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Font export bug (core engine)

by Michael Woerister · in Torque Game Builder · 04/28/2006 (9:14 am) · 5 replies

Hi,
the either GFont::exportStrip() or GFont::importStrip() or both are bugged.
Repro:

- delete all files from the font cache directory
- type the following in the console:
// add some characters to the cache
 populateFontCacheString("Arial",20,"abcdefgh");

 // export it 
 exportCachedFont("Arial",20,"test/arial1.png",2,2);

 // import it again with or without modifying it 
 importCachedFont("Arial",20,"test/arial1.png",2,2);

 // add some more characters
 populateFontCacheString("Arial",20,"xyz");

 // export again
 exportCachedFont("Arial",20,"test/arial2.png",2,2);

The first export gives expected results:
www.unet.univie.ac.at/~a0402917/arial1.png
But the second is messed up:
www.unet.univie.ac.at/~a0402917/arial2.png
This does not happen if you leave out the importCachedFont call, so I guess the error must be in GFont::importStrip().

EDIT: I just noticed that the last character ('h' and 'z') did not get exported. Seems to be another error.
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Associate Kevin Ryan
Top Meadow Inc.
#1
04/28/2006 (3:40 pm)
Once you have imported a cached font with importCachedFont(...) the weights are set in that font so any future calls to importCachedFont(...) with the same font name/size would then have a weight of 0. The first time you call with a weight of 3 for example then that weight is built into the font - so calling it with weight 3 again makes it get off on character locations.

I can't rember off the top of my head if any of the parameters in your calls above are weights, but if they are then this could be your problem.

Torque Owner Michael Woerister
#2
04/29/2006 (2:10 am)
The parameters above are for kerning and padding. The source comment for GFont::importStrip says "Import an image strip generated with exportStrip, make sure parameters match!". So if parameters match, everything should work. I can't find anything like weight in the GFont class. I think weight is only applied when a character is retrieved from the OS and it is always zero (see WinFont::create() in winFont.cc).

Associate Kevin Ryan
Top Meadow Inc.
#3
04/29/2006 (7:37 am)
Sorry, used the wrong parameter name, weight is the same as padding.

Take a look here at the note on importCachedFont().

Not sure if this could be your problem, but Alex and I had a problem with importing fonts because we weren't handing the importing/exporting with padding correctly.

In looking at your example "abcdefgh" should end up with a padding of 4 and "xyz" should have a padding of 2.

(edit:typo in link)

Torque Owner Michael Woerister
#4
04/29/2006 (9:36 am)
Thanks for hint Kevin. I'll take a closer look at this when I get time. (Unfortunatly I cannot access that TDN page as I don't have a TGE license).

Thanks again.

-Michael

Torque Owner Michael Woerister
#5
05/01/2006 (12:38 pm)
Ok,
I've read the note (thanks again, Justin :). It says something like this actually I don't call importCachedFont() twice but only once... I still think it is a bug. And if it isn't then the whole thing is way too crude for me to use. Maybe I'll try to write more stable and usable functions on my own.