Bug#186354: Missing afm files for many fonts

[Billy Biggs <vektor@dumbterm.net>]

Atsuhito Kohda (kohda@pm.tokushima-u.ac.jp):

> From: Billy Biggs <vektor@dumbterm.net>
> Subject: Bug#186354: Missing afm files for many fonts
> Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 18:10:04 -0600
> 
> > As I said in my bug report: "I was trying to use freetype which
> > requires an afm file for every pfb to get the kerning table."
> > Freetype cannot read tfm files, so apps which use freetype to render
> > fonts will require the afms in order to use the kerning information.
> > The xfonts-scalable package provides afm files for all of their pfb
> > fonts.
> 
> In fact what did you want to do?  What application did you use for
> freetype?

  I am the author of the video deinterlacer application 'tvtime' which
uses libfreetype to render text on top of live video:

  http://tvtime.sourceforge.net/
  http://tvtime.sourceforge.net/screenshots/25-feb-03-simpsons.jpg

  I have also been working on a headline scroller application.  Both of
these applications benefit from having proper kerning information for
the text.  To attach an afm file in freetype you use this function:

  http://www.freetype.org/freetype2/docs/reference/ft2-base_interface.html#FT_Attach_File

  As hinted in the documentation, and shown quite clearly in the source
code, Freetype currently can only read afm files for its kerning table.

  Thanks,
  -Billy

-- 
Billy Biggs
vektor@dumbterm.net