Font Editor and Generator for Graphic LCD (GLCD)

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About : Font panel and font generator data structures

Font Panel ( SVG / ANSI / UNICODE and Editable Fonts )

4 different font categories are available : ANSI and Unicode international System fonts (installed on Windows) , the SVG fonts (for grayscale 256) based on vector graphics for a better anti-aliasing quality, and Freely Editable Font, for customized bitmap glyphs.

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Unicode block selection (green frame)

Font Panel ( EDITABLE Font )

An Editable Font can be an import of a system font + edits or created from scratch.

In this example only 5 chars

List of the existing Editable Fonts (blue frame)

Font Panel ( ANSI Font )

Font Settings in 3 panels : Structure, Header, and Data (green frames)

The parameters can be edited (when green background) in these 3 fields (red frame)

The chars selected in the Grid (blue frame) will be exported to data

Font panel > Structure Parameters

The Parameters in the green frame are separated for each Data Structure (1st Parameter of this list) These data are then present or not in the Descriptor blocs of the output data.

Font panel > Data Parameters

Font panel > Headers Parameters

The font headers such as the description and the font header code exported at the top of the data output.

Font panel > Font Data Structure

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Data Structures :

Raw Data, Font Bloc, Structured and DMD struct are different outputs layouts for fonts.

The differences in headers, bitmap glyphs and descriptors

Example for “RAW Data” structure

Optional descriptors at the end

 

/*  >>> Code Header   */

 /* ( Bitmap Glyphs )  */

 /* @ 0 Char:’A’ Width in bits :10 */

 
 0x08 , 0x00 ,     /*  ____#___________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x22 , 0x00 ,     /*  __#___#_________  */

 0x22 , 0x00 ,     /*  __#___#_________  */

 0x7F , 0x00 ,     /*  _#######________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x80 , 0x80 ,     /*  #_______#_______  */

 0x80 , 0x80 ,     /*  #_______#_______  */

 
 /* @ 20 Char:’B’ Width in bits :10 */

 
 0x7E , 0x00 ,     /*  _######_________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x7E , 0x00 ,     /*  _######_________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x7E , 0x00      /*  _######_________  */

 

};
                                          
 const uint8_t Arial_10_1252_(ANSI_-_latin_I)_Descriptors[][] PROGMEM = {                       
                                                              
  
 {0x41,0,10,10,100,160,0,30},                            /* ‘A’ */ 
 {0x42,20,10,10,100,160,0,30}                            /* ‘B’ */ 

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Example for “Font BLOC” data structure

Optional Font Header at the top

Optional descriptors at the top of every bitmap glyph

const unsigned char Arial_10_1252_(ANSI_-_latin_I)_Bitmaps[] = {)                              
                                                                  

 0x00,0x3E,13,16,0x00,2, (font header)
 
 /* ‘A’ */

 0x41,0,10,10,100,160,0,30,
 0x08 , 0x00 ,     /*  ____#___________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x22 , 0x00 ,     /*  __#___#_________  */

 0x22 , 0x00 ,     /*  __#___#_________  */

 0x7F , 0x00 ,     /*  _#######________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x80 , 0x80 ,     /*  #_______#_______  */

 0x80 , 0x80 ,     /*  #_______#_______  */

 
 
 /* ‘B’ */

 0x42,20,10,10,100,160,0,30,
 0x7E , 0x00 ,     /*  _######_________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x7E , 0x00 ,     /*  _######_________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x7E , 0x00       /*  _######_________  */

 

};

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Example for *Structured” data structure

Bitmap glyphs in blocks, Descriptors in blocks at the end

/*  >>> Code Header   */

 /* ( Bitmap Glyphs )  */

static const uint8_t image_data_Arial_10_1252_(ANSI_-_latin_I)_0x41[20] =
{
 
 0x08 , 0x00 ,     /*  ____#___________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x22 , 0x00 ,     /*  __#___#_________  */

 0x22 , 0x00 ,     /*  __#___#_________  */

 0x7F , 0x00 ,     /*  _#######________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x80 , 0x80 ,     /*  #_______#_______  */

