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Technical Notes
Mac OS X provides programming interfaces that work together to create a seamless visual environment. There are three main technologies: Quartz 2D, the graphics library that leverages the PDF drawing model; a platform-optimized OpenGL stack that handles three-dimensional graphics; and Quartz Extreme, the unique Mac OS X windowing system that brings together 2D and 3D graphics and composites 2D images, 3D images, and video in real time.

Graphics & Imaging Resources
A guided introduction and learning path for developers new to Mac OS X graphics and imaging.  
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The CGDirectDisplay API (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2007: Provides a reference for the CGDirectDisplay API on Mac OS X.
Carbon, OpenGL 2000-11-08
ColorSync on Mac OS X (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2035: Describes ColorSync, which is fundamentally integrated into Mac OS X.
ColorSync, Printing, Quartz 2004-06-25
Data Fork Font Support in Mac OS 8.5 (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN1159: Describes support for data fork-housed TrueType and OpenType fonts added to Mac OS 8.5.
Typography 2000-08-14
The Font Panel for Carbon API (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2058: The API to display and interact with the Font Panel from Carbon applications on Mac OS X.
Typography 2002-09-05
Importing animated GIFs (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2018: Describes how to tell if a GIF file or dataref contains more than one frame.
QuickTime 2001-04-17
Insights on OpenGL (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2014: Frequently Asked Questions regarding OpenGL and graphics on the Macintosh.
OpenGL 2001-03-26
The Mac OS X Font Manager (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2024: Information on installing and accessing fonts programatically.
Typography 2001-07-11
Mac OS X QuickDraw Performance (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2051: Some of the trouble spots in the Mac OS X windowing system and how to avoid them.
Carbon 2003-02-13
New ColorSync 3.0 APIs (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN1185: APIs application can use to take advantage of new features available in ColorSync 3.0.
ColorSync 2000-08-14
OpenGL Performance Optimization : The Basics (HTML)
TN2093: This document describes some of the concepts and techniques for optimizing performance in OpenGL applications;
OpenGL 2004-12-01
Understanding and Detecting OpenGL Functionality (HTML)
TN2080: Discusses OpenGL API design, and how to access the full power of hardware and software renderers.
OpenGL 2003-12-29
What's New With ColorSync 2.6 (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN1160: Details the changes in ColorSync 2.6.
ColorSync 1999-04-01