web2c : Metafont
table of contents
Introduction
Installation
Commonalities
TeX
Metafont
MetaPost
BibTeX
WEB
DVI utilities
Font utilities
Legalisms
References
Index
Metafont: Creating typeface families
************************************
Metafont is a system for producing shapes; it was designed for
producing complete typeface families, but it can also produce geometric
designs, dingbats, etc. And it has considerable mathematical and
equation-solving capabilities which can be useful entirely on their own.
Metafont is a batch language, like C or Pascal: you compile a Metafont
program into a corresponding font, rather than interactively drawing
lines or curves. This approach has both considerable disadvantages
(people unfamiliar with conventional programming languages will be
unlikely to find it usable) and considerable advantages (you can make
your design intentions specific and parameterizable). For a complete
description of the Metafont language, see `The METAFONTbook' (*note
References::).
* Menu:
* mf invocation:: Invoking Metafont.
* inimf invocation:: Initial Metafont.
* virmf invocation:: Virgin Metafont.
* Modes:: Device definitions for Metafont.
* Online Metafont graphics:: Seeing MF output online.
* gftodvi invocation:: Making proofsheets for fonts.
* mft invocation:: Prettyprinting Metafont sources.
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`mf' invocation
===============
Metafont (usually invoked as `mf') reads character definitions
specified in the Metafont programming language, and outputs the
corresponding font. This section merely describes the options available
in the Web2c implementation. For a complete description of the Metafont
language, see `The Metafontbook' (*note References::).
Metafont processes its command line and determines its memory dump
(base) file in a way exactly analogous to MetaPost and TeX (*note tex
invocation::, and *note Memory dumps::). Synopses:
mf [OPTION]... [MFNAME[.mf]] [MF-COMMANDS]
mf [OPTION]... \FIRST-LINE
mf [OPTION]... &BASE ARGS
Most commonly, a Metafont invocation looks like this:
mf '\mode:=MODE; mag:=MAGNIFICATION; input MFNAME'
(The single quotes avoid unwanted interpretation by the shell.)
Metafont searches the usual places for the main input file MFNAME
(*note Supported file formats: (kpathsea)Supported file formats.),
extending MFNAME with `.mf' if necessary. To see all the relevant
paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG' to `-1' before
running the program. By default, Metafont runs an external program
named `mktexmf' to create any nonexistent Metafont source files you
input. You can disable this at configure-time or runtime (*note mktex
configuration: (kpathsea)mktex configuration.). This is mostly for the
sake of the EC fonts, which can be generated at any size.
Metafont writes the main GF output to the file `BASEMFNAME.NNNgf',
where NNN is the font resolution in pixels per inch, and BASEMFNAME is
the basename of MFNAME, or `mfput' if no input file was specified. A
GF file contains bitmaps of the actual character shapes. Usually GF
files are converted immediately to PK files with GFtoPK (*note gftopk
invocation::), since PK files contain equivalent information, but are
more compact. (Metafont output in GF format rather than PK for only
historical reasons.)
Metafont also usually writes a metric file in TFM format to
`BASEMFNAME.tfm'. A TFM file contains character dimensions, kerns, and
ligatures, and spacing parameters. TeX reads only this .tfm file, not
the GF file.
The MODE in the example command above is a name referring to a device
definition (*note Modes::); for example, `localfont' or `ljfour'.
These device definitions must generally be precompiled into the base
file. If you leave this out, the default is `proof' mode, as stated in
`The Metafontbook', in which Metafont outputs at a resolution of
2602dpi; this is usually not what you want. The remedy is simply to
assign a different mode--`localfont', for example.
The MAGNIFICATION assignment in the example command above is a
magnification factor; for example, if the device is 600dpi and you
specify `mag:=2', Metafont will produce output at 1200dpi. Very often,
the MAGNIFICATION is an expression such as `magstep(.5)', corresponding
to a TeX "magstep", which are factors of 1.2 * sqrt(2).
After running Metafont, you can use the font in a TeX document as
usual. For example:
\font\myfont = newfont
\myfont Now I am typesetting in my new font (minimum hamburgers).
