This is the place i am at now.This will allow PhotoFont Start to install the PHF file, but the glyph images will not show in PhotoFont Start software.


The images are all in the My Documents>Photofonts>images folder.
The PHF is in the My Documents>Photofonts folder.
The PHF is already installed the images just do not show up in the 8bf software.(PhotoStart)

Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks.

Maybe i just need different images.

Here, send me all the files and let me try something. I will try and get the file running. How did that shatter text work? Is it a type of zip or something similar? Gonna try an old trick on. Talk to you guys in the morning.

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Let me see what these guys say first.

The Shattered Text font i created in Bitfonter.....Easy Peasy.
I am trying to do this without having to embed the glyphs.

If you were creating a photofont to share wouldn't you want to embed it? I understand that you are also working on making it so that people just create a folder so they don't have to purchase the software to embed the glyphs right?

Look at the development site that you listed.
http://photofont.com/photofont/devel/
It shows something that may fix everything! In any web references for any content, you have to point it from the origin of the file you are programming. Like this:
Folder with XML File in has two sub folders A and B. The origin folders name is irrelevant.
FOLDER
---file.xml
---Folder A
---imageA.png
---Folder B
------imageB.png
A correct reference to either one of these images in the XML folder would be made in such way:
<image src="../Folder A/imageA.png"/> Notice the two periods before the folder? That translates to "all same directories as current file is located in"/Folder A/imageA.png

Understand? Try putting those in front of your location calls. If that doesn't work try removing the ../ and the / before Folder A.
ATTENTION This only works if the folder containing the .phf has sub folders with it. It will not work say if you have the .phf in my documents and the images in a folder in your desktop.

Yes if i have one created i will send it out with embeded images, but i am trying to get this available for anyone that wants to create their OWN phf files to use.Without spending a pile of cash to do it.
I have still gotten no answer from PhotoFont.com support.I am afraid the answer will be buy the software...lol
Maybe it's time to go back to the LISP program.That did work for the person that wrote the blog.Maybe i will contact him. - http://blog.matroid.org/display/63

I did try before but not as a separate call tag. I had placed it within the image id tag.Like so.



Perhaps it needs to be written as...


I have also tried just the image out of the folder
Also tried using the href tag, and an original file name -- "file:///C:/folder/image.png"

I will try those couple of things you mentioned.

Thanks.

Href is not for finding sources of images, href is used to make a hyperlink reference and is only used to make a link. Try putting the ../ in front of the bitmap_placement meaning bitmap_placement="../images/image.png" when having to call the image twice for a script to work it is generally the same exact linking system; meaning the image src="../image/image.png" should be the same reference in the bitmap_placement call: bitmap_placement="../images/image.png" (look at what I have in bold (hopefully))

I think the plugin is broken for loading external images...

I ran a file access monitor and saw this:



So I think it might be looking in "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Photofonts" for images even though I specified a relative path as the developer documents state:



-Rob A>

Testing now Rob Thanks!

Rob you said that your test revealed that the plug-in is looking here
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Photofonts\
I created a new folder in C:\Program Files\Common Files\ named Photofonts
I placed all the images inside that folder and tried this...(without any slashes as the plug-in adds that already)

That didn't work so i tried these "..\ABCD.png" and "/ABCD.png" and "../ABCD.png" and "\ABCD.png"

None of which worked.
I also tried the full path with no luck.

Each shape is actually 2000x2000 pixels in size. I wonder if i should make them smaller say 500x500 pixels?
I thought the xml code would call the image and center the contents, then size it to bbox sizes. They are all glyphs on transparency.

Tried resizing to 500x500 and tried this code

That also did not work.

I think you are right the plug-in is disabled for importing images.
So i guess my first answer was correct...time to try LISP ''

I appreciate you and ZWard117's help.

I took an existing photofont I downloaded and replaced the mime information of the embedded image with different mime information of an image of the same size (used inkscape to get the mime encoded image) and it worked.

Though it is a pain that it seems photofonts can't be unloaded or reloaded... I've had to keep changing the names in the file so it doesn't complain that the photofont is already loaded.

-Rob A>

GOT IT!! Grab yer linen and get to grinnin folks!
I do not know what the deal is with the common programs directory it calls.Unless that's for all users?
Here is the code that i needed to get it to work...



