# Real time vector graphics **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [January 23, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/real-time-vector-graphics/83156 "2007-01-23T22:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/SonOfLilit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/real-time-vector-graphics/83156/1 "2007-01-23T22:42:34Z")
Hello all, I’m planning to prototype a vector graphics Zooming User Interface using ruby (because it feels good and it’s just a prototype - in the case that I elect to build the system I will probably force myself to learn a lisp and OpenGL or OpenVG). Has anyone tried to use the ruby bindings of Cairo? Is there an alternative? Any tips? By the way, does anyone know of an online resource discussing low-level implementation of graphical user interfaces? I run OSX on a Mac Mini. Thanks, Aur S. ---
**Author:** ![SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/SonOfLilit)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 8:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/real-time-vector-graphics/83156/2 "2007-01-28T08:24:30Z")
Thank you, and I’ve read that. I’ve read that Cairo is slow. Is that true or random whining? LISP is for the combination of language dynamicism and speed. ---
**Author:** ![SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/SonOfLilit)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/real-time-vector-graphics/83156/3 "2007-01-27T22:07:31Z")
On 1/23/07, SonOfLilit [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > … > I’m planning to prototype a vector graphics Zooming User Interface using > ruby (because it feels good and it’s just a prototype - in the case that I > elect to build the system I will probably force myself to learn a lisp and > OpenGL or OpenVG). Some Lisp dialect + OpenVG would be an…interesting choice for the actual implementation. Does your choice of a Lisp dialect have anything to due with the fact that some early ZUIs were written in a Lisp dialect? Also, a fast OpenVG implementation isn’t (yet) readily available for most common hardware/OS combinations out there, so you may run into portability/speed problems with OpenVG. > Has anyone tried to use the ruby bindings of Cairo? Is there an alternative? Yes, they work great once you get them installed. Go here to find the (very helpful) community behind them: > **[The source of https://ruby-gnome.github.io/](https://ruby-gnome.github.io/)** > > The source of https://ruby-gnome.github.io/ Cairo would be a good choice if you need 1) high portability 2) hardware acceleration when available 3) open-source with few licensing restrictions (LGPL). Cairo has an OpenGL backend, and there’s been talk about writing an OpenVG backend too. So using Cairo would mean that your code wouldn’t have to change very much as you try out different rendering targets. > By the way, does anyone know of an online resource discussing low-level > implementation of graphical user interfaces? You may be interesting in the paper “Implementing a Zooming User Interface: Experience Building Pad++” by Benderson et. al Dan ---
**Author:** ![SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/SonOfLilit)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/real-time-vector-graphics/83156/4 "2007-01-28T18:49:20Z")
On 1/27/07, SonOfLilit [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Thank you, and I’ve read that. > > I’ve read that Cairo is slow. Is that true or random whining? Depends on what you’re doing with it, which backend you’re using and what you’re comparing it to when you say “slow”. You should probably do some quick prototyping to get an idea of how it performs for your projected use. That said, it’s fast enough for GTK, OpenOffice, and Firefox (among others) to use. And if you find a particularly slow case, send it to the mailing list. Performance bugs get squashed pretty fast. Oh, and use the latest stable snapshot (1.3.12) as it much faster than the 1.2.x series. Dan ---
**Author:** ![SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/SonOfLilit)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/real-time-vector-graphics/83156/5 "2007-01-28T19:17:21Z")
On 1/28/07, SonOfLilit [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > How do I get started with Ruby/GTK to develop Cairo vector graphics on OSX? > > Or is there a simpler way than Ruby/GTK? > > Perhaps SDL? On OSX, you can use Cairo with pretty much anything (SDL, OpenGL, GTK, regular Carbon/Cocoa applications). You just have to figure out how to get the different ruby bindings to work together, which can be fun. GTK is the easiest, IMO. As to how to get started, if I remember right, there are some examples in the repository, but you really should ask over at the ruby-gnome2 mailing list. Kouhei S. is the guy to look for: > **[ruby-gnome2-devel-en List Signup and Options](https://sourceforge.net/projects/ruby-gnome2/lists/ruby-gnome2-devel-en)** > > This project is a set of Ruby language bindings for the various application development libraries included with the GNOME/GTK+ environment. > This… Dan ---
**Author:** ![SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@SonOfLilit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/SonOfLilit)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/real-time-vector-graphics/83156/6 "2007-01-28T14:51:32Z")
How do I get started with Ruby/GTK to develop Cairo vector graphics on OSX? Or is there a simpler way than Ruby/GTK? Perhaps SDL? Aur S.