Libart

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

Developer(s)	Raph Levien
Final release	2.3.21 / April 1, 2010; 15 years ago (2010-04-01)
Repository	gitlab.gnome.org/Archive/libart_lgpl.git
Written in	C
Operating system	Cross-platform
Type	Graphics library
License	LGPL or GPL
Website	levien.com

Libart provides a vector graphics-based API. Cairo obsoletes almost all uses of libart^{[citation needed]}.

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.