Suzy B Software 2/Suzy B Software CD-ROM 2 (1994).iso/prntutil/fontgdos/fontgdos.txt

Text File | 1995-04-25 | 8KB | 195 lines

At the end of May 1992 Atari released a new version of GDOS called
FONT GDOS. This program is freely distributable, although ATARI
retains the copyright on it.

If you are already using GDOS or G+PLUS from Codehead there seems
little reason to switch to FONT GDOS. There may be compatability
problems with some software (there may not be either but if your
software works why fight it). I have heard that some of the new
printer drivers are faster than older ones. In thsi case you may
want to install a printer driver from the new package. They should
work with older versions of GDOS while the reverse is not generally
the case.

Apparently FONT GDOS interacts poorly with WARP 9, the screen
accelerator, resulting in a slowup of screen activity.

Enclosed with the FONT GDOS package are the following programs:

FONTGDOS.PRG   This is the actual GDOS program. It must be placed
in the AUTO folder on your boot drive. Do not do so until after
installing the ASSIGN.SYS and EXTEND.SYS files (done below).

FONTGDOS.ACC

FSM.ACC

FSMPRINT.ACC

These are also available in .CPX format for those with TOS 2.05 or
higher. These accessories are needed for configuring or changing a
configuration with FONT GDOS. As they take up 150K of valuable
memory space I recommend only installing them to set up the system.
To be loaded a .ACC file must be placed in the root directory of
your hard disk. To make sure that they do not load simply change
the name of each to be ???.AC rather than ???.ACC.

Under "DESK" on the desktop these accessories will be called

FSM FONT MANAGER

PRINTER SELECTOR and

PRINTER CONFIG

Before discussing how to use these to set up FONT GDOS we must have
a folder for fonts and drivers. ATARI has provided the following
drivers

META.SYS    used for producing .GEM meta files

FX80.SYS    used for 9 pin EPSON type printers, most printers can
use this driver. 120 by 144 DPI

NB15.SYS   used for 24 pin EPSON type printers which can use 180DPI
graphics. The name comes from the STAR NB15 printer series.

NECP.SYS  used for printers which are compatable with the NEC P
series of 24 pin printers. These can produce 360DPI graphics. Such
printers include the Panasonic 1123 1124 etc models as well as most
24 pin Epson models

LASERJET.SYS  used for Hewlett Packard Laser Jet printers and
compatables.  resolution 300 DPI

BJ10.SYS  used for the Canon bubblejet series at 360 DPI resolution

DJ5.SYS  used for the Hewlett Packard Desk Jet and compatables. 300
DPI
NX1000.SYS Used for color pronters compatable with the STAR NX1000
RAINBOW. 120 by 144 DPI

OKI20.SYS used for the OKIMATE 20 printer. 120 by 144 DPI

PAINTJET.SYS used for the Hewlett packard PaintJet series of color
printers. 180 DPI

SLM.SYS used for the ATARI laser printer series. 300 DPI

MEMORY.SYS  prints to memory. Doubtful that there is any use for
this at the end user level.

SCREEN.SYS  It actually does not come with the package as it is
built into the ST. It is the screen driver.

Taken together these drivers total 722,000 bytes. The user
generally has to install META.SYS and 1 printer driver.

The drivers selected and the fonts to be used with them must be
placed in a folder. This folder may be on any drive and may have
anyname. The traditional name is GEMSYS.

To set up FONT GDOS one must first create the files EXTEND.SYS and
ASSIGN.SYS. This is done with the accessories. First click on the
accessory "FSM Font Manager". When this opens click on the "OPTIONS
Menu". Next click on "OUTLINE FONT SETUP". Next click on "Set Font
Cache". Set the 3 cache sizes to 20,20, and 200. Now click on OK.
Next click on OK again and then on SAVE. Click on "YES" to save an
EXTEND.SYS file. Now select EXIT. The process is somewhat more
convoluted than necessary since the accessory is designed for FSM
GDOS of which FONT GDOS is a part.

Now click on the accessory "Printer Selector". This accessory is
badly named since it also sets up the ASSIGN.SYS file. Click on
"Options". Click on "Set Font/Driver Path". This is where we tell
the system where we put the drivers and fonts. The system will come
up with the root directory in the box. Simply click on this to get
a standard file selector. Select the directory that you desire; for
example "C:\GEMSYS". Click on Ok and then on "OK" again. The system
will put up a message saying "Scanning Bit Mapped Fonts" and then
return you to the menu. Now click on "Driver Installation". You
must set up drivers for devices 1 to 9 and for 21 and 31. Under
Active devices use the up and down arrows to select the Device
numbers and then by using the name selector choose "SCREEN.SYS" for
each of 1 through 9. Now switch to the bottom half of the screen.

Move the driver number to 21. Now using the name pointer choose the
printer type which you have; ex NB15.SYS. Click on "ADD" and then
"YES". This is necessary to ADD the device to the Top part which
represents available devices.

Now move the device number to 31. This time choose META.SYS as the
driver. Click on "ADD" and then "YES"

Now click on "MENU".

Click on "Font Installation"

For this purpose you must know what the the Device Ids represent.

ID #             USE
1               Default Screen device
2               ST Low Resolution
3               ST Medium Resolution
4               ST High Resolution
5               Reserved
6               TT Medium Resolution
7               Reserved
8               TT High Resolution
9               TT Low Resolution
10              Reserved

21              Main Printer Driver

31              GEM Metafile driver

You need only install fonts for devices which you use. There is no
point in installing fonts for a screen resolution that you can not
use. Note that the same fonts may be used for many screen
resolutions. Basically you may use the same fonts for ID #s 4, 8
and 9. These fonts could also be used for 2, 3 and 9 but would not
look correct.

Assuming you have a MONO monitor on an ST select ID #4. You will
have no "ACTIVE FONTS" as of yet. Click on "ACTIVE FONTS". Click on
"Show Inactive Fonts". You now have a list of fonts which are
available. This includes fonts which are not for the particular
device that you are using. Select the ones you want by holding down
the shift key and clicking on the correct ones. The names should
tell you whether they are screen fonts or printer fonts. You will
likely have to check with the documentation that came with the
fonts to determine what convention was used for naming the fonts.
Once you select the fonts click on "Append". You will be asked if
you really want to and say "Yes".

You must now do the same for ID # 21, the printer. You do not
generally select fonts for device 31. I have never seen fonts made
for device 31.
Having selected fonts for all desired devices, click on "MENU".
Next click on "TOP MENU".

If no printer is listed as "Current Printer" select the same
printer as chosen in setting the driver.

Click on "SAVE" and answer "OK" to save the ASSIGN.SYS file. Now
click on EXIT.

The last accessory is used to modify the printer drivers. "Printer
Config" does what its name implies. It does not change the printer
you have chosen. You may modify the quality, the paper size, and in
some cases the colors chosen.

You are now ready to go. Move FONTGDOS.PRG into the AUTO folder on
your boot disk and reboot the system.

When we set the size of the cache to 200 (K) in this exercise we
selected a fairly large cache size. The larger the cache size the
faster FONT GDOS will work. The size of the cache has to be larger
than the largest font that you are using. The size of the font can
be determined simply by looking at the file sizes for each of the
font files. A larger font cache (if you can spare the room) allows
the system to keep more fonts in memory at once and therefore cut
down on disk access. The result is a faster job. Generally printer
fonts are larger than screen fonts.