[interfacekit] Re: Graphics

> Marc Flerackers wrote:
> > I would like to write an SVG to BPicture converter, however gradients
> are
> > very important to give depth to images, and anti-aliasing is needed
> for a
> > nice result when drawing.
>
> A SVG <-> BPicture translator add-on would be great, even for today
> BeOS.
> If he can do SVG <-> BBitmap too (but is a bounding box concept in SVG
> like in EPS=3F), it will be the best.
> After raster image, having some vector graphics translators will add
> big value to TranslatorKit, largely unused outside
> raster formats...

I would like to write a translator for SVG to BPicture first, as it should
be the easiest (although not everything will be converted). However to do so
I need a good XML parser (I use libxml on win32 and linux, but I couldn't
build it on BeOS). And information about writing a B_TRANSLATOR_PICTURE
translator, as I have no idea what to write to the stream.

> BTW, the Translators team discuss about *text* format support too :-)

I know, personally I think B_STYLED_TEXT_FORMAT is good enough for text with
different fonts and colors. Things like HTML and XML should just be read as
text, as this is how the programmer is going to expect it in his/her
program, rtf files as styled text, and word files as some kind of "media
streams". You can stuff everything you want in a word file, so I would read
it as a "media stream", which will contain text, pictures, embedded views,
and a layout stream to put it all together.

The same problem you have with 3d files. It's really difficult to make a
common format for meshes, without losing information, animation differs even
more (linear vs non-linear), add some extra data from plugins like in the
3dsMAX format and you cannot make a nice general in-between format anymore.

I wouldn't mind having 3d translators though, it would make my work much
easier ^_^.

Marc Flerackers (mflerackers@xxxxxxxxxx)
Software Engineer
ANDROME NV
WetenschapsPark 4
B-3590 Diepenbeek - Belgium
Phone:+32(0)11-301330 Fax:+32(0)11-301331

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