• XCF
• XPM
• PPM/PNM
• BMP
• ICO
• GIF - write support only for uncompressed gif
• XML Images

AfterStep's graphics engine - libAfterImage includes a processor for XML scripts that specify transformation of images. Such XML script may include any function supported by libAfterImage, which includes loading/saving files, scaling, tiling, cropping, Hue-Saturation-Value adjustment, image blending, Text rendering, gradients rendering, tinting, solid fill, etc.

• example: solid blank background 1x1 pixel:
  <solid width=1 height=1 color=#FF000000/>
• example:set color alias:
  <color domain="ascs" name="Active" argb="#FF665646"/>
• Here is another script :

<composite merge="clip">
   <tile height="308">
      <scale width="24" height="24">
         <img src="AfterStep3"/>
      </scale>
   </tile>
   <tile height="308" width="24" tint="#557f7f7f">
      <img src="main_back.jpg"/>
   </tile>
</composite>

This one renders border image as could be seen at the top of this page.

• Shortcuts:
  

  Great advantage of  such scripting capabilities is that numerous images could be produced from the single clipart image. For example most modern systems assign different icons to different file types. When two different file types should have similar icons - the icon is simply duplicated. The result of this is a huge waste of HDD space and large number of identical files. XML scripts solve that problem by allowing to create shortcuts to image files.

  For examle xml file with  :

<img src="logos/AfterStep5"/>

is a simply a shortcut to clipart image.

• Minipixmaps:
  

  Also it allows to create minipixmaps, or reduced size versions of icons.

  For example :

<scale width="16" height="16">
   <img src="logos/GNUStep">
</scale>

Will create 16x16 version of GNUStep icon, which could be used as minipixmap for application.

• color schemes:
  

  Colorschemes are a very powerfull feature of AfterStep. That means that at each moment AfterStep defines 31 additional color names, exact color values which will depend on the choosen colorscheme. Now XML scripts may include HSV conversion commands. As the result it is possible to have images change their colors depending on the colorscheme choosen.

  For example :

<hsv hue_offset="$ascs.Active.hue" saturation_offset="$ascs.Active.saturation-30" value_offset="$ascs.Active.value-72">
   <img src="bars/title_tile_glass_red_a50"/>
</hsv>

The above image will produce a focused titlebar background that changes colors according to the colorscheme choosen.

• Tiling:
  
  • Simple tiling
    

    This example produces a tile which is mirrored through the X and Y axis and which repeats itself endlessly :

<img id="tile" src="niceTile.png"/>

<composite id="left_tile" width="$tile.width" height="$tile.height">
   <recall srcid="tile"/>
   <mirror x="0" y="$tile.height" dir="vertical">
      <recall srcid="tile"/>
   </mirror>
</composite>

<composite width="$tile.width" height="$tile.height">
   <recall srcid="left_tile"/>
   <mirror x="$tile.width" y="0" dir="horizontal">
      <recall srcid="left_tile"/>
   </mirror>
</composite>


• Complex tiling
  

  This example produces a tile which is mirrored through the X and Y axis and which repeats itself only 4 plain times :

<scale id="tile" width="$xroot.width/2" height="$xroot.height/2">
   <img src="niceTile.png"/>
</scale>

<composite id="left_tile" width="$xroot.width/2" height="$xroot.height">
   <recall srcid="tile"/>
   <mirror x=0 y="$xroot.height/2" dir="vertical">
      <recall srcid="tile"/>
   </mirror>
</composite>

<composite width="$xroot.width" height="$xroot.height">
   <recall srcid="left_tile"/>
   <mirror x="$xroot.width/2" y=0 dir="horizontal">
      <recall srcid="left_tile"/>
   </mirror>
</composite>