Author Archives: Bernie

Bitmap2LCD : Working with Custom Color Palettes

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

Working with Custom Color Palettes

From V3.8e , the above functions have been moved to the COLOR PALETTE tab , Main Menu

In the Output + Settings / Main menu, for the color mode range going from 256 to 262k Colors you can load a Custom Color Palette by loading a graphic file (BMP/JPG/PNG) that contains the exact number of reference colors, for example 256 Colors for the Custom 256 colors Palette.

The “Custom Color Palette” will override the “Default Color Palette” in a particular project other than Default.LCD (see below about projects)

To load a custom color palette, just create/switch to a project different than Default.LCD and switch to the correct color mode (for example 256 colors), then click on the “Load a custom Color Palette” item in the Output + Settings main menu (blue arrow). The Color Palette of the Reference Graphic will then be loaded.

Bitmap2LCD custom color palette

The next line in the main menu, below the blue arrow will show you if the Default or the Custom Color Palette has been loaded.

To delete a Custom Color Palette, delete the project name, for example, MyProject.LCD

About Projects in Bitmap2LCD

In the File Explorer  >>

List the projects (red arrow)

Name of the current active project (blue arrow) >> NewProject.LCD

Below the List of Projects ( each project is a set of many possible settings )

A Red Star indicates the active project name

Use Right Mouse Click or local menu to act on projects.

Export RGB Color Palettes to Text File or to a Look up Table [LUT]

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

Export RGB Color Palettes to Text File or to a Look up Table [LUT]

From V3.8e , the above function has been moved to the COLOR PALETTE tab , Main Menu

 

( From V3.2e Build 4 to V3.8d )

In the Output + Settings main menu, in the 256, 4096, 65536 and 262k Colors mode you can export the default or custom Color Palette to a text file. ( RGB 24bit Color Hex codes )

The exported file will be saved in the project output files folder

bitmap2lcd-export-rgb-palette

The prefix of the RGB 24bit Color Hex codes can be defined in the settings ( data Syntax Tab )

Bitmap2LCD Export Color Palette 2

Work Canvas Export to Data Settings

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

Work Canvas Export to Data Settings

Update >V3.9a

From Version V3.9a the Configuration Settings have been moved to a single panel accessible from the main menu. (red Arrow)

The Monochrome / Grayscale / Color Setting can be found in the same Window

 

Versions V3.8a – V3.8z

From V3.8a, the parameters (blue arrow) located inside the right panel of the Work Canvas ( hide/ show > red arrow ) are editable.

The Export To Data Settings are the same as those located on the Configuration Settings Windows. (purple arrow)

Note : Some of these settings are also valid for the Fonts Generator !

You can change the export settings from there (blue) . Their value will be copied to the Configuration Settings Windows (purple)

If changes are made in the Configuration Settings Windows, the values might be refreshed (Refresh Values from Settings > green) on the Work Canvas Panel

bitmap2lcd-wk-settings

Data Export Settings Examples

  • Hex Data Bytes without Prefix (a) nor Suffix, (b)  Without spaces nor separator between them

bitmap2lcd-wk-settings_2

  • Intel Hex Data Output Format (File.hex)

bitmap2lcd-wk-settings_3

  • Binary File Format (File.bin)

bitmap2lcd-wk-settings_4

  • Format  = 0X Hex data / separator = , / End of Line = ;  / 4 bytes per line

bitmap2lcd-wk-settings_5

  • Format  = Prefix (a) + Hex data + Suffix (b) / separator = , / End of Line = ;  / 6 bytes per line / Data lines Prefix = DATA

bitmap2lcd-wk-settings_6

 

Getting Started > Basic Settings

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

Update V4.7b >

Presentation of Bitmap2LCD (Youtube)

 Getting Started > Basic Settings

  • Define the project name and the filenames for Graphic, data output and touch panel data output
  • Configuration Settings window (red frame)
  • Current basic Settings (red frame)
  • Work Canvas size (green arrow)

Configuration Settings : Monochrome, Color and Grayscale, Data formats etc…

The Data Format Settings are also located in the right panel of the Work Canvas. (blue arrow and frames)

  • Edit the Output File Header syntax  (green arrow)

Output File Header

  • The Output File Header is optionally copied to the top of the Text Editor when an export to data as text is performed .

