Libart is a free software graphics library of functions for 2D graphics supporting a superset of the PostScript imaging model. Libart was designed to be integrated with graphics, artwork, and illustration programs. It is written in optimized C and is fully compatible with C++. With a small footprint of 10,000 lines of code, it is especially suitable for embedded applications.
Libart provides a vector graphics-based API. Cairo obsoletes almost all uses of libart.
Libart supports a very powerful imaging model, basically the same as SVG and the Java 2D API. It includes all PostScript imaging operations, and adds antialiasing and alpha-transparency.
History
Libart was a library for high-performance 2D graphics. Prior to being replaced with Cairo, it had been used as the anti-aliased rendering engine for the Gnome Canvas and for Gill, the Gnome Illustration app.
Gdk-pixbuf used to be a wrapper around libart.
A component of Libart, containing all functions needed for printing and running GNOME Canvas, was released under the LGPL[when?]. The version maintained under the GPL contained enhancements for unspecified specific applications.1
Notable usage
- Eye of GNOME used libart
- The also abandoned GNOME Canvas widget uses Libart as its rendering API.
- GIMP used Libart for vector rendering.
- Dia could use Libart for antialiasing and PNG export.
External links
- Official website
- Gnome Illustration app (levien.com)
- The libart library – a tutorial (gnome.org)
References
"README". Archive/libart_lgpl. GNOME GitLab. 24 January 2005. Retrieved 2021-10-13. https://gitlab.gnome.org/Archive/libart_lgpl/-/blob/master/README ↩