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SFP2Auto Create HP AutoFont Support files from HP LaserJet Softfonts Version 0.91 Copyright (c) 1992 by Small Planet Software All Rights Reserved THIS PROGRAM IS DISTRIBUTED FREELY. THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. IN NO EVENT WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Every reasonable effort has been made to assure the quality and completeness of this program, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions or if you believe that you have found a bug please contact the author at the address given at the end of this document. All trademarks used within this document are trademarks of their respective owners. INTRODUCTION ------------ SFP2Auto was born out of a desire to be able to easily install many different softfonts into any application. Many applications can use softfonts directly, but many others, including some very common ones, are unable to use softfonts unless they are specially installed. What is most frequently needed by the application is the character width information. Many commercial third party alternatives exist to install softfonts into popular applications. If you have already purchased one of those, you may have no need for SFP2Auto. However, as new versions of applications come out, or you purchase new applications, you may find that you need to buy better or newer versions of install packages. This seems like a shame--not to mention a waste of money. What alternatives exist? ------------------------ Hewlett Packard introduced the concept of AutoFont Support Technology along with their brand of scalable typeface technology shortly before they introduced the LaserJet III printer. The central idea was to place all of the information that an application needed to know about a font in single, well defined file. The file format (like the popular TIFF image format) was designed to be extensible so that it could change and adapt as time passed without ever becoming so obsolete that it needed to be completely replaced. The resulting files, called Tagged Font Metric files, are what SFP2Auto produces. Most new applications can read HP AutoFont Support files and most new font rendering programs can produce HP AutoFont Support files when they create a font. What has been missing is a way to produce AutoFont Support files from existing softfonts. By using AutoFont Support files, you can be guaranteed (as much as anything is guaranteed in the software industry) that you will have access to all your fonts in both present and future versions of your applications. AUTOFONT SUPPORT FILES ---------------------- AutoFont Support files are complex. Each file consists of a number of variable length fields identified by tags (a tag is just a number). Some fields are required, some are recommended and some are optional. The amount of information in an AutoFont Support file far exceeds the amount of information in a LaserJet softfont. Luckily, however, all of the required fields can be constructed from the metrics present in the softfont. It should be understood from the beginning that the quality of the metrics in the AutoFont Support file produced by SFP2Auto are only as good as the quality of the metrics in the softfont. By this we mean, if you have an application that creates softfonts (from scalable typeface data, for example) you should definitely use the AutoFont Support file produced by the font rendering application if possible. SFP2Auto is constructing a support file "after the fact," it is far better to produce the file with the original font. There are two different kinds of AutoFont Support file--they are called type 0 and type 1, respectively. There are two types because HP is actually trying to solve a number of different problems with AutoFont support files. One of the problems that they are trying to solve is the problem of character sets. There are a really large number of symbols available in fonts today and more are being added all the time. For the purpose of constructing a font or using these symbols in a computer they are grouped into sets of 256. In order to make sure that what appears on the screen and what appears on the printed page are the same character, it is necessary to make sure that the screen driver and the printer use the same set of characters. Groups of characters are usually called symbol sets. If you have ever performed a Print Screen to your LaserJet printer and gotten a page of "gibberish," you have seen the results of mixing symbol sets. Your PC was almost certainly using the PC-8 symbol set and the printer was using some other symbol set (probably Roman-8). The problem with symbol sets is that they are only good if everyone knows what they contain. Application