ftp.update.uu.se/ftp.update.uu.se.2014.03.zip/ftp.update.uu.se/pub/rainbow/msdos/latrobe/f/fancyexe.arc/FEDIT.DOC

Text File | 1985-10-11 | 14KB | 369 lines

               FEDIT Font Editor

                 Version 2.01
               J Anthony Movshon
               February 22, 1985


   FEDIT is a special-purpose editor to create and edit font files which
are  used with the LA50 and LA100 printers' graphics mode output.  It is
based on the CP/M program MAKFNT by A.    Christopher Hall.  FEDIT  allows
the  user  to  work  with the way characters look, and takes care of the
encoding of the font  in  the  language  that  the  printer  understands
transparently  to  the    user.  FEDIT requires an MSDOS personal computer
with 128 kbytes of memory and support for  ANSI  screen  sequences;  the
command  layout  is  designed for the DEC Rainbow, but alternate command
forms can be used that do not require the Rainbow function  keys.    The
font  files  that  FEDIT  reads  and writes are intended to be used with
FPRINT, the fancy printer program.  FPRINT requires  an  LA34,    LA50  or
LA100 printer with graphics option.

   To run, just type "FEDIT".  The editor will set up a default display,
and you can read in the font file you want to edit, or set the height as
you wish and create a new font.  Eventually you can save the font  in  a
file  if  you wish, and exit FEDIT (by typing [Exit] or Control-C).  You
can view a help screen by typing [Help] or Control-H.

DEFINITIONS

Character - Current and Saved

   The current character is the one that is currently being edited.   It
is  displayed  on the screen.  Saved characters have been defined either
by creating and saving them or by reading a font  file.    They  can  be
recalled, whereupon they become the current character.

   In this documentation "character" refers to    an  element  of  a  font,
which  is  either current or saved; not the single thing that appears on
the screen when you type something.  The latter are:

Pixels

   The current character is displayed as set and blank pixels.      A  set
pixel  represents  a  print-wire that will be fired, and a blank pixel a
wire which will not fire.

Character Width

   Characters always have variable width.   The  width    of  the  current
character  is  from  the left column of the display to the rightmost set
pixel on any row.    Trailing  blank  columns  are  "deleted"  when  the
character  is saved, but leading blank columns are retained.  The latter
can be deleted using the DELETE COLUMN command.

Word Space

   The space character cannot be made as the current character and  then
saved,    because  it  will always be saved as zero width.  If a font does
not already have a space character defined, when the SAVE  FONT  command
is  typed  the    editor    will  ask  the user how long the space character
should be.

The Scratch Character

   Sometimes it is useful to save the current  character  in  a  scratch
area,  perhaps    to  compare with the old definition of the character (by
recalling them each alternately) to see  which    one  looks  better.    A
character  can    be  SAVED  and    RECALLed  as  the  scratch  character by
answering the  "give  name"  question  of  those  two  commands  with  a
[Return].    The  scratch  character  behaves  the  same  as  any  other
character, but is not saved on disk with the font.


FEATURES OF THE DISPLAY

The screen display consists of the following elements:

Current Character

   The character currently being edited is displayed in the left part of
the  screen.    Each row is numbered.  The cursor cannot be moved out of
the current character region.

Font File

   If a font file has been read, its name appears at the  top  right  of
the screen.

Width

   This is the width of the current character.    Note that the width only
gets  larger; if all set pixels are erased from the rightmost column the
displayed width remains the same; it is adjusted when the  character  is
saved.

Defined Characters List

   This is a list of characters  which    have  been  defined,  either  by
creating  and  saving  them  or  by reading in a font file.  Any defined
characters can be recalled as the current character.

Queries and Verification

   Many commands ask questions of the user.  Hopefully, they  are  self-
explanatory.    Also,  some  commands can cause damage if they are typed
accidentally.  To give the user a chance to say he didn't mean it, those
commands  ask  for  verification.   Answering the verification with "Y",
"y", or [Return] approves the command, and it takes effect.   Any  other
response disapproves the command, and it is ignored.

   The commands which ask for verification are marked with an asterisk.


COMMANDS

   Keys in [square brackets] are Rainbow  function  keys,  for    commands
where  an  alternate  key  or  key  sequence  exists,  it  is  given  in
(parentheses) at the end of the command description.


Pixel Entry

[Insert Here]
     Sets the pixel at the cursor position.  The cursor moves one to the
     right,  or in the direction set by the SET INCREMENT command.  (Any
     alphabetic character).