Note : the variables with the [&xxxxx]  syntax are optional script components, replaced by their value on export. (details at the end of this article)

Header Include Editors and Scripting Components

Bitmap2LCD : Touch Panel / Touch Screen Features Update

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

update V3.7f

Bitmap2LCD : Touch Panel / Touch Screen Features Update

bitmap2lcd-touch-menu

Touch panel settings  settings_touch

bitmap2lcd Touch Panel Settings

  • The current Work Canvas image can be defined as Background  (Green Arrow)

bitmap2lcd-touch-menu_3

bitmap2lcd-touch-background-image

  • Enter Touch Panel / Touch panel Screen Mode

bitmap2lcd-touch-menu_2

bitmap2lcd-touch-make-region

To trace Touch panel regions inside the work canvas, after entering in the touch panel script or by opening the TSC file  ( Work canvas outline becomes light blue ) use the mouse inside the work canvas in a similar way to the area selection tool.

Trace the region and when ok, click on the convert to region button (green Arrow)

Theses regions can be moved or resized afterwards.

bitmap2lcd-touch-menu_4

  • Export the GLCD Touch Regions according to the defined settings

bitmap2lcd-touch-regions-data

  • Quit Touch Panel Mode  exiz

Bitmap2LCD … why not LCD2Bitmap ?

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

Bitmap2LCD … why not LCD2Bitmap ?

Reverse engineering : Convert an existing Data Array (or Hex File) to a Bitmap

Update V3.7e , monochrome only

Want to convert 8 bit GLCD data array from an old project to a 16 bit GLCD data array in a new project ?

Want to recover the image from of an old GLCD data array source ?

 

bitmap2lcd-glcd-array-to-bitmap

  • Load a source into Text editor ( Red arrow )  or click on source file inside Text editor
  • Data array inside Text Editor ( Green arrow )
  • Import Data to Graphic  ( Blue Arrow )

For monochrome GLCD data arrays of 8, 16 and 32 bit – bytes/words – , it is possible with bitmap2LCD !

Set your work Canvas Height and Width to a compatible size with the number of data in the array loaded in the text editor, set the byte word  Width to 8 16 or 32bits (in the output main menu) , select the data direction (horizontal or vertical) and click one of the import Data Array buttons. If it matches with the data count, the Work Canvas will show the graphic.

For example in a file an array of 2560 bytes ( 0x00 – 0xFF )

( Width * Height ) Pixels per byte =  (160 * 128) / 8 = 2560 bytes

Import the array into the work canvas and save the work canvas as bitmap.

bitmap2lcd-import-data-to-graphic

Settings :

Define the Hex byte prefix to be found inside the source file

bitmap2lcd-glcd-array-to-bitmap-settings

Editable Custom Font From Scratch

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

Editable Custom Font From Scratch scratchxxx

[ Editable Fonts : up to 256 colors ]

Standard Edition V3.9>

  • In the GLCD Font Menu, click Editable from Scratch scratchxxx (red arrow)

  • Define the size of the font (orange arrow)
  • Draw pixels on the Char view (green arrow)

Then use the drop down menu at the left or the buttons (purple arrow) to manage the editable font creation.

You can export and import the selected char to/from the Work Canvas.