writers are acutely aware of the fact that a new symbol set, created after they distribute there application, is essentially unusable within their application. The problem is this: the application knows what symbol sets your printer has and knows how to "draw" a whole bunch of characters that are not resident in your printer. But if you choose character 65 from symbol set XYZZY and the application hasn't been coded to know what characters are actually in symbol set XYZZY, there's nothing that the application can do to print the correct character (unless you've also told it that a particular font has symbol set XYZZY). In an attempt to combat this problem, type 0 AutoFont Support files map each character in a font to a particular predefined code in the HP Master Symbol Library (MSL). The MSL contains thousands of characters uniquely identified by a single number. For example, in the MSL character 68 is a lowercase "t" and character 1043 is the "ffi" ligature regardless of the symbol set of the font or what position the character occupies in the font. The disadvantage of type 0 AutoFont Support files is that the MSL is incomplete. For SFP2Auto, an additional disadvantage is the fact that it is impossible to tell, simply by looking at the font, what each character _really_ is. A type 1 AutoFont Support file maps each character to its position in a particular symbol set. In a type 1 file, the character at position 13 might be mapped to position 185 in the Roman-8 symbol set (which would imply that it was the upside down question mark character). The disadvantage of type 1 files is that only a single symbol set can be represented in each AutoFont Support file. It is not possible to "mix and match" symbol sets in the character mapping table. Although all application programs _should_ support either form of AutoFont Support file, many don't. For example, at the time of this writing, Word Perfect's PTR program ignores type 1 AutoFont Support files. INSTALLATION OF AUTOFONT FILES ------------------------------ Installation of AutoFont files is one place in which the AutoFont Support file specification is a bit rigid. The specification states that there should be a directory called \AUTOFONT (on C:, for example, although at Small Planet Software it is on D:) The \AUTOFONT directory contains all of your AutoFont Support files and a special text file called GLUE.TXT. The actual font files should be kept in another directory or, perhaps, several other directories. The file GLUE.TXT binds fonts to AutoFont Support files. Internally, the file is divided into sections (in a manner similar to the way that Windows uses square-bracketed section names in .INI files). When an application needs to find the AutoFont Support file for a font, it opens \AUTOFONT\GLUE.TXT and locates the appropriate section. For every font that has an AutoFont Support file, there is a group of lines in the GLUE.TXT file that describes the font and names the appropriate AutoFont Support file. The diagram below attempts to represent the relationships between the various components: C:\FONTS C:\AUTOFONT C:\AUTOFONT AAAAAA.SFP -*--+ | +--*- AAAAAA.TFM BBBB12.SFP **--| | |---GLUE.TXT-----|-**- BBBBSS.TFM BBBB14.SFP **--| | | +-*-* CCCCCC.TFM CCCCCC.SFP *-*-| | D:\PSFONTS | | BBBBSS.PFB **--+ For example, here is an entry from the AutoFont Support file at Small Planet Software: {A} ; LaserJet bitmap fonts FONT = Gourmand /family = 1706 /resource = D 24987 /font file = d:\fonts\EA010AAA.ESP /symset = 10J 5 /orient = P /ptsize = 10.00 /tfm = d:\autofont\EA010AAA.TFM This entry, in the [PCL fonts] section of the GLUE.TXT file describes an uncompressed LaserJet bitmap font called "Gourmand". The actual softfont is d:\fonts\ea010aaa.esp. The AutoFont Support file for this font is d:\autofont\ea010aaa.tfm. The other lines in this entry describe other font related details. This other information is actually available from the softfont and AutoFont files, but it is more convienient to supply all of it in one place since the application using this information has to read GLUE.TXT anyway. HOW DO I USE SFP2AUTO: ---------------------- If you have never used AutoFont Support before, the first thing you should do is create a directory called \AUTOFONT. Many applications recommend that you place this directory on drive C:, however, at Small Planet Software we have been using it on drive D: without significant difficulty. You must put it in the root directory, however. After you have created the directory, follow the instructions below and SFP2Auto will do the rest. SFP2Auto is easy to use. To run SFP2Auto, simply enter the name of the softfont for which you wish to build an AutoFont Support file. The complete usage syntax is: SFP2AUTO softfont <autofont> </MSL:file> </AUTO:d:\path\glue.txt> </$> </NOMSL> The parameters in angle brackets (<>) are optional. A configuration file (described below) can be used to set default options. What each parameter means: -------------------------- softfont : The name of the LaserJet softfont. SFP2Auto will build an AutoFont support file for this softfont. At present, wildcard masks (like *.SFP) are not allowed. autofont : (optional) The name of the AutoFont Support file to create. The default name is the name of the softfont with the extension changed to TFM. By default, this file is created in the \AUTOFONT directory. This is generally the best choice. SFP2Auto will not replace an existing file. If a name conflict occurs, SFP2Auto generates a new name that does not conflict with any existing filename. /MSL:file : (optional) Specifies an MSL mapping file (described below). The default name is the font symbol set with the extension MSL. For example, when generating an AutoFont Support file for a softfont with symbol set 0U, SFP2Auto looks for the mapping file 0U.MSL by default. /NOMSL : (optional) Tells SFP2Auto not to look for the default mapping file. It is an error to specify both /MSL:file and /NOMSL at the same time. /AUTO:file : This should name the GLUE.TXT file that you wish to update. The configuration file (described below) is the best place to set this option. If this option does not name a file called GLUE.TXT, the autofont file named will be created but will not be installed. The path on this option is assumed to be the autofont directory. If the file GLUE.TXT does not exist, SFP2Auto will create it. You should always use the explicit pathname of the glue file (i.e. C:\AUTOFONT\GLUE.TXT) and _not_ just the filename. /$ : Prints out program registration information. This option has essentially no effect on unregistered copies. Please consult the file APPLICAT.DOC for more information about how to install fonts with AutoFont Support files into your favorite applications. What are MSL files? ------------------- MSL files allow you to specify the mapping from positions in the font to HP Master Symbol Library numbers. SFP2Auto comes with several mapping files. The format of the MSL files is simple. Each file is a plain text file; the first number on each line is the position in the font, the second number on each line is the MSL number for that character. Comments can be inserted by preceding them with a percent sign (%). For example, here is the beginning of the 6J.MSL file: % PB (Microsoft Publishing) 6J 32 0 33 200 34 1018 35 198 36 1001 37 1002 38 1004 . . . If you convert a font with the /NOMSL option (or there is no MSL file for the symbol set being converted), SFP2Auto will create a type 1 AutoFont Support file. Some applications will not read type 1 AutoFont Support files. These applications are buggy! If you find that you need an MSL file for a symbol set that is not provided, please feel free to contact the author (at the address given below). At this time, there is no easy way to redistribute a description of the HP MSL. If you do not have access to the MSL, the author will be happy to help in any way possible. THE CONFIGURATION FILE: ----------------------- A configuration file can be used to set the default font directory and the default AutoFont Support directory. SFP2Auto looks for the configuration file each time it is run. If you are using DOS 3.0 or later, the configuration file should be stored in the same directory as SFP2AUTO.EXE and should be called SFP2AUTO.CFG. If you are using DOS 2.xx, you must set the environment variable SFP2AUTO to point to the appropriate configuration file. What goes in the configuration file? ------------------------------------ The configuration file is a simple text file. Each line is divided into three parts. The first and second parts are seperated by a space, the second and third by an equal sign. Case is insignificant. The various parts are called the progid, parameter, and value, respectively. Each line, therefore, has the following form: progid param=value Comments can be inserted in the configuration file by beginning a line with a semicolon. The semicolon must be in column 1. At present, there are only two options that are used in the configuration file: SFP2AUTO SFDIR=directory This option specifies the default directory for softfonts. If you do not supply a directory when you enter the name of a softfont, SFP2Auto will look first in the current directory and then in the directory named by the SFDIR parameter. SFP2AUTO AUTOFONT=d:\path\glue.txt This option should point explicitly to the GLUE.TXT file in your AutoFont Support directory. For example, C:\AUTOFONT\GLUE.TXT would be correct if your AutoFont Support directory is on drive C:. You