liam@cs.qmc.ac.uk (William Roberts) (01/11/89)
I am trying to provide the characters W-circumflex and
Y-circumflex for a user who deals with Welsh (Funny, this seems
to have been overlooked by all the ISO font work...)
I have been playing with the Times fonts and the associated afm
files, and I know correct looking offsets for printing the
circumflex character on top of the W,Y,w and y characters (in
the non-italic fonts), so all is looking fine for making these
composite characters out of existing Times characters.
But....
How do I define a new font that extends the existing
Times-Roman by the new composite definitions? Times-Roman is a
builtin font, so it doesn't have a BuildChar routine, so I
can't just stuff in some extra defs and a new Encoding vector.
Times-Roman also lacks a CharBBox directory, so I won't know
what to say for the bounding box of each of the unchanged
Times-Roman characters (though I do know my new ones, of
course). Will I really have to go through the grotesque process
of "charpath pathbbox" on each one (it would be easier to copy
in the data from the afm file)? Do I have to do a
/Times-Roman findfont 1000 scalefont setfont
for every call to BuildChar?
Once I have created this font (I'll manage it somehow, even if
the answer is totally gruesome!), I want to make it useable by
A.N.Other Wordprocessing package, so I will also need to know
a format I can use to get the same treatment as the Adobe
downloadable fonts - where can I get this information?
All assistance gratefully received - I promise to post the
resulting font to comp.fonts so any other Cymruphiles out there
can use it.
--
William Roberts ARPA: liam@cs.qmc.ac.uk (gw: cs.ucl.edu)
Queen Mary College UUCP: liam@qmc-cs.UUCP
LONDON, UK Tel: 01-975 5250ws@linod.UUCP (Wilfried Soeker) (02/08/89)
Composite Characters in PostScript
(C) Copyright Dipl.-Ing. Wilfried Soeker
All Rights reserved
Extending the internal characterset with characters composed of standard
characters and/or any graphic seems to be difficult, especially if you
want to make use of the internal fonts. The solution of this problem is
easy: use userfonts.
The basic idea behind the programs supplied with this text is the fact,
that there are not many things you can't do inside the "BuildChar"-
procedure of the userfonts, e.g. it is possible to print characters
in another font!
What we want "BuildChar" to do is the following:
1) select the basic font for the composite character
2) print the basic character
3) move the current point to whereever you want
4) print a second character
With this program you can construct your own composite font with internal
fonts (and their quality!!) and use them with the standard encoding scheme.
Program 1 does the composition and reencoding. An example for the usage is
included.
Program 2 is a program to help justifing the character positions. It prints
the characters in 500 pt with a coordinate system in the background.
Note that the data used here is exact the same needed for program 1.
Some of the older PostScript versions may have problems with the "stringwidth"
operator. The effect is that the "show"s in BuildChar are not suppressed and
so they are printed. There are several ways to solve this problem:
/stringwidth {gsave nulldevice stringwidth grestore} bind def
or
/stringwidth {
currentpoint 1e10 dup moveto stringwidth 4 2 roll moveto} bind def
The second solution is a bit "quick and dirty", but I think, it will be faster
than the first one. Both of them will work.
The processing speed is a bit slower than the original fonts, but the fact,
that the used basic and accent characters are cached, will give you acceptable
results.
This article shows you just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many things
you can do with userfonts.
Some knowledge about programming in PostScript is necessary to understand the
following programs. I published a similar article in the german journal "PAGE",
issue 1/89.
If you have problems with the programs or have any suggestions please do not
hesitate to contact me.
W. Soeker
Note:
I am working as a consultant for the Linotype PostScript Support Group
in Eschborn, West-Germany, but no part of this articles represents the
opinion of Linotype.
PS: PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
###########################################################################
# Program 1 #
###########################################################################
% Program for installation of fonts with userdefined accents.
% (C) Dipl.-Ing. Wilfried Soeker, February 1989
% Alpenroder Str. 14, D-6230 Frankfurt 80, West-Germany
% This program may be used or copied for non-commercial use
% only if this header with the copyright note is included.
% Commercial use of this program without written permission is prohibited!
%
/Neue-Akzente { % Arguments: Basisfont New-Fontname Accenttable.
