Any Delphi application requiring fast display updates, animation or moving graphics can benefit. This toolkit transforms Delphi into the perfect animation and games writing platform for Microsoft Windows.

WinG is an add-on from Microsoft for Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and NT that has been designed to give very fast graphical updates within Windows without losing the benefits of device independence. The WinG SDK is available free from MS but contains header files and examples written in C and C++. WinG SpriteKit gives you full access from Delphi in Object Pascal and builds a whole lot more on top.

This product has a multi-layer design as follows:

3 - TSpriteSurface and TSprite

2 - TWinGSurface

1 - TWinGCanvas and TDIB

0 - WinG API access in Pascal

The lowest level gives direct access to to the basic WinG API and can be used in isolation if required, since this is a multi-layered product where each layer is independent of the layers above.

On top of this we have TWinGCanvas which is a subclass of the standard Delphi TCanvas class but which draws on an off-screen WinG bitmap. Standard canvas methods and GDI calls can be used to compose an image. When ready, the image can be blitted very rapidly to the screen using WinGBitBlt which is encapsulated into a method in the WinG canvas for even easier access. At this level, we also have a TDIB object which encapsulates a Windows Device Independent Bitmap and has a property inspector to allow DIB's to be loaded at design-time as properties. There is a TWinGDIB subclass which has a canvas that allows drawing on to the DIB.

In the next layer up is TWinGSurface which is a visual component that can be dropped on to a form. It manages a WinGCanvas which it exposes as a property and ensures that it's width and height tracks that of the TWinGSurface component. Additionally, it updates the display automatically using WinGBitBlt.

Finally there is the sprite layer. Here the sprite engine is defined and encapsulated into the TSpriteSurface component which can be dropped on to forms. It is the area in which all sprite display and movement takes place. A background DIB can be loaded as a property and the animation rate in milliseconds per frame can be set. Sprites are encapsulated in the TSprite component which are dropped on the form and attached to a sprite surface by setting a property. There are additional properties for the sprite's animation images, animation rate, coordinates, size, velocity, acceleration, etc. There are a host of events that can be used to track collisions and customise the movement and display of sprites.

SpriteKit includes a 32-bit transparent bitblt function which allows you to blit sprite images very quickly on to a WinG Canvas. You can easily make use of this transparent blit yourself to blit images with transparent boundaries or transparent "holes."

Included in WinG SpriteKit are the following:

The product is shipped with a Windows help file which fully documents all of the classes and gives step-by-step instructions on how to use the toolkit. You can download the Help file from here. A printed manual is also available by snail mail.

The product is supported by electronic mail on CompuServe or the Internet.

WinG SpriteKit is priced in US dollars at $US159 including shipping and handling. The UK price is 106 pounds sterling including s+h. If you don't have a dollar or sterling account, then you can pay in your local currency by adding on US$10 to the price to cover currency conversion charges and then converting to your local currency, i.e. convert US$169 to your local currency. We cannot accept credit card payments at present. However, a standard bank cheque is perfect, or an international money order or bank draft. If you include your email address with your order, we will email SpriteKit to you when your order arrives.

There is a 30-day money back guarantee.