# Using Cinder as a rendering lib

**URL:** <https://discourse.libcinder.org/t/using-cinder-as-a-rendering-lib/1180>\
**Category:** Using Cinder\
**Created:** [May 31, 2018, 6:59am UTC](https://discourse.libcinder.org/t/using-cinder-as-a-rendering-lib/1180 "2018-05-31T06:59:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mgejke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@mgejke](https://discourse.libcinder.org/u/mgejke)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2018, 6:59am UTC](https://discourse.libcinder.org/t/using-cinder-as-a-rendering-lib/1180/1 "2018-05-31T06:59:31Z")

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Hi,

I have an old project that uses Cinder in an MFC application that was done a couple of years ago. Back then it was relatively straight forward, create a renderer, run setup with a hwnd and start drawing.

Now, I upgraded Cinder and don’t really now where to start, I’ve found the WindowImplMsw constructor that takes a HWND, but I don’t have an app, so I’m kind of stuck.

What would be the best way today to get Cinder rendering in a window it didn’t create itself?

/Martin

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**Author:** ![andrewfb](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.libcinder.org/andrewfb/32/2_2.png) [@andrewfb](https://discourse.libcinder.org/u/andrewfb)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 1:46am UTC](https://discourse.libcinder.org/t/using-cinder-as-a-rendering-lib/1180/2 "2018-06-05T01:46:13Z")

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Can you get away with just having a `ci::gl::Context` rather than a full-blown app? If so, you could allocate using `Context::createFromExisting()` using a `PlatformDataMsw`:

> <https://github.com/cinder/Cinder/blob/d40e9a5c3218ee9a8127d100aaefcfcc7335c606/include/cinder/gl/Environment.h#L144>