From: becka@rz.uni-duesseldorf.de
  To  : ggi-develop@eskimo.com
  Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 20:21:44 +0200 (MEST)

Re: Vector graphics and Libplot

Hi !

> Hi, ggi folks.  I thought you'd be interested in the following.

Sure :-)

> I'm the author of GNU Libplot, a 2-D vector graphics library that's part of
> the plotutils package (see URL below).  It supports exporting files in many
> vector formats (PS/EPS, PCL5, xfig, Illustrator, etc.), and in some bitmap
> formats (GIF, PNM) also.  It can draw in a pre-instantiated X drawable too.

Ah - interesting ...

> Just as LibGGI supports multiple targets, Libplot supports multiple
> `Plotters', which aren't required to use the same output format.  An app
> can instantiate any number of Plotters, and use them independently.
> 
> I hope eventually to add a LibGGI Plotter, so that Libplot can draw vector
> graphics (i.e. Bezier curves, filled PS-style paths etc.) into a GGI
> visual.  It won't happen for a while yet, though.

This is a very interesting idea ...

> What you might be the most interested in is the following.  As of the
> current release (2.2), Libplot incorporates the rasterization code used
> by X11 servers.  Wide lines and arcs, sophisticated line styles (fancy
> joins and dashing), filling of polygonal regions, etc....  all are
> supported.  (I pulled the vector graphics code out of the X11R6 release and
> rewrote it in ANSI C.  Quite a task!)

Yes ... I can imagine ... :-)

> I hope to distribute the rasterization code independently, under the name
> `Libxmi' (i.e. X machine-independent vector graphics).  It occurred to me
> that you might be able to use it in LibGGI.  Though that would require an
> expansion of your API.  Maybe Libxmi, rather than Libplot, is what you
> would be most interested in?  If anyone's interested in either, by all
> means let me know.

Hmm - sounds interesting.

Note, that LibGGI has the notion of a so-called "extension", which is a
library that _extends_ the capabilities of existing LibGGI visuals and
allows to define new APIs on top of them, while allowing for "passthroughs"
and shortcuts for individual targets.

Moreover your code would probably come in handy for LibGGI2D which deals
with (most time simpler than those you are using) 2D primitives ...

CU, ANdy

-- 
= Andreas Beck                    |  Email :  <andreas.beck@ggi-project.org> =