 0x80 , 0x80      /*  #_______#_______  */

};

static const uint8_t image_data_Arial_10_1252_(ANSI_-_latin_I)_0x42[26] =
{
 
 0x7E , 0x00 ,     /*  _######_________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x7E , 0x00 ,     /*  _######_________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x7E , 0x00      /*  _######_________  */

};


 /*  >>> Optional Char Descriptors   */
 /* ( Char Adress  Start adress  Width in bits  Height in bits  Char Bytes  Size in bits  X Offset  Y Offset  Char Spacing bits )  */

static const tImage Arial_10_1252_(ANSI_-_latin_I)_array_[] = {

// character : ‘A’
{0x41,0,10,10,100,160,0,30 , &Arial_10_1252_(ANSI_-_latin_I)_0x41},

// character : ‘B’
{0x42,20,10,10,100,160,0,30 , &Arial_10_1252_(ANSI_-_latin_I)_0x42}

};

const tfont  Arial_10_1252_(ANSI_-_latin_I) = { 2 , Arial_10_1252_(ANSI_-_latin_I)_array };

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Example for “DMD Struct” data structure

Optional Font Header at the top

Descriptors in blocks at the top (Here widths only )

static const uint8_t Arial_10_1252_(ANSI_-_latin_I)_Bitmaps[2][] PROGMEM = {  
                                                             

 0x00,0x30,13,16,0x00,2, (font header)
 /*  >>> Code Header   */

 /* ( Width in bits )  */

 
 10,                            /* ‘A’ */ 
 10                            /* ‘B’ */ 
,
 /* ( Bitmap Glyphs )  */

 /* @ 0 Char:’A’ Width in bits :10 */

 
 0x08 , 0x00 ,     /*  ____#___________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x14 , 0x00 ,     /*  ___#_#__________  */

 0x22 , 0x00 ,     /*  __#___#_________  */

 0x22 , 0x00 ,     /*  __#___#_________  */

 0x7F , 0x00 ,     /*  _#######________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x80 , 0x80 ,     /*  #_______#_______  */

 0x80 , 0x80 ,     /*  #_______#_______  */

 
 /* @ 20 Char:’B’ Width in bits :10 */

 
 0x7E , 0x00 ,     /*  _######_________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x7E , 0x00 ,     /*  _######_________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x41 , 0x00 ,     /*  _#_____#________  */

 0x7E , 0x00      /*  _######_________  */

 

};


Bitmap2LCD : Project Folders and Project Management

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Bitmap2LCD is a programming tool for small Graphic LCDs in embedded systems.

Project Folders and Project Management

The current active project is displayed in the Windows Tab of the Main Menu (red frame) By clicking in this area, you have direct access to the Project Manager. There’s originally only 1 project called default.LCD

You can add other projects to the system. Every project is a separate set of settings, project folders, work canvas sizes etc.. To access the Project Manager, click on the Files/Projects Button (green frame) then Show Projects Explorer on the File explorer Window (blue frame)

The File explorer Window

The field at the top left side of the file explorer is the “Project Folders Management” and “the Project Management”.

With the buttons showing colored folder icons at the right side of the below blue arrow, you can define the folders where you want to convert, find and save the files of the current project.

By clicking on one of these colored folder icons, you define the currently active folder in the tree as the project folder for Graphics, Output files, Project Documents, Fonts or Touch Screen  files.

When clicking on the links inside the field, you have a quick access to the different project folders.

When for example clicking on “Graphics Library“, you switch the File List Filter to “all graphic files” excluding the other files type from the list. (This behavior can be enabled or disabled in the Filter pop-up menu)

These project folders and all the configuration settings (GLCD size, Data Direction, File Header etc..)  are saved to the disk as a set of project settings.

By clicking on the Show Projects Explorer button (orange star icon) in the menu bar (blue arrow) you can switch the view to the project management.

The Project Manager

The Project list shows the list of available projects. The list can be void in the case only the default project exists. Otherwise, like in this example, the list shows and the active project is marked with a red arrow. The other projects are marked with blue arrows.