10 dict dup begin % This Dictionary is the new Font.
/FontType 3 def % 3 = Userfont.
/FontMatrix [0.01 0 0 0.01 0 0] def % For internal use.
/FontBBox [0 0 100 100] def % Working area.
/Basis_Font 5 -1 roll findfont def % Store original font.
/Encoding 256 array def % Mark special character positions.
0 1 255 { % All Positions
Encoding exch false put % are initialised with "false".
} for
exch aload length 2 idiv % Get the amount of chars.
{ Encoding 3 1 roll put %
} repeat %
/BuildChar { %
exch begin % Open Font.
Basis_Font 100 scalefont setfont % Aktivate basicfont.
dup Encoding exch get % Look into the table.
dup false eq % Is this a special character?
{ pop % NO!! It's a 'normal' one.
( ) dup 0 4 -1 roll put % Put chat in a string.
dup stringwidth % Get charwidth
setcharwidth % and use it.
0 0 moveto %
show % Print out this char!
}
{ % Yes, this was a special char!
exch pop aload pop % Get the special char description.
3 -1 roll % Get the basic-char
( ) dup 0 4 -1 roll put % and put it in a string.
dup stringwidth % Get the charwidth of the basic char
setcharwidth % and use it for the composite char.
0 0 moveto % Set the position
show % and print it.
0 0 moveto % Set the position for the accent.
exch % Get the accent procedure
exec % and execute it.
( ) dup 0 4 -1 roll put % Get the accent char
show % and print it.
}
ifelse
end % That's all.
} bind def
end
definefont pop % Registation of the new font.
} def % End of "Neue-Akzente"
% Let's try a Czech font
%
/Times-Roman % Name of the basicfont.
/Times-Tschech % Name of the new font.
[ % The description the special chars.
8#321 % First the position in the encoding.
[ % The Array with the description of
% a single composite char.
8#143 % Basicchar (c).
{ % Procedure for position correction.
6 % Correction in X-direction.
0 % " Y- " .
rmoveto % Move to this position.
} % End of correction.
8#317 % Accent-Character.
% (see PostScript referece manual p.254)
] % End of this composite char.
%
8#322 [ 8#156 {7 0 rmoveto } 8#317 ] % n with \317
8#323 [ 8#172 {0 -2 rmoveto } 8#302 ] % y with \302
8#324 [ 8#165 {6 0 rmoveto } 8#312 ] % u with \312
8#325 [ 8#162 {0 0 rmoveto } 8#317 ] % r with \317
8#326 [ 8#122 {10 32 rmoveto 1 0.5 scale } 8#317 ] % R with \317
8#327 [ 8#105 {13 18 rmoveto } 8#317 ] % E with \317
8#330 [ 8#145 {6 -3 rmoveto } 8#302 ] % e with \302
8#331 [ 8#105 {20 18 rmoveto } 8#302 ] % E with \302
8#332 [ 8#144 {35 5 rmoveto } 8#047 ] % d with \047
8#333 [ 8#164 { 6 5 rmoveto } 8#047 ] % t with \047
] Neue-Akzente % Build a new font with composite chars.
/Times-Tschech findfont % Find the new font
12 scalefont setfont % and activate it .
100 250 moveto
(The following characters are composed) show
100 200 moveto
(\322\323\324\325\326\327\330\331\332\332) show
showpage
###########################################################################
# Program 2 #
###########################################################################
% (c) Dipl.-Ing. Wilfried Soeker, February 1989
%
/xl 50 def /yu 100 def % lower left corner
/delta 5 def
/size 500 def
/showpair { % Arguments: Basicchar, procedur and Accent
% (the same as needed by Neue-Akzente)
% Print the background first
/Helvetica findfont 8 scalefont setfont
% The vertical lines
xl yu moveto
0 1 size delta idiv
{ dup 5 mod 0 eq
{ 0.7 setlinewidth currentpoint
3 -1 roll ( ) cvs dup
stringwidth pop 2 div neg -10 rmoveto show moveto
}
{ pop 0.1 setlinewidth }
ifelse
currentpoint 2 copy
transform round exch round exch itransform moveto
0 size rlineto stroke
moveto
delta 0 rmoveto
} for
% The horizontal lines
xl yu moveto
0 1 size delta idiv
{ dup 5 mod 0 eq
{ 0.7 setlinewidth currentpoint
3 -1 roll ( ) cvs dup
stringwidth pop 3 add neg -3 rmoveto show
moveto
}
{ pop 0.1 setlinewidth }
ifelse
currentpoint 2 copy
transform round exch round exch itransform moveto
size 0 rlineto stroke
moveto
0 delta rmoveto
} for
% The composite character
xl yu moveto
/Times-Roman % Basic font
findfont size scalefont setfont
xl yu moveto
3 -1 roll ( ) dup 0 4 -1 roll put show % print the basic char.