Import System Chars into the Font Editor

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

Import System Chars into the Font Editor

Update V3.7e – V3.8z  Standard Edition

From Version V3.9 watch this video

[ Editable Fonts : up to 256 colors ]

bitmap2lcd-glcd-font-menu

Let’s see how we can export selected characters out of a Windows System font into the Font Editor of Bitmap2LCD :

  • Create a GLCD Font Script by clicking the Main menu item or the Font Panel Button (blue arrow)
  • Choose a Font Name and define its size

bitmap2lcd-editable-font_1

  • In the “Ascii Grid“, select the chars you want to export, here for example A, B and C  (red arrow)
  • In the menu, click on item ” Start editable font Export > Editable (Translate LCD Font Script to an Editable Font“ (green arrow)

bitmap2lcd-editable-font_2

The “editable font” has been created. It is an Editable Font File (EFF) and an associated GIF file, which is the catalogue of char bitmaps. Both files are located in the Fonts folder.

  • Quit Font Script Creator mode and Open editable (orange Arrow)

bitmap2lcd-editable-font_3

In this example, the selected font name and font size were Aria Unicode MS and 20, in this case the filename of the file will be Arial Unicode MS_20Editable_Font.EFF

bitmap2lcd-editable-font_4

The patterns of theses 3 chars (green Arrow) can now be freely edited.

Example 2

In the first example above, the height of the chars is 25 pixels.

This time, we want to limit the Size of chars in Height and in Width and export a Fixed Size Font.

  • Change the first 3 Parameters (purple arrow) and you will see a red frame in the char View (green arrow)
  • Export To editable (blue arrow)

bitmap2lcd-editable-font_5

  • You get these editable chars

bitmap2lcd-editable-font_6

Creating A GLCD Font

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Creating A GLCD Font

Standard Edition , Update V3.7c

Bitmap2LCD can generate two different types of GLCD Fonts :

  • System Fonts : Fonts of the Operating System, like .TTF (True Type Fonts) , .FON
  • Editable Fonts : Fonts you can edit yourself (modifying the pixels) from a system font source, or Fonts you can create from scratch.

There are ANSI Fonts (system) , Unicode Fonts (system) and Editable Fonts (custom)

bitmap2lcd-font-menu

Choose the main menu GLCD Fonts tab, and click Enter Font Script Mode item to enter Font Creation Mode

Data Setting Parameters are located in Data tab. You can edit the values by clicking on parameter value of the parameter list, only when in Font Script Mode and with Standard Edition.

At the top of the font panel , the caption includes [Font Script Mode] when in Font creation Mode. Use the Door Icon exiz Button to exit this mode when willing to quit.

bitmap2lcd font creation

 

bitmap2lcd Font Panel 2

fontw Enter Font Script Mode

In Font Script Mode (see caption at the top) select a list of chars to export with the mouse (Orange arrow) or write or paste a list of characters into the field (blue arrow)

To delete the selected list , use the [Clr] button or the Clear Selected Chars List drop down menu item (Green arrow)

There are 3 different Font types : ANSI, Unicode or Editable (see Red Arrow)

A right side of the font panel, there’s a field where you can define the Font Export parameters (Purple arrows) in the Data tab -> See screenshot below

For example the Font Data Structure : Raw Font or Structured Font

NOTE : With Trial/Demo Version, there’s a limitation : Only Char “A” is generated as an example !

bitmap2lcd-font-parameters

Example : Modifying a Font Generator Parameter

 

Buttons

fontw Enter Font Script Mode

Start  convert selected List of chars to GLCD data

exiz  Exit Font Script Mode

toolSyntaxbig Font Settings

 

The Font Script (Red Arrow) can be found in the Script (or Name.FSC) Tab of the Text editors. The script itself is not editable. The parameters can be set in the Font Panel, and the orientation of data generation and endianness at the top of the script (Blue Arrow)

bitmap2lcd Font Script Panel 3

The GLCD data generated can be found in the Text editor, first Editor tab on the left

bitmap2lcd Font Gen

Next screenshot shows a comment block at the right side that shows the character of the generated data.  ( monochrome, 8 bit output only )

bitmp2lcd-font-output