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Flex
Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 111 |
Making BIG chars
Hello guys!
What is the best way these days to build a 14 chars high and 14 chars wide BIG charset for a scroller use ? Hires will do... |
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TPM
Registered: Jan 2004
Posts: 110 |
Back in the days i designed the font in e.g. Koala and used a small util which scanned the bitmap, converted it to ASCII by compressing and build up the screen with the available 256 characters automatically. Largest font was full screen, 28 lines. One bitmap screen per char, reusing parts in every char to be sure i stayed within 256 chars |
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Mixer
Registered: Apr 2008
Posts: 452 |
There could be a tool for that, but I'd just use Photoshop and convert and optimize with a Python script. Very basic scripting is enough when using f.ex PIL/PILLOW library. |
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bugjam
Registered: Apr 2003
Posts: 2591 |
Quote: Back in the days i designed the font in e.g. Koala and used a small util which scanned the bitmap, converted it to ASCII by compressing and build up the screen with the available 256 characters automatically. Largest font was full screen, 28 lines. One bitmap screen per char, reusing parts in every char to be sure i stayed within 256 chars
Do you still have that tool? Or remember the name? |
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Trash
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 122 |
Would CharPad do it? (just search here) |
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Stainless Steel
Registered: Mar 2003
Posts: 966 |
I'd go with charpad, really. |
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wacek
Registered: Nov 2007
Posts: 513 |
I'd use CSAM for that, really - to make the process automatic. |
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Krill
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 2980 |
Not sure if you're wanting to design the font yourself or simply convert one.
If the latter, take a look at FreeType and possibly its Python companion freetype-py to render TrueType fonts at arbitrary sizes into bitmaps. Then you can convert those bitmaps to your own format using your own scripts. |
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Isildur
Registered: Sep 2006
Posts: 275 |
Pixcen - the easiest way. Just import prepared png and save as chargen (indexed map - imap). |
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Flex
Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 111 |
Thanks for the tips so far.
No converting job involved here. Just building those big letters char by char is my goal. |
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Compyx
Registered: Jan 2005
Posts: 631 |
What would those huge chars be? Simple three-color stuff which perhaps can be converted to a charset, or bitmap?
In either case I would not use charpad. Pixcen can be used, but copy/pasting to/from multiple buffer blows. You'd actually be best off using native tools, any mc bitmap editor that supports two buffers will do.
Just create the font and then export all bitmaps and write a script to reduce the result to either a charset (requires a lot of repetition in the font) or a bitmap converted to some kind of "charset". |
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Oswald
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 5094 |
I have used this one back in the days to build logos / big chars char by char, its extremely user friendly given its a native tool, if you have the patience to learn keyboard shortcuts and read through the help you will find it handy:
Graphic Editor
(it can even copy plaste selected any size areas) |
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TPM
Registered: Jan 2004
Posts: 110 |
Quote: Do you still have that tool? Or remember the name?
Got it from TSM or Hein back then.. it hasn't any interface whatsoever. Just simply a charset compress script, which checks repetitive areas. You can make it yourself perhaps? |
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bugjam
Registered: Apr 2003
Posts: 2591 |
Quote: Got it from TSM or Hein back then.. it hasn't any interface whatsoever. Just simply a charset compress script, which checks repetitive areas. You can make it yourself perhaps?
No need, just wanted to have it preserved here. Not sure if it would be worthwhile to dig out? |
