I want to find an open source graphics tool capable of scripting the following:

Shapes (create, size)
=====================
circle
rectangle
elipse
polygon

Effects
=======
shadow
bevel
emboss
glow

Requirements: Must have an API and scripting ability so that external
programs can create shapes and apply the above effects on them. 
Please don't respond if you don't have experience with graphic
software such as Quark, CAD, etc. If you can't suggest an open source
version of the above, share ware or free ware is OK.

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Clarification of Question by author20-ga on 08 Dec 2003 19:24 PST

Just identify the program. Don't write it.  Just tell me it's name.

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Clarification of Question by author20-ga on 10 Dec 2003 07:08 PST

Any format for the graphics can be used, the only important thing is
the need to apply effects to a rectangle, sphere, elipse and
polygon...

Flash will be the final format, but we can convert almost anything to
flash with utility.

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Clarification of Question by author20-ga on 29 Dec 2003 16:36 PST

Hi,

Could you enhance this action-script shape editor to have rectangle,
elipse, polygone?

http://actionscript-toolbox.com/samplemx_shapeeditor.php

With the shadow effects such as in the middle of the below page

http://actionscript-toolbox.com/samplemx_translatesvg2.php

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Clarification of Question by author20-ga on 29 Dec 2003 16:37 PST

THis has effects, sorry

http://actionscript-toolbox.com/shapeDefinedMC.php

Good question. I did not offer this as a complete solution, because I
think this program may be *overkill*. The learning curve is steep :

POV Ray
http://www.povray.org/

Complex 3D graphics are the ultimate goal with this program, but you
can download the source and adjust as needed.

Povray is awsome, I tried it -- but unfortunately it is too fat.  My
app is light weight, client oriented, and this would be like strapping
a gorilla on the back of a hampster.

Right now -- I'm looking at javascript and possibly ImageMagik -- but
I can't find a HTML interface (or any easy UI) for ImageMagik.

The Linux world is rich, powerful -- but full of chaos.  Hopefully,
this will improve.

Thanks for your help -- I will keep your address for future reference.

Here Are the Tools I've Evaluated, and so far, Javascript is ahead
==================================================================

The GIMP can be scripted, but it is over 11 MB and the plug-ins are
too complex. It is an open source package that can?t be incorporated
into a commercial product.
 
ImageMagik might be a good choice, but I don?t know ?. 

Flash MX ? has new extensions that do the shadow, bevel, etc., but
require Flash to be on the client in order to use them.  That would
make this too expensive unless it was a hosted solution. But is this
the easiest to find a way to script (from forms) shadows, bevels,
glows and emboss effects?  Have you used these extensions?
 
Pov-ray ? too heavy, complex and although it can be scripted, it is
far more than we require since our shapes will be limited to rec,
sphere, elipse, polygon.
 
Xara Bevel tool -- http://www.xara.com/ -- British company, their site
is so disorganized, and I guess that's because -- they are British. I
just don't know if their Bevel tool or X product can do what I need.

Javascript graphic effects ? there are many free scripts to create
shapes, shadows, light effects ? so that emboss and bevel would be no
problem.  This approach is client-based, light, commercial free!

IN final analysis, javascript seems to be the best way ? but I don?t
know. The process might work like this:

a)Define shape & create swf(this is already done via Actionscript)
b)Define colors, contrast and bevel values (done via actionscript)
c)Apply effects: shadow, bevel, glow and emboss (missing link)

Step "C" can be done in any format, then re-coverted back to swf.  I
just can't find a tool that allows me to script, that is light and
license friendly. Please help me select the one that will work.

Please consider the above in your recommendation

The gimp.

www.gimp.org

I use ImageMajick http://www.imagemagick.org/

Very powerful, great user community, free.

Another option is to not use an application at all -- try the GD
library for perl. It handles drawing all the basic shapes, can save
different file formats, is lightwight and *fast*.

For more information on GD: http://search.cpan.org/search?query=GD&mode=all

This requires knowledge of perl, but its an easy language to pick up.
And, finally, if this is a desktop based HTML application, you can
even put your perl right into the HTML document (info on
msdn.microsoft.com, search for perl) if you have perl (activeperl)
installed on your system, because it is an active scripting host.

(Or, you could write/have written a custom application in flash, or as
a java applet, because what you want to do is really simplistic. I
could probably write a custom app in a day or two, and have it produce
vector (flash native compatible) output)

- Firstdraft


ps. and I get where you're going ... I live in Quark ... i hope you
aren't expecting to flow text inside these shapes ala a text box.

I do extensive scripted image creation and manipulation with two
open-source toolsets: netpbm and imc.
imc - http://users.skynet.be/Peter.Verthez/projects/imc/ accepts a
text-file input to draw geometric forms on a background (with or
without an image). Supports png and I believe jpg.

netpbm - a 200+ selection of single-function graphics utilities to
perform virtually any kind of image manipulation, including overlays,
blends, masking, etc. Extremely powerful - can be chained together on
the command line with stdout/stdin pipes. Standard with most linux
distros, may exist under cygwin as well.

Samples of images created with these tools are at:
https://www.nemoc.navy.mil/sat_user.php and
https://www.nemoc.navy.mil/auto/pages/obs/fnmoc_med_taf.html

Good luck...