The purpose of this reference is to describe the PICTools API in detail including a detailed description of the functions and data structures provided by the PICTools API. It is assumed and suggested that you have already read the PICTools and AIMTools Programmer's Guide, available with any PICTools download from www.accusoft.com.

This reference guide has four sections:

• Functions describe the functions provided by the API. 
• Operations describe the various image operations supported by the PICTools API. 
• General Structures describe data structures used by PICTools which have general applicability for all or most operations. 
• Operation Structures describes data structures which are used by a small number of operations.

In the following, opcode and operation are used interchangeably.  Strictly, an opcode is an operation code, i.e., a manifest numeric constant which is associated with an operation in a one-to-one relationship.  An operation structure is the operation-specific portion of the generalized PICTools parameter data structure, the PIC_PARM data structure.  A portion of the PIC_PARM data structure is a union of a number of operation structures.  For each operation, only one particular operation structure is meaningful in that union.  Ordinarily, a reference to a field without any other qualification in the following refers to a field in the PIC_PARM structure.  In the descriptions of operations or operation structures, a reference to a field without any other qualification may refer to a field in either the operation structure or in the PIC_PARM structure.

In the following, where the term palette is used, it is meant to refer to a color table rather than a palette in the sense of a Windows palette.  A color table is an array of RGBQUAD or RGBTRIPLE color values as would be used for a 4-bit or 8-bit DIB.  Each pixel on a 4-bit or 8-bit DIB is regarded as an index into the associated color table array.  The color value of the pixel is specified by the red, green, and blue values in the RGBQUAD structure.

Externally, PICTools is implemented in a set of libraries.  The PICTools API library implements the shell of the PICTools API.  When a PICTools API function is called for an image operation, the PICTools API library loads the PICTools opcode library within which the operation is implemented.  The PICTools API library also calls the PICTools opcode library as necessary to perform the operation.

The PICTools Development Kit provides the following functions, described in the following section: