Black Box 4/BlackBox.cdr/dosutils/sfw100d2.arj/SFUTILS.TXT

Text File | 1992-02-01 | 107KB | 2,741 lines

                                  Sfware

                   A Manual for the Standalone Utilities










           Copyright 1990-92 by Norman Walsh All Rights Reserved





                                Version 1.0



Notice:

This document is written and maintained by Small Planet Software. All
rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
photocopied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or
by any means except those provided for by the shareware license agreement
of the accompanying software.

Copyright 1991 by Small Planet Software

All Rights Reserved

Although every reasonable precaution has been taken in the preparation of
this document, no warranty of any kind is made with regard to the use of
this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No patent or copyright
liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained
herein or the use of the accompanying software.


Acknowledgments:

I would like to thank Tom Bruhns and Philippe Weil for their invaluable
assistance. They were my primary gunea pigs as the product went through
alpha and early beta testing. Without their patience and helpful comments,
neither this software nor this manual would be what they are today.

All trademarks used within this document are the trademarks of their
respective owners.





                                 NO WARRANTY


            THESE PROGRAMS ARE DISTRIBUTED FREELY. THESE PROGRAMS
            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 PROGRAMS IS
            WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAMS 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 PROGRAMS (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 PROGRAMS 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 these programs. 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.


                             Table of Contents

        1. Introduction
        2. Conventions Used in This Manual
        3. Configuring Sfware and Using Command Files
        4. SFLOAD: Downloading Fonts
        5. SFFX: Special Effects
        6. SFCMPR: Compressing Fonts
        7. SFROTATE: Rotating Fonts
        8. SFSHOW: Showing Fonts
        9. SFVIEW: Viewing Fonts
       10. SFINFO: Displaying Softfont Information
       11. SFDIR: Softfont Directory Listings
       12. The Bold Effect
       13. The Fixed Spacing Effect
       14. The Fill Effect
       15. The Halftone Effect
       16. The Horizontal Fade/Mist Effect
       17. The Hollow Effect
       18. The Invert Effect
       19. The Mirror Effect
       20. The Mist Effect
       21. The Outline Effect
       22. The Proportional Spacing Effect
       23. The Resize Effect
       24. The Reverse Effect
       25. The Shadow Effect
       26. The Shade Effect
       27. The Slant Effect
       28. The Stripe Effect
       29. The Three-D Drop Shadow Effect
       30. The Hollow Three-D Drop Shadow Effect
       31. The Filled Three-D Drop Shadow Effect
       32. The Vertical Fade/Mist Effect
       33. Patterns
       34. Sfware Registration
       35. Contacting the Author
       36. Glossary

1. Introduction

The Sfware softfont utilities from Small Planet Software are MS-DOS
programs distributed under a shareware license agreement. These utilities
provide extensive font manipulation capabilities for HP LaserJet softfonts.

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, three-d, hollow-three-d, and filled-three-d. The effects can
be tailored and customized for any font with various parameters and shading
patterns. All of these features are provided by a set of standalone
utilities. The utilities have a standardized interface to make learning how
to use them as painless as possible.  Additionally, the features are
available through an integrated menu interface. The menu interface is
provided by the SfShell program. SfShell is described in another
manual--this manual documents the standalone utilities.

1.1. Getting Started

Sfware is ``shareware,'' and the author encourages archive maintainers to
post Sfware for downloading; you may have received your copy from almost
anywhere and almost anyone. Please make sure that you have a complete
distribution before you try to install Sfware.

1.1.1. Hardware Requirements

In order to use Sfware, you will need a PC, PS/2, or close compatible with
150KB or so of free memory. A hard disk is recommended, but not required. A
LaserJet+ or compatible printer is not actually required, but Sfware is
probably a little pointless without one! Note:  the original LaserJet
printer does not have the ability to use softfonts; the Sfware utilities
cannot help you use fonts with the original LaserJet printer.

If you want to use the SfShell program, you will need 300-400KB of free
memory and either a hard disk, a ram disk, or sufficient expanded memory
for swapping. You cannot use a removable (floppy) drive for swapping. The
shell is not required for any of the features available in Sfware, but it
does provide a user-interface for the Sfware utilities that is less
intimidating than the command line.

If you are running a version of DOS prior to 3.30, read the configuration
section carefully since you may have to do a little more work to get Sfware
installed.


1.1.2. Software Requirements

In addition to Sfware, you must have at least one HP LaserJet softfont
file.

1.1.3. Packing List

Sfware is distributed in four archive files. The archives are named
SFWverP1, SFWverP2, SFWverD1, and SFWverD2. In each file, the ver is
replaced by the Sfware version number. Every archive contains a file called
PACKING.xx that lists the files that should be present in the archive.
Please make sure that you have complete archives before you proceed to
install Sfware.

The ``P'' archives contain the Sfware programs and both are required in
order to install Sfware. The ``D'' archives contain documentation. The
``D1'' archive documents the SfShell interface, the ``D2'' archive
documents the individual utilities. Please refer to the file PRINTDOC in
SFWverP1 for instructions describing how to print the documentation.

1.2. Installation

1.2.1. Making Backups

Like any software package, it is always advisable to make backup copies of
the distribution diskettes or distribution archives. This is especially
important if you use an ``on the fly'' compression program to compress
executable files (e.g. PkLite). Sfware cannot be registered after it has
been compressed--you will need the original programs in order to register
Sfware. There is no compelling reason not to compress the programs after
you have registered them.

1.2.2. Hard Drive Installation

Create a subdirectory on your hard drive for the Sfware utilities; it does
not matter what drive you install onto or what you name the directory.  For
the purpose of this manual, the directory D:\SF is assumed.

Copy all of the files from the distribution diskette (or from the
distribution archive) into the Sfware directory.

1.2.3. Floppy Disk Installation

Copy all of the files from the distribution diskette (or from the
distribution archive) onto a floppy disk. This manual assumes that Sfware
has been installed in the directory D:\SF but it is not necessary to
install Sfware onto a hard disk.

Due to space limitations on floppy disks, it may not be possible to place
all of the files on a single diskette. If is the case, it is recommended
that you put SFSHELL.EXE and SFSHELL.HLP, on one floppy and all of the
other utilities on a second floppy. If you do not plan to use the shell,
you will not need the SfShell files on a diskette.

If you use a floppy-only system, you will only be able to use the SfShell
program if you have sufficient expanded memory (EMS) for SfShell to use a
swapping space when it runs the other utility programs.  SfShell requires
either sufficient EMS or a non-removable disk for swapping.

Splitting the Sfware utilities across two floppies does not present any
real technical difficulties (aside from the location of swapping space) but
you should read the Configuration chapter carefully to make sure that you
have set things up properly. In particular, you will need to tell SfShell
where the utility programs are located.

1.3. Initial Configuration

Before you can use Sfware, you must run SfConfig to establish an initial
configuration.  Please follow the 'quick start' instructions in the READ.ME
file or read the Configuration chapter before trying to run Sfware.

2. Conventions Used in This Manual

The standalone utilities have a steeper learning curve than the SfShell
interface.  However, if you are comfortable with command line utilities in
general, the Sfware utilities should not be too difficult to master.  The
advantages of mastering the learning curve are that the Sfware utilities
have a few more options when used from the command line than they do from
within the shell and the command line utilities allow you to work with
groups of files efficiently.

In terms of getting something done, all of the command line utilities are
run in the same general way. Basically, you type:

      UTILITY some-parameters some-options

wherever you type DOS commands (This is generally the DOS prompt, but many
user-friendly interfaces to DOS exist and if you are using one of them, you
can type these commands wherever you would type any general DOS command
(like DIR or WP).) .

The sections that follow will describe the conventions used in this manual
for describing what some-parameters and some-options are and how to enter
them.

2.1. Typographic convensions

   [NOTE: Typographic conventions are not used in this unformatted file]

2.1.1. typewriter

Typewriter type is used within this manual to denote explicit words or
commands or filenames that you type exactly the way_ they__ appear__ in
this manual. In this manual, FRUIT means you type UF_WUR_WUU_WUI_WUT_W,
whereas a fruit (italics are described below) might mean apple, or pear, or
any specific fruit.

2.1.2. italics

Italics are used to name a general ``class'' of things. If a command in
this manual contains a word in italics, you should replace that word with a
concrete example of ``one of those things'' when you type the command. For
example, a fontname in this manual means any valid, existing softfont; you
should type the name of an existing font file.

Occasionally, italics are used for emphasis (as they are in general
typography) but it will be clear from the context when that is the case.

2.1.3. [[ brackets ]]

The stylized square brackets denote optional parameters. You should only
type what appears within the brackets when you want to use the associated
optional feature.

2.2. Semantic convensions

2.2.1. Parameter

Parameters are additional input, given on the command line, that you are
required to enter. You cannot omit any parameters.

2.2.2. Option

Options are additional input, given on the command line, that you are not
required to enter. You can omit any or all options.

2.2.3. filemask

A filemask is any valid DOS filename that may contain wildcard characters.
The wildcard characters are interpreted exactly the way that DOS interprets
them.  Consult your DOS reference if you are unsure about what constitutes
a valid filename or how you can use wildcard characters to select groups of
files.

2.2.4. filename

A filename is any valid DOS filename. A filename must name a single
specific file, it cannot contain wildcard characters.

2.2.5. fontmask

A fontmask is exactly like a filemask except that it must name one or more
softfont files. The files whose names match a fontmask should contain
LaserJet softfonts.

2.2.6. fontname

A fontname is exactly like a filename except that it must name a LaserJet
softfont.

2.2.7. outname or outmask

An outname or outmask is any valid DOS filename or filemask. The file(s)
specified for an outname or outmask will be created if they do not exist.
In most cases, existing files with the same name will be replaced if they
exist (the replace option determines whether or not confirmation is
required before replacing an existing file).

When an outmask is used to decide what the name of each output file should
be, the Sfware utilities perform the same filename resolution stratagy that
DOS uses. First, any uses of `*' within the outmask are resolved to a
string of `?'s. Then each character from the input filename is compared
against the character at the same position in the outmask. If the outmask
contains a `?' at that position, the character from the input filename is
used for that position in the output filename. Otherwise the character from
the outmask is used in the output filename.

2.3. How parameters and options are used

Parameters and options come in two flavors: those with associated values
and those without. Parameters (or options) without associated values are
either present or absent; that provides all that is required to interpret
the option. The /w option on the DOS DIR command is an example of a
parameter without an associated value. If the /w option is present, it
means print a wide directory listing; if it's absent, don't print a wide
directory listing. Many Sfware utilities have parameters (or options)
without associated values.

Parameters (or options) that do have associated values have the general
form:

      /parameter-name:value

In this case, parameters (or options) are introduced by a forward slash and
separated from the value by a colon. Spaces are not allowed anywhere in the
parameter-name or the value.

In the descriptions of parameters and options that have values associated
with them, the sample value given in the description tries to indicate what
kind of value is expected. These fall into four general
categories:filenames or fontnames, numbers, patterns, and ranges.
Filenames and fontnames are described above, patterns are described in the
pattern chapter, and ranges are described in the range chapter. Numbers are
indicated by # or % in the command description. Numbers indicated by %
should be in the range 0-100.

Parameters and options can be abbreviated to their shortest unambiguous
name.  For example, the /device:filename option can be abbreviated to
/d:filename if no other option begins with ``d''. (It could also be
abbreviated to /de, /dev, etc.)

2.4. Common Options

There are a handful of options that almost all of the Sfware utilities
share.  These options and their meanings are described below. Every utility
indicates whether or not it accepts these options without repeating the
description each time. This convention, in conjunction with the conventions
mentioned above, makes the process of describing each utility much easier
and directs the reader more precisely to the information that is specific
to each utility.

2.4.1. /@:

The /@ option specifies an input filename. The input file contains Sfware
commands.  The format of the input file is discussed in the configuration
chapter.

2.4.2. /!:

The /! option specifies a message filename. If a message filename is given,
the Sfware utilities will write warning and error messages to this file.
It is used primarily by the SfShell program to capture error and completion
messages.

2.4.3. /$

The /$ option displays registration information for the Sfware utilities.
If you are using an unregistered program, this information will be
displayed automatically.  Please register your shareware!

2.4.4. /replace

If the /replace option is used, existing files will be replaced without
warning.  Not surprisingly, this option is only available on utilities that
create files. If the /replace option is not used, then the utility may or
may not replace files without warning depending on the setting of the
``replace'' option in the configuration file. Please consult the chapter on
configuration files for more information about the replace configuration
variable.

2.4.5. /verbose

All of the Sfware utilities print regular progress messages. The /verbose
option causes many utilities to print more detailed progress messages.

2.4.6. /quiet

The /quiet option suppresses some informative messages. For example, the
/quiet option will suppress the %-complete messages in SfLoad.

2.4.7. Technically Speaking

Many chapters end with a ``technically speaking'' section. This section
describes, more technically, what Sfware does. You don't have to read it
unless you want to. If you find the material in the technically speaking
sections intimidating, just ignore it. On the other hand, if you find that
something is not performing exactly the way that you thought it was
supposed to, this section may help you figure out why Sfware is doing
something other than what you expected.

The ``real'' technically speaking section of this chapter concerns the
``switch character'' used to introduce command-line options and parameters.

Because it was easy to implement, Sfware can be told to accept either the
forward slash (``/'') or the hyphen (``-'') as the switch character.  This
is controlled by the ``SwitchChar'' configuration parameter.

If you use the hyphen as the switch character, you cannot enter any
filename that contains a hyphen because the hyphen will be interpreted as
the start of another option. However, you can switch between switch
characters on the command-line. If you enter /- when the foward slash is
the switch character, the hyphen becomes the switch character and,
conversely, if you enter -/ when the hyphen is the switch character, the
forward slash becomes the switch character.
3. Configuring Sfware and Using Command Files

In order to make Sfware easier to use, all of the programs read a
configuration file each time they are executed. This configuration file
gives you the flexibility to assign default values to many of the options
and parameters of each program.

3.1. Name of the configuration file

All of the utilities can share the same configuration file. However, rather
than hardcoding the name of the configuration file, Sfware relies on the
existance of a DOS environment variable to determine the name of the
configuration file. Each Sfware utility expects the DOS environment
variable SFCFG to name the complete drive, path, and filename of a suitable
configuration file. For example, if you make a configuration file called
SF.CFG and you put it in the D:\SF directory, the DOS command

      SET SFCFG=D:\SF\SF.CFG

would be appropriate.

If the DOS environment variable SFCFG is undefined, each of the utilities
looks for a configuration file with the same name as its executable file
and the extension .CFG. For example, SFFX.EXE looks for SFFX.CFG.

3.1.1. Special note for DOS 2.xx users

In versions of DOS prior to version 3.xx, it was not possible for a program
to find out the name or directory of its executable file.  If SFCFG is
undefined, the utilities will look in the current directory for
configuration files. It is especially important to define SFCFG if you are
not using DOS 3.xx or later.

3.2. Using SfConfig

Frequently, the most difficult part of installing new software is the task
of configuring it to work correctly in your system. This may be true of
Sfware as well. In an effort to make the initial configuration as painless
as possible, Sfware comes with the SfConfig program.  SfConfig should be
run after the SFCFG environment variable, discussed above, has been set.

SfConfig will create a configuration file initialized with appropriate
defaults and allow you to select, interactively, the laser printer that you
use, the print device that you use, and name of your softfont directory.
These are the most site-specific configuration options.

SfConfig can be run again to change any one of these values; it will not
change anything else in the configuration file that you have changed
manually since the first time that you used SfConfig.

The following three settings can be made from within SfConfig:

3.2.1. Laser Printer

The Laser printer selection helps Sfware decide if font compression should
be enabled. Later versions of Sfware may make more use of this option.

3.2.2. Printer Output

The most common selection for printer output is LPT1. However, you can
select LPT1-4, PRN, or any valid file or device for printer output.

3.2.3. Font Directory

Most users keep all of their softfonts in one directory. If this is the
case, you can tell Sfware always to look for fonts in that directory
regardless of what directory you are currently in. This becomes the default
font directory. However, even if you do select a default font directory,
you can still override it and use any directory you want be selecting a
new directory with F4 in SfShell or by specifying a fontdir on the command
line.

3.3. Format of the configuration file

The configuration file is a plain ASCII text file, and it should be edited
with a program that will not insert extra formatting characters when the
file is saved (I recommend Multi-Edit by American Cybernetics).

Each line of the configuration file is divided into three parts as follows:

      programid parameter=value

The programid is seperated from the parameter by one or more spaces and the
parameter is separated from the value by an equal sign (=).

The programid is optional but the parameter and the value are required
(actually, the value can technically be empty or blank but that is exactly
the same as not defining it at all).

Individual Sfware programs use the combination of programid and parameter
as a key to lookup the default value of each parameter. Any configuration
line that does not contain a programid automatically matches all
programid's for that parameter. Case is insignificant in the programid and
parameter.

A simple example should make everything clearer. Given the following
configuration file:

      PROG APPLE=1
      PROG ORANGE=2
      APPLE=3
      OTHER ORANGE=4

The value of PROG APPLE is 1, PROG ORANGE is 2, ANYTHING-ELSE APPLE is 3,
OTHER ORANGE is 4, and ANYTHING-ELSE ORANGE is undefined (blank, or
non-existant).

Each possible configuration parameter is described in the sections that
follow.  The section header lists only the parameter if the programid is
the name of the utility program that uses it. For configuration parameters
that make special use of the programid, both parts are listed.  The
parameters are listed in alphabetical order by parameter.

3.4. Compress

Usage:    program COMPRESS=YES or NO
Used by:  SfFx, SfRotate

The Sfware utilities that write new softfont files use this flag to
determine if the softfonts should be written in PCL4/5 compressed format or
in the older, non-compressed format. Compression can produce very dramatic
decreases in the amount of disk space required for a softfont.  However,
the compressed fonts are only recognized by LaserJet printers that are PCL4
compatible. The LaserJet Series II is not PCL4 compatible.  Note, however,
that the Sfware utilities provide for decompression ``on the fly'' in most
cases. Please consult the section about downloading fonts for more
information.

3.5. Device

Usage:    program DEVICE=filename
Used by:  SfLoad, SfShow

Names the output device for Sfware utilities that interact directly with
the printer. The most common value is LPT1, but any DOS file or device name
may be used.

3.6. Esc

Usage:    program ESC=YES or NO
Used by:  SfDir

Controls how SfDir displays font information. If ESC is YES, escape
sequences are displayed by default. Otherwise a readable, text description
is displayed by default.

3.7. FontDir

Usage:    program FONTDIR=directory
Used by:  SfShell, SfCmpr, SfFx, SfLoad, SfRotate, SfShow

Names the DOS subdirectory where HP LaserJet softfonts are located. This is
the default input and output directory for Sfware utilities that read or
write softfont files.

3.8. FontExtn

Usage:    program FONTEXTN=ext
Used by:  SfShell, SfCmpr, SfFx, SfLoad, SfRotate, SfShow

Names the default filename extension for softfont files. If you specify
either an input softfont name or an output softfont name that does not
include an extension, the Sfware utilities will append this extension to
the filename. Note: it is possible to specify that a file should not have
any extension by ending the filename with a period.

3.9. GraphBack

Usage:    program GRAPHBACK=number
Used by:  SfShell, SfView

Controls the background color in graphics mode. The following colors can be
used (they must be selected by number): 0=black, 1=blue, 2=green, 3=cyan,
4=red, 5=magenta, 6=brown, 7=light gray, 8=dark gray, 9=light blue,
10=light green, 11=light cyan, 12=light red, 13=light magenta, 14=yellow,
and 15=white.

3.10. GraphCard

Usage:    program GRAPHCARD=cardname
Used by:  SfShell, SfView

Tells SfShell what kind of graphics card you are using. By default, SfShell
tries to determine what kind of graphics card you have and adjust
accordingly.  However, if it makes the wrong choice, you can force SfShell
to select one of the following: CGA, MCGA, VGA, EGA, EGA64, EGAMONO,
IBM8514, ATT, HERC, and PC3270.

A complete list of available graphics resolutions for each card/mode is
available under the section on ``GraphMode''.

3.11. GraphForg

Usage:    program GRAPHFORG=number
Used by:  SfShell, SfView

Controls the foreground color in graphics mode.

3.12. GraphGrid

Usage:    program GRAPHGRID=number
Used by:  SfShell, SfView

Controls the color of the gridlines in the graphics display.