The image/grassy sub directory folder group is in the My Documents>Photofonts folder.
So apparently the plugin calls from the My Documents>Photofonts sub directory.
I wanted to do it this way because now a user can place all the different images in their own respective folders within a image directory within the Photofonts folder.Just to keep things tidy. I had to make sure that would work.


Okay it works...
Now to make a PHF file that will take an entire alphabet of image glyphs and install it.

But first another test ---- i used 500x500 pixel images i need to test the 2000x2000 ones for better higher quality text images.

Now that is cool news Rod. I definitely appreciate your effort and all those who know how to code. Look forward to your new toy when you feel it is ready for prime-time.

Glad to hear that you got it working. Can't wait for the entire code and to start working on it.

So just to confirm - that is where you installed the 8bf plugin?

-Rob A>

No the plug-in is installed correctly in my 8bf folder and linked with PSPI.
When the PHF and image directories are added to the MY Documents>Photofonts directory and the shape system tag used it works.

The tree is like this

Photofont PHF document -
C:\Documents and Settings\Compaq_Owner.FAMILY-ROOM\My Documents\Photofonts

IMAGES -
C:\Documents and Settings\Compaq_Owner.FAMILY-ROOM\My Documents\Photofonts\images\YourImageFoldersHere

I have created a template for most glyphs which includes the path for each letter and numbers 0-9
Also paths to common used symbols are present. I used this as a test template and the text seems to kern well.However some tweaks may need to be made via Gimp after you create your text. I am hoping to get the bbox and base settings correct for all glyphs used according to the template i provided.I a working on that now.
Here is the xcf attached. Let me know if you want more symbols within the template.


I left the text layers intact so changing font face will be easier.Then just alpha to select and select to path.
Then you just need to edit>stroke path with paint brush.

This is of course only going to work on Windows for now. Sorry folks.
You may also need to tweak your unicode id's (map id for each unicode)
When you type out your text in Photofont Start you will know if you have it wrong when you type ? and get something else.

You can open any phf file to get a basic id nap list like this -

OK Rod; when are you going to release your effort? Does it require an XCF? Not sure how it's going to work, so, hope you have a tut when it's ready for primetime.

The XCF template will only be needed to create each of your PhotoFonts. You can change fontface or text within that template.Just keep the size the same and guides must stay where i have them.All glyphs need to be created within those guide boundaries.
As soon as i have the phf done i will release it.
The phf will have all the basic stuff inside all the user will need to do is add the correct image folder and file path.
(edit the code line for glyph src directories)
So to install a font all the user will need to do is create each glyph image, place them in a folder like say My Paperclip Font, and then place the phf file in the My Documents>Photofonts folder
Each image will have to be named according to the phf file glyph tags

<glyph id="A"> <--- map id - this must be the same as the map ids within unicode mapping tags
<image id="v0" type="photo"> <---- tells plugin the font is color and has transparency
<shape system="images/grassy/A.png"> <--- shape image name (can be changed by user)
<ppm int="480" /> <---- max range for size
<bbox x="20" y="-5" width="940" height="990" /> <---- coordinate values for font placement
<base x="-20" y="398" /> <---- base line values (bottom of font coordinate)
<delta x="444" y="0" /> <---- placement of top corner of font i think
</shape>
</image>
</glyph>


I am trying to have all these values set except image directory name and reference directories.These will be up to the user to change.


So long story short to install you need only create the images.
Edit the phf file to direct pstart to them - place it in the correct directory...
Place the images in the correct directory so pstart can find them (My Documents>Photofonts>images> directory)
Run the pstart within pshop or Gimp and install through the plugin interface.

Should be a pretty easy install really.Just a little editing on the users part for image location/reference.

I will include a PDF with the phf file.

Final release will contain
Tutorial PDF on font template (XCF) and installing
XCF template
PHF basic file

Keep in mind i have yet to get anything over 500x500 to work. I will work on that in the next version.

Thanks for all your support and help folks! This will be a benefit to everyone using these cool PhotoFonts within their artwork.Photofonts can also be used in webpages and detected by spiders as TEXT!

Cool plus there.