The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard
`-help' and `-version' (*note Common options::):
`-kpathsea-debug=NUMBER'
`-ini'
`-base=BASENAME'
`-progname=STRING'
`-translate-file=TCXFILE'
These options are common to TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost. *Note
Common options::.
`-mktex=FILETYPE'
`-no-mktex=FILETYPE'
Turn on or off the `mktex' script associated with FILETYPE. The
only value that makes sense for FILETYPE is `mf'.
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`inimf' invocation
==================
`inimf' is the "initial" form of Metafont, which does lengthy
initializations avoided by the "virgin" (`vir') form, so as to be
capable of dumping `.base' files (*note Memory dumps::). For a
detailed comparison of virgin and initial forms, see *Note Initial and
virgin::.
For a list of options and other information, see *Note mf
invocation::.
The only memory dump file commonly used with Metafont is the default
`plain.base', also known as `mf.base' (again, *note Memory dumps::).
It is created by default during installation, but you can also do so by
hand if necessary (e.g., if a Metafont update is issued):
inimf '\input plain; input modes; dump'
(The quotes prevent interpretation of the backslashes from the shell.)
Then install the resulting `plain.base' in `$(basedir)'
(`/usr/local/share/texmf/web2c' by default), and link `mf.base' to it.
For an explanation of the additional `modes.mf' file, see *Note
Modes::. This file has no counterpart in TeX or MetaPost.
In the past, it was sometimes useful to create a base file
`cmmf.base' (a.k.a. `cm.base'), with the Computer Modern macros also
included in the base file. Nowadays, however, the additional time
required to read `cmbase.mf' is exceedingly small, usually not enough
to be worth the administrative hassle of updating the `cmmf.base' file
when you install a new version of `modes.mf'. People actually working
on a typeface may still find it worthwhile to create their own base
file, of course.
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`virmf' invocation
==================
`virmf' is the "virgin" form of Metafont, which avoids the lengthy
initializations done by the "initial" (`ini') form, and is thus what is
generally used for production work. Usually it is invoked under the
name `mf'. For a detailed comparison of virgin and initial forms, see
*Note Initial and virgin::.
For a list of options and other information, see *Note mf
invocation::.
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Modes: Device definitions for Metafont
======================================
Running Metafont and creating Metafont base files requires information
that TeX and MetaPost do not: "mode" definitions which specify device
characteristics, so Metafont can properly rasterize the shapes.
When making a base file, a file containing modes for locally-available
devices should be input after `plain.mf'. One commonly used file is
; it includes all known definitions.
If, however, for some reason you have decreased the memory available
in your Metafont, you may need to copy `modes.mf' and remove the
definitions irrelevant to you (probably most of them) instead of using
it directly. (Or, if you're a Metafont hacker, maybe you can suggest a
way to redefine `mode_def' and/or `mode_setup'; right now, the amount
of memory used is approximately four times the total length of the
`mode_def' names, and that's a lot.)
If you have a device not included in `modes.mf', please see comments
in that file for how to create the new definition, and please send the
definition to to get it included in the next
release of `modes.mf'.
Usually, when you run Metafont you must supply the name of a mode that
was dumped in the base file. But you can also define the mode
characteristics dynamically, by invoking Metafont with an assignment to
`smode' instead of `mode', like this:
mf '\smode:="newmode.mf"; mag:=MAGNIFICATION; input MFNAME'
This is most useful when you are working on the definition of a new
mode.
The MAGNIFICATION and MFNAME arguments are explained in *Note mf
invocation::. In the file `newmode.mf', you should have the following
(with no `mode_def' or `enddef'), if you are using `modes.mf'
conventions:
mode_param (pixels_per_inch, DPI);
mode_param (blacker, B);
mode_param (fillin, F);
mode_param (o_correction, O);
mode_common_setup_;
(Of course, you should use real numbers for DPI, B, F, and O.)
For more information on the use of `smode', or if you are not using
`modes.mf', see page 269 of `The Metafontbook'.
