Architecture

The following illustration shows the architecture of Microsoft® DirectShow® Editing Services (DES).

• Timeline: Represents a video production as a collection of source clips, transitions, and effects, organized into a set of nested tracks. For more information, see The Timeline Model.
• XML Parser: Parses the timeline and generates an output file, or reads an input file and generates a timeline. DES supports an XML-based persistence format.
• Render engine: Translates the timeline into a form that can be rendered as streaming media. By default, the render engine produces a DirectShow filter graph (see next section).
• Media locator: Maintains a cache of locations of media elements. When an attempt to open a media element fails, DES uses the cache to locate the element, based on a history of successful opens.