NAME

       ascompose - tool to compose image(s) and display/save it based on supplied XML input file.

SYNOPSIS

        ascompose -f file|-s string [-o file] [-t type] [-V]"
        ascompose -f file|-s string [-o file] [-t type] [-V]"
        ascompose -f file|-s string [-o file] [-t type] [-V] [-n]"
        ascompose -f file|-s string [-o file] [-t type] [-V] [-r]"
        ascompose [-h]
        ascompose [-v]

DESCRIPTION

        ascompose reads supplied XML data, and manipulates image accordingly.
        It could transform images from files of any supported file format,
        draw gradients, render antialiased texturized text, perform
        superimposition of arbitrary number of images, and save images into
        files of any of supported output file formats.

        At any point, the result of any operation could be assigned a name,
        and later on referenced under this name.

        At any point during the script processing, result of any operation
        could be saved into a file of any supported file types.

        Internal image format is 32bit ARGB with 8bit per channel.

        Last image referenced, will be displayed in X window, unless -n option
        is specified. If -r option is specified, then this image will be
        displayed in root window of X display, effectively setting a background
        for a desktop. If -o option is specified, this image will also be
        saved into the file or requested type.

        ascompose can be compiled to not reference X Window System, thus
        allowing it to be used on web servers and any other place. It does not
        even require X libraries in that case.

        Supported file types for input are :
        XPM   - via internal code, or libXpm library.
        JPEG  - via libJpeg library.
        PNG   - via libPNG library.
        XCF   - via internal code. For now XCF support is not complete as it
                does not merge layers.
        PPM/PNM - via internal code.
        BMP, ICO, CUR - via internal code.
        GIF   - via libungif library.
        TIFF  - via libtiff library (including alpha channel support).
        see libAfterImage/ASImageFileTypes for more.

        Supported file types for output :
        XPM   - via internal code, or libXpm library.
        JPEG  - via libJpeg library.
        PNG   - via libPNG library.
        GIF   - via libungif library.
        TIFF  - via libtiff library (including alpha channel support).

OPTIONS

           -h --help          display help and exit.
           -f --file file     an XML file to use as input.
           -s --string string an XML string to use as input.
           -n --no-display    don't display the last referenced image.
           -r --root-window   draw last referenced image image on root window.
           -o --output file   output last referenced image in to a file.
                              You should use -t to specify what file type to
                              use. Filenames are meaningless when it comes to
                              determining what file type to use.
           -t --type type     type of file to output to.
           -v --version       display version and exit.
           -V --verbose       increase verbosity. To increase verbosity level
                              use several of these, like: ascompose -V -V -V.
           -D --debug         maximum verbosity - show everything and
                              debug messages.

PORTABILITY

        ascompose could be used both with and without X window system. It has
        been tested on most UNIX flavors on both 32 and 64 bit architecture.
        It has also been tested under CYGWIN environment on Windows 95/NT/2000

USES

        libAfterImage         all the image manipulation routines.
        libAfterBase          Optionally. Misc data handling such as hash
                              tables and console io. Must be used when compiled
                              without X Window support.
        libJPEG               JPEG image format support.
        libPNG                PNG image format support.
        libungif              GIF image format support.
        libTIFF               TIFF image format support.

AUTHOR

         Ethan Fisher          <allanon at crystaltokyo dot com>
        Sasha Vasko           <sasha at aftercode dot net>
        Eric Kowalski         <eric at beancrock dot net>

EXAMPLE

        Here is the default script that gets executed by ascompose, if no
        parameters are given :

SOURCE

           static char* default_doc_str = "\
           <composite op=hue>\
             <composite op=add>\
               <scale width=512 height=384><img src=rose512.jpg/></scale>\
               <tile width=512 height=384><img src=back.xpm/></tile>\
             </composite>\
             <tile width=512 height=384><img src=fore.xpm/></tile>\
           </composite>\
           ";