Smooth font render in graphic screen mode (no OpenGL! no DX!)

[Leonheart]

This will give you some lib addition to draw smooth font text for pure graphic mode (15/16/24/32-bit only). No more must include ttf fontfile for your game or sprite, all font can imported into file. It support pitch,start,italic,... more? Thanks to Pritchard if he give can give me nice welcome.

Check this out: http://www.geocities.com/xaviorsoft/alpha.html

Or need direct download: http://www.geocities.com/xaviorsoft/libabfont_0.1.0.zip

Happy New Year Everyone! 

[Lachie Dazdarian]

You forgot to put "Man, this is brilliant!" poll option. I love it. This is like a dream come true. Wonderful, easy to use, well packed, with 5 examples, font lib.

And the font converter beats everything similar that was attempted to be done in FB. Is the converter GUI FB? I would love the see the source for it.

I think the package only lacks complete documentation. Without the examples I would be lost. Does the lib feature a default font? That seems to be the case from the examples.

Keep up the great work. You have a fan.

P.S.

Nice tune on your website. I like your agenda.

[notthecheatr]

Not bad at all, though I would like to see more documentation - and in particular, I want to see what the font format is like.  It would be nice if you could also provide a converter for image-based fonts, since many of us don't have the capabilities to create TTF fonts.

[KristopherWindsor]

This looks great! But I would like to know where in Example 1 the font / font file is specified and loaded.

[sir_mud]

FontForge is an Open Source (GPL) program for creating TTF fonts, its not easy to use, but it can produce professional fonts.
http://fontforge.sf.net

[KristopherWindsor]

* Bump! *

Hi, I'd like to use this library for my new upcoming super-awesome game, but I want a different interface, please.
I like how this font lib supports semi-transparent pixels in the font.

Mainly I want an "all in one" version of DrawTextXY(); preferably Draw(target = 0, font, x, y, color, alpha).
Once I can use your library to draw to an image (instead of the screen), I will extend it to support scaling and rotation (with Multiput).

Also I hope you can modify your library to use the OOP features in FB:

Code: Select All | Copy To Clipboard

Dim as font_type font
font.load("myfont.abf", 2) 'slot 2
font.draw(, 2, 55, 55, &HFF8888FF, 100)
print font.get_length("pizza")
font.unload()
system()

If you publish the source code, I *might* be able to make these changes myself, but I hope you (Leonheart) can update this.



Edit: there seems to be a bug if I set the alpha value SetTextForeColor() in Example 2: the text is brighter with an alpha of 50 than an alpha of 200!   

[Leonheart]

Well, I in plan to do that, making reversion in full OOP. I use no OOP last day because it still development version so I can compare the speed too . But, I worried that I can't post it here soon. And, I'm sorry to delete the linux version before. I'll post linux version tommorow.

That you forget I'm shame to show up my code  , beside I like the black box. but, You can request next feature or something on fbpsc, is too lonely there  . I'll make it open source if Microsoft let their at least Word Office for free or if someone want to port it to official fbgfx  . I afraid I can't make scaling and rotation support because I design it for 2D acceleration and compatibility (its not stored as vector bitmap, rotation can make the font have unsual ugly look), You still can use different font size or rotate font from ttf source. If you want it as full text rotate not individual one, maybe I can make it -- laters. But, maybe I will worried about the speed 

Its use my special blend formula  that maybe can't be achived by normal formula. Isn't the clue is in fb compiler resource for 32-bit alpha blend? But my speed is better isn't?

There is no bug. Think again, the backfround color in example 2 is white. 60 mean more transparent than 200. White blend will make the color brighter. 

[KristopherWindsor]

Maybe you misunderstood: Your lib doesn't need to support rotation because I will add that feature myself.
I just need an OOP syntax like the example in my previous post because this will be used in a large project.
I also need your library to draw to an image buffer instead of the screen, so I can then add the rotation feature (with D.J. Peter's Multiput()).

