Just a quick update on the progress with our OpenGL ArcMap extension:
Whatever the OpenGL draw issue(s) with the ArcObject "dockable window" may be, they do not affect a regular Windows Form at all.
Even in the same process, if we put the OpenGL viewport on a regular form and have ArcMap show it (instead of putting the OpenGL in the ArcObject "dockable window") the OpenGL drawing in our new Windows form works beautifully. No disappearing viewport, and no flicker. We can call it from ArcMap in the same process.
We're 90% of the way there, except that we still would prefer the integrated dockable functionality if possible.
So the problem with the dockable windows and OpenGL either is *not* the feared issue of a potential tug-of-war between ArcMap<-->Our-extension over the OpenGL context; *or* else ArcMap is placing the extension-as-Form in its own thread for some reason, whereas utilizing the "dockable window" for the container causes the execution of drawing to exist in the main thread where presumably ArcMap has "dibs" on the OpenGL context. Or perhaps it is something else entirely and the "dockable window" simply does not work well with OpenGL for (an)other reason(s)?
Can anyone from ESRI please comment?