The files attached to a project are are located in the documents/bitmap2LCD inits (version) folder.

With the Buttons in the Menu Bar at the top of the project list, you can Create, Activate, Rename and delete Projects.

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Import Projects from previous versions

Copy the project files attached to a previous Project from the documents/bitmap2LCD inits (previous version) folder to the documents/bitmap2LCD inits (current version) folder.

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Latest News : Bitmap2LCD Version V4.6b out !

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News : Bitmap2LCD Version V4.6b

Run Bitmap2LCD on a computer with 2 connected monitors or a large one !

Bitmap2LCD has a few different “flying” windows and some like for example, the Work Canvas, can be very large as a single pixel is displayed 5x larger as 5 real pixels of the monitor.

Link to the Latest News Page

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Single Line Chars Data for monochrome Small fonts

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From Update V4.5

For small monochrome font chars, a single line per char data output has been implemented :

Basic conditions :

  • Monochrome or Monochrome Inverted schemes
  • Fixed fonts only ( Fixed Chars length )
  • Raw Font Structure
  1. Enter Font Script Mode ( click Create / Load Font Button )

2. Then select some chars in the chars grid or type them inside the list of chars ( selected chars are displayed in light blue A…H )

  • Set Data Structure to RAW DATA in the Struct Parameters
  • Set Horizontal Chars Data to TRUE the Data Parameters >> Font Type parameter is then automatically set to FIXED
  • Then move Font Up/Down and Set Chars Height and/or Chars Width values
  • When font ready , click on the Export Font to Data button
  • Click Show Font Data button to watch the generated Font data

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Header Include Editors and Scripting Components

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Script Components

The script components [&***] can be included only once and will be replaced by the data or value when the data array is generated. Not needed script components can be deleted.

[&NAME]

The [$NAME] and the image size and position are optional and can be placed optionally anywhere in the header.

[&SIZE]

Same for Size of Data

[&TRUEORG]

This is the script component if present in the file, to indicate that you want to have the XPOS and YPOS origins of a reduced dynamic table of constants ( a part of the display you want to change ) given from the X0,Y0 corner you selected in the table translation manager window.

[&XPOS]

[&YPOS]

[&WIDTH]

[&HEIGHT]

The corner position on the Work Canvas and the size of the converted graphic area can be exported into the file.

There are more script components, for the font generation and the data compression. See the above default header script.

//** Example for for Images and Graphics Conversion!

#include <avr/pgmspace.h>

const uint8_t [&NAME][] PROGMEM = {
[&TRUEORG]

[&XPOS],
[&YPOS],
[&WIDTH],
[&HEIGHT],


//** These are the X and Y position
//** and the Width and Height of an
//** exported graphic (optional)

//** for graphics conversion with data compression
[&COMPRESSION]
const uint8_t [&CNAME][&CSIZE] PROGMEM = {

Header Include for Fonts

[&FONT INCLUDE]

/* // Structured Font Output Include
typedef struct {
long int code;
const tImage *image;
} tChar;
typedef struct {
int length;
const tChar *chars;
} tFont;
*/


[&/FONT INCLUDE]

[&FONT BITMAPS]


const uint8_t [&FNAME][&FNUMBEROFCHARS][&FBYTESPERCHAR] PROGMEM = {

[&FONT DESCRIPTORS]


const uint8_t [&DNAME][][2] PROGMEM = {

[&FONT END]

GLCD Font Generator : SVG Vector Graphics Fonts output

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Update V4.3

To get GLCD fonts with better antialiasing rendering quality, in apps with grayscale TFT displays (256 gray shades) Bitmap2LCD can output Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG fonts)

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GLCD Font generator : Data and Structure parameters

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Update V4.6

The Data format and Data Structure Parameters for the export of Graphic LCD Fonts have been extended and split in two tabs on the Font Panel.

The Tab names are Data and Struct and Header

There’s a choice between 4 different GLCD data structures.

The Font character descriptors / Font Char Header information / can optionally be enabled or disabled and their order of appearance in the code defined.

