Windows Display Driver Model

The Windows Display Driver Model ( WDDM ) describes the architecture of drivers for graphics adapter under Windows. It originated in Windows Vista by reviewing the driver architecture is included in Windows XP.

Overview

Windows support with WDDM graphics effects with which window open applications manage, and switch through since Vista. The seemingly transparent, so-called glass design presupposes a developed according to this model driver for the graphics adapter. In addition, the multitasking of the graphics processor is supported, allowing multiple graphics-intensive applications can be run simultaneously, a memory manager and a planner coordinate where the executing processor. It can be played back on an external monitor protected HD video, the connection of TV Plug & Play has been made easier in Windows XP and projectors are automatically detected when connected (hot-plug ). A built- in driver model facilitates gamma correction color corrections during video playback. A further improvement is an increased fault tolerance for error in the display driver. The operating system can fix such errors without rebooting.

One of the limitations of the first version ( WDDM 1.0 ) was that only a single graphics card driver could be loaded. Was a monitor connected to multiple graphics cards, so only one of them was used and the other disabled. In addition to several of the support in previous versions of Vista graphics modes were no longer available, including extending the desktop across multiple displays.

Since version WDDM 1.1 Windows 7 multiple graphics adapter and monitor drivers are supported in a system simultaneously. With Windows 8, the WDDM version 1.2 was released with Windows 8.1 version WDDM 1.3 is delivered.

Others

Competitor Apple decreed in 2002 in the operating system OS X 10.2 Extreme on a similar architecture named Quartz.