(web2c.info)gftype invocation

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10.5 GFtype: Plain text transliteration of generic fonts
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GFtype translates a generic font (GF) bitmap file (as output by
Metafont, for example) to a plain text file that humans can read.  It
also serves as a GF-validating program, i.e., if GFtype can read a file,
it's correct.  Synopsis:

     gftype [OPTION]... GFNAME.DPI[gf]

   The font GFNAME is searched for in the usual places (Note:
(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 translation is written to standard output.

   The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard
'-help' and '-version' (Note: Common options):
'-images'
     Show the characters' bitmaps using asterisks and spaces.

'-mnemonics'
     Translate all commands in the GF file.

   As an example of the output, here is the (abrdiged) translation of
the letter 'K' in 'cmr10', as rendered at 600dpi with the mode 'ljfour'
from 'modes.mf' (available from <ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/modes.mf>), with
both '-mnemonics' and '-images' enabled.

   GFtype outputs the information about a character in two places: a
main definition and a one-line summary at the end.  We show both.  Here
is the main definition:

     2033: beginning of char 75: 3<=m<=60 0<=n<=56
     (initially n=56) paint (0)24(12)20
     2043: newrow 0 (n=55) paint 24(12)20
     2047: newrow 0 (n=54) paint 24(12)20
     2051: newrow 0 (n=53) paint 24(12)20
     2055: newrow 7 (n=52) paint 10(21)13
     2059: newrow 8 (n=51) paint 8(23)9
     ...
     2249: newrow 8 (n=5) paint 8(23)11
     2253: newrow 7 (n=4) paint 10(22)12
     2257: newrow 0 (n=3) paint 24(11)22
     2261: newrow 0 (n=2) paint 24(11)22
     2265: newrow 0 (n=1) paint 24(11)22
     2269: newrow 0 (n=0) paint 24(11)22
     2273: eoc
     .<--This pixel's lower left corner is at (3,57) in METAFONT coordinates
     ************************            ********************
     ************************            ********************
     ************************            ********************
     ************************            ********************
            **********                     *************
             ********                       *********
     ...
             ********                       ***********
            **********                      ************
     ************************           **********************
     ************************           **********************
     ************************           **********************
     ************************           **********************
     .<--This pixel's upper left corner is at (3,0) in METAFONT coordinates

Explanation:

'2033'
'2043'
'...'
     The byte position in the file where each GF command starts.

'beginning of char 75'
     The character code, in decimal.

'3<=m<=60 0<=n<=56'
     The character's bitmap lies between 3 and 60 (inclusive)
     horizontally, and between 0 and 56 (inclusive) vertically.  (m is a
     column position and n is a row position.)  Thus, 3 is the left side
     bearing.  The right side bearing is the horizontal escapement
     (given below) minus the maximum m.

'(initially n=56) paint (0)24(12)20'
     The first row of pixels: 0 white pixels, 24 black pixels, 12 white
     pixels, etc.

'newrow 0 (n=55) paint 24(12)20'
     The second row of pixels, with zero leading white pixels on the
     row.

'eoc'
     The end of the main character definition.

   Here is the GF postamble information that GFtype outputs at the end:

     Character 75: dx 4259840 (65), width 815562 (64.57289), loc 2033

   Explanation:

'dx'
     The device-dependent width, in "scaled pixels", i.e., units of
     horizontal pixels times 2^16.  The '(65)' is simply the same number
     rounded.  If the vertical escapement is nonzero, it would appear
     here as a 'dy' value.

'width'
     The device-independent (TFM) width of this character.  It is 2^24
     times the ratio of the true width to the font's design size.  The
     '64.57289' is the same number converted to pixels.

'loc'
     The byte position in the file where this character starts.