True Type Instructions

Sebastián Sastre ssastre at seaswork.com.ar
Mon May 29 15:24:52 UTC 2006


Dear Andy,

	how are you going with this work? Our oftalmologists will can
finally allow us to use a 3.9 image ?

	cheers,

Sebastian

> -----Mensaje original-----
> De: squeak-dev-bounces at lists.squeakfoundation.org 
> [mailto:squeak-dev-bounces at lists.squeakfoundation.org] En 
> nombre de Andrew Tween
> Enviado el: Martes, 16 de Mayo de 2006 19:03
> Para: squeak-dev at lists.squeakfoundation.org
> Asunto: Re: True Type Instructions
> 
> 
> "Boris Gaertner" <Boris.Gaertner at gmx.net> wrote in message 
> news:000801c67921$9e28e640$fce661c2 at Standard...
> >
> > "Noname Myname" <gcdart_squeak at rediffmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> > > One more Question , shud the true type instructions in 
> the Open Type 
> > > files definitely be executed ?
> >
> > > Or are they supported currently in SQUEAK ?
> > > Well if they are ... then wud'nt
> > > the display of characters be terribly slow ?
> > Squeak does not execute glyph instructions (hints).
> > Most TTF fonts can be used without hinting. The well-known 
> exception 
> > is MingLiU, a font for chinese. The glyphs of that font are 
> defined as 
> > glyph instructions that assemble collections of strokes into hanzi 
> > ideographs. To render such these glyphs, you have to 
> execute the glyph 
> > instructions. But I think MingLiU is a rare exception in 
> the universe 
> > of True Type Fonts.
> >
> > > Becuz you have to create an intrepreter inside another
> > > interpreter("SQUEAK")
> > > to understand the instructions and execute them.
> > I think it would be doable to write an interpreter for glyph 
> > instructions, but it would be difficult - if not impossible - to 
> > incorporate it into an open software project like Squeak.
> > You have to bear in mind that some aspects of glyph hinting are 
> > protected by patents (hold by Apple). It is therefore not 
> possible to 
> > freely distribute a complete implementation of glyph 
> hinting. There is 
> > a well-known work-around: FreeType.
> > The late Henrik Gedenryd has done some impressive work in this 
> > direction, but at this moment I feel unable to explain you details 
> > about that admireable work.
> 
> Henrik implemented an interface to FreeType, mainly through 
> FFI. He also implemented sub-pixel anti-aliasing.
> An alternative interface to FreeType was developed by Arjen 
> van Elteren, and subsequently modified by Ned Konz, (see 
> Freetype/2 Font Demo package on SqueakMap). This interface is 
> built as a plugin, and has been utilised in the Sophie project.
> I am currently working on gathering some of this FreeType 
> stuff into a form suitable for use with, and possible 
> inclusion in, 3.9 (or later).
> 
> FreeType is distributed, in source form, with a complete 
> implementation of the patent protected glyph hinting. So, 
> following that lead, it would probably be ok to distribute a 
> Squeak Smalltalk implementation of the same, provided it is 
> only distributed as source code. The onus would be on the 
> user of the code to ensure that they were acting legally 
> (e.g. by using the code in a country where the patent does 
> not apply, or by purchasing a license from Apple). I'm not 
> volunteering to write such a thing, but someone else might 
> get a kick out of doing it .
> 
> Cheers,
> Andy
> 
> <rest snipped>
> 
> 
> 
> 




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