Section 17.1. Introduction

17.1. Introduction

In this chapter, we overview the FCL's tools for drawing two-dimensional shapes and for controlling colors and fonts. The FCL supports graphics that enable programmers to visually enhance their Windows applications. The many sophisticated drawing capabilities are part of namespace System.Drawing and the other namespaces that make up the .NET resource GDI+. GDI+ is an application programming interface (API) that provides classes for creating two-dimensional vector graphics (a way to describe graphics that makes them easy to manipulate with high-performance techniques), manipulating fonts and inserting images.

We begin with an introduction to the .NET framework's drawing capabilities. We then present more powerful drawing capabilities, such as changing the styles of the lines used to draw shapes and controlling the colors and patterns of the filled shapes.

Later in this chapter, we explore techniques for manipulating images and creating smooth animations. We also discuss class Image, which can store and manipulate images of various formats. We explain how to combine the graphical rendering capabilities covered in the early sections of the chapter with those for image manipulation. The chapter ends with several multimedia examples in which you build an animation, use the Windows Media Player control and use Microsoft Agenta technology for adding interactive animated characters to applications or Web pages.