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Online Metafont graphics
========================
The Web2c implementation of Metafont can do online graphics with a
number of devices. (See the Metafont manual for more information about
how to draw on your screen.) By default, no graphics support is
enabled.
Metafont examines the `MFTERM' environment variable or config file
value at runtime, or the `TERM' environment variable if `MFTERM' is not
set, to determine the device support to use. Naturally, only the
devices for which support has been compiled in can be selected.
Here is a table of the possibilities, showing the `MFTERM' value and
the corresponding `configure' option(s) in parentheses.
`epsf'
(`--with-epsfwin') Encapsulated PostScript pseudo-window server
(see `web2c/window/epsf.c'). This device produces an EPS file
containing the graphics which would be displayed online on other
devices. The name of the EPS file defaults to metafont.eps but can
be changed by setting the MFEPSF environment variable to the new
filename. Contributed by Mathias Herberts.
`hp2627'
(`--with-hp2627win') HP2627a color graphics terminals.
`mftalk'
(`--with-mftalkwin') Generic window server (see
`web2c/window/mftalk.c').
`next'
(`--with-next') NeXT window system. This requires a separate
program, called `DrawingServant', available separately. See the
`web2c/window/next.c'.
`regis'
(`--with-regiswin') Regis terminals.
`sun'
(`--with-suntoolswin') The old Suntools (not any flavor of X)
window system. (You can get the even older SunWindows `gfx' system
by using `sun-gfx.c'.)
`tek'
(`--with-tektronixwin') Tektronix terminals.
`uniterm'
(`--with-unitermwin') Uniterm, Simon Poole's emulator of a smart
Tektronix 4014 terminal. This may work with regular Tektronix
terminals as well; it's faster than the driver `--with-tek'
selects.
`xterm'
(`--with-x11win', `--with-x', `--with-x11') The X window system
(version 11).
There are two variants of the X11 support, one that works with the
Xt toolkit, and another that works directly with Xlib. The Xt
support is more efficient and has more functionality, so it is the
default. If you must use the Xlib support, use `configure --with-x
--with-x-toolkit=no'.
You cannot specify any of the usual X options (e.g., `-geometry')
on the Metafont command line, but you can specify X resources in
your `~/.Xdefaults' or `~/.Xresources' file. The class name is
`Metafont'. If you're using the Xt support, all the usual X toolkit
resources are supported. If you're using the Xlib support, only
the `geometry' resource is supported.
You specify the X display to which Metafont connects in the
`DISPLAY' environment variable, as usual.
Writing support for a new device is straightforward. Aside from
defining the basic drawing routines that Metafont uses (see `mf.web'),
you only have to add another entry to the tables on the last page of
`web2c/lib/texmfmp.c'. Or you can write an independent program and use
MFtalk (see `web2c/window/mftalk.c').
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GFtoDVI: Character proofs of fonts
==================================
GFtoDVI makes "proof sheets" from a GF bitmap file as output by, for
example, Metafont (*note Metafont::). This is an indispensable aid for
font designers or Metafont hackers. Synopsis:
gftodvi [OPTION]... GFNAME[gf]
The font GFNAME is searched for in the usual places (*note Glyph
lookup: (kpathsea)Glyph lookup.). To see all the relevant paths, set
the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG' to `-1' before running the
program.
The suffix `gf' is supplied if not already present. This suffix is
not an extension; no `.' precedes it: for instance `cmr10.600gf'.
The output filename is the basename of GFNAME extended with `.dvi',
e.g., `gftodvi /wherever/foo.600gf' creates `./foo.dvi'.
The characters from GFNAME appear one per page in the DVI output,
with labels, titles, and annotations, as specified in Appendix H
(Hardcopy Proofs) of `The Metafontbook'.
GFtoDVI uses several fonts besides GFNAME itself:
* "gray font" (default `gray'): for the pixels that actually make up
the character. Simply using black is not right, since then labels,
key points, and other information could not be shown.
* "title font" (default `cmr8'): for the header information at the
top of each output page.
* "label font" (default `cmtt10'): for the labels on key points of
the figure.
