is a tool to compose image(s) and display/ save it based on supplied XML input file.

 ascompose  -f file|-s string [-o file] [-t type] [-V]
 ascompose  -i include_file [-i more_include_file ... ]
             -f file|-s string [-o file] [-t type] [-V]
 ascompose  -f file|-s string [-o file] [-t type] [-V] [-n]
 ascompose  -f file|-s string [-o file] [-t type [-c compression_level]] 
             [-V] [-r]
 ascompose  [-h]
 ascompose  [-v]

 ascompose  reads supplied XML data, and manipulates image accordingly.
It could  transform  images from files of any supported file format,
 draw  gradients, render antialiased texturized  text , perform
superimposition of arbitrary number of images, and  save  images into
files of any of supported output file formats.

At any point, the result of any operation could be assigned a name,
and later on referenced under this name.

At any point during the script processing, result of any operation
could be saved into a file of any supported file types.

Internal image format is 32bit ARGB with 8bit per channel.

Last image referenced, will be displayed in X window, unless -n option
is specified. If -r option is specified, then this image will be
displayed in root window of X display, effectively setting a  background 
for a desktop. If -o option is specified, this image will also be
saved into the file or requested type.

 ascompose  can be compiled to not reference X Window System, thus
allowing it to be used on web servers and any other place. It does not
even require X libraries in that case.

Supported file types for input are :
XPM   - via internal code, or libXpm library.
JPEG  - via libJpeg library.
PNG   - via libPNG library.
XCF   - via internal code. For now XCF support is not complete as it
        does not  merge  layers.
PPM/PNM - via internal code.
BMP, ICO, CUR - via internal code.
GIF   - via libungif library.
TIFF  - via libtiff library (including alpha channel support).
see  libAfterImage / ASImageFileTypes  for more.

Supported file types for output :
XPM   - via internal code, or libXpm library.
JPEG  - via libJpeg library.
PNG   - via libPNG library.
GIF   - via libungif library.
TIFF  - via libtiff library (including alpha channel support).

   -h --help          display help and exit.
   -f --file file     an XML file to use as input.
   -s --string string an XML string to use as input.
   -n --no-display    don't display the last referenced image.
   -r --root-window    draw  last referenced image image on root window.
   -o --output file   output last referenced image in to a file.
                      You should use -t to specify what file type to
                      use. Filenames are meaningless when it comes to
                      determining what file type to use.
   -t --type type     type of file to output to.
   -c --compress level compression level.
   -v --version       display version and exit.
   -V --verbose       increase verbosity. To increase verbosity level
                      use several of these, like:  ascompose  -V -V -V.
   -D --debug         maximum verbosity - show everything and
                      debug messages.
   -i --include file  include file as input prior to processing main 
                         file.

 ascompose  could be used both with and without X window system. It has
been tested on most UNIX flavors on both 32 and 64 bit architecture.
It has also been tested under CYGWIN environment on Windows 95/NT/2000

 libAfterImage          all the image manipulation routines.
libAfterBase          Optionally. Misc data handling such as hash
                      tables and console io. Must be used when compiled
                      without X Window support.
libJPEG               JPEG image format support.
libPNG                PNG image format support.
libungif              GIF image format support.
libTIFF               TIFF image format support.

Ethan Fisher          < allanon  at crystaltokyo dot com>
Sasha Vasko           <sasha at aftercode dot net>
Eric Kowalski         <eric at beancrock dot net>