[[Image(/static/pipi-kawai.jpeg, align=right, width=100, alt="libcaca logo")]]
== About libpipi ==

Libpipi is a graphics and imaging library. It stands for "Pathetic Image Processing Interface".

Amongst the goals of libpipi are:
 * implement state-of-the art image manipulation algorithms
 * reimplement !ImageMagick (and its derivatives) with ''speed'' and ''quality'' in mind
 * serve as a fundation library for [wiki:thepimp The Pimp], [wiki:PWNtcha] and other projects, maybe even [wiki:libcaca]?

== Status ==

Libpipi is still at the '''experimentation stage'''. There is still a long way until we even have a working prototype.

We are already significantly faster than !ImageMagick for some very common tasks (Gaussian blur) and we implement better quality algorithms than !ImageMagick and The Gimp (Direct Binary Search halftoning, motion blur).

The current source code can be downloaded from svn://svn.zoy.org/caca/libpipi/trunk/

== Planned features ==

 * support for bigger-than-RAM images
 * direct pixel access
 * transparent colourspace conversions
 * several quality/speed tradeoff combinations per algorithm

== Notes ==

The software changes so much that there is no documentation yet.

 * [wiki:libpipi/devel development notes]

A few examples of what is already possible with libpipi:

 * [wiki:libpipi/examples pipi examples]
 * [wiki:libpipi/oric targetting the Oric Atmos]

Various development and research notes:

 * [wiki:libpipi/sandbox research sandbox]

 * [wiki:libpipi/research/filters convolution filters and such]
 * [wiki:libpipi/research/gamut gamut reduction with custom palettes]
 * [wiki:libpipi/research/warping image warping]
 * [wiki:libpipi/research/coolstuff cool stuff that we want to implement]

== Development ==

Development happens in a centralised Subversion repository:
 * svn://svn.zoy.org/caca/libpipi/trunk
 * associated [http://caca.zoy.org/browser/libpipi/trunk web interface]

There is also a Git repository that mirrors the central one:
 * using the Git protocol: git://git.zoy.org/libpipi.git
 * using HTTP: http://caca.zoy.org/git/libpipi.git

If you want to discuss libpipi or report bugs, you can write to me at sam@zoy.org or join #libcaca on irc.freenode.net.