http://www.boutell.com/gd/ is the web page of the original author of the
[GIF] creation library GD.   Originally, when [Compuserve] created GIF, the
file format most commonly used included a compression algorithm that was
patented by UNISYS (see [LZW]).  When UNISYS began enforcing their patent,
work on free GIF creation libraries shifted from generating compressed
files using the patented algorithm to creating image files uncompressed.

[LV] (?) libgd no longer works with gifs, but it handles jpegs and pngs quite well.  pngs are more compact than even the best gifs for diagrams with few colors, and supported by most web browsers now, so this is not really a bad thing.

'''Bullonya.''' It is a bad thing.  Click on the second link below and get libgd with gif, [jpeg], and [png] support.  [LV] Of course, using software that makes use of the [LZW] patent without paying [Unisys] may result in your company being named in a lawsuit.  It's your nickle.

(this link was unannotated before, [FW] adds:) [fly] is a method of generating images "on the fly" using GD, and allows for command line access (via, say, Tcl's [exec]) so it can be used by just about any language with shell access and I/O.  This is, as far as I know, the only way of using GD from Tcl.
  http://martin.gleeson.com/fly/installation.html

The GD home page:

  http://www.rime.com.au/gd/

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[Category Package] |
[Category Graphics] |
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