Custom fonts
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Please use the Github Discussions at https://github.com/exult/exult/discussions
NOTICE: This forum is archived as read only.
Please use the Github Discussions at https://github.com/exult/exult/discussions
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Cranky
Custom fonts
The thing that has bothered me the most in Ultima VII were the fonts. They were pretty hard to read fast. I'd REALLY enjoy the game much more if there were a possibility to use alternate fonts. Somewhat simpler maybe. Since there's so much talking in the game, it's really important to me. Maybe using similar fonts like in previous Ultimas. Just a thought. I'm not sure if you're implementing new stuff anymore. I DID mention this thing about a year ago, but I haven't found the font feature in the game yet.
Re: Custom fonts
It would be a feature in ExultStudio, along with Exult. Actually, there's a feature in ExultStudio to create new fonts (from existing TrueType or Type1 fonts), but Exult still needs to be modified to read them in. This will happen in the post-1.00 development branch.
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Cranky
Re: Custom fonts
Great. It's good to know it's on the to-do list then. That's all I wanted to know, really 
Re: Custom fonts
Just modified Exult (the development version, not for 1.00) so it will use a custom 'fonts.vga' file found in the 'patch' directory.
You could create one by choosing 'fonts.vga' in ExultStudio, then hand-edit (or import frames into) each character you want to change. Conversations are done with shape 0. There's also a facility for creating an entire font shape by importing a TrueType or Type1 font. To do this for conversations, you would right-click, selecte "New shape", set the shape # to 0, check the 'font' box, and then choose the font file in the file selector. But this is buggy at the moment, and it's going to take me a day or two to fix.
You could create one by choosing 'fonts.vga' in ExultStudio, then hand-edit (or import frames into) each character you want to change. Conversations are done with shape 0. There's also a facility for creating an entire font shape by importing a TrueType or Type1 font. To do this for conversations, you would right-click, selecte "New shape", set the shape # to 0, check the 'font' box, and then choose the font file in the file selector. But this is buggy at the moment, and it's going to take me a day or two to fix.
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Cranky
Re: Custom fonts
Ok. I tried to do that. In fact, the game didn't search the fonts.vga file from the PATCH-directory, but in the STATIC-directory. The problem was, that when entering a discussion dialog, the fonts overlapped, and made the discussion incoherent. Maybe that's the bug you were talking about.
Also, when importing the fonts, some of the fonts were on wrong vertical positions. For instance, p and d started at the same vertical position, when p should have had some vertical space on top of it, if you know what I mean.
Also, when importing the fonts, some of the fonts were on wrong vertical positions. For instance, p and d started at the same vertical position, when p should have had some vertical space on top of it, if you know what I mean.
Re: Custom fonts
Yes, all that's true:-( Actually, Exult (the post-1.00 snapshot) does look in the 'patch' directory now, and I did fix the bug where the fonts overlapped (due to the space character getting a width of 0).
The positions, vertical and probably horizontal too, are still off, though, largely because I still don't fully understand the Freetype2 documentation (and all the messy details about fonts - blech).
The positions, vertical and probably horizontal too, are still off, though, largely because I still don't fully understand the Freetype2 documentation (and all the messy details about fonts - blech).