# Draw Units (/main-modules/draw/draw_units) A "Draw Unit" () is any peripheral or system that can render something on the screen. This can be a CPU core, a GPU, a custom rendering library for specific draw tasks, or any entity capable of performing rendering. LVGL supports several built-in draw units that can be enabled in `lv_conf.h`. Software Rendering [#software-rendering] A highly optimized renderer written in C. Even when no GPU is enabled, software rendering provides a performant, low-footprint, and very capable engine for rendering. Rendering Features [#rendering-features] The software renderer is capable of rendering most typical draw tasks, including: * fill rectangles with a color or gradient * rounded rectangles and borders * draw box shadows * blend, rotate, scale, or recolor images * draw labels, even with rotated letters * draw skew lines with perpendicular endings and any thickness * draw arcs with rounded or straight endings * blur an area * draw drop shadows for any shape * anti-alaising for all rendering * and many more Color Format Support [#color-format-support] It also supports the most common color formats as source and destination, such as RGB888, XRGB8888, ARGB8888, RGB565, L8, A8, I1, and more. Multi-Core Rendering [#multi-core-rendering] In case of a multi-core system, each core can perform software rendering in parallel by setting `LV_DRAW_SW_DRAW_UNIT_CNT` to greater than `1`, and setting `LV_USE_OS` to something other than `LV_OS_NONE`. Assembly Acceleration [#assembly-acceleration] Software rendering can also use various assembly accelerators, such as: * Arm Neon: available on most Cortex-A cores * Arm Helium: available on Cortex-M55 and M85 cores * Arm-2D: a complete library supporting highly optimized Helium acceleration * RISC-V: uses SIMD instructions on RISC-V cores These can be enabled in `lv_conf.h` and typically provide 10-30% faster rendering. Vector Graphics [#vector-graphics] To render vector graphics (e.g. SVG), LVGL uses a third-party library called [ThorVG](https://github.com/thorvg/thorvg). It supports most vector rendering features such as: * paths from lines, arcs, and Bézier curves * stroke with dashing and joint settings * fill with color, image, or gradient * and many more To use it, enable `LV_USE_THORVG_INTERNAL` and `LV_USE_VECTOR_GRAPHIC`. VG-Lite [#vg-lite] A powerful vector graphics accelerator IP developed by Verisilicon. It is widely used by NXP and other chip vendors to provide hardware-accelerated 2D and vector rendering. Key Features [#key-features] * Hardware-accelerated vector path rendering (lines, arcs, Bézier curves) * Fill and stroke support with solid colors and gradients * Image transformations such as scaling, rotation, and blending * Anti-aliasing for smoother edges * Efficient memory usage optimized for embedded systems * High performance with low CPU utilization To enable VG-Lite support in LVGL, set `LV_USE_DRAW_VG_LITE` in `lv_conf.h`. NemaGFX [#nemagfx] NemaGFX is a graphics API and GPU family developed by Think Silicon. It is used in various embedded platforms, including STM32 devices with NeoChrom GPUs and Ambiq MCUs, to provide hardware-accelerated 2D rendering. In addition to the 2D engine, some platforms also include NemaVG, which provides hardware-accelerated vector graphics rendering. Key Features [#key-features-1] * Hardware-accelerated 2D rendering (fills, blits, compositing) * Image transformations such as scaling, rotation, and blending * Alpha blending and transparency support * Vector graphics acceleration via NemaVG (paths, fills, strokes) * Optimized for low-power embedded systems * Offloads rendering from the CPU for improved performance To enable NemaGFX support in LVGL, set `LV_USE_DRAW_NEMA_GFX` in `lv_conf.h`. Dave2D [#dave2d] Dave2D is a 2D graphics accelerator developed by TES and widely used on Renesas and Alif MCUs. In Renesas FSP, the DRW peripheral is provided as a port of D/AVE 2D, which is the driver used by the LVGL Dave2D draw unit. Key Features [#key-features-2] * Rectangle drawing, including gradients * Image drawing, scaling, and rotation * Letter drawing * Triangle drawing * Line drawing * Background rendering that reduces CPU load during drawing To enable Dave2D support in LVGL, set `LV_USE_DRAW_DAVE2D` in `lv_conf.h`.