@mattleibow When I try calling GRGlInterface.CreateNativeGlInterface() it is returning null.

[mattleibow]

@tdenniston That might be because you don't have an OpenGL context set up?

SkiaSharp does not create an OpenGL context, the "interface" here is basically a set of function pointers to the OpenGL functions (glDrawXXX). In my SkiaSharp.Views, I first set up a context to draw to the control/memory and then in the draw loop, I get the interface.

For the Windows Desktop, I use OpenTK and GLControl (I will be switching eventually to DirectX): https://github.com/mono/SkiaSharp/blob/master/source/SkiaSharp.Views/SkiaSharp.Views.Desktop/SKGLControl.cs

For UWP, I set up my ANGLE/DX context:
https://github.com/mono/SkiaSharp/blob/master/source/SkiaSharp.Views/SkiaSharp.Views.UWP/SKSwapChainPanel.cs

[mattleibow]

Closing this as this is a combination of a duplicate issue and is also not really the right issue to solve:

• GPU is supported for Windows 7
• Only OpenGL views are currently implemented (via OpenTK.GLControl)
• ANGLE views are not currently implemented (or distributed) Include ANGLE for win7-* runtimes #243

To use OpenGL GPU on Windows 7, either use the OpenGL-based view, or you will have to set up your own context. For DirectX GPU, you will have to make use of the AssembleAngleInterface:
https://github.com/mono/SkiaSharp/blob/v1.56.2/binding/Binding/GRGlInterface.cs#L89