should always include the drive and complete path to the GLUE.TXT file on this parameter! HOW DO I USE SPS-REG? --------------------- SPS-REG is the Small Planet Software registration program. When you have registered your copy of SFP2Auto, you will be given instructions for using SPS-Reg to "personalize" your copy of SFP2Auto. You cannot use SPS-Reg until you have registered your copy. Please register your shareware today! CAVEATS, BUGS, AND DEFICIENCIES ------------------------------- The present version of SFP2Auto leaves room for improvement. This section describes some of the known inadequacies of the current release of SFP2Auto. Some of these problems may be fixed in later versions. You are welcome to comment on any of these issues if you find that they affect your use of this program. * SFP2Auto may not produce the correct AutoFont Support file for landscape fonts. This is correctable but has not yet been implemented. * One of the things that an AutoFont Support file can include is kerning information. Kerning improves the appearance of many letter combinations by moving the letters closer together or, for other combinations, farther apart. Unfortunately, LaserJet softfonts do not contain kerning information. However, Small Planet Software has implemented a flexible kerning algorithm that could be provided as an option to SFP2Auto users. This will probably be added in a future version. * Although SFP2Auto creates the best possible AutoFont Support files from the information it has in the softfont file, it makes the following imperfect choices: - The Character Descent tag (tag #438) should identify the position of the lowest extension in the character's design. In the file produced by SFP2Auto, this value is only correct for characters that descend below the baseline. For all other characters, the Character Descent is identified as the baseline, even if the character comes no where near the baseline. I know how to fix this but I haven't bothered yet. If it presents a problem (perhaps because accents are much too high, for example), please let me know. - The Type Structure tag (tag #410) should identify the surface treatment of the typeface. SFP2Auto always provides a type structure value of 3. This indicates a "solid" typeface (as opposed to outline, contour, patterned, etc.). - The Appearance Width tag (tag #414) should indicate if the font is designed as a variation on what would be considered the normal appearance for the font. SFP2Auto always provides an appearance width value of 142. This indicates a "normal" font. - The Serif Style tag (tag #415) should indicate the kind of serifs that the characters in the font have. SFP2Auto always provides a serif style value of 60. This indicates a "Serif Triangle" font. HOW TO CONTACT THE AUTHOR ------------------------- The author can be contacted via postal mail to: Norman Walsh #42I Southwood Apts Amherst, MA 01002 USA or electronically via internet mail to: walsh@cs.umass.edu Internet mail is accesible from a large number of colleges and universities as well as many large, national BBS services (including CompuServe). OTHER PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FROM SMALL PLANET SOFTWARE --------------------------------------------------- Sfware ------ The Sfware utilities allow you to download, rotate, compress, expand, view, and perform special effects on softfonts. The effects provided include bold, fill, convert to fixed spacing, halftone, hollow, invert, mirror, outline, convert to proportional spacing, resize, reverse, shade, shadow, slant, stripe, tilt, three-d, hollow-three-d, and filled-three-d effects. The effects can be tailored and customized for any font with various parameters and shading patterns. Sfware is distributed under a shareware license agreement. MergeSFP -------- Merges multiple LaserJet softfonts into a single file. If you are generating special purpose fonts, you may discover that you need characters from several different symbol sets (and, hence, several different LaserJet softfonts) in order to create a complete character set. MergeSFP allows you to construct a single LaserJet softfont containing the appropriate characters from several different softfonts. PKtoSFP ------- PKtoSFP converts TeX fonts into HP Laserjet softfonts. PKtoSFP can create AutoFont Support files. PKtoSFP is the inverse of SFPtoPK. SFPtoPK ------- SFPtoPK converts HP LaserJet softfonts into TeX fonts. SFPtoPK can use AutoFont Support files to provide accurate spacing and kerning information to TeX. SFPtoPK is the inverse of PKtoSFP. PKscale ------- Changes the magnification of TeX PK files. This can be especially useful if you are working with devices of differing resolutions. PKscale is included in the SFPtoPK package.