xl yu moveto
delta dup scale % scaling inside the procedure
currentpoint translate % for absolute positioning.
exch exec % execute the procedure.
1 delta div dup scale % reset the scaling.
( ) dup 0 4 -1 roll put show % print accent char.
showpage
} def % end of "showpair".
% now some example for the use of showpair
%
% First a R with \317 and no correction.
(R) 0 get { } 8#317 showpair
%
% The same with corrected position.
(R) 0 get { 10 15 rmoveto } 8#317 showpair
%
% And the same pair again, but the \317 scaled down to half height.
(R) 0 get { 10 40 rmoveto 1 0.5 scale } 8#317 showpair
%
% Now something special: an icelandic D with a horizontal line.
(D) 0 get { 2 34 moveto 30 0 rlineto 3.5 setlinewidth stroke
0 0 moveto} ( ) 0 get showpair
###########################
# End of Text #
###########################aes@laisagna.i88.isc.com (Andy Schweig) (09/08/89)
I'm trying to define a character in a user-defined font that consists of characters from a builtin font. Specifically, I would like the INTERACTIVE logo to be produced by \(bs from troff. The logo consists of the word INTERACTIVE in Helvetica, a row of filled boxes below that, and the words "A Kodak Company", also in Helvetica (Kodak is in Helvetica-Bold), below that. I have a PostScript procedure that produces the logo which works fine by itself but only partially works when executed as the procedure defining a particular character in a user-defined font. I seem to get different wacky behavior depending on the size of the logo. For example, one particular size (26) produces the logo but has the annoying side effect of producing a little mark at the very top of the page, the position apparently not depending on the position of the logo. After a little experimentation, I discovered that the little mark is apparently the very bottom of the "C" in INTERACTIVE (changing the C to an X causes the mark to go away). Any ideas? Andy Schweig | Monkey heads? Interactive Systems | Really? We're having monkey heads? aes@i88.isc.com | We are not...Are those really monkey heads? ...!laidbak!aes | Wow! Monkey heads!
graham@gestetner.oz (graham) (09/10/90)
Page 95 of Postscript Language Reference Manual: "All unused positions in an encoding vector must be filled with the name '.notdef'. Printing one of these unused characters produces no marks on the page and no side-effects". Builtin fonts, which use the StandardEncoding vector, do not seem to agree. Characters that index to a ".notdef" name, seem to cause the same side-effect as produced by "space". Is this implementaion/version specific ? What does the latest documentation have to say ?
kevina@apple.com (This space for rent) (09/12/90)
In article <564@gestetner.oz> graham@gestetner.oz (graham) writes: > Page 95 of Postscript Language Reference Manual: > "All unused positions in an encoding vector must be filled with the name > '.notdef'. Printing one of these unused characters produces no marks on > the page and no side-effects". > > Builtin fonts, which use the StandardEncoding vector, do not seem to agree. > Characters that index to a ".notdef" name, seem to cause the same > side-effect as produced by "space". > Is this implementaion/version specific ? > What does the latest documentation have to say ? Depending on how you interpret "side-effects", the space character fits the Adobe definition: a) it doesn't leave any marks on the page, and b) the side-effects talked about probably refer to VM and interpreter state rather than currentpoint (I agree that it is confusing!) I understand that the Redder Book will clarify this for Type 1 fonts and leave the behavior of .notdef up to the designer for others. The reason that .notdef must exist is that most Adobe font types quietly substitute it rather than raise an undefined error if a character name from the Encoding vector is not found in the CharStrings dictionary. --Kevin Andresen [kevina@apple.com] "The first time I read the dictionary I thought it was a poem about everything."