The Raster Editor window is the window for editing character images with the raster editor. The raster editor is called by the font utility to edit characters within font files that have a suffix of .snf or .bdf (are set to SNF_FORMAT or BDF_FORMAT).
When you select the Edit function and a character from the display area in the Font Utility window (and are working with a raster font file), the Raster Editor window is displayed. See the figure for an illustration of the Raster Editor window. Read the following to learn more about the Raster Editor window and the four main areas found within it:
The menu bar is displayed across the top of the window. The menu options displayed are, from left to right, Extension, Information, Entry, and Exit.
The Extension option has two suboptions, Frame Edit and Refer Point.
The Frame Edit suboption changes the size of the frame that encloses the character image in the editing area. See the figure for an illustration of the Frame Edit window.
The TOP , BOTTOM , RIGHT , LEFT , and WIDTH of the frame can be changed. Click on the item that you wish to change, and enter the new value. Then click on OK or press the Enter key. The editing area is changed accordingly. To return to the Raster Editor window, click on Cancel.
The Refer Point suboption defines a reference point in the editing buffer. The editing buffer provides extra space in which to create and edit character images. Use the scroll bars surrounding the editing area to move the character box visible in the editing buffer. Position the character box so that it encloses a blank area. The area that is enclosed in the character box is the area that appears in the editing area. So, you can turn pixels on and off, and use all the other functions found in the control panel to create a new character image. You can also use the Pickup function, the < (previous code) function, and the > (forward code) function to reference an established character that you want to edit.
The Refer Point suboption is useful when creating or editing new characters within the editing buffer. For example, select Refer Point (on condition) and a large dot appears over the left corner of the editing area. This point is also visible in the editing buffer. If you select Refer Point again, pointing is stopped (off condition). As you create several new characters and move around within the buffer, you can use reference points to help you guide the character box so that it encloses each character image as it did when you originally created or edited it.
If you click on the Information option, you can look at the character information of the character image displayed in the editing area. The STARTCHAR, ENCODING, SWIDTH, DWIDTH, and BBX fields are shown. See the figure for an illustration of the Character Information window.
The Entry option has one suboption, Image Entry.
The Image Entry suboption saves the image of the character in the editing area to the Font Utility window. See the figure for an illustration of the first window that is displayed when you select Image Entry.
The code of the character image displayed in the editing area automatically appears in the Selection box when the window is displayed. Enter the code that appears in the Selection box by clicking OK or pressing the Enter key. To cancel the function and return to the Raster Editor window, click on Cancel. If you enter the code, a window is displayed that prompts whether the character data for the character you are saving has changed. See the figure for an illustration of the second window that is displayed when you select Image Entry.
Select Yes to save the edited version of the character image, or select No to save the image in its original form.
The Exit option has two suboptions: Exit and Cancel.
The Exit suboption exits the raster editor. If you have changed the character image displayed in the editing area and have not saved it, a window pops up that allows you to save your work. See the figure for an illustration of the window that allows you to save an altered character image.
Select Yes to save your changes, No to close the Raster Editor window and lose your current work, or Cancel to return to the Raster Editor window. If you select Yes, a window is displayed in which you specify the code of the altered character image. See the figure for an illustration of this window.
The code of the character image displayed in the editing area automatically appears in the Selection box when the window is displayed. Enter the code that appears in the Selection box by clicking OK or pressing the Enter key. To cancel the function and return to the Raster Editor window, click on Cancel.
If you enter the code, a window is displayed that prompts whether the character data for the character you are saving has changed. See the figure for an illustration of this window.
Select Yes to save the edited version of the character image. If you select No, the window in which you enter the character code is displayed once again. You can cancel the Exit option from this window.
The Cancel suboption cancels the Exit option and returns to the Raster Editor window.
The control panel runs down the left side of the Raster Editor window and has several functions, which appear in the following order:
The Clear function clears an area in the editing area or the editing buffer. What is cleared depends on the mode that is set. If the Mode option is set to AREA, select and click on two points (starting bit and ending bit) with the left mouse button. Click the left mouse button a third time and the square whose diagonal points are the starting bit and ending bit is cleared. If the Mode option is set to POINT, click on any bit in the editing area with the left mouse button and that single bit is cleared. If the Mode option is set to TOTAL AREA, click on any bit in the editing buffer with the left mouse button and the entire buffer (as well as the editing area) is cleared.
The Set function fills an area in the editing area or the editing buffer. What is filled depends on the mode that is set. If the Mode option is set to AREA, select and click on two points (starting bit and ending bit) with the left mouse button. Click the left mouse button a third time and the area whose diagonal points are the starting bit and ending bit is filled. If the Mode option is set to POINT, click on any bit in the editing area with the left mouse button and that single bit is filled. If the Mode option is set to TOTAL AREA, click on any bit in the editing buffer with the left mouse button and the entire buffer (as well as the editing area) is filled.
