Content type hint

Surface content type manager

This interface allows a client to describe the kind of content a surface will display, to allow the compositor to optimize its behavior for it.

Warning! The protocol described in this file is currently in the testing phase. Backward compatible changes may be added together with the corresponding interface version bump. Backward incompatible changes can only be done by creating a new major version of the extension.

destroy()
Destroy the content type manager object

Destroy the content type manager. This doesn't destroy objects created with the manager.

get_surface_content_type(id: new_id<wp_content_type_v1>, surface: object<wl_surface>)
Argument
Type
Description
idnew_id<wp_content_type_v1>
surfaceobject<wl_surface>
Create a new toplevel decoration object

Create a new content type object associated with the given surface.

Creating a wp_content_type_v1 from a wl_surface which already has one attached is a client error: already_constructed.

Argument
Value
Description
already_constructed0
wl_surface already has a content type object

Content type object for a surface

The content type object allows the compositor to optimize for the kind of content shown on the surface. A compositor may for example use it to set relevant drm properties like "content type".

The client may request to switch to another content type at any time. When the associated surface gets destroyed, this object becomes inert and the client should destroy it.

destroy()
Destroy the content type object

Switch back to not specifying the content type of this surface. This is equivalent to setting the content type to none, including double buffering semantics. See set_content_type for details.

set_content_type(content_type: uint<wp_content_type_v1.type>)
Argument
Type
Description
content_typeuint<wp_content_type_v1.type>
the content type
Specify the content type

Set the surface content type. This informs the compositor that the client believes it is displaying buffers matching this content type.

This is purely a hint for the compositor, which can be used to adjust its behavior or hardware settings to fit the presented content best.

The content type is double-buffered state, see wl_surface.commit for details.

type { none, photo, video, game } 
Argument
Value
Description
none0
No content type applies

The content type none means that either the application has no data about the content type, or that the content doesn't fit into one of the other categories.

photo1
Photo content type

The content type photo describes content derived from digital still pictures and may be presented with minimal processing.

video2
Video content type

The content type video describes a video or animation and may be presented with more accurate timing to avoid stutter. Where scaling is needed, scaling methods more appropriate for video may be used.

game3
Game content type

The content type game describes a running game. Its content may be presented with reduced latency.

Possible content types

These values describe the available content types for a surface.


Compositor Support

Mutter
Mutter
46.1
KWin
KWin
6.0.4
Sway
Sway
1.9
Hyprland
Hyprland
0.35
Weston
Weston
13
Mir
Mir
2.16
GameScope
GameScope
3.14.3
wp_content_type_manager_v1
x
1
1
x
x
x
x

Copyright © 2021 Emmanuel Gil Peyrot Copyright © 2022 Xaver Hugl

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