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REVIEW: TYPESMITH 2.5a
Maxwell Daymon mdaymon@rmii.com
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[Readers who do not have WB3.X AmigaGuide could see unusual formatting
characters which may not translate well for earlier versions of AmigaGuide.
- Jason]
TypeSmith 2.5a
Whether you do desktop publishing, electronic pre-press, video, or any
other application that benefits from the use of type, there may come a time
when you need to create, convert, or manipulate fonts. TypeSmith may be
the answer to your needs. It is designed specifically to handle various
outline font formats, but it also manipulates (to a lesser degree) bitmap
fonts and it works as a font format conversion utility.
Installation
TypeSmith comes on a single 3½" double density diskette. The files are
compressed and installation is handled by Commodore's Installer utility.
The installation allows full control over where TypeSmith will live and
what extras are installed. The last step in the installation process
displays the "readme.first" file, but assumes that the installation disk is
in drive DF0:. If you install from a different drive, the computer will
ask for a disk in drive DF0: or, if a disk is already in the drive, attempt
to get the file "readme.first" from it. The error is non-critical, but it
really shouldn't have made it through testing.
I do not understand why TypeSmith wants a logical assignment (TypeSmith:)
to be put in the User-Startup. This assignment is not needed when
PROGDIR: is available on OS 2.0+ and TypeSmith is an OS
2.0+ program. TypeSmith should use PROGDIR: unless the user wants to use
TypeSmith: for some reason. If your list of assignments is starting to
look like a zoo, you'll have another animal to look after.
As a program
The TypeSmith executable weighs in at just under half a megabyte. To use
the software, you need at least 512K of chip RAM and 1.5MB of fast RAM, but
I recommend more of both. TypeSmith is essentially a structured drawing
program which can handle as many as 255 drawings at once in each project
you have open. In all its glory, TypeSmith tends to use a good deal of
chip RAM. Unless you have a 2MB Agnus or run TypeSmith in a fractional
zoom mode, you will probably encounter low chip memory conditions while
multi-tasking with other chip memory intensive programs. Chip RAM usage is
minimized, but not eliminated, when running TypeSmith with a graphics card.
If you have a graphics card and/or 2 megabytes of chip RAM, you're not
likely to notice. Using TypeSmith on a machine with 512K of Chip RAM and
no graphics card is a tight fit, but it is certainly possible.
In a multi-tasking system, straight memory requirements don't mean much so
I made a sample table of memory consumption for
various tasks.
TypeSmith has a beautiful, font-sensitive interface. It's obvious that the
programmers closely followed the Amiga User Interface Style Guidelines.
Most of its windows are resizable. The program automatically adapts to the
aspect ratio of the selected screenmode, so opening TypeSmith on an
oddly-sized screen (like 1280x400) won't make the letterforms appear
squished, stretched, or otherwise distorted. The OS standard ASL file
requester is sized according to the current screen and font, so you rarely
need to worry about moving or adjusting it. The program interface is
stunning on a high resolution 1280x1024 screen with a 24 pixel high
proportional font (like Times) as the interface font.
Fonts are loaded based on a user-editable pattern which can be set
independently for each file type. Ineligible files (those that don't match
the current pattern) are hidden for convenience. For instance, importing a
Compugraphic Intellifont will use the pattern (#?.type|#?.lib) so you won't
have to wade through unrelated files to get what you are looking for even
if you keep all your font files in the same directory. The Amiga clipboard
is also supported so you can easily share TypeSmith data with another OS
clipboard compliant structured drawing tool or a program like Soft-Logik's
PageStream 3.
Professional Page and Professional Draw (Gold Disk) users will be exposed
to a remarkable concept: a floating toolbox! You can put the toolbox
wherever you think appropriate, and you can have it come up on the right or
left side by default.
Another useful feature is a fuel gauge for operations which have the
potential to take a long time. The graphic and percentage-based display
reports how much of a given task the program has accomplished and takes
away the uncertainty of whether the program has locked up or is just doing
a lot of thinking. Enough cannot be said for keeping the user apprised of
program activity.
