Re: Using the FreeType 2.0 Polygon Rasterizer in a Graphics Package

[Just van Rossum]

At 8:37 AM -0500 08-03-2000, Feinberg, Matthew wrote:
>The company I work for is developing a software package that (for
>cross-platform consistency) draws all its own graphics primitives.  This
>basically means that the software has a complete graphics package built
>into it.
>
>I've been thinking of using the FreeType 2.0 polygon rasterizer, since I
>understand that it can be separated from the rest of the FreeType
>library fairly easily.
>
>What I want to know is:
>
>1)  Has anyone done this before?

I've been using the FT rasterizer as a standalone unit in an experimental
setup. It works really well.

However it only draws filled shapes: so if your graphics package needs
stroked polygons/bezigons, you still need to roll your own converter.
Still: it would be very cool for FT2 to have a stroke renderer! I've been
meaning to look into writing a very simple one, which would only do 1-pixel
strokes. No time...

>2)  FreeType 1.x rendered to temporary pixmap that had to be copied
>(with alpha compositing) to the main pixmap.  Can FreeType 2.0 rasterize
>directly to the main canvas?  If not, can it be modified to do so?

Not at present, but David mumbled something about working on a version that
can. No idea about the status of that. I think it's hard to modify the
current rasterizer to do what you want.

Just