hf2gcode, a hershey font to g-code tracer

(The image above shows src/demo_hello_word.ngc in LinuxCNCs simulator with sim/axis/axis_mm.ini)

The current release is "hf2gcode 0.3.0", please see topic "Bugs" or "TODO" below before you report a bug.

German "Umlaute" ÄÖÜäöü are only implementes in font rowmans (hf2gcode default) yet.

Available fonts in "hf2gcode 0.3.0": cursive, futural, futuram, gothgbt, gothgrt, gothiceng, gothicger, gothicita, gothitt, greekc, greek, greeks, rowmand, rowmans, rowmant, scriptc, scripts, symbolic, timesg, timesib, timesi, timesrb, timesr

Overview on http://www.tech-chat.de/png_album/

Dependencies

• gcc, the GNU Compiler Collection, libc
• GNU argp
• (OPTIONAL) GNU Octave if you want to generate the hershey font overview svgs or to generated the hershey_font C declarations.

Build

cd src
make

Usage

./hf2gcode --usage
Usage: hf2gcode [-aclrmqu?V] [-h FONT] [-i FILE] [-o FILE] [-s SCALE]
        [-f FEED] [-x X0] [-y Y0] [-n YINC] [-p PREC] [--append]
        [--font=FONT] [--input=FILE] [--output=FILE] [--scale=SCALE]
        [--feed=FEED] [--xoffset=X0] [--yoffset=Y0] [--z-down=ZDown]
        [--z-up=ZUp] [--align-center] [--align-left] [--interline=YINC]
        [--align-right] [--min-gcode] [--no-post] [--no-pre]
        [--precision=PREC] [--quiet] [--inch] [--help] [--usage]
        [--version] [TEXT]

Help

  ./hf2gcode --help
  Usage: hf2gcode [OPTION...] [TEXT]
  hf2gcode, a hershey font to g-code tracer

    -a, --append               Append to output file instead of overwriting
    -h, --font=FONT            Use FONT instead of default font "rowmans"
    -i, --input=FILE           Read text from FILE instead of stdin
    -o, --output=FILE          Output to FILE instead of stdout
    -s, --scale=SCALE          Base unit/hershey font unit (default 0.5)

   G-code base settings:
    -f, --feed=FEED            Feed rate (default 200)
    -x, --xoffset=X0           X-Axis offset (default 0)
    -y, --yoffset=Y0           Y-Axis offset (default 0)
        --z-down=ZDown         PenDown Z value (default -1)
        --z-up=ZUp             PenUp Z value (default 1)

   Multiline settings:
    -c, --align-center         Center multiple lines
    -l, --align-left           Left align multiple lines (default)
    -n, --interline=YINC       Interline spacing in Y direction for multiple
                               lines (default 15)
    -r, --align-right          Right align multiple lines

   Miscellaneous:
    -m, --min-gcode            Generate minimalistic g-code, suppress comments
        --no-post              Don't include postamble
        --no-pre               Don't include preamble
    -p, --precision=PREC       Precision for G-Code generation (default 3)
    -q, --quiet                Don't produce any output to stdout
    -u, --inch                 Use United States customary units (inch instead of
                               mm) as base unit

    -?, --help                 Give this help list
        --usage                Give a short usage message
    -V, --version              Print program version

  Mandatory or optional arguments to long options are also mandatory or optional
  for any corresponding short options.

  Report bugs to <[email protected]>.

Design and structure

• hershey_fonts/orig/*.jhf: original hershey fonts, see hershey_fonts/README
• hershey_fonts/fixed/*.jhf: generated with fix_linebreak.sh from orig
• OPTIONAL hershey_fonts/rendered_svg: All fonts as SVG, generated from src/render_hf (see http://www.tech-chat.de/png_album/)
• hershey_fonts/gen_c_src/*.h: Font declarations, generated with src/gen_C_code.m
• src/libhf2gcode.c and .h: Actual type setting/tracing
• src/hf2gcode.c: A command line interface program to call libhf2gcode

The libhf2gcode should also be compilable with avr-gcc and run on an AVR Atmega32. Only font "rowmans" and "scripts" are available if the MACRO AVR is set. The Needler project reads user input from 8x8 matrix keyboard, generates the g-code with libhf2gcode and sends the generated g-code to grbl which controlls the stepper for the CNC mill.

Testing the generated output

The resulting g-code can be tested with LinuxCNC as simulator or any other software which reads g-code. There are LinuxCNC simulator binaries for various Ubuntus (IMHO outdated) or you might compile the source:

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Build_A_Simulator_Manually

Short summary for Debian 7.0 wheezy:

  git clone git://git.linuxcnc.org/git/linuxcnc.git linuxcnc
  cd linuxcnc/debian && ./configure sim
  cd .. && dpkg-checkbuilddeps

Install the dependencies with apt-get or aptitude

  cd src && ./autogen.sh && ./configure --enable-simulator
  make

Then run ./linuxcnc in linuxcnc/scripts and select a simulated machinge e.g. sim/axis/axis_mm.ini

TODO / not yet implemented features

• Multiline align-right or align-center ist not yet implemented, please use the default "align-left" instead.

• Don't lift the pen if the start position of the next glyph is the same as the end position of the current. For example see a text which uses font "scripts".

Bugs

Zarro Boogs Found

License

GPLv3, see file LICENSE

Unsorted Links

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hershey_font
• http://www.ghostscript.com/doc/current/Hershey.htm
• http://emergent.unpythonic.net/software/hershey (Download of the fonts and description)
• http://www.linuxcnc.org/docs/html/gcode.html