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Q113262: Plotting TrueType Characters

Article: Q113262
Product(s): Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbfile kbsample kb16bitonly kbOSWin310
Last Modified: 04-DEC-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1 
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SUMMARY
=======

The HPPLOT plotter driver does not support the plotting of TrueType fonts. This
driver only plots fonts that are native to the plotter or are Windows vector
fonts. It is sometimes desirable to be able to plot a larger range of fonts.
Incorporating the use of TrueType fonts on a plotter greatly increases the range
of fonts a plotter can draw.

The TTPLOT sample demonstrates a method of displaying TrueType fonts on a
plotter. This method involves selecting a TrueType font into a screen display
context and calling the GetGlyphOutline() function to retrieve the curve data
points of a TrueType character in the TrueType font rasterizer's native format.
Then, with the data it retrieved, it performs a series of MoveTo() and LineTo()
calls to draw the TrueType character.

This sample can be used with any printer, and it also demonstrates the new
Windows 3.1 printing functions, SetAbortProc(), StartDoc(), EndDoc(),
StartPage(), and EndPage(). This sample application will not run on a version of
Windows earlier than Windows 3.1.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download
Center:

  Ttplot.exe
  (http://download.microsoft.com/download/platformsdk/sample78/3.1/W31/EN-US/TTPLOT.EXE)

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click
the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Microsoft used the most current virus detection software available on the date of
posting to scan this file for viruses. Once posted, the file is housed on secure
servers that prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

This sample demonstrates how to draw TrueType characters on a plotter with the
MoveTo() and LineTo() functions. First, it retrieves a glyph's curve data points
in the rasterizer's native format by calling GetGlyphOutline() with GGO_NATIVE
specified in the third parameter. It must call this function twice. The first
time the function is called, NULL is placed in the lpBuffer parameter so the
required buffer size to hold the data is returned. The second time
GetGlyphOutline() is called, the native data is placed in the buffer specified
by the lpBuffer parameter.

A glyph outline is returned as a series of contours, each of which can be a
straight line or a quadratic curve. The TTPLOT sample interprets the data
returned from GetGlyphOutline() and then draws the lines specified by calling
the MoveTo() and LineTo() functions on the plotter device context. The quadratic
curves, as well as the lines, are both drawn as normal straight lines. A
description of this native curve data can be found on pages 382-383 of the
Windows SDK "Programmer's reference, Volume 2: Functions" manual or by searching
for the GetGlyphOutline() function in the "Win31 Help" Windows help file. This
sample also lets you choose a desired TrueType font by bringing up the
ChooseFont() common dialog box. Before drawing the font, the plotter DC is
placed in the MM_ISOTROPIC mode so the fonts will be the same size on the screen
as they are on the plotter.

Additional query words: PLOT HPPLOT TRUETYPE softlib TTPLOT.EXE

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Keywords          : kbfile kbsample kb16bitonly kbOSWin310 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbWin3xSearch kbSDKSearch kbWinSDKSearch kbWinSDK310
Version           : WINDOWS:3.1
Issue type        : kbinfo

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