Welcome to TypeSmith 2.0! This addendum supplements the User Manual and
should be read before using the program.
CHANGES FROM 2.0 TO 2.01
------------------------
- These files in the TSFiles directory are no longer required. You may
delete them if you originally installed 2.0:
- TSFiles/if.ss
- TSFiles/if.fnt
- TSFiles/ts1hintsubr
- TSFiles/ts1hintsubr.info
- Important note: do NOT delete the def_font.info file from TSFiles. It
is required to use TypeSmith. At this time, it should be the only file
in the TSFiles directory.
- Exporting ABF files now works correctly.
- Exporting .dat and .metric files now works correctly.
- Overview panel, Type Preview panel, Bitmap font generation: these
features have been greatly enhanced with a faster and higher quality
bitmap rasterizer. This means better quality and better speed. Problems
with some of these features have been eliminated by the new rasterizer.
Note that the maximum bitmap font size is 48 points.
- Improved bitmap to outline character matching.
- Format of EXPORT_IF ARexx command changed and command fixed.
- Fill leak problem with some DMF fonts has been fixed. (Symptom: font
fill would leak down the page in PageStream.)
- Exporting a Compugraphic Intellifont with hints toggled on now generates
character level hints in addition to font level hints. This will further
improve the appearance of Compugraphic Intellifonts at small sizes and
low resolutions.
- You no longer have to press Return in text gadgets for TypeSmith to
accept your changes.
- All choices in the Options requester are now saved properly when you
choose the Save gadget.
- Type Preview panel: sometimes all windows stayed disabled after closing
the panel in 2.0. Fixed.
- added the ability to move the status bar from the bottom of the screen
to the top. Change the program icon tooltype from Information=Bottom to
Information=Top.
- Fixed some memory problems.
- Print Preview problems have been solved.
- Fixed metric-related ARexx comands (set_width, get_width)
- Fixed some problems in Edit Compositions.
- Some requesters are now resizable to make it easier to see more
information.
- Made cosmetic changes to some requesters to accomodate foreign language
versions.
UPGRADING FROM 2.0
------------------
In the installer, choose to install TypeSmith in the same directory as
your current TypeSmith drawer. You need only copy the program and help
files if you have a complete 2.0 installation.
UPGRADING FROM 1.0
------------------
In the installer, choose to install TypeSmith in the same directory as
your current TypeSmith drawer.
When you first run TypeSmith after installing it, you will be prompted to
type your registration number. Use the number from your original TypeSmith
1.0 master disk.
FONTS
-----
Two sample fonts have been included with TypeSmith. These are DemoFont and
TSTimes. They include DMF and FM files and are stored in the TSfonts
drawer. DemoFont has only a few characters, but demonstrates incorporating
logos into a font. TSTimes is a complete font and uses the standard
TypeSmith composition table.
TSTimes should not be taken as an example of great font design. This font
was designed years ago and does not follow font design principles. It is
included here only as an example of a complete font.
COMPOSITION TABLES
------------------
Sample composition tables have been included in the CompTables drawer.
Note that when you load a composition table, you must adjust the offset of
the composition accent parts to fit the design and size of your
characters. The included tables are:
· Blank.comp: no compositions. Load this table when you want to dissolve
all the compositions in a font.
· Intellifont.comp: this table contains the standard compositions for
Compugraphic Intellifonts.
· TypeSmith.comp: this table contains the standard compositions for
PostScript and Soft-Logik fonts.
KERNING PAIRS
-------------
A sample AFM file with kerning pairs has been included to allow you to
easily experiment with the Load Kern feature in the Metrics requester. It
is called KernPairs.AFM and is stored in the TSfonts drawer.
SUPPLIED AREXX MACROS
---------------------
The following ARexx scripts are provided with TypeSmith:
· ARexxDemo.tsrx: this script demonstrates TypeSmith's ARexx commands.
If you want to write your own ARexx scripts for TypeSmith, examine this
script in a text editor while running the script in TypeSmith.
· ConvertPStoCG: this script allows you to select a PostScript PFB font to
convert to Compugraphic format. This provides an easy method for
converting fonts.
· MoveCharacter.tsrx: this script moves a character horizontally and/or
vertically by the specified number of character units. This provides an
easy way to move a character while retaining the relative positions of
the points.
· ReduceCharacters.tsrx: this script deletes co-located points (points
with the same coordinates) to remove unnecessary points. You should
never design characters with co-located points.
· MakeLibrary.tsrx: this script exports all or selected characters from a
font and saves them as separate IFF DR2D files to create a character
library. When prompted for a filepath and name, you should enter
a drive and filename. i.e., ram:test would create files such as:
ram:test.1, ram:test.2, ram:test.3
· LoadLibrary.tsrx: this script imports all or selected characters from
IFF DR2D files into the current font. The files must be named with a
common prefix and stored in the same drawer.
If you write any ARexx Macros for TypeSmith which you are willing to allow
us to distribute with TypeSmith so that other users may share them, mail
them to: Soft-Logik Publishing, Product Development, P.O. Box 510589,
St. Louis, MO 63151-0589. Credit will be given in the ARexx macro to the
author.