3.13. GraphMode

Usage:    program GRAPHMODE=number
Used by:  SfShell, SfView

Controls the graphics mode number for the selected graphics card. It is
impossible for SfShell to know if you have selected a reasonable graphics
mode. The results of using an incorrect or invalid graphics mode are
undefined (and unpredictable!).

The following table lists all of the graphics cards and the modes
associated with them. In general, it is not necessary to specify a graphics
mode since the highest resolution mode is selected by default:

    Card    |  Mode   | Resolution          | Palette
  --------------------------------------------------------------------
    CGA     |  0      | 320x200             | 0
    CGA     |  1      | 320x200             | 1
    CGA     |  2      | 320x200             | 2
    CGA     |  3      | 640x200             | 3
    CGA     |  4      | 640x200 (default)   | 2 colr
    MCGA    |  0      | 320x200             | 0
    MCGA    |  1      | 320x200             | 1
    MCGA    |  2      | 320x200             | 2
    MCGA    |  3      | 320x200             | 3
    MCGA    |  4      | 320x200             | 2 colr
    MCGA    |  5      | 640x480 (default)   | 2 colr
    EGA     |  0      | 640x200             | 16 colr
    EGA     |  1      | 640x350 (default)   | 16 colr
    EGA64   |  0      | 640x200             | 16 colr
    EGA64   |  1      | 640x350 (default)   | 4 colr
    EGAMONO |  3      | 640x350 (default)   | 2 colr
    HERC    |  0      | 720x348 (default)   | 2 colr
    ATT     |  0      | 320x200             | 0
    ATT     |  1      | 320x200             | 1
    ATT     |  2      | 320x200             | 2
    ATT     |  3      | 320x200             | 3
    ATT     |  4      | 640x200             | 2 colr
    ATT     |  5      | 640x400 (default)   | 2 colr
    VGA     |  0      | 640x200             | 16 colr
    VGA     |  1      | 640x350             | 16 colr
    VGA     |  2      | 640x480 (default)   | 16 colr
    PC3270  |  0      | 720x350 (default)   | 2 colr
    IBM8514 |  0      | 640x480             | 256 colr
    IBM8514 |  1      | 1024x768 (default)  | 256 colr
  --------------------------------------------------------------------

3.14. Numbers

Usage:    program NUMBERS=base
Used by:  SfShow

The numbers parameter is used by SfShow to select the numeric base of the
numbers printed around the reference grid. Valid options are hex, oct, dec,
and none for hexadecimal (base 16), octal (base 8), decimal (base 10) and
no reference numbers respectively. The default value is hex.

3.15. Pattern name

Usage:    PATTERN name=pattern-string
Used by:  SfShell, SfFx

The pattern programid introduces named patterns. Any pattern that you plan
to use more than once or that is very complex should probably be saved in
the configuration file. There is a whole chapter devoted to patterns and
pattern strings. Please consult that chapter for more information about
patterns.

The pattern created in the pattern chapter could be saved in the
configuration file with the name zig-zag by placing the following line in
the configuration file:

    PATTERN ZIG-ZAG=0;34;85;136

3.16. Quiet

Usage:    program QUIET=YES or NO
Used by:  SfDir

Controls the degree of verboseness of messages from SfDir. In the future,
other utilities may use this flag for the same purpose.

3.17. RefSet

Usage:    program REFSET=symbol-set
Used by:  SfShow

If the reference set is defined, the reference character for each position
in the font will be printed in the upper right hand corner of each cell on
SfShow's grid. For example, setting sfshow refset=8u would make SfShow
print the reference characters with the 8U symbol set.  You must select a
symbol set that is available in your laser printer's line-printer font. If
you don't want reference characters to be printed, use sfshow refset=none.

3.18. Replace

Usage:    program REPLACE=YES or NO
Used by:  SfCmpr, SfFx, SfLoad, SfRotate, SfShow

Each of the Sfware programs that can create new files use this flag to
determine if existing files should be destroyed without warning. If you set
this flag to YES, you can shoot yourself in the foot; if you leave it NO,
the Sfware utilities will always make sure the safety is on!

3.19. Sentence

Usage:    program SENTENCE=string
Used by:  SfShell, SfView, SfShow

Identifies the sentence to be displayed on graphical font preview screens
and printed on the reference page. The default sentence is: The quick red
fox jumped over the lazy brown dog. I said (very loudly), ``THE QUICK RED
FOX JUMPED OVER THE LAZY BROWN DOG!'' How many times?0, 1, 2, or 3456789
times.

3.20. SwitchChar

Usage:    program SWITCHCHAR=char
Used by:  SfShell, SfCmpr, SfFx, SfLoad, SfRotate, SfShow, SfView, SfInfo

Identifies the switch character. It must be set to either ``/'' or ``-''.
Under MS-DOS, ``/'' is recommended. For more information about the uses of
the switch character, consult the ``technically speaking'' note at the end
of the Conventions chapter.

3.21. Style name

Usage:    STYLE name=number
Used by:  SfShell, SfShow, SfFx

The ``style'' of a softfont is one of the font parameters that is used to
distinguish between two otherwise identical softfonts. The values defined
by HP are ``upright,'' ``italic'' and ``oblique.'' Using SfFx to create
variations on a font can potentially create two fonts that are
indistinguishable from each other. For example, ``hollowing'' a softfont
does not change any of its font characteristics. The STYLE parameter tells
the SfFx what style value to use in the font header for each effect. In
this way, it will always be possible to tell the old and new fonts apart.
The name of the style must be one of the following: Bold, Fix, Fill,
Fill3d, HalfTone, Hollow, Hollow3d, Invert, Mirror, OutLine, Prop, Resize,
Reverse, Shade, Shadow, Stripe, and Threed.  The style value can be any
number between 0 and 255. If the effect changes some other characteristic
of the font, it is not necessary to change the style; this is indicated
with a style value of 0.

3.22. Typefaces

Usage:    program TYPEFACES=filename
Used by:  SfShell, SfInfo, SfShow

The typefaces parameter names the file that lists typeface names. Every
softfont has a typeface number. A name is associated with each typeface
number; this is the name displayed by SfShell in the typeface column, and
by SfInfo and SfShow. Because the number of typefaces is growing and is
subject to change, you can supply an additional typeface list that
identifies any and all typeface numbers. Sfware is distributed with the
file TYPEFACES.LST that contains all of the Hewlett Packard typeface names
defined as of PCL5. If you have an old or non-standard softfont, this name
may not accurately reflect the style of the characters contained in the
font.

The typefaces file is a plain text file. Each line should begin with a
typeface number (typeface numbers 0 through 511 are valid as of PCL5;
earlier printers only recognize typefaces numbered 0 through 255).  The
rest of the line is the typeface name. Lines that begin with a semicolon
are ignored. The typeface numbers must be entered, one per line, in
ascending order.

3.23. Sample File

This is a sample configuration file. This sample does not contain all of
the possible configuration variables because many require defaults that are
system-specific (graphics cards, program filenames, etc.) and many
repetitious lines have been deleted.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Device      = LPT1
FontDir     = .
FontExtn    = SFP
Replace     = No
Compress    = No
;
SfShow Sentence=The quick red fox jumped over the lazy brown dog.
;
SfShell CommandFile=SFSHELL.CMD
SfShell SwapFile=SFSHELL.\$\$\$
SfShell MsgFile=SFSHELL.MSG
SfShell ExecOutput=Window
;
SfShell FontListSize = 35
SfShell ActionListSize = 35
;
; The Pattern and Style lines are for SfFx
;
Pattern DarkSaw         = 255/127/62/28/8/128/193/227/247
Pattern LightSaw        = 128/65/34/20/8/0/0/0
Pattern NarrowBackslash = 136/68/34/17
Pattern TightSaw        = \$6B/\$DD/\$B6/\$6B/\$DD/\$B6
Pattern DecoSlash       = \$D2/\$69/\$B4/\$5A/\$2D/\$96/\$4B/\$A5
Pattern Cross           = \$11/\$BB/\$EE/\$BB
;
; Styles defined by HP:
;
; 0 = Upright
; 1 = Italic
; 2 = Oblique
;
Style Fill      =  5
Style Halftone  = 15
Style Hollow    =  3
Style Invert    = 14
Style Mirror    = 13
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.24. Command Files

The standalone utilities, whether they are run from the command line
directly or invoked automatically by SfShell, accept all of their input on
the command line. Since this imposes a severe limit on the amount of input
that can be provided, the utilities also accept input from a command file.

SfShell creates a command file automatically to communicate with the
standalone utilities and you can use them outside of SfShell, but
understanding what they are and how they work is not important to using
Sfware.  Feel free to skip this section.

The standalone utilities accept the name of the command file on the
/@:filename option.

If a command file is used, the utility will read commands from the file as
if they were typed as parameters. The format of the command file is simple:
each line should begin with an asterisk followed by the name of the utility
followed by a space. The rest of each line is interpreted exactly as if it
were typed on the command line.  Because each line identifies which utility
it is for, the same command file can be passed to several utilites. Each
utility will only use the lines that are intended for it.

For example, the command file below downloads several fonts:

      *sfload tr* /expand
      *sfload tr* /expand /landscape
      *sfload logo.sfp /expand

If this command file is saved as AUTOLOAD.CMD, I would tell SfLoad to
execute it by entering:

      SFLOAD /@:AUTOLOAD.CMD

In general, this ability is of little use beyond downloading fonts (every
morning, for example). However, the SfShell program makes extensive use of
this feature to pass parameters to child processes when it executes the
individual utilities to perform actions for the user.

4. SFLOAD: Downloading Fonts

The SfLoad program downloads fonts to the LaserJet printer. Downloading
fonts ``teaches'' the LaserJet printer how to print a particular font.

4.1. Usage

SFLOAD fontmask [[options]]

4.2. Options

4.2.1. /image

Downloading a softfont as an image has two advantages: first, it is the
fastest method and second, it should work for softfont formats that the
Sfware utilities are not otherwise equipped to handle. For example, if a
new laserjet printer, the Series IV perhaps, is developed with a new kind
of softfont, downloading will continue to work with that new printer as
long as you select the image option. The image option is the default.

If the image option is so great, why would I use anything else?  Good
question.  There are two possible reasons. First, softfonts, especially
large softfonts, take up a lot of disk space. The LaserJet IIP, III, and
IIIP printers all support softfont compression (which provides substantial
disk space savings for large softfonts). However, the LaserJet Series II
printer does not support compression. If you have a LaserJet Series II
printer and you always use Sfware to download your softfonts, you can still
take advantage of the substantial space savings of softfont compression:
compress all of your softfonts on disk and expand them when they are
downloaded. You can't use the image option if you want to expand them when
they are downloaded.