Regarding the example with the bug: I mean, the text looks more red (solid) with the smaller alpha value, and with an alpha value of 100 the font is almost invisible. :/

I would really like this soon; it's hard to write a game (yes Lachie, A GAME!!!!) without the menu font.

BTW, how's my highlighting?
I'm in a hurry.

[Lachie Dazdarian]

I'm all wet.

[Leonheart]

Whoo... big job for short time. Ok, I try make the OOP version from original, but draw to an image buffer need big reconstruction to code (and for support old and new image buffer header). I'll check the if that was a bug or not.

If you can wait about two-three week, maybe X-Font lib replacement for alpha font will done, the converter GUI is hard stuff.

Sorry, There is a problem with httpd last day, late update. .

Here the linux version too (in attachment).

[KristopherWindsor]

Fortunately I have the lack of fonts problem isolated (using draw string for now, and the wrapper for scaling and rotation is already made), but I think 3 weeks is a long time.
To draw to a buffer, first of all, you don't need to support the old header; the new one has been around for well over a year, I'd guess.
To work on a screen or the image should be this simple:

Code: Select All | Copy To Clipboard

If target = 0 then
dataptr = screenptr
else
dataptr = image + 1
end if

[Leonheart]

Hey, but that not so simply. The image buffer offset handle is different than screen offset. its will a big change. <see the answer on fbpsc too>.

But, 3 week its for make full revolution change. I need full of it.

[KristopherWindsor]

Yes it is that easy.

Code: Select All | Copy To Clipboard

' Pokin to the screen or an image! v1.0
' By Kristopher Windsor

#include once "fbgfx.bi"

Sub changefirstpixels (Byref target As fb.image Ptr = 0)
  Dim As Integer pitch
  Dim As Uinteger Ptr dataptr
 
  If target = 0 Then
    'note: you can get the dimensions with screeninfo()
    Screeninfo(,,,, pitch)
    dataptr = Screenptr
  Else
    'note: you can get the dimensions with (target -> width) and (target -> height)
    dataptr = cast(Uinteger Ptr, target + 1)
    pitch = target -> pitch
  End If
 
  For y As Integer = 0 To 49
    For x As Integer = 0 To 99
      'change the pixel
      *(dataptr + x) = &HFF44FF00
    Next x
    'go to the next row (have to convert to a byte ptr because pitch is given in bytes)
    dataptr = cast(Uinteger Ptr, cast(Byte Ptr, dataptr) + pitch)
  Next y
End Sub

Dim As fb.image Ptr g

Screenres 800, 600, 32

g = imagecreate(100, 100)

'screen
changefirstpixels()
Sleep

'image
changefirstpixels(g)
Put (100, 100), g, Pset
Sleep

[Leonheart]

Okay, okay.... no rotate, no scale, just new header.

 - You need to OOP translate
 - and draw to image buffer.

Let see what I can do in 1-3 day A.S.A.P. Sorry, but my draw algorithm is different, it have 16 part each mode for make draw faster. Still this will just unofficial lib release, Specially made for u cat. Someone will kick me if my thesis mess too.

You must pay for this

Maybe you can send me some tutorial floating point with asm too. If you can, I'll bet maybe the next evolution lib can achive 1.4x faster.

Is there somewhere someone need 3-3-2 bit mode too?

About the bug; after I change SetTextForeColor(255,0,0,ani) to example 3 and another bla..bla.. just for test it. Oh, there is no bug; smooth transition, maybe caused by screen unlinear looks (screen problem -> did u know RGB(200, 200, 200) is not twice brighter than RGB(100,100,100), thats why we need the gamma correction)
See, no bugs.

[KristopherWindsor]

I can wait one week if you have some important things to do, but I just can't wait three weeks, because most things planned that far away get canceled.
I'll leave the ASM to Mysoft; I don't need ASM enough to remember how to do it.
Maybe someone else can try to confirm / explain the alpha bug?