Note that ARexx commands are documented only in the AmigaGuide help
system included with TypeSmith 2.0.
AUTOTRACING
-----------
The intent of having an autotracer in TypeSmith is to allow you to sketch
your characters on paper, scan them into IFF ILBM format, and then trace
them in TypeSmith. You should not trace a small bitmap font, such as a 24
point AmigaDOS font, because there is not enough data to trace. Use high
resolution scans for best results.
If you would like to experiment with the autotracer, use the Template/
Open IFF ILBM Template command to import the TraceTest.ILBM picture in the
TSart drawer. Try tracing this on each of the three settings. The Normal
setting gives a good result. Medium is also acceptable. Accurate should
only be used with caution; it takes a long time and produces an excessive
number of points.
If you try to trace the A_Serif.ILBM picture in TSart, you will see why
resolution is so important to get an accurate trace. This picture is not
sharp enough for autotracing to be useful.
CUSTOM vs TYPESMITH ENCODING
----------------------------
When you import a PostScript Type 1 font and are prompted to choose
between custom and TypeSmith encoding, you should normally choose
TypeSmith encoding. Loading a font with custom encoding can put the
characters in unexpected positions. Loading a font with TypeSmith encoding
will put the characters in the correctly named positions. The main
exception to this rule is when loading a symbol or pi (dingbats) font.
In this case, the named positions are irrelevant and you should maintain
the original encoding system by choosing custom encoding.
When you export a PostScript Type 1 font, you should normally use
TypeSmith encoding (by not choosing Adobe Standard Encoding you will be
choosing TypeSmith encoding). This will ensure the full character set is
saved. If you choose Adobe Standard Encoding, characters not in the Adobe
set will be lost because its character set is smaller than TypeSmith's. If
you plan to convert the font with Gold Disk's Font Manager after exporting
as PostScript Type 1, you should choose Adobe Standard Encoding.
STATUS PANEL PROMPTS
--------------------
You must have AmigaDOS 3.0 or higher in order to see prompts at the bottom
of your screen. This feature of TypeSmith requires AmigaDOS 3.0 in order
to get notification when the mouse is over a tool or gadget.
Soft-Logik Publishing highly recommends that you upgrade to the latest
available version of AmigaDOS in order to get maximum benefit from
TypeSmith 2.0.
AMIGAGUIDE HELP SYSTEM
----------------------
TypeSmith 2.0 comes with online help. Just press the Help key at any time
to get help. TypeSmith uses the standard AmigaGuide help system. Commodore
has improved this system with the release of AmigaDOS 3.0, so the
appearance of the help files will vary depending on your operating system.
If you have AmigaDOS 3.0 or higher, pressing Help will open directly to
the correct Help screen if a requester is open, the pointer is over a tool
(the toolbox must be active), or if a menu command is highlighted. Note
that you cannot press Help while a requester is open and the text cursor
is in a text gadget. You must first move the cursor out of the text gadget
by clicking on the background of the requester before pressing Help.
If you have AmigaDOS 2.04 or 2.1, pressing Help will always open up to the
main Help contents screen.
AmigaDOS 3 comes with Multiview to read AmigaGuide help files such as
those included with TypeSmith 2.0. AmigaDOS 2.1 comes with a program
called AmigaGuide to read these files.
AmigaDOS 2.04 users: AmigaGuide is included with TypeSmith and it can be
installed with TypeSmith so you can also use the help system.
FLOPPY DRIVE USERS
------------------
As mentioned in the manual, you can start using TypeSmith 2.0 right away
by making a working backup of this disk and then double clicking on the
TypeSmith icon.
NOTE THE IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS ON PAGE iv OF THE MANUAL: You must copy
the IFF.library file to your Libs: directory in order to use TypeSmith.
Your Libs: directory is on your Workbench disk.
The sample clip art, font, ARexx macros, help system and font downloader
are stored on the disk in compressed format, so you will have to
decompress the files before using them. You can use the LHEX program on
this disk to decompress the files.
To decompress an archive, type the following line in a shell when the
TypeSmith disk is in df0:
cd ram: (this makes ram: the current directory.)
copy df0:LHEX "" (this copies the decompressor to ram:)
copy df0:name.LHA "" (where name is the name of the archive)
(this copies the archive to ram:)
LHEX x name.LHA (this decompresses the archive)
Now you can copy the files to the applicable directory. Hard drive users
can simply use the Install-TypeSmith script to uncompress files.
EXPORTING PFM FILES
-------------------
This feature, as documented in the manual, is not currently implemented.
We hope to add this feature in a future minor upgrade.
CORRECTIONS TO THE MANUAL
-------------------------
page 1.12: The default dimensions are now 1400x1200, which are the
maximum allowed.
page 2.3: The pictures of the Box and Ellipse tools are reversed.
page 3.4, para 2: The Show Template command is in the View menu, not the
Settings menu.
Index: the section on Print Preview is on page 2.23, not 2.26.
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