Re: [Freetype] A problem on using fonttootf problem

[Jacky, Lau]

Hi,

> First of all, thank you for your interests in improving Chinese fonts
> support.  :-)  I have not heard of fonttootf before, but it certainly sounds
> interesting.
fonttootf is from Juliusz, seems to be the Xfree freetype module maintainer, 
though 
I'm not sure enough. In sometimes earily, there is a discussion on improving 
bdf 
based fonts in XFree86, so that, we can use with fontconfig/freetype. The end 
of that 
discussion is, make out a tools to convert existing bdf fonts into OpenType 
fonts. So 
freetype2 is capable to handle it already. Juliusz is very kind that, releasing 
such a tools 
after a few days. There is rumor that, the BDF fonts of XFree86 will shift to 
OTF format
after some time. Yet, I'm not sure, may be Keith or Juliusz or someone else may 
help
to answer this!!

At that moment, I've already got interest at that tools, as you know, 12 bitmap 
chinese 
glyphs is great, and I now start to try out the tools (i.e. fonttootf). But 
reach the problems .

> There are probably three methods to embed a bitmap Chinese font into a
> TrueType/OpenType font:
> 
>   1. Use Microsoft's free (zero-cost) tools available at
>       http://www.microsoft.com/typography/
> 
>      Of course, the BDF/PCF font needs to be converted to a proper format
>      first.
> 
>   2. Use George William's PfaEdit tool to import the bitmap data into
>      the TTF/OTF.  A downside to this is that there may be some quality loss
>      to the vector glyph data (because PfaEdit converts the quadratic bezier
>      curves to cubic bezier curves upon opening, and back upon saving.
> 
>   3. Use fonttools (fonttools.sourceforge.net).  The BDF data also needs
>      to be converted to a format (some kind of XML) that fonttools can read
>      for merging.
> 
>   4. Use a commercial font tool.     
> 
> I like #3, and may get around doing something about it when I have the time. 
> :-)  By the way, where did you find the 12pt public-domain Big5-HKSCS
> bitmap font?  I didn't know that any existed!

Well, I didn't get 12pt public-domain HKSCS, but rather, a 12pt Big5 only. The 
part of 
Big5-HKSCS is generated from TTF with xmbdfed. As you can imagine, it is ugly 
enough, 
and I modified the glyph one by one. (Actually, this is the assigned job from 
my company) 
I think the result is good. By time-consuming and I won't need to do that in a 
near further.

What I'm trying to do is, making out a otf (bitmap emebbed) font with chinese 
glyph, or 
if it is possible combined with GB2312 for a larger coverage. The important is, 
I want to 
see the result. And decide the followup action. One possibility is to continue 
to improve 
the glyph (HKSCS specific) as my hobby job. But this will only true it the 
result is good 
(i.e. bdf->fonttootf->otf->freetype2->myXWin) and when I have time /P.

Zenith