There is also a status bar, at the bottom (or top) of the screen, which
displays coordinates, scale, and status. If you have AmigaOS 3.x, the
status bar will display a description of whatever your pointer happens to
be positioned over at any given time. It even explains the drag bar and
close gadget. Under OS 2.x, this status bar will only report actual
TypeSmith operations, such as the particular guide line you are dragging
around, but only a select few functions are reported under this operating
system.
Users with AmigaOS 3.x are treated to a context-sensitive on-line help
facility. OS 2.x users still get on-line help, but without the context
sensitivity. TypeSmith also allows you to open multiple copies of the
program, but warns you if the program is already running. Other
programmers would be wise to look at TypeSmith when designing the graphic
user interface to a program. This is certainly how a program should be
done!
As a font designer
TypeSmith comes equipped with a powerful set of drawing tools including an
ARexx interface which allows drawing control through ARexx commands.
Real-time manipulation of the letterforms is acceptable on an ECS machine
with a 25MHz 68030, and exceptional on an ECS machine with a 33MHz 68040.
Like a full scale drawing program, there are a number of ways to constrain
the drawing and manipulation functions. If you hold down [SHIFT], ellipsis
and rectangles will be constrained to circles and squares. Holding down
the [ALT] key while adjusting a bézier curve power/angle
point will cause the opposite power/angle point to be mirrored. Holding
down [SHIFT] after you select a point and before you drag will constrain
movement vertically or horizontally, whichever direction the mouse moves
first.
One surprising catch is that the initial line segment must be just that: a
line. If you want a completely curved shape, you have to add a second
point on top of the initial point to create the curve. This makes a
"non-existent" line, but still satisfies the requirement. The ellipse tool
does it automatically. This requirement can make some functions appear
unstable or erratic, but if you realize that the initial "point" with a
curve from each end is actually two points, the behavior makes sense.
No structured drawing editor would be complete without the ability to use
bitmap templates of some sort. TypeSmith will import Amiga, Soft-Logik,
and Adobe ABF bitmap fonts, and IFF ILBM images as templates and it will
export the above mentioned bitmap font formats.
Bitmap fonts can be used as templates for designing outline fonts. To do
this, you must create a new outline project and load a bitmap font.
Although it is possible, it is not recommended by Soft-Logik or myself, to
Autotrace a bitmap font to get a start on the outline
version. The results are poor (if not completely unusable) with most
bitmap fonts. There simply isn't enough information for the trace
algorithm to create a usable outline version. Once the bitmap font has
loaded, TypeSmith will display a gray "shadow" of the font in the
workspace. You can use this form to draw a rough sketch of the letter and
then turn off the template display to finish the outline font in detail, or
you can leave it up as a guide throughout the operation. A 60 pixel high
Amiga bitmap font is the smallest I tried that would yield even a usable
trace result, but even then it's only a modest start.
The intended purpose of the Autotrace feature is to create outline versions
of IFF ILBM bitmaps. For example, you might scan a high resolution image
of a particular letter and Autotrace will create a fairly faithful outline
version of the graphic. This is very memory intensive. If you are low on
memory, only one letterform should be imported at a time, then cleared
before going on to the next letter. A great deal of resources would be
required to hold a 150-600 DPI scan for each letter in the whole character
set.
You can use TypeSmith to create bitmap fonts from outline fonts. One
reason for doing this is to make attractive screen fonts for programs in
which text speed is important. Another reason to use this is to get type
into a program that does not directly support outline font formats. Some
desktop publishing software (such as Professional Page) allows you to use
bitmap screen fonts to speed up font display considerably, at the cost of
display quality.
TypeSmith is not a replacement for a dedicated bitmap font editor. It does
not allow control of all the functions possible with Amiga bitmap fonts.
TypeSmith is a powerful tool which can generate and refine a bitmap font,
but precise control of the Amiga bitmap font data such as kerning and
spacing information still requires a font editor that directly addresses
such needs.