In a similar manner, softfonts can be rotated as they are downloaded if
your laser printer does not support auto-rotation of fonts.

4.2.2. /expand

When the expand option is used, softfonts that are in PCL4 compressed
format are expanded as they are being downloaded to the printer. This
allows you to keep compressed softfonts on disk even if your printer does
not support softfont compression.

4.2.3. /compress

When the compress option is used, softfonts are compressed using the PCL4
compression format as they are being downloaded to the printer.  I can't
think of a single good reason to use this option. It is provided only to
satisfy the author's compulsive desire to provide the greatest possible
flexibility.

4.2.4. /portrait

The portrait option rotates the softfont to portrait orientation before
downloading it.  This option has no effect if the font is already portrait.

4.2.5. /landscape

The landscape option rotates the softfont to landscape orientation before
downloading it. This option has no effect if the font is already landscape.

Note: downloading both orientations does not imply that you will be able to
use both orientations on the same page. The LaserJet Series II printer, for
example, cannot print both portrait and landscape fonts on the same page.

4.2.6. /temp

The temp option specifies that downloaded fonts should be made temporary.
SfLoad usually makes fonts permanent. Note: temporary fonts are
automatically deleted every time a printer reset command is used so this
option is of limited usefullness.

4.2.7. /id:#

The id option sets the starting font-id number. The default font-id is
zero.  Every font must have a unique id number; if more than one font
matches the fontmask, the first font will have the specified id and every
subsequent font will have an id number one greater than it's predecessor.

4.2.8. /device:filename

The /device option specifies the output device. The output device is most
frequently LPT1. SfLoad uses the specified filename (which may name a
device) as the destination for downloaded fonts.

4.2.9. Other Options

The SfShow program accepts the /@, /!, /replace, /quiet, /verbose, and /$
options.

5. SFFX: Special Effects

Because they are many and varied, each special effect is described in its
own chapter (later in this document). All of the effects are produced by
the SfFx program. All of the effects are created in the same general way;
basically you enter:

      SFFX fontmask outmask effect-name effect-parameters effect-options

The font masks select which font(s) will be used as the source and
destination fonts.  The effect-name indicates which effect to perform.

The SfFx program accepts the /@, /!, /replace, /quiet, /verbose, and /$
options.

Every effect with the exception of the proportional and fixed spacing
effects also accepts the /range parameter.

An online summary of the parameters and options of each effect is available
by typing SFFX HELP effect. You can also type SFFX HELP /RANGE and SFFX
HELP /PATTERN.

In the following chapters, where each effect is discussed, there are no
examples of the effects because it was necessary to limit the number of
fonts used in this document. This reflects a limitation in some LaserJet
printers that prohibits printing more than sixteen different fonts on a
given page.

A second document called EXAMPLES.PCL is included in the Sfware
distribution.  This file contains examples of some of the effects that are
possible.  The corresponding document EXAMPL16.PCL is provided for those
printers that cannot print more than sixteen fonts per page.

Technically, every character within a softfont is defined within a
rectangle.  The rectangle is subdivided into squares like a sheet of graph
paper.  Inside the rectangle, some of the squares are black and some are
white. Because the squares are very small, the effect of printing them on a
sheet of paper is that they form the lines and curves that make up each
charcter. In the descriptions of effects that follow, it is sometimes
necessary to describe the way that ``squares'' within the rectangle are
manipulated. The region of the grid that defines the character (the black
dots on the ``graph paper'') is referred to as either the black area or the
foreground, and the other ``squares'' are referred to as the white area or
the background.

5.1. Ranges

Because the range option is available on almost every effect, it is
described once here rather than repeating it for every effect.

The range option is available on all of the effects except proportional and
fixed spacing. Specifying a range limits an effect to certain, specific
characters. For example, you could limit the range of an effect to all of
the uppercase letters.

The range command comes in three flavors:

5.2. /range:c-c

This is the "letter-to-letter" syntax, i.e. /range:a-z limits the scope to
the lowercase alphabet, /range:A-E limits it to the uppercase letters A, B,
C, D, and E.

5.3. /range:nn-nn

This is the "ascii value-to-ascii value" syntax, i.e. /range:33-47 limits
the scope to the punctuation symbols between "!" and "/", inclusive. In
this syntax, the ascii value must be padded with zeros to make it at least
two digits long. For example, the range "/range:0-9" is in letter-to-letter
form and limits the scope to the decimal digits, ascii values 48 to 57,
inclusive. The range "/range:00-09" limits the scope to the control
characters NUL to HT (tab).

5.4. Mixed forms

The forms can be mixed, /range:00-@ limits the scope of the effect to the
first sixty-five ascii values, the null character (ascii 0) to @ or 00 to
64.

The range effect is limited to a specific, contiguous subset of the ASCII
character set. That is, you can specify any single range but you cannot
specify an ``exception range'' (e.g. do all the characters except the
lowercase letters) or two or more discontiguous ranges (e.g.  do all the
upper case letters and all the lower case letters).

5.5. Technically Speaking

Most fonts do not contain a real blank space character. The LaserJet
printer moves over by the default HMI everytime it encounters a character
that does not exist in the current font; most fonts rely on the fact that
the default HMI is exactly one space wide. This can create an unpleasant,
choppy appearance if a special effect (e.g.  halftoning) is applied that
modifies the white background of each character.

The SfFx program accepts the special option `` /_ '' to correct this
problem.  The `` /_ '' option forces SfFx to create a physical blank space
character if the font does not already contain one.

6. SFCMPR: Compressing Fonts

Compression, available in the LaserJet IIP and subsequent printers, allows
you to keep softfonts in a compressed format on disk. For fonts with large
point sizes, this can achieve a very significant space savings.

6.1. Usage

SFCMPR fontmask [[options]]

6.2. Options

6.2.1. outmask

If an outmask is not specified, the input fontname will be used (i.e.by
default, SfCmpr replaces the input font with a compressed or expanded
version of the same font).

6.2.2. /expand

The /expand option expands compressed fonts. If the input font is not
compressed, this option has no effect. If neither /expand nor /compress are
specified, /compress is assumed.

6.2.3. /compress

The /compress option compresses fonts. If the input font is already
compressed, this option has no effect. If neither /expand nor /compress are
specified, /compress is assumed. Only PCL4 compatible LaserJet printers can
use fonts in compressed format.

6.2.4. Other Options

The SfCmpr program accepts the /@, /!, /replace, /quiet, /verbose, and /$
options.

7. SFROTATE: Rotating Fonts

Softfonts come in two orientations: portrait and landscape. Newer LaserJet
printers are capable of ``automagic'' internal font rotation but older
LaserJets and some compatibles do not have this ability. Sfware provides
the ability to convert from one orientation to the other. The SfRotate
program can convert from one orientation to the other.

7.1. Usage

SFROTATE fontmask [[outmask]] [[options]]

7.2. Options

7.2.1. outmask

If an outmask is not specified, the input fontname will be used (i.e.by
default, SfRotate replaces the input font with a rotated version of the
same font).

7.2.2. Other Options

The SfRotate program accepts the /@, /!, /replace, /quiet, /verbose, and /$
options.

8. SFSHOW: Showing Fonts

Showing a font with SfShow creates a reference page that displays every
character in the font. The reference page includes all of the font
characteristics, the font selection sequence and a chart of all of the
characters in the font.

8.0.1. What's to Show?

Every softfont can contain up to 256 different characters numbered from 0
to 255. Most fonts don't define all 256 different characters. The character
chart is a grid that has ``spaces'' for each of the possible characters.
If there are some character positions in the font that are not used, the
spaces for those characters will be blank in the chart.

For small fonts, the character chart is a 16x16 grid on a single page.  If
the font is larger than about 36pt (or has some very tall or very wide
characters), the characters may be too large to fit into the spaces in a
16x16 grid. In this case, multiple reference pages may be printed for the
font. When multiple reference pages are required, SfShow attempts to use
the minimum number of pages.

8.1. Usage

SFSHOW fontmask [[options]]

8.2. Options

8.2.1. Downloading Options

In order to create a reference page, SfShow must first download the
softfont.  The following options control how each font is downloaded---they
have precisely the same meaning as the SfLoad options with the same
names:/image, /compress, /expand, /portrait, and /landscape.

8.2.2. /id:#

The /id option allows you to specify the starting font-id number that
should be used for the temporary font downloaded in order to print the
reference page. Since temporary fonts are deleted automatically whenever a
printer reset is performed, it is not generally necessary to use this
option.

8.2.3. /gridoff

The /gridoff option supresses grid lines on the reference page.

8.2.4. /device:filename

The /device option specifies the output device. The output device is most
frequently LPT1. SfShow prints to the specified filename.

8.2.5. /refset:set

For decorative or special purpose fonts, it may be helpful to have an
additional reference character printed (in plain ASCII) next to each symbol
in the chart. The /refset option allows you to specify the character set to
use for reference marks on the printout. If reference marks are used, the
reference character for each position in the font will be printed in the
upper right hand corner of each cell on the grid. For example, using the
/refset:8u option would make SfShow print the reference characters with the
8U symbol set. You must select a symbol set that is available in your laser
printer's lineprinter font.  If you do not want reference characters to be
printed, use /refset:none.

8.2.6. /numbers:base

The /numbers option allows you to specify the numeric base of the reference
numbers printed around the grid. Valid options are hex, oct, dec, and none
for hexadecimal (base 16), octal (base 8), decimal (base 10) and no
reference numbers respectively. The numbers configuration variable
(discussed in the configuration chapter) is provided to specify a default
number base.

8.2.7. Other Options

The SfShow program accepts the /@, /!, /replace, /quiet, /verbose, and /$
options.

8.3. Technically Speaking

When multiple reference pages are required, SfShow attempts to use the
minimum number of pages, however, there are a few ``hidden'' constraints on
how it selects the first character for each page. In particular, it will
not skip characters on any single page (i.e. if the font defines ABCEFG but
not D, SfShow will not print ABCEFG on a reference page without an
intervening blank space where the D would be if it was defined. It wouldn't
be difficult to provide this option but it would make numbering the grid
much more difficult.

