Patent ID: 7609280

Claim:
A method of modifying graphics commands representative of a visual tree comprising: receiving a message specifying a dedicated channel connection for receiving a graphics stream, wherein the message indicates identifying fields of the dedicated channel in a format including a Connection ID, followed by a Channel ID, followed by a Command ID, followed by a Command Data; receiving a graphics stream from a first application program, the graphics stream including data packets, commands and instructions, the data packets comprising visual objects and resources that make up the visual tree, wherein the resources describe how to draw the visual objects; opening the graphics stream with a second application program, wherein the graphics stream received from the first application being located in a dedicated channel; modifying commands and instructions of the graphics stream passing through the dedicated channel with the second application program to create a modified graphics stream; and passing the modified graphics stream to a composition engine implemented by a processor of a computing device, wherein the composition engine creates a modified composition tree based on the visual tree and the commands and instructions of the modified graphics stream, wherein the modified commands and instructions of the graphics stream when implemented by the composition engine modify at least one node of the modified composition tree, wherein a node of a lower level of hierarchy is automatically modified if a node of a higher level of hierarchy is modified, wherein commands and instructions describe how to draw the modified composition tree based on composition objects and resources, wherein the composition objects are analogous to the visual objects, wherein the modified composition tree includes higher-level graphics information analogous to the visual tree.