The more advanced methods are these:

<?php
  scale(GdkPixbuf     $dest,
        int           $dest_x,
        int           $dest_y,
        int           $dest_width,
        int           $dest_height,
        double        $offset_x,
        double        $offset_y,
        double        $scale_x,
        double        $scale_y,
        GdkInterpType $interp_type)

  composite(GdkPixbuf     $dest, 
            int           $dest_x, 
            int           $dest_y,
            int           $dest_width,
            int           $dest_height, 
            double        $offset_x,
            double        $offset_y,
            double        $scale_x,
            double        $scale_y, 
            GdkInterpType $interp_type,
            int           $overall_alpha)

  composite_color(GdkPixbuf     $dest,
                  int           $dest_x,
                  int           $dest_y,
                  int           $dest_width,
                  int           $dest_height,
                  double        $offset_x,
                  double        $offset_y,
                  double        $scale_x,
                  double        $scale_y,
                  GdkInterpType $interp_type,
                  int           $overall_alpha,
                  int           $check_x,
                  int           $check_y,
                  int           $check_size,
                  int           $color1,
                  int           $color2)
?>
The parameters for these methods are very similar. Both scale() and composite() creates a transformation of the source image by scaling by $scale_x and $scale_y then translating by $offset_x and $offset_y, then rendering the rectangle ($dest_x, $dest_y, $dest_width, $dest_height) of the resulting image onto the destination image replacing the previous contents. The composite() method has an additional $overall_alpha parameter specifying the transparency of the source image when it's composited.

The composite_color() is one monster method that can be used to replace all the methods seen so far.