Enable zlib compression for image delivery
This issue was created automatically from an original Mantis Issue. Further discussion may take place here.
Burlen Loring recently sent an email to the ParaView developer mailing list about comparisons of image transfer rate between using the current SQUIRT algorithm and then using zlib instead. He found that zlib outperformed SQUIRT in both compression rate and overall rendering rate. Thus, we should add zlib as an option (probably the default) for image delivery compression. If it really outperforms SQUIRT in all cases (including higher speed network connections), then perhaps it should replace SQUIRT altogether.
Burlen also noted that performing the SQUIRT-type color reductions also helped zlib be more effective. It may be worthwhile to do the same bit masking before the zlib compression.
A document detailing Burlen's performance measurements is attached.