Database Users

Idea for outlined fonts - thoughts please

Having worked with rlToday, and currently coding an app to do something similar, I have wanted a couple of times to display text with an outline (ie white text with black outline so it is visible on any background) but simply printing a black version of the text in a bigger font underneath white text in a smaller fontsize does not work because of the way fonts are scaled.
However, this got me thinking...
What if one were to design a set of custom fonts for this purpose?
The way I am thinking, you would need two fonts - an "inner" version and an "outer" version. The outer version would have to be scaled about the centre of the letter, not about the baseline, and I would imagine that the spacing on the inner font would need to be as wide as the characters on the outer font.
So, before I waste loads of time getting font editors and seeing if it can be done, I would like to ask if anyone knows if this would be feasible, or if they have successfully done it or failed.
Another idea I suppose would be to print the outer font 4 times (left one, right one, up one, down one) - I guess this would have the same effect but at the cost of speed.
In an ideal world, it would be nice to not have to make an inner font - just to have to make an outer version of existing fonts, but I am not sure this would work unless you could set the spacing of the stock inner font wider.
Comments, suggestions please.

The classic path approach isn't working on WM?

Ultimatelaunch does it...I have two colored text and it looks pretty sweet. The font is called 'juice' not sure if that has anything to do with it though

What is this "Classic path" method you speak of?
At a guess I think you mean drawing a line around the font programatically?
This is not an option for some things, unless you have access to the source code - it would be nice to have a solution that could be implimented without needing to code for it in the app. For example, rlToday would benefit nicely from just such a system.

OK, so it has been done before then, although I did search around the net before I posted, honest!
It seems that the term used for the "inner" font is a "fill" font. I am going to try and find a freeware fill + outline font combo, pls let me know if you are aware of any.

Synned said:
Ultimatelaunch does it...I have two colored text and it looks pretty sweet. The font is called 'juice' not sure if that has anything to do with it though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you say "Ultimatelaunch" does it - what do you mean? I bought UL and I do not see the font on my system or in the UL dir.
I see a "juice" font on the internet that is a fill+outline set, but it is not free.
So if it is possible, I may well have a bash at doing a free one myself. At the very least it would be worth doing just the numbers for SMS / email counts in rlToday

An update here:
My main use for something like this was to be with applications such as rlToday.
However, stefanux is now writing XIAMultiTheme (XMT) which is compatible with, and extends rlToday. One of the things XMT does is allow you to specify a directory as a font, and it will look for image files named accordingly
ie if you wanted to print "123" you would need "1.png", "2.png" and "3.png" in the directory you specify.
I have made a 16px high font of numbers in transparent PNG (Great for overlaying message counts onto icons) and added it to the XMT project for now.
If the need is still there in a while I will look at making a fill font combo and releasing it, maybe as part of the XMT project, but for now this is a good enough solution for me.

dupe post deleted

Controlling the fonts of the TODAY screen

Is there a way to enlarge the fonts size and color of the Calendar events in the TODAY screen? The current font size is too small for me.

Yea, I have same problem, while TF3D , the calendar fonts are too small and gray (on the today screen) , I can read the time , but I can't read what I have in this meeting..
If I open calendar I can see it ofcorse.. ,
I saw some threads about fonts , but those change all the TF3D fonts, I would like to change only the Calendar fonts so I can read it like without TF3D on the Today screen .
In normal way without TF3D, the Today screen fonts using Sytem fonts which you can control the size by Text Size from screen control.
Seems like TF3D does'nt care about the Text Size from screen control , and it has his own wired small fonts...

I was hoping for a better answer, but found none over the web Can someone suggest a fix? I am convinced i am not the only one who is not happy with the current font size/color.

elrik said:
I was hoping for a better answer, but found none over the web Can someone suggest a fix? I am convinced i am not the only one who is not happy with the current font size/color.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm no happy too...
Ciao, Andrea

I've tried to edit the files contain Color and font size in manila
for example 209b5cdc_manila
just something like
<Style Name="BlueTheme_BlackColor">
<!-- Black -->
<Property Name="Color" Value="0, 0, 0, 255" />
</Style>
but no matter how hard I tried
nothings changed.
I think it might be set in other files .

These registries will have an impact only if you turn off the TFL3D.

[Q] how to change x2 font?

how to change the font? i mean, total conversion of the font, not only certain text, i want every single letters changed with a better font..help me

esad (SE Xperia X2) said:
how to change the font? i mean, total conversion of the font, not only certain text, i want every single letters changed with a better font..help me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you'd better follow the instructions from Merlin_reloaded in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=334781&page=1
Code:
HOWTO: Change Default Font in WM6
I for one don't really like the default Tahoma font, so I thought I'd share how to change the default font.
Using the default Vista font "Segoe UI"
1. Copy your font file (usually *.ttf) into /Windows/Fonts. Be sure to note the INTERNAL name of the font (find it out by double-clicking on the file in Windows)
in this case "Segoe UI"
2. Using your favorite registry editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\GDI\SysFnt
3. Find the key named "Nm". Replace what's in it (usually Tahoma) with the name of the font, in this case "Segoe UI"
4. Repeat III for "HKLM\SYSTEM\GWE\Menu\Menufnt\Barfnt" and "Popfnt"
4.1 Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\GDI\V1
- look for something like FontAliases. The keys inside represent the font "choices" -you have (which default to Tahoma), and look like Arial:-12. Change the value -from Tahoma* to Segoe UI*.
- Rinse and repeat.
5. Reset
And that's it ! The Segoe font renders much more easier to the eyes with Cleartype (and the spacing is really nice)
Do post newer font faces that look nice on QVGA screens
Originally Posted by Merlin_reloaded
or you simply install the font(ComicFonts.cab) below

thanks for the help..

