IOverlay Interface

The IOverlay interface provides information so that a filter can write directly to video memory while placing the video in the correct window position. It is implemented on the input pin of the video renderer and communicates with an upstream filter (typically a video decompressor) by calling that filter's IOverlayNotify methods to notify it of changes to the video window.

This interface has no relationship to the DirectDraw® overlay capability. The Microsoft video renderer draws data it receives through the IMemInputPin interface, using DirectDraw overlays when available. This interface, used in place of IMemInputPin, is intended to provide notification support for any upstream filter that bypasses the renderer's drawing capabilities, but needs notifications of other display properties.

See the IOverlayNotify reference page for more information on how the IOverlay and IOverlayNotify interfaces work together.

See the IOverlayNotify2 interface for more information on asynchronous notifications of changes to the rendering window.

This interface is implemented on the Microsoft® DirectShow® video renderer filter. It can also be implemented on replacement video renderer filters if desired. If doing so, implement this interface so that filters writing directly to the frame buffer or trying to position an overlay know where to display their video. To implement this interface, the renderer must be prepared to use methods on the IOverlayNotify interface or the IOverlayNotify2 interface of the filter doing the drawing, with notifications of video property changes.

The window-based renderer in DirectShow supports both IMemInputPin and IOverlay interfaces. These two interfaces are mutually exclusive. A filter chooses to use the IOverlay transport by providing a media type during connection that has a subtype of MEDIASUBTYPE_Overlay. After connection, it will be able to get and use successfully the IOverlay interface. If it connects with any other video formats (such as MEDIASUBTYPE_RGB8), trying to call through IOverlay returns VFW_E_NOT_OVERLAY_CONNECTION.

Use the methods on this function from an upstream filter that must control video overlay properties and intends to handle the displaying of the video data itself. This typically is used by hardware video decoders that have an alternate connection to the video hardware.

In addition to the methods inherited from IUnknown, the IOverlay interface exposes the following methods.