Windows: Is it *possible* to create a (virtual) video card driver?
i want to create a virtual monitor. The way this would work is that the virtual monitor would appear in a window on my desktop. As far as Windows knows it is just another monitor.
It occurs to me that it would, as a practical matter, have to be done as video card driver (i.e. rather than the video going out a wire to an LCD panel, it would go into another window on the desktop).
Does what i'm describing sound, technically, possible? (from a DDK point of view)
Note: i can't use a virtual pc, because no virtual PC has resolutions high enough for my needs. Also because it's not what i asked for.
Note: My reasons are unimportant, but i can make some up:
- i want to test my application under high-dpi settings (288dpi)
- i want to create a monitor that my iPad can VNC to
- the family TV runs on the main monitor
- the hijacker is monitoring the bus, and he'll blow it up if he suspects we're getting the passengers off
- i'm trying to expand the limits of human knowledge and understanding, for the good of all man-kind
Answer
I'd say it's definitely possible, since that's what virtualization tools do for their guest utilities, but I wouldn't be able to tell you how in details. I'd suggest looking at the VirtualBox guest driver code as a starting point: http://www.virtualbox.org/browser/trunk/src/VBox/Additions/WINNT/Graphics
(This is released under GPL as far as I'm aware.)