9. SFVIEW: Viewing Fonts

Viewing a font is the on-line equivalent of printing a reference page.
SfView displays every character in the font on a grid similar to the
printed output of SfShow. It can also display a sentence in the font.  A
graphics adapter is required to view fonts. The following adapters are
supported at this time: CGA, MCGA, VGA, EGA, EGA (Mono), PC3270, IBM 8514,
AT&T, and Hercules.

9.1. Usage

SFVIEW fontfile [[options]]

Unlike the other Sfware utilities, SfView is interactive. When you run
SfView, a something like the following will be displayed:

      [NOTE: Graphics screens are not included in this unformated file]
                       Figure 9.1.  The view display

9.2. Options

The SfView program accepts the /$ option.

9.3. Running SfView

The keys described below allow you to change the range of characters
displayed, the quality of the display, and the format of the display.

9.3.1. Esc

You can leave at any time by pressing Esc.

9.3.2. PgUp/PgDn

Pressing PgDn moves the range of characters displayed forward by one
``screenfull.''  If ASCII 255 is currently in the display, pressing PgDn
has no effect. Pressing PgUp moves the range of characters displayed
backward by one screenfull. If ASCII 0 is currently in the display,
pressing PgUp has no effect.

9.3.3. Alt+A

If you are displaying the font in a graphics mode that has the same number
of pixels-per-inch_ both horizontally and vertically across the display,
the Alt+A key combination is not available.

If the number of pixels-per-inch horizontally and vertically is not the
same, (i.e. the display has a non-square aspect ratio) it is impossible to
display the characters without some distortion because the softfont is
defined with the same number of pixels-per-inch both horizontally and
vertically.

There are two kinds of distortion: stretch-distortion and ``reduced
resolution'' distortion.  If every pixel of each character is displayed,
the letters will be stretch-distorted by the fact that the pixels are
``closer together'' on the screen in one direction than the other.
Alternatively, some rows or columns of pixels can be removed to avoid
stretch distortion; characters drawn this way suffer from distortion
because they are printed at a reduced resolution.

The Alt+A key-combination alternates between these two types of distortion.

9.3.4. Alt+S

Sometimes it is more useful to look at a font in the context of a sentence
than it is to look at each individual character. This allows you to see how
the characters interact with each other on the ``printed page.''  The Alt+S
key-combination alternates between the grid display and the sentence
display. The sentence display looks like this:

      [NOTE: Graphics screens are not included in this unformated file]
                   Figure 9.2.  SfView sentence display

9.3.5. Other

Pressing any other key changes the range of characters displayed to begin
with the key you pressed.

10. SFINFO: Displaying Softfont Information

If you have difficulty printing a particular font, SfInfo can help pinpoint
the source of the problem. SfInfo displays the contents of the softfont
header and the header of each character in the font. In addition, SfInfo
examines the font looking for possible printer incompatibilities.  New
printers have a much more relaxed opinion about what constitutes a valid
font. A font that works on a LaserJet III may not work on a Series II;
SfInfo will be able to tell you why.

10.1. Usage

SFINFO fontmask [[options]]

10.1.1. Other Options

The SfInfo program accepts the /$ option.

10.2. Running SfInfo

Running SfInfo displays a panel something like the following:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
┌───────────────────────────« Softfont Information »───────────────────────────┐
│                                                                              │
│ Font name: CG Times              Font filename: D:\FONTS\TRR14TXC.SFP        │
│                                                                              │
│ Orientation  : Portrait        [  0]        All distances are in PCL dots    │
│ Symbol Set   :  0Q, Name unknown            ┌─────┐ ┬ ┬                      │
│ Spacing      : Proportional    [  1]        │     │ │ │ Baseline=30          │
│ Pitch        :  25.00cpi       [ 48,  0]    │     │ │ │ _                    │
│ Height       :  10.00pt        [166,171]    │  x  │ │ │ │ Xheight=19.00      │
│ Style        : Upright         [  0]        ├─────┤ │ ┴ ┴ ┐                  │
│ Stroke weight: Medium          [  0]        │-----│ │     ┘ Uline=8          │
│ Typeface     : Times Roman     [  5]        └─────┘ ┴ Cell height=40         │
│ PCL5 Typeface: Times Roman     [4101]       ├──┬──┤                          │
│                                                └ Cell width=43               │
│                                                                              │
│ Font selection : <ESC>(0Q<ESC>(s1p25h1v0s0b5T                                │
│ PCL5 selection : <ESC>(0Q<ESC>(s1p25h1v0s0b4101T                             │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│           F4=Char Info  F5=Addnl Desc  F6=Warnings  Esc=Exit                 │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Figure 10.1.  SfInfo Main Panel

10.2.1. Esc

You can leave at any time by pressing Esc.

10.2.2. F4

Pressing F4 displays character information for the font.  The dimensions
of the largest character in the font are summarized and a scrolling list of
the characters in the font is displayed.

The additional info panel looks like this:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
┌──────────────────────────« Character Information »───────────────────────────┐
│                                                                             │
│  Widest bounding box on any character:   39 ("W")                            │
│ Tallest bounding box on any character:   38 ("j")                            │
│     Tallest ascender on any character:   30 (Ctrl-D)                         │
│    Deepest descender on any character:   10 ("<")                            │
│                 Largest combined cell: 39x40 (max width X max height)        │
│                                                                              │
│     ┌───────────┬────┬────┬──────┬──────┬──────┬──────┬──────┬───────┐       │
│     │ Character │ Cl │ Or │ Left │ Top  │ Wd   │ Ht   │ dX   │ Data  │       │
│     │───────────┼────┼────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼───────│       │
│     │ Ctrl-@    │  2 │  P │    2 │   28 │   21 │   29 │  100 │    40        │
│     │ Ctrl-A    │  1 │  P │    1 │   28 │   26 │   29 │  112 │   116 ▓       │
│     │ Ctrl-B    │  1 │  P │    2 │   29 │   26 │   31 │  120 │   124 ░       │
│     │ Ctrl-C    │  1 │  P │    0 │   28 │   27 │   29 │  112 │   116 ░       │
│     │ Ctrl-D    │  2 │  P │    1 │   30 │   25 │   34 │  112 │   124        │
│     │ Ctrl-E    │  2 │  P │    1 │   28 │   28 │   29 │  120 │    26 │       │
│     │───────────┴────┴────┴──────┴──────┴──────┴──────┴──────┴───────│       │
│     ╘═════════════════════════════════════════════════»   for More «╛       │
│                                                                              │
│                          Arrows=Move  Esc=Exit                               │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Figure 10.2.  Additional Character Information Panel

The scrolling list of characters displays the class, orientation,
leftoffset, top-offset, width, height, delta-X, and data sizes of every
character in the font. These are technical measurements in the softfont and
can be ignored by most users.

The left-offset, top-offset, width, and height fields are PCL coordinate
system dots.  The delta-X field is in 1/4 dot units. The data size is in
bytes.  For compressed fonts (class 2 characters), this is the data size of
the compressed character, not the expanded character.

10.2.3. F5

Pressing F5 displays any additional information present in the font header.
The most common use of this area is font copyright information.  The
special effects program in Sfware uses this area to describe what effects
have been performed on the font.

Not all fonts have additional information in the header.

10.2.4. F6

When the font is scanned, it is frequently possible to recognize that it is
not ``valid'' for some printers. The LaserJet III printer (and, presumably,
printers that follow it) have a very relaxed set of guidelines as to what
constitutes a valid font. Older printers, the LaserJet Series II in
particular, have very stringent requirements. SfInfo recognizes these
incompatabilities and will display a warning message for each problem that
it finds. If the problem can easily be corrected, the appropriate action is
described.

11. SFDIR: Softfont Directory Listings

The SfDir program provides a useful alternative to the standard DOS DIR
command for softfonts. SfDir prints the font characteristics of each
softfont that matches the fontmask.

11.1. Example


    Directory of D:\FONTS\*.*

    AR010AAA ESP  Port 10J Fix 12.00cpi  9.96pt Up Medium  Courier
    TRB1CTXC SFL  Land  0Q Pro          12.00pt Up Bold    TmsRmn
    CMR10    SFP  Port  0U Pro           9.96pt Up Medium  TmsRmn
    TRB1CTXC SFP  Port  0Q Pro          12.00pt Up Bold    TmsRmn
    TRR0OUSC SFP  Port  0U Pro           6.00pt Up Medium  TmsRmn
    TRR0WUSC SFP  Port  0U Pro           8.00pt Up Medium  TmsRmn
    TRR14TXC SFP  Port  0Q Pro          10.00pt Up Medium  TmsRmn
    TRR1CTXC SFP  Port  0Q Pro          12.00pt Up Medium  TmsRmn
    TRR1KTXC SFP  Port  0Q Pro          14.00pt Up Medium  TmsRmn
    TRR1KUSC SFP  Port  0U Pro          14.00pt Up Medium  TmsRmn
    TRR1KXXC SFP  Port  0Q Pro          14.00pt Up Medium  TmsRmn
    UNB1CTXC SFP  Port  0Q Pro          12.00pt Up Bold    Univers
    UNR0OUSC SFP  Port  0U Pro           6.00pt Up Medium  Univers
    UNR0WUSC SFP  Port  0U Pro           8.00pt Up Medium  Univers
    UNR14USC SFP  Port  0U Pro          10.00pt Up Medium  Univers
    UNR1CTXC SFP  Port  0Q Pro          12.00pt Up Medium  Univers
    UNR1KUSC SFP  Port  0U Pro          14.00pt Up Medium  Univers
    NB010AAA USP  Port  0U Pro           9.96pt Up Medium  Typeface# 210
    VGA20    SFP  Port 10U Fix 20.00cpi  1.68pt Up Medium  Courier
    VGA20SH  SFP  Port 10U Fix 20.00cpi  1.68pt 14 Medium  Courier
          20 Font(s)     268420 bytes


11.2. Usage

SFDIR fontmask [[options]]

11.3. Options

11.3.1. /esc

If SfDir is run with the /esc option, it prints the LaserJet escape
sequence required to select each font instead of a textual description of
the font characteristics. In the escape sequence, a raised dot is used to
represent the ESC character (ASCII 27d).

11.3.2. /noesc

With the /noesc option, SfDir prints a textual description of the font
characteristics for each font that matches the fontmask. This is generally
the default.

11.3.3. Other Options

The SfDir program accepts the /quiet, /verbose, and /$ options.

