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Potato Chips for RIM

Version: Beta 0.26, updated on Nov 1,2001 with some fixes
There was some poster on Rim Developer Forum asking if there is other tool different from lcdfont.exe. I don't know. But it is an idea for me to write this freeware Potato Chips for Rim. It is a very simple GUI Font Desginer for Rim 950/957 running on Windows. After designing fonts, we can export these fonts to .H file ( similar to lcdfont.exe ), then we can include this .h file into our applications and use those fonts. I created a 8-bit height and 11-bit height fonts each has some characters, in both fixed and proportional format and it worked.

I put it here so that everybody can try it. Please send me your ideas, and I will try to fix/add/change it at night, when I have more time. But please remember, I will not be responsible for any damage ( if any ) because of your downloading and using this tool. Use it at your own risk. Also please check for virus before using ( on my site I 've checked it, though ). I will add the MD5 file later.

Thanks for your try and your comments.

Quick Guide:
- New: to create a new font
- Save: save the font in binary format. TThis binary format is used for Potato Chips only.
- Export: export to the .H file in order to be able to use in your Rim applications.

The item Description in dialog Font Definition will be used as the FontDefinition variable of the exported .h file. For example, I created a font with 5 chars ( with From = 48, i.e. char '0', and To = 52, i.e. char '4' ) with Descrition to be OnlyFiveChars then the exported .h file will have the declaration const FontDefinition OnlyFiveChars. Then, when we include this .h file into the application, we can define new font as follows:

#include "myfont_fivechars.h"   // this is the file to which Potato Chips exports
Font *pFont =  ( Font *) new Font( &OnlyFiveChars );
...
m_edit.Append("01234");         // these 5 chars are corresponding to 5 new-defined chars
m_edit.SetFont(pFont);
AddField( m_edit );
Notes:
  • If the font is in proportional mode, change Char Width in the main window will allow to change the width of the current character specified by Char #.

    • For more information on the fields in dialog Font Definition, see Note on Fonts of RIMOS

    History:

    Beta 0.26: ( Nov 1, 2001 )

  • Add some handy features : Undo ( up to 12 steps ) on the same character, Preview, Up/Down/Left/Right shift See the menu.
  • Add the #ifndef, #define _<FONTNAME>_H, #endif to the export .H file. Thanks for Or Elnekaveh 's comment.

    • Beta 0.25: (Oct 26, 2001 )

  • Add the Import function to the menu. This Import will import a .H file into the program. This helps modifying current .H font files.
  • Allow to have zero-width characters. This is the omitted characters of the font.

    • Beta 0.24: (Oct 25, 2001 )

  • Get rid of the extra [ ] in the declaration of FontDefinition. Thanks for Kelvin Au 's comment.

    • Beta 0.23:

  • fix for Win98
  • some general protection errors

    • Beta 0.2:

  • enable/disable buttons more properly
  • fix Invalid Structure error when loading Fixed Mode fonts
  • add menu for Copy - Paste - Clear - Invert

    • Beta 0.1: (Oct 23, 2001 ) First version

    Screen shot of the Potato Chips desgining the smiling-face font    Screen shot of a sample Rim app using smiling-face font

    The reason I call it "Potato Chips" is I spent two noons to write this very first version beta 0.1, and had only potato chips, my favorite food. ;-)

    If somebody wonders why I design the GUI in such a small size, it is because I will port it to PocketPC platform, so that I can desgin Rim fonts while I am far from my computer ;-).

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