Making international font design easier: Character Compositions
TypeSmith supports a feature called Character Compositions which makes
creating and maintaining international character sets simple. With
Character Compositions you can define the base letters and accent marks,
and give TypeSmith instructions on how to combine these for the various
accented characters. Any change to one of the components will change ALL
of the compositions. For instance, if you change the lower case 'a' in the
main character set, all the accented character composed versions reflect
that change. There are a couple caveats when dealing with character
compositions: Fonts designed without the feature must be reconstructed, and
character compositions are lost if saved in a format that doesn't support
the feature.
TypeSmith can also import IFF DR2D drawings. You can design the
letterforms in your favorite IFF DR2D-supporting drawing program and simply
use TypeSmith to import and put together the drawings as a font. You
cannot, however, import extremely complex DR2D files - TypeSmith will
inform you that there are too many paths. Remember, you are dealing with a
single letterform, not complicated line art.
As a font format conversion utility
TypeSmith works as an effective font conversion utility, but not without
some difficulty. The process is by no means seamless. TypeSmith will
import Compugraphic Intellifont, TrueType, IFF RFF, PostScript Type 1,
PostScript Type 1 Hybrid, PostScript Type 3, Adobe metric and PostScript
metric, IFF ILBM templates and Amiga bitmap, Soft-Logik bitmap, and Adobe
ABF bitmap fonts formats. It will export Compugraphic Intellifont,
TrueType, IFF RFF, PFB PostScript Type 1, AFM font metric, PostScript Type
3, and IFF DR2D. It will also export IFF ILBM, Amiga bitmap, Soft-Logik
bitmap, and Adobe ABF bitmap fonts.
First, not all font formats use the same curve definitions. Compugraphic
Intellifonts and TrueType fonts do not use the bézier curves of TypeSmith
and the PostScript Type 1 font formats. Alien curves must be converted to
a format TypeSmith understands. In the process, information is lost. When
loading and saving Compugraphic Intellifonts or TrueType fonts, you are
likely to lose quality and/or gain unwanted complexity. Loading a
Compugraphic Intellifont and resaving it yielded a font that was much
dirtier, especially at lower resolutions (12 to 48 pixels) when used in
programs. Loading and saving a Compugraphic Intellifont or TrueType font
in its native format is devastating because of the conversion difficulties.
If TypeSmith could handle B-splines and any other curve definitions, this
wouldn't be a problem unless you specifically wanted to convert the font to
another format. As it is, editing and resaving fonts that do not conform
to the bézier font definition results in loss of quality.
If you are planning to use TypeSmith to convert a disk of TrueType fonts to
PostScript, my first suggestion would be to look for PostScript versions of
those fonts. However, converting PostScript or Soft-Logik fonts to another
formats works fairly well for non-professional use (e.g. a small
newsletter). If you are a professional, avoid anything except PostScript,
Soft-Logik, and RFF font formats.
Another problem that stems from conversion is the loss of specialized
information like character compositions and kerning information. TypeSmith
will not load or save the kerning information of Compugraphic Intellifonts
(called kerning segments) or character compositions, so external means of
such information must be maintained. Character Compositions are fused
together as a complete character when you output to a format that does not
support such compositions. You should always keep a copy of fonts in the
highest feature format possible (Soft-Logik recommends IFF RFF).
The Amiga Compugraphic Intellifont engine (OS 2.1 - 3.1) doesn't seem to
like anonymous fonts. I could not get the Amiga to use an exported
Compugraphic Intellifont without giving it some sort of ID, but without
having an assigned number it could conflict with other fonts. Importing
and re-exporting CS Times (PageStream 3) yielded a font that had
poor-quality and a size of almost a quarter megabyte.
TypeSmith's ARexx interface allows complete automation of the program as
well as allowing other programs to use TypeSmith transparently with
automated macros. TypeSmith comes with a marco to batch convert whole font
directories while you work on other projects or sleep. Another included
macro that I found very useful was an ARexx shell that allows you to enter
ARexx commands directly into a Shell interface to watch the results on the
screen. If you can't draw but you are mathematically and spatially aware,
you can design fonts with commands in a fashion similar to the language
LOGO.
