Re: [Gnome-print] Re: [Gimp-print-devel] An introduction to gnome-print (fwd)

[Ben Woodard <ben valinux com>]

> > 
> > Oh goodie, yet another unnecessary heavy layer that reinvents IPP.
> > 
> > First, applications shouldn't be responsible for being printer
> > drivers; it may be fine if you have GNOME (or XYZ toolkit) application,
> > but it doesn't translate into support for all applications.
> 
> Nope. To get top-quality output, applications should be able to intervent
> every single step in printing process.
> Take adding alpha channel (not yet possible via ghostscript) as example:
> While printing, save all printing commands to array
> If semitransparent image is encountered:
> - calcualte its binding box and clip path
> - find real output resolution
> - allocate new bitmap
> - replay previous printing to buffer
> - send that buffer to printer
> Continue, until next semitransparent image
> Note, that this process requires complete rendering subsystem in
> client-space.
> 

I have been thinking about this alot recently. I do not believe that
you are right. I realize that in the Windows world graphics
applications have traditionally provided their own device drivers so
that they could work around problems in the the underlying print
system. However, I don't think that this necessarily will have to be
the case in the open source world. I think that the graphics
applications will put strain on the print system but rather than
bypassing elements of it the underlying print system should be
modified to be able to accomedate the graphics apps. If we do it that
way then the overall print system will improve for all applications
and more code will be reused.

> I very much believe that alpha will be integrated into PS sooner or
> later.

I believe that I have said this before I want to reiterate
it. Although, there is no alpha operator in PS (that I can find) one
can be written without much effort and it can be added into a standard
proc set sent with each job from the PS driver.

> What about 3D (holograms)? Stroke direction (for stone graving) etc.
> PS and server based rendering is nice, as an option, if you have only
> basic requirements, but will present intolerable intertia for every new
> and advanced technology.
> Just remember, how long it took and how much incompatible variants came
> out, before PS level II included color. If rendering is done completely in
> server, and user cannot intervent, new technologies take considerable more
> time to be implemented.
> 
> Lauris
> 
> 
> 
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