* "slant font" (no default): for diagonal lines, which are otherwise
simulated using horizontal and vertical rules.
To change the default fonts, you must use `special' commands in your
Metafont source file.
The program accepts the following option, as well as the standard
`-verbose', `-help', and `-version' (*note Common options::):
`-overflow-label-offset=POINTS'
Typeset the so-called overflow labels, if any, POINTS TeX points
from the right edge of the character bounding box. The default is
a little over two inches (ten million scaled points, to be
precise). Overflow equations are used to locate coordinates when
their actual position is too crowded with other information.
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MFT: Prettyprinting Metafont source
===================================
MFT translates a Metafont program into a TeX document suitable for
typesetting, with the aid of TeX macros defined in the file
`mftmac.tex'. Synopsis:
mft [OPTION]... MFNAME[.mf]
MFT searches the usual places for MFNAME (*note Supported file
formats: (kpathsea)Supported file formats.). To see all the relevant
paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG' to `-1' before
running the program. The output goes to the basename of MFNAME extended
with `.tex', e.g., `mft /wherever/foo.mf' creates `./foo.tex'.
Line breaks in the input are carried over into the output; moreover,
blank spaces at the beginning of a line are converted to quads of
indentation in the output. Thus, you have full control over the
indentation and line breaks. Each line of input is translated
independently of the others.
Further control is allowed via Metafont comments:
* Metafont comments following a single `%' should be valid TeX
input. But Metafont material can be included within vertical bars
in a comment; this will be translated by MFT as if it were regular
Metafont code. For example, a comment like `% |x2r| is the tip of
the bowl' will be translated into the TeX `% $x_{2r}$ is the ...',
i.e., the `x2r' is treated as an identifier.
* `%%' indicates that the remainder of an input line should be copied
verbatim to the output. This is typically used to introduce
additional TeX material at the beginning or an MFT job, e.g. code
to modify the standard layout or the formatting macros defined in
`mftmac.tex', or to add a line saying `%%\bye' at the end of the
job. (MFT doesn't add this automatically in order to allow
processing several files produces by MFT in the same TeX job.)
* `%%% TOKEN1 OTHER-TOKENS' introduces a change in MFT's formatting
rules; all the OTHER-TOKENS will henceforth be translated
according to the current conventions for TOKEN1. The tokens must
be symbolic (i.e., not numeric or string tokens). For example, the
input line
%%% addto fill draw filldraw
says to format the `fill', `draw', and `filldraw' operations of
plain Metafont just like the primitive token `addto', i.e., in
boldface type. Without such reformatting commands, MFT would
treat `fill' like an ordinary tag or variable name. In fact, you
need a `%%%' command even to get parentheses to act like
delimiters.
* `%%%%' introduces an MFT comment, i.e., MFT ignores the remainder
of such a line.
* Five or more `%' signs should not be used.
(The above description was edited from `mft.web', written by
D.E. Knuth.)
The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard
`-help' and `-version' (*note Common options::):
`-change=CHFILE[.ch]'
Apply the change file CHFILE as with Tangle and Weave (*note
WEB::).
`-style=MFTFILE[.mft]'
Read MFTFILE before anything else; a MFT style file typically
contains only MFT directives as described above. The default
style file is named `plain.mft', which defines this properly for
programs using plain Metafont. The MFT files is searched along the
`MFTINPUTS' path; see *Note Supported file formats:
(kpathsea)Supported file formats.
Other examples of MFT style files are `cmbase.mft', which defines
formatting rules for the macros defined in `cm.base', and `e.mft',
which was used in the production of Knuth's Volume E, `Computer
Modern Typefaces'.
Using an appropriate MFT style file, it is also possible to
configure MFT for typesetting MetaPost sources. However, MFT does
not search the usual places for MetaPost input files.
If you use eight-bit characters in the input file, they are passed on
verbatim to the TeX output file; it is up to you to configure TeX to
print these properly.
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web2c : Metafont
table of contents
Introduction
Installation
Commonalities
TeX
Metafont
MetaPost
BibTeX
WEB
DVI utilities
Font utilities
Legalisms
References
Index