12. The Bold Effect

Emboldening a font makes it appear darker on the page. Adding a large
amount of boldness to a font will cause it to blur and become difficult to
read. In professional typography, the characters in a bold version of a
font have different shapes and proportions. This is beyond the ability of
Sfware. A normal font made bolder with Sfware will not look the same (and
probably will not look as good) as a real bold version of the original
font.

12.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask BOLD [[options]]

12.2. Options

12.2.1. /bold

The /bold parameter controls how much darker the characters are made to
appear.  The larger the number, the darker the characters will be.  For
best results, the amount of boldness should be small with respect to the
size of the font. It's difficult to define ``small'' in this context;
one-tenth of the point size of the font (or less) is probably a good
estimate.  Experiment and see what looks most pleasing to the eye.

12.2.2. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

12.3. Technically Speaking

The bold effect locates ``edge'' pixels (that is, pixels that are on a
border of the character) by scanning horizontally across each row of
pixels. Every time a pixel position is found that is currently off and
adjacent to, but not surrounded by, pixels that are on, the pixel is turned
on. This has the effect of adding pixels to the border of the character.
The appropriate font and character parameters are updated so that the
original character shape (now surrounded by a border) prints in the same
position as the original. In other words, the left offset is incremented by
one, the baseline is incremented by one, and the character bounding box is
expanded. If an amount of boldness greater than one is specified, the above
algorithm is iterated to produce the correct amount of boldness.

13. The Fixed Spacing Effect

Fixed spacing uses the same width for each character in the font.  This is
the opposite of proportional spacing in which each character is given a
width appropriate to its appearance. In a fixed spaced font, all characters
have the same width. The fixed spacing effect creates a fixed spaced font
from a proportionally spaced font. This can be useful if you need to line
up columns of characters, for example, although it's generally better to
use a font specifically designed for fixed spacing.

13.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask FIX [[options]]

13.2. Options

There are no options for this effect.

13.3. Technically Speaking

In the fixed spaced version of the font, all characters have the maximum
cell width. Bitmaps that are narrower than the maximum cell width are
adjusted to print as if they were centered in a box as wide as the maximum
cell width.

14. The Fill Effect

Filling a font creates outlined characters filled with a user-specified
pattern.

14.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask FILL /pattern:pattern [[options]]

14.2. Parameters

14.2.1. /pattern

Patterns can be specified directly or by using names defined in the
configuration file.  The Patterns chapter describes how to create patterns;
the Configuration chapter describes how to save and name patterns.

14.3. Options

14.3.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

14.4. Technically Speaking

Patterns are described in more technical detail in the Patterns chapter.

15. The Halftone Effect

Halftoning a font can produce a wide variety of results. It is one of the
most general effects in SfFx's repertoire. In brief, it allows you to
specify the fill patterns for both the foreground and the background of two
different regions of each character. This can create, for example,
half-inverted characters.

15.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask HALFTONE /start:# /stop:# /blackbot:pattern
                               /whitebot:pattern [[options]]

15.2. Parameters

Every character is divided into two areas, a selected area and a
non-selected area.  Within each area, two shading patterns are applied--one
to the currently black portion of the character cell (the character itself)
and one to the white portion of the character cell ( everything else).

Please refer to the Patterns chapter elsewhere in this manual for more
information about patterns.

15.2.1. /start

The /start parameter specifies where the selected area begins. This value
should be expressed as a percentage from the top of the tallest character
in the font. For example, specifing 25 begins the selected area 1/4 of the
way down from the top of the character, similarly, 50 selects a position
halfway down the character and 67 selects a position 67% of the way down
from the top of the character.

15.2.2. /stop

By analogy with /start, this option specifies where the select region ends.
The /stop value should be larger than the starting value.  The area between
the start position and the stop position is the ``selected region'' of the
character.

15.2.3. /blackbot

The /blackbot pattern replaces the foreground (black) area of the selected
region.  The /blackbot parameter can be abbreviated to /bbot.

15.2.4. /whitebot

The /whitebot pattern replaces the background (white) area of the selected
region.  The /whitebot parameter can be abbreviated to /wbot.

15.3. Options

15.3.1. /blacktop

The /blacktop pattern replaces the black areas of the non-selected region.
Please refer the the Patterns chapter elsewhere in this manual. The
/blacktop option can be abbreviated to /btop.

15.3.2. /whitetop

The /whitetop pattern replaces the white area (everything in the cell that
isn't black) of the non-selected region. The /whitetop parameter can be
abbreviated to /wtop.

15.3.3. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

15.4. Technically Speaking

This effect forms the heart of several effects in SfFx. For example, the
``shade'' effect is nothing more than the halftone effect applied to a
selected region from 0% to 100% of the character! If you understand the
concept of a pattern (discussed in the Patterns chapter), it shouldn't be
too difficult to understand the halftone effect.

Note: in any effect that changes the background pattern, it may be
necessary to turn off ``kerning'' within the word processor or other
program that you use to print the font. Normally, causing two characters to
overlap by a small amount (for example a capital ``T'' followed by a
lowercase ``o'') is not noticable because they only overlap in the
``white'' background.  However, after you have changed the background to a
pattern other than plain white, the effect of overlapping two characters by
even a small amount may be undesirable.

16. The Horizontal Fade/Mist Effect

Fading a font with this effect ``smudges'' out the leading or trailing edge
of each character.

16.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask HFADE /to:% [[options]]

16.2. Parameters

16.2.1. /to

The /to parameter determines what percentage of the character is faded out.
A fade factor of 100% applies the fade all the way across each character so
that a 100% black saturation is achieved in the last column of pixels. Fade
factors below 100% apply the fade more rapidly so that a 100% black
saturation is achieved before the edge of the character.  Conversly, fade
factors above 100% draw the fade out so that it never reaches saturation.

16.3. Options

16.3.1. /back

By default, a horizontal fade begins with 0% black on the left edge of the
character and proceeds towards 100% on the right edge (at a rate determined
by ``fade percent.'' See above). If backwards fading is selected, the fade
proceeds from right to left instead of left to right.

16.3.2. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

16.4. Technically Speaking

The fade effect examines each pixel in the bitmap and decides randomly if
the pixel should be turned off. In any given column,
100*ColumnNumber*(FadePercent/100)/CharacterWidth percent of the pixels are
turned off.

17. The Hollow Effect

Hollowing a font produces an unfilled outline of each character.

17.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask HOLLOW [[options]]

17.2. Options

17.2.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

17.3. Technically Speaking

The hollow effect and the outline effect are very closely related. The only
difference is the placement of the outline. In the hollow effect, the
existing perimeter of each character is left in place and the interior is
``scooped out''. For the outline effect, the entire character is erased and
a new perimeter is added just around the character.  In effect, an outlined
character is a hollowed bold character (see the technically speaking
section of the bold effect for more details).

It should also be noted that the hollow and fill effects are closely
related.  A hollowed character is a filled character with a pattern of 0.

18. The Invert Effect

Inverting a character creates a ``reverse video'' effect. However, the
choice of patterns in this effect can dramatically change the result.

18.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask INVERT [[options]]

18.2. Options

Both of the options for this effect are patterns. See the Patterns chapter
elsewhere in this manual for more information.

18.2.1. /black

This pattern replaces all of the black areas of the character.

18.2.2. /white

This pattern replaces all of the white areas of the character.

18.2.3. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

18.3. Technically Speaking

See the technically speaking section of the halftone effect for more
information.

19. The Mirror Effect

Mirroring a font creates characters that are upside down.

19.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask MIRROR [[options]]

19.2. Options

19.2.1. /adj

The /adj parameter changes the relative position of the (virtual) mirror
across which each character is rotated. A value of zero specifies that the
mirror is on the baseline, values larger than zero move the mirror above
the baseline, smaller values move it below.

19.2.2. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

19.3. Technically Speaking

If you plan to use a font and its mirror to create a special display effect
(by placing one above the other), you may find that the descenders on the
original font overlap the ``descenders'' (now ascenders!)on the mirrored
font. This is where it is helpful to change the mirror baseline adjustment.
By making the adjustment roughly equal to the number of pixels in the
descenders of the original font, you can move the mirrored font ``down'' a
little so that the mirrored descenders don't overlap the descenders on the
original font.

20. The Mist Effect

Misting a font ``smudges'' each character.

20.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask MIST /mist:% [[options]]

20.2. Parameters

20.2.1. /mist

The mist percent determines what percentage of the character is misted
(faded) out.  Larger mist percentages remove more pixels than smaller ones.
A 100% (or larger) mist percent removes all trace of the character.

20.3. Options

20.3.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

20.4. Technically Speaking

This effect is identical to the horizontal and vertical fade effects with
the exception that the fade percentage is calculated once and does not vary
for each row or column in the bitmap.

21. The Outline Effect

Outlining a font produces an unfilled outline of each character.

21.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask OUTLINE [[options]]

21.2. Options

21.2.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

21.3. Technically Speaking

See the technical discussion of the hollow effect for more information.

22. The Proportional Spacing Effect

Proportional spacing is the opposite of fixed spacing. In a proportionally
spaced font, each character is only as wide as its printed image, plus a
small border. The proportional spacing effect creates a proportionally
spaced version of a fixed spaced font.

22.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask PROP

22.2. Options

There are no options for this effect.

22.3. Technically Speaking

In the proportionally spaced version of the font, all characters are four
dots wider than the natural width of the bitmaps required to print each
character (two dots on each side). Note: in many fonts, conversion from
proportional spacing to fixed and back to proportional will yield a
proportionally spaced font that is not as attractive as the original font
since conversion to fixed spacing effectively destroys any special spacing
information. For example, in many fonts the tail of a lower case letters
like ``j'' and ``g'' are allowed to ``hang back'' below the character that
precedes them. When a font is converted from fixed spacing to proportional
spacing, there is no way to insert this kind of aesthetic hint
automatically.

23. The Resize Effect

Resizing a font creates characters that are larger or smaller than the same
characters in the original font. The characters can be scaled uniformly
(creating more or less accurate renditions of the original characters with
the same proportions) or non-uniformly (creating elongated or widened
characters).

23.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask RESIZE /width:% /height:% [[options]]

23.2. Parameters

23.2.1. /width

The /width parameter specifies the width of each resized character as a
percentage of its original size. Values less than 100 make the characters
narrower, while values larger than 100 make them wider.

