The Graphics Support routines

The graphics support routines are simple basic graphics routines for operating on 32 bit rgba buffers. The core widgets use them internally to draw themselves.

int bbx_line(unsigned char *rgba, int width, int height, double x1, double y1, double x2, double y2, BBX_RGBA col);
int bbx_lineaa(unsigned char *rgba, int width, int height, double x1, double y1, double x2, double y2, double lwidth, BBX_RGBA col);
int bbx_rectangle(unsigned char *rgba, int width, int height, double x1, double y1, double x2, double y2, BBX_RGBA col);
int bbx_circle(unsigned char *rgba, int width, int height, double x, double y, double r, BBX_RGBA col);
int bbx_polygon(unsigned char *rgba, int width, int height, double *x, double *y, int N, BBX_RGBA col);
int bbx_polygonaa(unsigned char *rgba, int width, int height, double *x, double *y, int N, BBX_RGBA col);

void bbx_paste(unsigned char *rgba, int width, int height, unsigned char *sub, int swidth, int sheight, int x, int y);
void bbx_pasterot(unsigned char *rgba, int width, int height, unsigned char *sub, int swidth, int sheight, int x, int y, double theta);
int bbx_rotatebyshear(unsigned char *rgba, int width, int height, double cx, double cy, double theta, unsigned char *out);
unsigned char *bbx_rot90(unsigned char *rgba, int width, int height);
unsigned char *bbx_rot270(unsigned char *rgba, int width, int height);

For the color arguments, see Baby Colours

Most of the routines are alpha-aware. So you can construct quite complex dynamic images using alpha-blending and pasting. Get the original artwork into the program with the aid of the Baby X resource compiler. They all take an a rgba buffer plus width and height as the first three arguments. Co-ordinate arguments are mostly real.

unsigned char *rgba;
int width,height;
BBX_Canvas *can; /* created earlier */
rgba = bbx_canvas_rgba(can, &width, &height);
bbx_rectangle(rgba, width, height, 0, 0, width-1, height-1, bbx_color("white"));
/* more drawing commands here */
bbx_canvas_flush(can);

This is a simple example of usage. You need to obtain the rgba buffer for the canvas before drawing, then flush the canvas once you are done with it. You can of course also use the routines for constructing images in your own rgba buffers.

bbx_line is a simple line. It is not anti-aliased so you will get staircased effected for diagonal lines. However it is faster for drawing axis-aligned lines.

bbx_lineaa is for drawing anti-aliased lines.

bbx_rectangle draws a rectangle. Currently the edges are not anti-aliased.

bbx_circle draws a filled circle. Not anti-aliased. You need to use the graphic context if you want a good circle.

bbx_polygon draws a simple polygon, with "jaggies". x and y arguments are held in separate buffers.

bbx_polygonaa is the anti-aliased polygon.

bbx_paste and bbx_pasterot are the two routines that you will really use to construct images. bbx_paste is designed for fast pasting of axis-aligned images, and takes integer arguments. bbx_pasterot rotates, resamples, and does anti=aliasing.

bbx_rotatebyshear allows you to construct a rotated image in memory. Unlike the other routines, it reads from the rgba buffer and ouputs to a buffer of the same size passed as "out". bbx_pasterot uses a rotation matrix combined with bilinear interpolation to produce the output image. bbx_rotatebyshear shifts whole pixels to produce a rotation. Thus you don't get degradation of the image, at the price of less accurate angles of rotation.

bbx_rot90 and bbx_rot270 are convenience functions to rotate an image by exactly 90 degrees.