Efficiency of pixbufs

[kristof vleeuwen org]

Hello list,

I am writing a chessboard interface (http://gcboard.sourceforge.net).
Currently I am converting it to gtk2.
I was thinking to use pixbufs for rendering the pieces and other
graphics.  This way they can have alpha-channels, and the image will
blend nicely, or can have transparent parts.

I am wondering if pixbufs are efficient for use in animations,
(such as dragging the pieces, or animated moving),
because they aren't stored on the server, and maybe cause a lot
of round-trips with the server.

Thanks,
Kristof