the solid construct menu text font input boxes

solid construct input boxes

text font

Purpose
To change the current font selection.

Usage
Click the fonts button to activate it. The selection submenu will be displayed where you can make your selection

Comments
GIG provides access to PostScript type 1 fonts as supplied by the underlying operating systems.

ISOLatin fonts
PostScript type 1 fonts usually define two character sets: a standard set and an ISOLatin set. Which set is actually used is determined by the environment variable ISOLATIN. If this variable is not set (default) then the standard set is used; if you want to use ISOLatin fonts then you will have to type:

setenv ISOLATIN ""

before starting GIG (or uncomment the corresponding line in your .cshrc file).

Many custom or third-party font definitions do not have an ISOLatin character set defined. If the ISOLATIN variable is set, creating a text solid with such a font will result in the text 'Font-name ISOLatin 1'. If this happens, type unsetenv ISOLATIN and restart GIG.

Using fonts from other systems
Besides using PostScript fonts supplied with an operating system, it is possible to install PostScript fonts from other systems. Depending on the system, PostScript type 1 fonts are stored in one of the following file formats:

PC
MAC
UNIX (same as: NEXT or SUN)

To use PostScript fonts with GIG they have to be stored in the UNIX format.
For example: PostScript fonts from the Macintosh can be converted to the UNIX format using programs like "Fontographer" or "Metamorphose". (Select either: UNIX, NEXT or SUN when converting the font.)

Where to place the fonts on the workstation PostScript fonts in UNIX file format consist of two files: a 'base' file and an 'afm' file. These files should be placed in the proper directory depending on the workstation. Note the following:

Silicon Graphics - The 'base' font files are placed in:
'/usr/lib/DPS/outline/base' (do not use an extension).
- The 'afm' font files are placed in:
'/usr/lib/DPS/outline/afm'.

SUN, Solaris 1.X-2.2 (Openwin 3.1)
- The 'base' font files are placed in:
'/usr/openwin/lib/fonts' and should have the extension '.pfa'.
- The 'afm' font files are placed in:
'/usr/openwin/lib/fonts/afm'.

SUN, Solaris 2.3 (Openwin 3.2)
- The 'base' font files are placed in:
'/usr/openwin/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/outline' and should have the extension '.pfa'.
- The 'afm' font files are placed in:
'/usr/openwin/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/afm

To access fonts in GIG 3DGO V2.3.5 from Solaris 2.3, the environment variable 'GIG_D_FONTS' needs to be changed. See the following steps:

	login as gig and make sure you are in the home directory
	edit the file '.cshrc'
	Change the following sentence:
		setenv GIG_D_FONTS /usr/openwin/lib/fonts
	to:
		setenv GIG_D_FONTS /usr/openwin/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/outline
	Save the file, log out and login as gig

Note - The name of the font file has to be the same as the name of the font.
For example: A font file describing the font 'Times-Bold' (can be checked by reading the line: '/Fontname /Times-Bold def' inside the font file) should have the name: 'Times-Bold' (on SUN:'Times-Bold.pfa').
- Fonts supplied with Solaris 2.2 may not always be stored with the correct name.
- Solaris 1.X is not supplied with PostScript type 1 fonts.

HP (HP-UX 9.0.5 and up) and Linux (2.0.0 and up)

On HP workstations and Linux PCs it is possible that the default installation of GIG can not read the font files. The problem is caused by the distinction between the fontname and the fontfilename.

The workaround: rename the Postscript fonts on your system. This can be done in the following way:

Become superuser.
Go to the fonts directory (known as $GIG_D_FONTS in your GIG account)
on HP:
cd /usr/lib/X11/fonts/type1.st/typefaces
by default on Linux:
cd /usr/X11R6/lib/fonts/Type1
If the fonts in your Linux installation are in some other directory, make sure that the GIG_D_FONTS environment variable is set correctly. E.g. if your fonts are in /usr/lib/my_fonts then do:
setenv GIG_D_FONTS /usr/lib/my_fonts
cd $GIG_D_FONTS

Execute:

grep FontName *.pfa

You should get a list like:

UTBI____.pfa:/FontName /Utopia-BoldItalic def
UTB_____.pfa:/FontName /Utopia-Bold def
UTI_____.pfa:/FontName /Utopia-Italic def
UTRG____.pfa:/FontName /Utopia-Regular def

Now, link the fontfiles to the proper fontfilenames like this:
ln -s UTBI____.pfa Utopia-BoldItalic.pfa
etc.

Your fonts should now be available in GIG.