[Remove]
     Erases the pixel at the cursor position.  The cursor moves  one  to
     the  right,  or  in the direction set by the SET INCREMENT command.
     (<space>).

[<X] (Rubout)
     Erases the pixel to the left of the cursor.  The cursor  moves  one
     to the left.


Cursor Movement

[Up-Arrow]
     Moves the cursor up one row.  If the cursor is moved off the top of
     the screen it wraps around to the bottom. (Control-E).

[Down-arrow]
     Moves the cursor down one row.  If the  cursor  is  moved    off  the
     bottom of the screen it wraps around to the top. (Control-X).

[Right-arrow]
     Moves the cursor right one column.  If the cursor is moved off  the
     right of the screen it wraps around to the left. (Control-D).

[Left-arrow]
     Moves the cursor left one column.    If the cursor is moved    off  the
     left  of  the  screen it wraps around to the column of the width of
     the character being edited. (Control-S).

[Tab] or [PF1]
     If the cursor is on a set pixel,  moves  the  cursor  to  the  next
     blank.    If the cursor is on a blank, moves the cursor to the next
     set pixel; if there is no next set pixel, moves the cursor  to  the
     next 8-character tab stop.

[PF2]
     Back tab:    does the opposite of TAB, moving to the previous set or
     blank pixel. (Control-U).

[PF3]
     Down tab:    similar to TAB, but moving downward.  Vertical tab stops
     are every fourth row.  (Control-P).

[PF4]
     Up tab:  similar to BACKTAB, but moving upward.  (Control-O).

[Keypad 1]
     Home:  moves the cursor to the upper-left corner of the screen.

[Return]
     Moves the cursor to the start of the next row, or where set by  the
     SET INCREMENT command.

[Keypad 4]
     Moves the cursor to the start of the current line.

[Keypad 6]
     Moves the cursor after the last set pixel on the current line.

[Keypad 5]
     Re-displays the screen.


Font File Operations

[Additnl Options]*
     Read font:  asks for the name of a font file (the extension .FNT is
     appended),  then  reads  in  that file for editing.  The font being
     edited, if any, when READ FONT is typed, is discarded. (Control-R).

[F4]*
     Append font:  asks for the name of a font file (the extension  .FNT
     is  appended),  then  reads  in  that  file for editing, adding its
     definitions to those already there.  If the new font file redefines
     an  existing  character,  the new definition will overwrite the old
     one. (Control-A).

[Do]*
     Write font:  asks for the name to save the font (the extension .FNT
     is  appended),  then  writes  out    the current definitions to disk.
     Typing [Return] as the file name causes the current file name to be
     used.  The current font is erased.  (Control-F).

     Some questions may be asked if certain values  have  not  yet  been
     defined for the font:

     Number of spaces between characters:  This space is output  between
     each  character,  unless  that character has the XTS flag set.  1-2
     for each 6 rows of height is a good value, but the eye is the  best
     judge.

     Number of lines between lines:  Usually 1, but set  it  greater  to
     space  lines  of  text farther apart.  Each increment of this value
     gives 6 more dot-rows between lines in the output.

     Length of    a  space  character:    Type  the  length  of  the  word
     separator.  About half the size of "N" is a good guess.

[Keypad 3]
     Set height:  asks for the height of a new font, then  sets  up  the
     display  to  reflect that height.    This command is only useful when
     creating a new font, and should  never  be  used  when  editing  an
     existing  font  (if  it  is invoked accidentally, it can be invoked
     again to set the correct height without hurting anything).

[Exit]
     Exits FEDIT; no files are saved. (Control-C).


Character Operations

[Keypad ,]
     Erases the currently-defined character.

[LF]
     Erases (sets  to  blanks)    all  pixels  from  the    cursor    position
     rightward to the end of the line.    (Control-J).

[Keypad 7]
     Insert column:  adds a blank column where the cursor is, moving the
     column  the cursor is on and each one to the right of it one column
     rightward.  The rightmost column is lost.

[Keypad 8]
     Delete column:  deletes the column  where    the  cursor  is.    Each
     column  to  the  right  of the cursor is moved one column leftward.
     The rightmost column becomes blank.

[Keypad 9]
     Insert row:  adds a blank row where the cursor is, moving    the  row
     the  cursor  is  on and each one below it one row down.  The bottom
     row is lost.