23.2.2. /height

Like the width, the new height specifies the height of each resized
character as a percentage of its original height.

23.3. Options

23.3.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

23.4. Technically Speaking

In practice, this effect has few uses. Unlike more modern font scaling
technology (which relies on mathematical descriptions of each character)
SfFx has only the bitmap description of each character to work with.  As a
result, gross changes in the size of a character create ``jagged'' edges
and very poor quality letters. Making fonts larger generally works better
than making them smaller. As a rule of thumb, you probably won't like the
results if you try to resize a font by more than a factor of two. If you
hold one dimension constant (100%), it may be possible to stretch or
compress the other dimension by a larger factor without significant loss of
detail.

24. The Reverse Effect

Reversing a font creates backwards characters.

24.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask REVERSE [[options]]

24.2. Options

24.2.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

24.3. Technically Speaking

The reverse effect simply rotates each bitmap through its center. The left
offset and delta-x values of each character are adjusted to keep the
correct amount of space ``in front of'' and ``behind'' each character.

25. The Shadow Effect

Shadowing attempts to produce the effect that you would get if all you
could see on the page were the shadows from an embossed image of the
original character. It's a bit difficult to describe, but it is one of my
favorite effects.

25.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask SHADOW /x:# /x:# [[options]]

25.2. Parameters

25.2.1. /X

The /x parameter controls the width (in dots) of the shadow to the right or
left of the original character. Positive values create a shadow on the
right hand side of the character, while negative values create a shadow on
the left. This value should be small relative to the total width of the
character.

25.2.2. /Y

By analogy with the /X parameter, the /y parameter controls the height of
the shadow above or below the character. Positive values create shadows
below the character, negative values above. This value should be small
relative to the total height of the character.

25.3. Options

25.3.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

25.4. Technically Speaking

The effect is produced by moving a copy of the character over and down by
the specified amounts and then removing all dots that fall within the
original character (including all of the original character).  For small
widths, this works fine; however when the widths become larger than the
widths of the strokes that make up the chacter, the effect falls apart.

26. The Shade Effect

Shading a font replaces all off the ``black'' areas of a font with the
specified shading pattern. This effect changes dramatically depending on
the pattern that you select.

26.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask SHADE /pattern:pattern [[options]]

26.2. Parameters

26.2.1. /pattern

All of the black areas of each character are replaced by the specified
pattern.  Please refer to the chapter on patterns elsewhere in this manual
for more information about patterns.

26.3. Options

26.3.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

26.4. Technically Speaking

Patterns are described in more technical detail in the pattern chapter.

27. The Slant Effect

Slanting is a poor-man's version of italics. In practice, italic fonts are
not just slanted versions of the upright characters. But slanting will
suffice in a pinch and it does allow you to produce oblique characters
(slanted backwards), which are occasionally useful.

27.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask SLANT /deg:# [[options]]

27.2. Parameters

27.2.1. /deg

The /deg parameter specifies the amount of slant in degrees. A positive
value causes the characters to slant toward the right. A negative value
causes the characters to slant toward the left.

27.3. Options

27.3.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

27.4. Technically Speaking

This effect is produced by calculating how far over each row of pixels must
be moved in order to produce a slant of the requested angle.  Using a
little bit of trigonometry, it is easy to calculate how far over the top
row must be moved. Each row below the top must be moved over some fraction
of the total height of the character.  Rows below the baseline must be
moved in the opposite direction.

Considering that this algorithm does nothing more than slide rows of dots
back and forth, it should be easy to see that large slant values may
produce jagged, non-contiguous characters.

28. The Stripe Effect

Striping places alternating white and black horizontal lines across each
character in the font.

28.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask STRIPE /black:# /white:# [[options]]

28.2. Parameters

28.2.1. /black

Selects the width (in dots) of the black stripes.

28.2.2. /white

Selects the width (in dots) of the white stripes.

28.3. Options

28.3.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

28.4. Technically Speaking

In each character, the stripes are adjusted so that a black stripe begins
at the baseline. This assures that the stripes will line up when characters
are placed next to each other. Note: a similar effect with vertical stripes
can be created with the shade effect using an appropriate pattern.

29. The Three-D Drop Shadow Effect

Three-D drop shadows create a patterned shadow-image of each character that
appears to be below the original. It is possible to change the apparent
``distance'' of the shadow by changing the offsets used to create it.

29.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask THREED /X:# /Y:# /pattern:pattern [[options]]

29.2. Parameters

29.2.1. /X

The /x parameter controls the distance (in dots) of the shadow to the right
or left of the original character. Positive values create a shadow on the
right hand side of the character, negative values create a shadow on the
left.

29.2.2. /Y

By analogy with the /X parameter, the /y parameter controls the distance of
the shadow above or below the character. Positive values create shadows
below the character, negative values above.

29.2.3. Pattern

The pattern specified is applied to the areas used in the shadow.

29.3. Options

29.3.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

29.4. Technically Speaking

The original character is moved left or right and up or down by the
distances specified. If necessary the character cell is enlarged to
accommodate the new character. The character is then shaded with the
specified pattern and the original character is painted back into the
character cell at its original position.

30. The Hollow Three-D Drop Shadow Effect

Hollow Three-D drop shadows are simply a combination of the three-d drop
shadow effect and the hollow effect. It is a limitation of the algorithms
used to create the three-d drop shadow effect that it is not possible to
hollow a three-d character. This effect is provided to circumvent that
limitation.

30.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask HOLLOW3D /X:# /Y:# [[options]]

30.2. Parameters

30.2.1. /X

The /x parameter controls the distance (in dots) of the shadow to the right
or left of the original character. Positive values create a shadow on the
right hand side of the character, negative values create a shadow on the
left.

30.2.2. Y-Offset

By analogy with the /X parameter, the y-offset parameter controls the
distance of the shadow above or below the character. Positive values create
shadows below the character, negative values above.

30.3. Options

30.3.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

30.4. Technically Speaking

This option is exactly the same as the three-d drop shadow effect except
that the shadow is always solid black and instead of painting the original
character back into the cell, a hollowed version of the original character
is painted back in.

31. The Filled Three-D Drop Shadow Effect

Filled Three-D drop shadows are simply a combination of the three-d drop
shadow effect and the fill effect. It is a limitation of the algorithms
used to create the three-d drop shadow effect that it is not possible to
create a filled three-d character. This effect is provided to circumvent
that limitation.

31.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask FILL3D /X:# /Y:# /pattern:pattern [[options]]

31.2. Parameters

31.2.1. /X

The /x parameter controls the distance (in dots) of the shadow to the right
or left of the original character. Positive values create a shadow on the
right hand side of the character, negative values create a shadow on the
left.

31.2.2. /Y

By analogy with the /X parameter, the /y parameter controls the distance of
the shadow above or below the character. Positive values create shadows
below the character, negative values above.

31.2.3. /pattern

The pattern specified is applied to the original character.

31.3. Options

31.3.1. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

31.4. Technically Speaking

This option is exactly the same as the three-d drop shadow effect except
that the shadow is always solid black and instead of painting the original
character back into the cell, a pattern-filled version of the original
character is painted back in.

32. The Vertical Fade/Mist Effect

Fading a font with this effect ``smudges'' out the top or bottom edge of
each character.

32.1. Usage

SFFX fontmask outmask VFADE /to:% [[options]]

32.2. Parameters

32.2.1. /to

The /to parameter determines what percentage of the character is faded out.
A fade factor of 100% applies the fade all the way down each character so
that 100% black saturation is achieved in the last row of pixels.  Fade
factors below 100% apply the fade more rapidly so that a 100% black
saturation is achieved before the bottom of the character.  Conversely,
fade factors above 100% draw the fade out so that it never reaches
saturation.

32.3. Options

32.3.1. /back

By default, a vertical fade begins with 0% black on the top row of the
character and proceeds towards 100% on the bottom row (at a rate determined
by ``fade percent.'' See above). If backwards fading is selected, the fade
begins with 0% black on the bottom row of the character and proceeds
towards 100% on the top row.

32.3.2. /range

The range option limits the scope of the effect. Please refer to the SfFx
chapter for more information.

32.4. Technically Speaking

See the technically speaking section for the Horizontal Fade/Mist effect.
The vertical fade algorithm is a natural analog of the horizontal fade
algorithm.

33. Patterns

33.1. What are patterns?

Patterns change the appearance of many effects. A pattern is a rectangular
region of on-and-off dots that is repeated across and down to cover the
region being filled. The pattern is specified as a series of numbers
separated by commas and semicolons. The binary representation of the numbers
separated by commas indicates the dots that are on and off in each row and
semicolons separate rows.

33.2. How do I create one?

Creating a new pattern is not difficult. The best way to begin is with a
piece of graph paper and a pencil. Experiment until you have something that
you like and then follow the directions below.

For example, suppose that you wish to create a zig-zag pattern. Here is one
possibility:

      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   |   |   | * |   |   |   | * |   |   |   | * |   |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      | * |   | * |   | * |   | * |   | * |   | * |   | * |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   | * |   |   |   | * |   |   |   | * |   |   |   |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   |   |   | * |   |   |   | * |   |   |   | * |   |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      | * |   | * |   | * |   | * |   | * |   | * |   | * |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   | * |   |   |   | * |   |   |   | * |   |   |   |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

33.2.1. Isolate a ``generating region''

Isolate the smallest region that can be used to generate the pattern.  This
region, when repeated to the right and down, should create the entire
pattern.  In this case, the smallest acceptable region is this:


      +---+---+---+---+
      |   |   |   |   |
      +---+---+---+---+
      |   |   | * |   |
      +---+---+---+---+
      |   | * |   | * |
      +---+---+---+---+
      | * |   |   |   |
      +---+---+---+---+

Note: there is frequently more than one smallest region that will produce the
pattern. I have intentionally chosen this region because it is not the
upper-left hand corner. Usually the upper-left hand corner contains a
generating region, but not always.