The Reverse function changes an area displayed in the editing area or the editing buffer to reverse video. What is changed to reverse video depends on the mode that is set. If the Mode option is set to AREA, select and click on two points (starting bit and ending bit) with the left mouse button. Click the left mouse button a third time and the square whose diagonal points are the starting bit and ending bit is changed to reverse video. If the Mode option is set to POINT, click on any bit in the editing area with the left mouse button and that single bit is displayed in reverse video. If the Mode option is set to TOTAL AREA, click on any bit in the editing buffer with the left mouse button and the buffer (as well as the editing area) is displayed in reverse video.
The Copy function copies the specified range of bits in the editing area. Set the Mode option to AREA, select and click on two points (starting bit and ending bit) with the left mouse button. Click the left mouse button a third time at the point you want the selected area to be positioned. The area whose range is specified by the start and end points is copied to the third (destination) point.
The Overwrite function copies and overwrites the specified range of bits in the editing area. Set the Mode option to AREA, select and click on two points (starting bit and ending bit) with the left mouse button. Click the left mouse button a third time at the point you want the selected area to be positioned. The area specified by the starting bit and ending bit is copied to the third (destination) point and overwrites what may already exist at the destination.
The Move function moves the specified range of bits in the editing area. Set the Mode option to AREA, select and click on two points (starting bit and ending bit) with the left mouse button. Click the left mouse button a third time at the point you want the selected area to be positioned; the area specified by the starting bit and ending bit is moved to the third (destination) point.
The < (previous code) function retrieves the previous code of the font you are editing. That is, each time you click on the < (less than sign) with the left mouse button, the character that precedes the one you are editing is displayed in the editing area. This function allows you to continue editing character images within the same font file without having to return to the Font Utility window to select each character individually.
If you have changed the displayed character image and do not perform an Image Entry before you select the < (previous code) function, a window is displayed that informs you the character image has been changed and prompts whether you want to save it. See the figure for an illustration of this window.
If you select No, the displayed character is not saved and the image changes to its original design. If you select Yes, another window is displayed that prompts you to specify the code for the character image. Once the code is specified and you verify that the character data has changed, the edited version of the character image is saved.
The > (forward code) function retrieves the forward code of the font you are editing. That is, each time you click on the > (greater than sign) with the left mouse button, the character that follows the one you are editing is displayed in the editing area. This function allows you to continue editing character images within the same font file without having to return to the Font Utility window to select each character individually.
If you have changed the displayed character image and do not perform an Image Entry before you select the > (forward code) function, a window is displayed that informs you the character image has been changed and prompts whether you want to save it. See the figure for an illustration of this window.
If you select No, the displayed character is not saved and the image changes to its original design. If you select Yes, another window is displayed that prompts you to specify the code for the character image. Once the code is specified and you verify that the character data has changed, the edited version of the character image is saved.
The Pickup function retrieves the specified character from the Font Utility window. This allows you to use a character with font characteristics similar to those you want and to edit that character.
To pick up a character from the Font Utility window, click on the Pickup function in the Raster Editor window and then click on the character you want in the Font Utility window. The character is displayed in the editing area.
If you have made any changes to the character image originally displayed and do not perform an Image Entry before you select the Pickup function, a window is displayed that informs you the character image has been changed and prompts whether you want to save it. See the figure for an illustration of this window.
If you select No, the character image is not saved and the image will change to its original design. If you select Yes, another window is displayed that prompts you to specify the code for the character image. Once the code is specified and you verify that the character data has changed, the edited version of the character image is saved.
The Mode option changes the mode. The mode that is set determines how the other functions operate. Three values can be set: POINT, AREA, or TOTAL AREA. You can switch among these three modes by clicking through the selections with the left mouse button. Each time you click, the next mode is displayed. After the TOTAL AREA mode, the selection goes back to POINT mode.
The Undo function undoes the last function selected (for example, Copy or Move). This option is available only when the last command entered has completed.
The Cancel function cancels the currently running command.
This area is a lattice-like grid in the center of the window. Each grid can contain a pixel, which can vary in size. The editing area has two scroll bars, moving buttons (located at either end of the scroll bars), a base line, left line, and right line. See the figure for an illustration of the Raster Editor window and its editing area.
To the right of the editing area is the editing buffer area. The editing buffer area provides extra space in which to create and edit character images and displays the actual size of character images. Use the scroll bars surrounding the editing area to move the character box visible in the editing buffer. The area that is enclosed in the character box is the area that appears in the editing area.
The moving buttons move the focus of the editing area to the right or left, up or down, pixel by pixel. This becomes important when editing characters that may be too large to be displayed (in their entirety) within the screen limitations of the editing area.
The base line emphasizes the ascent and descent SNF parameters. The left line emphasizes the left SNF parameter, and the right line emphasizes the right SNF parameter.
In the editing area, the mouse buttons function as follows: the left button turns the pixel on (fills the pixel), the middle button acts as a toggle switch, and the right button turns the pixel off (clears the pixel).
The message area appears across the bottom of the screen and has two lines. The top line lists the current mode, code, and set. The bottom line displays any current messages.