[Keypad -]
     Delete row:  deletes the row where the cursor is.    Each  row  below
     the cursor is moved one row up.  The last row becomes blank.

[Prev Screen]
     Flip vertical:  reverses the character  (takes  its  mirror  image)
     across  its  vertical center-line.  This is useful to convert a "b"
     to a "d", for example.  (Control-V).

[Next Screen]
     Flip horizontal:  reverses  the  character  across  its  horizontal
     center-line.    Converts  "b"  to "q", for example.  But note:  the
     resulting character may be too high or too low  in  the  frame,  so
     some INSERT ROWs or DELETE ROWs may be necessary. (Control-B).

[Compose Character]
     Duplicate the mirror-reflected image of the  present  character  in
     the  right  half  of  the    field, to create a double character with
     vertical symmetry. (Control-G).

[Keypad 2]
     Set increment:  asks the user to type a direction, expecting one of
     the  four    cursor keys, or [Return].  Then changes where the cursor
     is positioned after type-in, space, or CRLF, to the following:

     Direction typed:  Cursor moves:   [Return] moves:
     [Return]           Right           Start of next line
     RIGHT             Right           Column position of next line
     LEFT              Left            Column position of next line
     DOWN              Down            Row position of next column
     UP                Up              Row position of next column

     where the "column position" and "row position" are where the cursor
     is located when the SET INCREMENT command is typed.


Character-Font Operations

[Select] or [Keypad 0]*
     Save character:  asks for a name to save  the  character  as,  then
     stores the character in the font.    The name now appears in the list
     of defined  characters.    Typing    [Return]  as  the  name  of  the
     character    causes    it  to    be  saved as the scratch character.  The
     scratch character is not written to the font file on disk.

[Cancel]*
     Kill character:  asks for the name of a character, then deletes the
     character from the font.  The name no longer appears in the list of
     defined characters.  (Control-K).

[Find] or [Keypad .]
     Recall character:    asks for the name of a character, then retrieves
     the  character  from  the    font  and  displays  it  as  the current
     character.  Typing [Return] as the name of  the  character  recalls
     the scratch character.  RECALL CHARACTER can be cancelled by asking
     for any character which is not  defined,  or  a  control  character
     (except CRLF).


Miscellany

[Help]
     Prints the informational screen that follows. (Control-H).

          ______________________   _____________________________
[Additnl Options] |Recall|Set    |Unset |   |Tab   |Back  |Up    |Down  |
Read font file      |Char  |Pixel |Pixel |   |      |Tab     |Tab    |Tab   |
[F4]          |Find  |Ins    |Rem   |   |PF1   |PF2     |PF3    |PF4   |
Append font file  |______|______|______|   |______|______|______|______|
[Do]          |Save  |Flip    |Flip  |   |Insert|Delete|Insert|Delete|
Write font file   |Char  |Horiz |Vert  |   |Column|Column|Row    |Row   |
          |Select|Prev    |Next  |   |7      |8     |9    |-     |
[Cancel]      |______|______|______|   |______|______|______|______|
Kill character         |Up    |       |Begin |Write |End    |Erase |
             |Pixel |       |Line  |Screen|Line    |Char  |
[Compose character]     |^    |       |4      |5     |6    |,     |
Mirror reflect      _______|______|_______   |______|______|______|______|
          |Left  |Down    |Right |   |Cursor|Set     |Set    |      |
          |Pixel |Pixel |Pixel |   |Home  |Incr  |Height|      |
          |<     |v    |>     |   |1      |2     |3    |New   |
          |______|______|______|   |______|______|______|Line  |
[Main Screen]                   |Save     |Recall|      |
Rewrite screen                   |Char     |Char    |      |
[Exit]                       |0         |.    |Enter |
Exit                       |_____________|______|______|

BUGS

   Probably numerous, but it's early days yet.

   The cursor positioning routines sometimes become confused  after  the
"set increment" command is used to change default direction.

   Please report any bugs you may find or suggestions  for  improvements
to  the  author  by  one  or more of the following routes.  I would also
appreciate receiving copies of any new fonts you may create.

    J. Anthony Movshon

    US mail:    100 Bleecker Street
            New York, NY 10012

    ARPAnet mail:    hipl!tony@nyu-cmcl2

    UUCP mail:    {seismo|allegra|ihnp4}!cmcl2!hipl!tony

    Or leave a message for me (as "Tony Movshon")  on  the    DEC-WARE
    Fido BBS (212 535-8924).