QL Tinkering

[qbits]

Hi All,

As they say one thing leads to another…
QBITS FontEditSE was released with three ARCADE Games to make it a Special Edition, then in making use of the SPECIAL Fonts recently created my aim was to incorporate Fonts sheets for Label, Music and Timer to make perhaps a Special Edition Plus. While reviewing the code I was quietly observed by a small person. I love how the very young unfettered with adult inhibitions can be so inspirational. The small voice in a matter-of-fact way simply said ‘where are the smiley faces?’

So as they say one thing leads to another…
Smiley faces and why not. A set of Emoticons created with QBITS FontEditSE. This set things in motion and I started filling in a circle to create my first Emoticon face. Then being essentially lazy I thought if (#) Sets all the Editor Bitmap Cells to zero’s (ie. background colour), why not do the opposite with a (F)ill command setting all the cells to ones (ie.INK colour), that would reduce the cells I had to change. Then while about it why not extend the background from just Black or White to all 0-7 colours. Ha! Way ahead of you I thought of that one to. What if both INK and BkGnd are the same. Well, we will just have to add a Block in INK colour to set as a Guide.

QBITS Emoticons.jpg (37.99 KiB) Viewed 2277 times

As they say one thing leads to another…
To accomplish my changes required a slight rearrangement of the Bitmap Editor layout as well as some Program code bits to do. Then there was the updates to the documentation pdf and while I was at it some restructure of the page layouts. I was beginning to think my effort to save extra work had gone a little haywire.

In the end I apologise for all the recent changes but I hope the end result meets with your approval... Short of any as of yet unidentified bug fixes or changes to extend the compatibility across QL Platforms I think I’m done…

As they say one thing leads to another… so not forgetting the start of all this QBITS Emoticons_fnt file!

My budgets OK! Thanks for no Tax rise on Fuel duty. Yet things are getting a little Spooky. Happy Halloween?

QBITS

[NormanDunbar]

Software is never finished.... (Norms Second law of computing.)

[dilwyn]

Software is never finished.... (Norms Second law of computing.)

And wasn't there another law which said by the time it's finished and it works, it's out of date?

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

What an excellent piecec of programming, I like the manual as well, very well written.

I was trying to port over ZX Spectrum basic games to the QL and used a separate font for the Spectrum User Defined Graphics.

The detailed information in QBITS Font Editor, exceeds what I done and will help with the generation of the graphics character consversion,

Great software and manual.

[qbits]

Hi
Norman, Dilwyn Yes I have my own I like - Computers tend to be incredibly fast, accurate and stupid; Humans on the other hand tend to be incredibly slow, inaccurate but brilliant. Together they can be powerful beyond imagination.

Derick - if I can help in anyway. The Fonts you mention what Format does the ZX Spectrum use, can you post an example.

QBITS

[dilwyn]

On the Basic Programs page on my site, there is a Basic program to allow a degree of proportionally spaced printing of QL fonts to the screen.

If anyone has the time, it'd be great to have a few more proportional fonts designed for that - it's a long time since I published it, I don't even remember how many fonts came with it!

IIRC, It works by examining the font being used and building up a table of character widths, printing any text one character at a time, constantly varying the CHAR_INC . Slow and a little clumsy, but works. Can pack much more text onto a line.

https://www.dilwyn.theqlforum.com/basic/prop.zip

[qbits]

Hi Dilwyn:
QBITS PROC QBPnt(ch%,ci%,cw%,cx%,cy%,Str$) Prints a string of characters set to a cw% char width which can be varied for different strings. As for Proportional Font set A-Z would probably remain the same J being the only real contender, however with the lower-case characters these might be more manageable a b c b d e k m n o p q r s u v w x y z cw%=6 f i j l cw%=3 t cw%=5. These are the default QL Fonts.

Had a look at your Prog and checked out your Font1 and Font2 you have already moved some characters ie f i j l t to reduce the spacing required. I guess not to dissimilar to the way you own Prog is setup by adding a bit of code QBPrnt could be made to read an Array set with character cw% values.

A redesign of the lower-case fonts could reduce most of the present 6 Pixel widths to 5. If I find time I’ll have ago over the weekend.

OverLAY_fnt
You have probably seen them before with Retro Game Headings in two colours.
A few lines of code and using QBITS Font OverLAY_fnt you can enjoy setting up two colour Headings.

Set CSIZE, INK and CURSOR position and PRINT a ‘HEADING’
Then use OVER 1 to PRINT again using extended Font range set with OverLAY half Characters.

QBITS

[stevepoole]

Hi Qbits,
Interesting, this question of font sizes. Back in the '80s I wondered if the Psion suite could all be shown on one screen....

So I experimented to see just how small I could make characters, and cobbled together a quick demo, (no multitasked Psion though).

Just UNZIP & LRUN after modifying line 160 to suit your device. The reulting output is quite readable in Capitals, but poor otherwise.

Originally ok on 128k QL, but this version tested with QPC2, where even with pauses, it is pretty fast ! Food for thought.... Steve.

super_sub_script2.zip

(4.54 KiB) Downloaded 112 times

[qbits]

Hi,
Seems the Garden work is done ahead of schedule and the BOSS has given me the rest of the weekend off.

Steve: Prog halts on line 360 LBYTES dos3_lf_bytes’,ad - not sure but is a file missing in your download

Dilwyn: QLNarrow is a resize Alphanumeric Fonts reducing present 6 Pixel width to 5.
Attached a Short Prog to demonstrate use of Twin Colour headings,
QBPrnt which prints character strings in a set width.
QBPPrt I guess not so sophisticated as your Proportional Spacing Prog, but more or less gets the job done.
QBBold added just to spruce up display options.

QBITS

[dilwyn]

I think we should start a competition to see who can devise the smallest readable QL font!