33.2.2. Round to 8-dots

The region used to generate the pattern must be an even multiple of eight
dots wide. Repeat the smallest region to the right until it is a multiple of
eight dots wide. You must repeat the entire pattern (for example, if the
region is 6 dots wide, you will have to repeat it until it is 24 dots wide).
In this case the smallest region a multiple of eight dots wide is this:


      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   |   | * |   |   |   | * |   |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   | * |   | * |   | * |   | * |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      | * |   |   |   | * |   |   |   |
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

33.2.3. Use zeros and ones

Redraw the pattern using zeros for ``off'' dots and ones for ``on'' dots.  If
the pattern is more than eight dots wide, write the zeros and ones of each
row in groups of eight as you copy the pattern.  In our example, the result
is this:

      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | = 00000000
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   |   | * |   |   |   | * |   | = 00100010
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      |   | * |   | * |   | * |   | * | = 01010101
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
      | * |   |   |   | * |   |   |   | = 10001000
      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

33.2.4. Convert to number

Treat each group of eight digits in each row like a binary number.  Using a
calculator or a conversion chart (there is a conversion chart in the online
help facility for SfShell), change each eight digit binary number into a
decimal number. If the rows have more than one group of eight digits,
separate the resulting decimal numbers with commas.  Our example becomes:

      00000000 = 0
      00100010 = 34
      01010101 = 85
      10001000 = 136

33.2.5. Rewrite

Use the decimal numbers to create the pattern command. Optionally, you may
wish to add the pattern to the configuration file (as described below).  The
decimal numbers for each row are separated by commas and the rows are
separated by semicolons. The pattern we set out to create can be specified as
follows:

      0;34;85;136

Remember that you can use preview to look at the pattern before creating a
font with it. This is a good way to check that you did the conversion
correctly.

33.3. Saving the pattern

Alternatively, the patterns may be saved in the configuration file and
selected by name. Read the Configuration chapter for more information.

33.4. Previewing Patterns

It is possible to preview any pattern by pressing ``F5'' when you are on a
pattern field or when the list of patterns is displayed.  The list of
patterns will be displayed if you press ``F4'' when you are on a pattern
field.

33.5. Technically Speaking

The fact that patterns are used for so many effects makes it apparent that
Sfware really needs a pattern editor and a better mechanism for storing
patterns. These are planned additions but Sfware is already beginning to
suffer from ``creeping featurism'' (in the author's opinion, at least) and it
has been decided that these changes will just have to wait until the next
release.

However, in view of the fact that creating patterns by the above method is
very tedious, a simple program (PATTERN.EXE) has been added to Sfware that
eliminates most of the ``hard parts.'' Please consult the file PATTERN.DOC
for more information.

34. Sfware Registration

Registering shareware is an investment. Your registration will provide the
support and encouragement required to continue the development of Sfware.
The Sfware utilities represent an investment of more than two years of my
time and effort. You get the results of this toil for a fraction of what a
commercial package would cost. Plus, you get the benefits of a
try-before-you-buy license agreement. If you continue to use the Sfware
utilities, you are required to register them.

Return the enclosed order form with your check or money order today!

34.1. Usage

The SPS-Reg registration program requires key information that will be
mailed to you when you register the Sfware utilities. You cannot make any
use of the program until you mail in your registration.

35. Contacting the Author

35.1. By Mail

You can reach the author by mail at the following address:

      Norman Walsh #42I
      Southwood Apts
      Brittany Manor Dr
      Amherst, MA 01002

35.2. Electronically

If you have access to electronic mail, the fastest way to reach the author
is to send electronic mail to [e-mail]. In this case, electronic
mail implies access to Internet domains (through BITNET or UUCP, for
example). This is possible from CompuServe and from several of the large
national BBS's as well.

36. Glossary

ASCII

ASCII stands for the American Standard Code for Information Interchange.
Text files are usually referred to as being ``plain ASCII'' if they contain
no additional formatting information. The CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files
on your boot disk are examples of a plain ASCII files. The spreadsheets,
database files, or word processing documents produced by large application
programs are generally not plain ASCII.

baseline

The baseline is an imaginary line upon which each character rests.
Characters that appear next to each other are (usually) lined up so that
their baselines are on the same level. Some characters extend below the
baseline (``g'' and ``j'', for example) but most rest on it.

bitmap

A bitmap is an array of dots. If you imagine a sheet of graph paper with
some squares colored in, a bitmap is a compact way of representing to the
computer which squares are colored and which are still white.

In the context of softfonts, the dots are always black and white.  In a
bitmapped softfont, every character is represented as a pattern of dots in
a bitmap. The dots are so small (300 dots-per-inch usually) that they are
indistinguishable on the printed page.

bounding box

Every character in a bitmapped softfont is represented as a pattern of dots
in a rectangular grid. The bounding box is an imaginary box just large
enough to hold the character. The box is as wide as the widest row of dots
and as tall as the tallest column of dots.

character

A character is an individual symbol in a font. The letter ``A'' is a
character.  So is a period. All of the printed symbols that can appear in a
font are characters.

decimal

Decimal refers to the number base composed of ten symbols (0-9).  Normal,
ordinary math is performed in decimal (which can also be referred to as
base 10).

device

A device is a special piece of hardware that exists (either physically or
logically) and can be communicated with. Your printer is a device.  So is
your modem. Your computer also includes several logical devices (for
example, the NULL device which is an infinite sink and a null source--that
means you can always write to it (it never fills up) and you can never read
from it).

download

Downloading is the process of transferring information from one device to
another.  This transferral is called downloading when the transfer flows
from a device of (relatively) more power to one of (relatively) less power.
Sending new fonts to your printer so that it ``learns'' how to print
characters in that font is called downloading.

EMS

EMS memory (also called LIM EMS) is expanded memory in your computer.  EMS
exists outside of normal DOS main memory. You must have a device driver to
provide support for EMS. Sfware uses EMS memory to store font and action
lists as well as for swapping when SfShell runs the other utilities.

file

A file is a collection of information stored on your disk. All the data
that you ever save to disk is saved in a file. You can write to files and
read from files.

filemask

A filemask is a DOS filename which may include the ``wildcard'' characters
* and ?. The wildcard characters in a filemask allow you to select a group
of files. Please consult your DOS reference for more information about
wildcard characters.

font

A font is a collection of symbols that have similar characteristics.  The
symbols in a font have a fixed typeface, size, weight, style and symbol
set. For example, upright, bold Times Roman at 10pt is a font.  Contrast
with typeface.

fontdir

In the context of this manual, a fontdir is the filemask ( optionally
including a path) that identifies LaserJet softfont files. For example, if
you keel all of your softfonts in the directory d:\fonts then
d:\fonts\A*.SFP is one example of a valid fontdir. The canonical font
directory would be d:\fonts\*.*.

hexadecimal

Hexadecimal refers to the number base composed of sixteen symbols
(0-9,A-F). Hexadecimal is frequently used in computing because 256
different values can be represented in only two digits. Hexadecimal is
sometimes called base 16.

kerning

Kerning refers to slight changes in the spacing between characters. Some
letter combinations (``AV'' and ``To'', for example) appear farther apart
than others because of the shapes of the individual letters. Many
sophisticated word processors move these letter combinations closer
together automatically (compare ``AV'' with ``AV'', for example).

laserjet

Laserjet is a trademarked name for laser printers used by Hewlett Packard.
In this document, it simply means an HP LaserJet printer or a compatible
laser printer from some other manufacturer.

mask

See filemask.

memory, expanded

See EMS.

memory, extended

Extended memory is memory above the 1 megabyte boundry in your computer.
Sfware cannot directly use extended memory. Many programs exist which map
extended memory as expanded memory. For more information about expanded
memory, see EMS.

memory, main

Main memory is the DOS memory below 640K in your computer. This is the area
where normal DOS programs run. The DOS chkdsk program, for example, reports
the amount of main memory that is free.

octal

Octal refers to the number base composed of eight symbols (0-7). Octal is
sometimes called base 8.

pathname

A pathname is a filename (please consult your DOS reference for more
information about what constitutes a valid DOS filename) with its
associated drive and path. For example, if tr100.sfp is the name of a file
in the directory \fonts on drive d:, then d:\fonts\tr100.sfp is the
pathname of tr100.sfp.

scalable font

A scalable font, unlike a bitmapped font, is defined mathematically and can
be rendered at any requested size (within reason). Sfware can download and
show scalable fonts but other manipulations (including on-screen
previewing) are not possible.

selection sequence

Your laser printer can print in many different fonts. Some of the fonts are
built in, some may come from a cartridge and many can be downloaded.  In
order to tell the laser printer which font you want text to be printed in,
you must send it a selection sequence. The selection sequence describes, in
a well defined, precise manner, the typeface, symbol set, height, width,
style, and degree of boldness of font that you want.

softfont

A softfont is a bitmapped or scalable description of a typeface or font.
They can be downloaded to your printer and used just like any other printer
font.

symbol set

The symbol set of a font describes the relative positions of individual
characters within the font. Since there can only be 256 characters in any
font, and there are well over 256 different characters used in professional
document preparation, there needs to be some way to map characters into
positions within the font. The symbol set serves this purpose.  It
identifies the ``map'' used to position characters within the font.

typeface

A typeface is generic term for a collection of symbols with a similar
style.  Times Roman and Helvetica are typefaces. Contrast with font.


                               SfWare Order Form


Name: ______________________________________    Phone: (____) ____-___________

Company: ___________________________________

Mailing Address: _____________________________________________________________

                 _____________________________________________________________

                 City: ____________________________ State: ____ Zip: _________


Please pay by check or money order, do not send cash through the mail.  Make
all checks payable to Norman Walsh.


  Individual utilities:                             Quantity   Price  Total
                                                               Each

  _____ SfFx (softfont special effects)              _____  @  $25    _____

  _____ SfCmpr (softfont compression)                _____  @  $10    _____

  _____ SfLoad (download softfonts)                  _____  @  $10    _____

  _____ SfRotate (landscape/portrait conversion)     _____  @  $10    _____

  _____ SfShow (print summary page)                  _____  @  $10    _____

  _____ SfView (preview font on screen)              _____  @  $10    _____

  _____ SfDir (directory replacement for fonts)      _____  @  $ 5    _____

  _____ SfInfo (complete font information)           _____  @  $ 5    _____

  Software bundles:

  _____ SfShell (menu interface shell) and           _____  @  $60    _____
        ALL utilities

  _____ All of the utilities (excluding SfShell)     _____  @  $40    _____

  _____ Any three utilities (excluding SfFx)         _____  @  $20    _____
        Please select individual utilities above.


                                                          Subtotal:   _____

         Massachusetts residents, please add appropriate sales tax:   _____

                                                             Total:   _____


            Complete this form and return it with your payment to:

                                 Norman Walsh
                              #42I Southwood Apts
                               Amherst, MA 01002