Character Descriptors / Font Char Header

Switch the needed descriptors to True or False, if you need them or not in your code export. the adjust then order of their appearance in the code at the right.

Char Adress : It’s the Ascii Code of the Char (In the case of Editable Custom Fonts, you can adjust the Ascii Offset in the Data Parameters to adjust the Char address.

Start Address : Start Address of the Data array of the char.

Char Width Bits : Width in bits of the char.

Char Height Bits : Height in bits of the char.

Char Size Bytes : Size in bytes of the char.

Char Size Bits : Size in bits of the char. Example : If the bottom right pixel of the char is X18 , Y31 (in the Char Grid of the Font Panel) + the X0 Y0 bits, so 19 bits in width x 32 bits in height, the Char size in Bits is 19 x 32 = 608 pixels

An X and Y Offset system is available to remove lines of blank pixels in the code ( char background ) and save memory space. The blank lines at the top and at the bottom of the data are removed from the code output and replaced by Offsets in the descriptors.

Char Spacing : Spacing adjustment in pixels chars.

For this subject, also read this article about character spacing with kerning pairs :

Export of the Kerning Pairs for GLCD

An optional Terminator Code can be inserted as last byte at the end of the code.

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Font Descriptors / Global Font Header

An optional 4 bytes global Font Header outputs data at the top of the Font Bloc structure.

Data such as global Char Height and Width and Number of Chars can be exported there.

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More to read :

Font Editor and Generator for Graphic LCD (GLCD)

System Codepage ( ANSI Fonts )

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Extended Edition Only

There’s a default/active Codepage installed in your basic Windows installation. The active Codepage depends on your Region/geographic location.

On the ANSI Font Panel, a System Codepage combobox allows a quick selection of the ANSI Font character encoding without the need to modify the Windows installation.

A code page is a character encoding and as such it is a specific association of a set of printable characters and control characters with unique numbers…

Read more about Codepage on Wikipedia

Export of the Kerning Pairs for GLCD

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Export of the Kerning Pairs for GLCD

In typography, kerning is the process of adjusting the spacing between characters in a proportional font, usually to achieve a visually pleasing result. Kerning adjusts the space between individual letter forms…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerning

From Version 4.0 Extended Edition , a new Kerning feature has been implemented in the Bitmap2LCD software tool.

For its use on microsystems with Graphic LCD (GLCD) , the table of Kerning Pairs (1st char, 2nd Char, Pixel Shift in X) corresponding to a particular Font Name, its size and style (Bold, italic..) can be exported to a file as source code

Export > Bitmap2LCD Extended Edition only !

  • Click Grids/Excel Button
  • Load the Kerning Pairs List for the current Font and Font Size
  • Export the Kerning Pairs List to Source/Text file

Kerning Pairs Export inside the Editor (Graphics Preview and Editors Window)

GLCD Vector Programming Simulator / Debugger

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Bitmap2LCD is a tool for programming small Graphic LCDs in embedded systems and a programmable graphic and text processing tool.

Bitmap2LCD : GLCD Vector Programming Simulator / Debugger

Version V3.9n and upwards

Loading GLCD Vector Script files

GLCD Vector Programming script files (*.B2L file ext) are stored in the user defined Graphics Files folder and can be loaded into the script editor using the File explorer (blue arrow).

From version V3.9n , when the GLCD Vector Tab in the main menu is active, there’s a quicker way to load an existing vector script file: All the B2L files found in the Graphics Folder are listed in a combobox (Purple arrows)

GLCD Vector Script Menu bar

From version V3.9n, the vector script menu bar has been upgraded with new items. (blue arrow)

  • List of GLCD Vector Functions to import in the script
  • List of basic functions (f.e sleep/pause, calling a subprogram)
  • Current ANSI Font + Font size or Editable Font to load into script

Simultator/debugger functions and other features have been added (see context menu (Orange arrow)

Debugger allows to set breakpoints by clicking the script line inside the gutter (Red arrow) and to ignore/include (Ctrl+i) a script line at script running time . (Green arrow)

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Bitmap2LCD : Vector Design Module ( Info + Tutorial )