[Q] Looking for "Helv Neue S" font

Can anyone here be kind enough to attach this system font? I believe this is an apk and not a ttf.

You posted this in the Q&A section and got replies, why did you post here as well?

sorry, it didn't get replies when I posted the question above and I was just thinking maybe posting the question here might get more exposure as more advanced users check the general section often than the Q&A

did you check dafont.com?
If its not there its a paid font.

already checked. the font isn't available. I have Helvetica Neue CE that's the closest font and I already tried modifying its properties with Font Creator but I just can't find the right tweaks for it to fit as exact as the stock Droid and Droid-Bold fonts. I know it somewhat sounding like a perfectionist but if a font doesn't have the same ratio or scaling/measurements, it may look normal on most apps but it will look a little (or sometimes annoyingly) off on others that doesn't use the capping properties of the font.

Project1.exe said:
already checked. the font isn't available. I have Helvetica Neue CE that's the closest font and I already tried modifying its properties with Font Creator but I just can't find the right tweaks for it to fit as exact as the stock Droid and Droid-Bold fonts. I know it somewhat sounding like a perfectionist but if a font doesn't have the same ratio or scaling/measurements, it may look normal on most apps but it will look a little (or sometimes annoyingly) off on others that doesn't use the capping properties of the font.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you are. All fonts goes in apk mode so you can install one by one or just place them in system/app
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=60J9ZOTT
Once you have place them in system/app remember be root, just go through the screen settings and go to font menu. You will see a preview of each font.

Thanks for the font set. But those fonts are user created apks and none of "Helv Neue S" apk that is only found on the Galaxy Tab (and SGS2)
I hope others may find it useful tho.

Project1.exe said:
Thanks for the font set. But those fonts are user created apks and none of "Helv Neue S" apk that is only found on the Galaxy Tab (and SGS2)
I hope others may find it useful tho.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have this one

Finally found the Helv Neue S Apk

Backed up and replaced stock font, lock screen clock colon is a rectangle?

I backed up and replaced the stock fonts from system/fonts. Replaced Roboto-bold, light, lightitalic, regular, thin, and thinitalic and renamed the new ones to the roboto names. All the fonts were replaced properly after rebooting except for the lock screen colon. In the clock app and the status bar, the colon appears without issues. I don't mind reflashing the rom, it's just the stock Lollipop font bugs the daylights out of me!

Pteer Griffin said:
I backed up and replaced the stock fonts from system/fonts. Replaced Roboto-bold, light, lightitalic, regular, thin, and thinitalic and renamed the new ones to the roboto names. All the fonts were replaced properly after rebooting except for the lock screen colon. In the clock app and the status bar, the colon appears without issues. I don't mind reflashing the rom, it's just the stock Lollipop font bugs the daylights out of me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After checking several fonts, it seems to me that roboto-thin is responsible for the clock colon, try restoring just that one.
*edit* I realise that the font Roboto-Thin is for the whole clock but have found myself a solution.
I am using Font Installer from Play to change my fonts on a rom without theme engine and after working out that the lock clock is Roboto-Thin I decided to try edit the font. I opened my chosen font with "Font Creator" and saw that there was a character called "undefined" that was a rectangle. So I copied the colon and pasted it over the rectangle, so now any character that is considered undefined should be represented by a colon. I saved the edited font and installed it. It works! Though any other undefined character will now be a colon.
I guess another solution would be to compare the dimensions of the alternative font colon with that of Roboto-Thin and make it the same.

How do u get font creator?

hizba said:
How do u get font creator?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've used FontForge (free font editor) for Windows and have to edit the 'Roboto-Light.ttf'... and i have pasted the colon sign at the 0xEE01 position and exported the font as TrueType and replaced the font file in /system/fonts.
Now, the big ugly square is 'repaired' ... Look at the screenshots.

qayx said:
I've used FontForge (free font editor) for Windows and have to edit the 'Roboto-Light.ttf'... and i have pasted the colon sign at the 0xEE01 position and exported the font as TrueType and replaced the font file in /system/fonts.
Now, the big ugly square is 'repaired' ... Look at the screenshots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are a genius!
How could you find that it was that precise glyph which is the lockscreen colon?????
Anyhow, THANK YOU!!! :good:

qayx said:
I've used FontForge (free font editor) for Windows and have to edit the 'Roboto-Light.ttf'... and i have pasted the colon sign at the 0xEE01 position and exported the font as TrueType and replaced the font file in /system/fonts.
Now, the big ugly square is 'repaired' ... Look at the screenshots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for this exact unicode. I've been replacing .notdef unicode with the colon, but every glyph which isn't defined in a font will use colon I'm still trying to find out why some character arts like ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) render fine on stock font but custom font uses .notdef unicode. I searched for the individual unicodes in stock font, but they are empty just like in custom font. Could you please share your input on this?
PS: Sorry for resurrecting an old post :silly:

Thanks.! This saved me time trying to figure out which character to replace. I use fontforge on Linux and regenerated. So far so good, even though the font file is now nearly 100kb smaller now.

A little fontforge script that will:
- add the colon to 0xEE01
- scale the font (if your font is much larger or smaller than stock)
- convert the font to TrueType (if it's not one already).
Code:
#!/usr/bin/fontforge
i=1
while ( i<$argc )
Open($argv[i])
Select(0x003A)
Copy()
Select(0xEE01)
Paste()
SelectAll ()
Scale(100)
Generate($argv[i]:r + ".ttf")
i = i+1
endloop
Works on Linux, not sure if it'll work on Windows.