#Installing Fonts
7 messages in this thread
I need some help with installing new fonts. This is a very confusing procedure
because all the documentation seems prety half assed.
In my PageStream manual it says something about the need to use the "fountain"
to make "some" fonts work. I have fountain in my system drawer but it is not
mentioned anywhere in the Amiga manual. At least not anywhere that I can find.
I have many fonts that people have given me and I just downloaded a bunch of
CompuGraphic fonts from library 16 in the AmigaUser forum. I have PageStream
3.0 and Final Writer3.
How do I install all of these fonts so that they will work with these programs?
How do I use the fountain? What is it for?
Dana
on AutoPilot from Los Angeles
Fountain (or IntelliFont on AmigaDOS 3.x systems) is a program that manages and
installs the CG (outline) fonts.
The outline fonts are quite different from the Amiga's bitmap fonts.
Bitmap fonts use a pre-mapped matrix of on/off bits that define the shape of
the characters. With a bitmap font like TOPAZ, each 8 point character is an
8-bits high & 8-bits wide 'block' reguardless of what the character looks like.
A bitmap font in the 'Fonts' drawer (like Garnet) will consist of:
– a directory entry with the font's name,
– a data file for each point size, named after the point size,
– a file '.font' that contains a list of all the points for the
matching font
The outline font system defines what a character's shape is in detail, then
maps the shape to a matix (scaling the font to the requested size). To do this
requires a larger font engine than used by bitmap fonts, and more information
about the font. (Many users create a drawer called 'CGFonts' for holding the
CG Fonts. We'll assume this for the examples.)
On the Amiga the 'Agfa CompuGraphic' outline fonts require:
– bullet.library, in LIBS:
– '_bullet' directory in CGFonts drawer.
– the files: hq3.fnt, hqupdt.tyq, if.fnt, if.uc, & plugin.types
in '_bullet" directory.
– '_bullet_Outlines' directory in CGFonts drawer. (Used for storing
the actual CG font.
– a '.font' and '.otag' file in the CGFonts drawer for each installed
CGfont.
Using Fountain, you can select a *directory* containing the 'source' files
where Fountain can find the CGfonts to be added to the system. Fountain will
display all the CGFonts that it finds.
Fountain will also allow you to select the font direct where you want the
CGFonts installed to (incase you have multiple font directorys).
Normally, Fountain generates some default point sizes for the CGFont that is
being installed, but Fountain has options for adding more sizes or deleting
them. Preset font sizes are not required for programs that allow the user to
enter any point size — the system will generate the new size on the fly (but
won't save the new size to the font directorys). Fountain can also generate a
bitmapped version of a font from a CGFont if you need a bitmapped version.
– Ron. (People who say cats always land on their feet…
just don't know how to throw them right.)
Ron,
Thanks for all the effort that you put into your reply. It was very helpful.I
am still unsure of a couple of things. Will Fountain automatically create and
copy all the files that are required for Agfa CompuGraphic outline fonts i.e.:
>> – bullet.library, in LIBS:
– '_bullet' directory in CGFonts drawer.
– the files: hq3.fnt, hqupdt.tyq, if.fnt, if.uc, & plugin.types
in '_bullet" directory.
– '_bullet_Outlines' directory in CGFonts drawer. (Used for storing
the actual CG font.
– a '.font' and '.otag' file in the CGFonts drawer for each installed
CGfont.<<
Why isn't the Fountain explained in the Amiga manual? I never added it to my
computer so it must have come with it. Is there a manual explaining how, when
and why to use the Fountain?
Thanks again for the help.
Dana
on AutoPilot from Los Angeles
DC << Will Fountain automatically create and copy all the files that are
required for Agfa CompuGraphic outline fonts>>
I believe most of the 'support' files used by the CG font engine should have
been pre-installed. Fountain creates the .font, .otag, and .type files for
each outline font when it installs them.
If you need to install the supporting files manually, you will find the
bullet.library in LIBS, and Fountain in the System drawer of the orginal
Workbench 2.1 disk. The rest of the files will be on the 'Fonts' disk,
including three outline fonts that have already been installed (CGTimes,
CGTriumvirate, and LetterGothic).
—
DC <<Why isn't the Fountain explained in the Amiga manual?>>
Some info covering Fountain is in chapter 8 of the 'Workbench 2.1 User's
Guide'. Commodore's manuals aren't the best, in fact when I purchased my
A1200, the Arexx, AmigaDOS, and Hard drive manuals were part of an optional
package.
– Ron. (People who say cats always land on their feet…
just don't know how to throw them right.)
After running Fountain, hit the Help key. All will be explained 😉
Jeff Walker.
Another thing a lot of people don't know about Fountain (or its alias,
IntelliFont) is that you can actually set the sizes that it creates for
any new font you decide to import. Normally this would be something like
10, 20, 30 etc. point size, but I'd much rather have 8,9,10 and bigger.
You don't have to alter this manually everytime if you put a file in
ENVARC:Sys called "intellifont". Simply create this using Ed or some other
text-editor. Now, in the file you can put all the sizes that you want.
Simply put a number on a line, and press return. Enter the next number,
press return etc. My Intellifont file looks like this:
8
9
10
11
12
14
16
20
24
Now, every time you import a new cg-font, the above sizes will be
generated as "standard" sizes.
>F<riso
Friso P. Gosliga | Auto
CIS: 100341,464 – Internet: Friso.Gosliga@kub.nl | Pilot
I answered your question in our section in AmigaVen.
Michael: Soft-Logik Publishing