The manual is beyond excellent. It is full of all kinds of information
about font design, history, where to officially register your fonts, and of
course usage of the program. The 144 page manual (created with PageStream
2.2) coupled with the complete on-line help system, both indexed and
recommended reading are a surprising and refreshing change from what I'm
used to seeing, even from high-end Macintosh and PC products. If all
manuals and on-line help systems were this good, there wouldn't be a #?
for Dummies series of books.
Utilities
TypeSmith is billed as being able to convert Gold Disk's Professional Draw
clips into IFF DR2D drawings. After loading the Convert utility and
selecting a source file and destination directory it reported that the file
was not a ProDraw clip file. I attempted to simply point it at the
directory with the clips, but it found none. Running the Convert program
from the shell gave the same results, but would not release the shell
window even after exiting. Quitting from the Workbench interface resulted
in a 0100000F recoverable alert under OS 3.1. OS 2.1 sometimes added the
fatal failures 8700000E followed by 80000008 bringing the whole machine
down. To insure that I was throwing real ProDraw clips at it, I tried
using PageStream3. PageStream3 successfully recognized and converted every
single ProDraw clip file I tried to run through Convert. Most of the
resulting IFF DR2D files imported into TypeSmith without a problem. The
rest had to be simplified or parts had to be deleted to function properly.
Font Downloader worked fine. I sent fonts to my printer and they were used
when I sent a file that called upon them.
Some gripes
· I turned off the "White Background" to speed up the display as
recommended in the manual. Eventually, many specs of pixel garbage
appeared in the type window. Resizing, covering, and moving the window did
nothing. Scaling the font (to redraw the contents) only caused the
letterform to draw UNDER the pixel garbage.
· As another speed up, I tried to force the program into the Picasso's
"chunky" mode. The colors went completely wrong and the window redrew
every time I clicked the mouse in the window. I cannot place any blame
without more information, but it wasn't convenient whichever program is at
fault.
· Status bar is not notified of objects in inactive windows. Can make
context-sensitive help appear to be "broken". Simply insure that the
window containing the function you want help with is active.
· Starting a new outline followed by new bitmap causes problem. The bitmap
is not editable. You MUST import the bitmap or create it from an existing
outline. I would like to see more bitmap font control in TypeSmith.
Conclusions
TypeSmith is not the perfect solution for everyone, but (with the exception
of "Convert") is a beautiful, stable, functional program. True
professionals should consider the Compugraphic Intellifont and TrueType
import functions as "good starting points" for designing a bézier curve
version of the font. The results from just importing and using the point
reduction feature aren't good enough for truly professional use.
Professionals tend to hang around the PostScript font format anyhow. While
found in professional environments, TrueType is not the font format of
choice in the field.
TypeSmith is a boon to Professional Page and Professional Draw users. It
makes fonts that otherwise cause Gold Disk's Font Manager to choke into
usable files. Of all the fonts that caused Font Manager to crash or
resulted in incorrect or scrambled conversions, loading and resaving them
with TypeSmith resulted in a completely usable file. Font Manager will
keep the PostScript version available for high end output on PostScript
devices, so there is no concern about the slight loss in quality from
converting a Type 1 to a Compugraphic Intellifont format. It will also
directly convert the fonts for you, but does not copy a downloadable
PostScript version to the Gold Disk fonts directory (easily solved with an
ARexx macro, however).
I was able to convert nearly all of the fonts I tried from my collection of
thousands. A few were too complicated (each letter was an entire drawing
of a scene!) but for the most part everything imported without difficulty.
I could not test all the fonts or I would not have finished this review
before 1998, but the fonts I did try had good to excellent results!
If you work with fonts, TypeSmith is an essential utility and is one of few
high quality products that actually deserves to be called professional.