Re: [ft-devel] Proposed hinting scale for ftview

[Werner LEMBERG]

> I would like to simplify hinting controls in ftview.  As far as I
> can see, only FreeType CFF driver is LIGHT by default and PS hinter
> respects LIGHT.  Otherwise LIGHT automatically means autohinter.  So
> I propose the following hinting scale for ftview:
> 
>    enum {
>      HINT_MODE_OFF = 0,  /* FT_LOAD_NO_HINTING %/
>      HINT_MODE_LIGHT,    /* FT_LOAD_FORCE_AUTOHINT | FT_LOAD_TARGET_LIGHT 
> without warp */
>      HINT_MODE_MEDIUM,   /* FT_LOAD_FORCE_AUTOHINT | FT_LOAD_TARGET_LIGHT 
> with warp */

... only if warp is compiled in ...

>      HINT_MODE_STRONG,   /* FT_LOAD_FORCE_AUTOHINT */
>      HINT_MODE_NATIVE,   /* native hinter if available in all its glory
>                             TrueType: v35, v38, or v40(light)
>                             CFF: Adobe or FreeType(light)
>                             Type 1: full or light  */
>      N_HINT_MODES
>    };
> 
> Comments? I would also remove LCD_MODE_LIGHT so that we separate
> rendering and hinting modes completely.

Some issues.

. Please provide a key sequence similar to the already available
  sequences 1,2,3,... or A,B,C,... to make it possible to switch
  between two modes easily.

. What is currently called `render modes' in ftview's help screen
  should be renamed to, say, `display modes'.  Then the term is
  available for your proposed stuff.

. On the one hand it is a good idea to present the `valid' rendering
  modes.  On the other hand I would like to be able to switch on and
  off single FT_LOAD_XXX flags to demonstrate the effects.

  As a first step it probably makes sense to make ftview display the
  current FT_LOAD_XXX flags.  As a second step I can imagine to
  provide an escape key followed by a proper mnemonic key to toggle a
  given FT_LOAD_XXX flag.

. It would be nice to have command line options for all four aspects
  (display mode, render mode, hinting mode, and LCD filtering mode).

Note that I'm going to cut a new release *really* soon :-)  Maybe it's
best to wait with this new feature until it is out.


    Werner