AfA OS 4.8: Installation Report and Dividends

[AMIGASYSTEM]

It is best to clean and recreate TTF fonts without extension from 0.

However, be careful with Bitmap fonts with the same name, in this case it is better to rename these fonts also internally (hexadecimal editor). Done this for example Ariel, Courier, Helvetica in bitmap version etc.. can live together.

For the system i prefer Bitmap characters because they look better thanks to useful characters like "OutlineFont".

Also note that "Fonts Prefs" cannot use and store a TTF font for "System Default Font"

[AMIGASYSTEM]

Originally Posted by James

It originates from the Freetype2.library archive:

http://aminet.net/package/util/libs/freetype2_lib

It also comes with it's own font installer called FTManager.
With FTManager you can select Fonts:truetype as source and Fonts: as destination. I didn't mention it before because it may have other issues when used with AfA.

FTManager seems to be the same as TTF_Manager of AfA OS 4.8, same version v1.1 17/1/2003, only thing that changes and the GUI (no Zune), the Freetype2.library is the same too

[James]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

FTManager seems to be the same as TTF_Manager of AfA OS 4.8, same version v1.1 17/1/2003, only thing that changes and the GUI (no Zune), the Freetype2.library is the same too

TTF_Manager appears to be a modified version of FTManager the differences go beyond the GUI though. They install differently - FTManager works how you would expect and TTF_Manager doesn't (IMHO), there also appears to be differences in font sizes sometimes.

[AMIGASYSTEM]

Strange though, that we have the same version and the same creation date

[Weaselrama]

ttflib's TTFManager also installs fonts where you want them but doesn't support anti-aliasing which means it doesn't support wizard.library which, if I understand what it did in Amiga Writer, is the anti-aliasing engine.

[AMIGASYSTEM]

Weaselrama we are talking about another TTFManager that contained in the package "freetype2_lib.lha"

http://aminet.net/package/util/libs/freetype2_lib

[Weaselrama]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

Weaselrama we are talking about another TTFManager that contained in the package "freetype2_lib.lha"

http://aminet.net/package/util/libs/freetype2_lib

I know, Carlo - I've used FTManager with its Freetype2.library in the past, long before I installed AfA OS. What I'm pointing out is that TTFManager from the ttflibs package does *not* support wizard.library and therefore cannot render TTFs with anti-aliasing so I'm wondering if James is saying FTManager *does* support wizard.library.

I'll find out here shortly, because I'm going to go grab that package and see if FTManager supports anti-aliased TTFs when it installs them.

[Weaselrama]

@James, @AMIGASYSTEM

OUTSTANDING! FTManager works like a charm. Well, now we know where TTF_Manager came from. Oddly, when I used it, FTManager renders the anti-aliased fonts against a weird background when you're in the install screen and I'm going to guess that's a MUI issue, but otherwise, it works perfectly! I'm going to go back and re-install the TTFs I previously installed with AfA's TTF_Manager because having the main TTF file in /fonts just makes me uncomfortable - its a messy way to maintain them.

Thanks! Good eye, James. I used FTManager over a year ago when I was first playing with TTFs and I ditched it in favor of ttflib's TTFManager (not to be confused with AfA's TTF_Manager).

Now - am I correct in my assumption that it is the wizard.library handling the anti-aliasing? I don't believe Freetype2.library does any anti-aliasing on its own. Amiga Writer, which used wizard.library, rendered TTFs with anti-aliasing so I think my assumption makes sense.

[Weaselrama]

Both TTF_Manager and FTManager are MUI apps. I'm curious if it is MUI, rather than the apps themselves, which works with wizard.library to provide the anti-aliasing feature.

[AMIGASYSTEM]

Originally Posted by Weaselrama

Both TTF_Manager and FTManager are MUI apps. I'm curious if it is MUI, rather than the apps themselves, which works with wizard.library to provide the anti-aliasing feature.

The Wizard.library seems not to be used by these applications but only by AFA_Prefs, both use MUI but TTF_Manager opens a Zune GUI, in the attached screenshot you can see the libraries needed for the 2 applications (same date of issue, different date of creation):

[Weaselrama]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

The Wizard.library seems not to be used by these applications but only by AFA_Prefs, both use MUI but TTF_Manager opens a Zune GUI, in the attached screenshot you can see the libraries needed for the 2 applications (same date of issue, different date of creation):

Ok, that actually makes better sense since AfA Prefs controls the anti-aliasing, contrast, size, and space of installed Truetype fonts. Otherwise, I'm replacing TTF_Manager with FTManager as my TTF installation tool.

ttflib's TTFManager doesn't utilize the Freetype2 library but rather, it's own TTF libs. It also isn't a MUI app so it would not be able to work through AfA Prefs to produce anti-aliasing.

[AMIGASYSTEM]

In favor of FTManager that has been preset the TTF (Font: TrueType) fonts Path comfortable and fast.

[Weaselrama]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

In favor of FTManager that has been preset the TTF (Font: TrueType) fonts Path comfortable and fast.

Agreed.

[AMIGASYSTEM]

If I understand correctly in the attached link they mention that TTEngine supports Antialiasing


.... TTEngine is an AmigaOS/MorphOS library (named ttengine.library) for rendering high quality text using TrueType fonts. TTEngine is based on FreeType2 project. It is not a plain straightforward FreeType port however. TTEngine has many additional functionality implemented, so it may be considered a higher level font rendering and management library on top of FreeType rasterizing engine. Currently supported platforms are: AmigaOS 3/68k, AmigaOS 4/PowerPC and MorphOS/PowerPC. Here are key features of TTEngine:

continue:

http://teleinfo.pb.bialystok.pl/~krashan/software/tte/

[Cobe]

Originally Posted by Weaselrama

1. The Workbench loads faster - no delay setting the background. My 060-based Workbench was already fast, however, the increase in speed was noticeable immediately and somehow, I was expecting some decrease in performance running an additional software layer on top of OS3.

2. I run an external fan and elevate my MBP when running FS-UAE. The Mac's intake below the hinge is a serious hindrance and design flaw. Prior to installing AfA, my average temperature was 68-69C with a CPU temp of 88-89C. After installing AfA, my average temperature has been 64-65C with a CPU temp of 83C. Again, this is using iStat's fan rules + an external fan..

Could be that afa uses more cpu and less chipset than os3. Emulation of chipset is harder than emulation of cpu.

[Weaselrama]

Originally Posted by Cobe

Could be that afa uses more cpu and less chipset than os3. Emulation of chipset is harder than emulation of cpu.

Both CPU on the Amiga side AND the Mac side are LOWER using AfA. I don't really understand it. Mac-side CPU used to hold steady at 109% Now it runs around 96%.

Amiga-side CPU (per Scout)

Setting: FULL

afa_system_lib.exe 1.6%
iBrowse 36%
input.device 10%

I've never been certain that Scout is a good CPU monitor under emulation but I could be wrong.

[Weaselrama]

Here's a screenie. Interval is 0.50 seconds.