GP32 Displaying Text

[TKF15H]

Just wondering what everybody uses for displaying text with SDL or the minimal lib.
I'm still downloading the SDKs so it might be really obvious once that's done, but so far I haven't seen any mention of it anywhere. Do we get SDL_ttf? Or do we have to use bitmap fonts?
Sorry if this has been asked before, or if the answer is really obvious, but as I said, I've looked around and haven't found anything on the subject.

[edit] ARG! I meant this to go in the GP2X board, it's like the 5th time I click on the GP32 one by mistake! <_<

 

[deadlychicken22]

I use SDL_ttf. I used it in my gp2x competition entry to display the score and a couple other things and it seems to work very well on the gp2x

 

[Guyfawkes]

check out the sdl test thingy program at http://archive.gp2x.de/cgi-bin/cfiles.cgi?0,0,0,0,46,1047 it shows how to use SDL_TTF.

 

[TKF15H]

thanks
I was starting to think TTF was not cross-platform.

 

[rokdcasbah]

of course, no one's stopping you from using bitmap fonts...

is that sexy or what?

 

[Radek]

of course, no one's stopping you from using bitmap fonts...

is that sexy or what?

​

Yup. I was using bitmap font in my coding competition entry for text scroller. Vector based characters aren't that necessary for a device with fixed screen size. They can not scale so smoothly but when it's not needed they are superior (much faster to draw, possible superior looking) than vector ones.

 

[TKF15H]

But what about blending? Wouldn't the vector ones be faster to blend with the background? Or must the colorkey be used rather than alpha?

 

[Radek]

But what about blending? Wouldn't the vector ones be faster to blend with the background? Or must the colorkey be used rather than alpha?

​

No. Perfomance wise no because vectors must be rendered to the bitmaps anyway. Just use surfaces with alpha and that is.

The only benefits of vectors is that they are scaling without aritfacting however it's not a big benefits when you know at what resolutions your program will run.

Not that I'm against vector fonts but when the perfomance is a goal the bitmaps will be way more efficient.

 

[TKF15H]

Well, in my case the text will have to be rendered rarely, so I don't think it will be much of a performace hit.

Here's a screenie of what I'm working on:

It's a window manager for all the apps and games I'll be making from now on.
The windows are skinnable and will look alike on all platforms (Linux, windows, Mac) but I'll probably have to make a GP2X-specific skin due to the rez.

[edit] Made a windows 3.1 skin

 

[rokdcasbah]

Well, in my case the text will have to be rendered rarely, so I don't think it will be much of a performace hit.

Here's a screenie of what I'm working on:

It's a window manager for all the apps and games I'll be making from now on.
The windows are skinnable and will look alike on all platforms (Linux, windows, Mac) but I'll probably have to make a GP2X-specific skin due to the rez.

[edit] Made a windows 3.1 skin

​

personally i think you should go for pixel fonts and original looking windows rather than ms windows one. but regardless it looks cool and i wish you luck.

 

[TKF15H]

Thanks

Right now I'm more worried about getting code to work, original skins come later. I'll have a look at pixel fonts, but again, working with TTF is faster for now.