JPH0696182A - Document layout device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To arrange a character string along an arbitrary free-formed curve. CONSTITUTION:This document layout device is provided with an input device 2 such as a keyboard, etc., to designate the input of the character string and a free-formed curve, a memory device 3 which stores designated free-formed curve information, a character string arranging device 5 which divides a closed curved surface with prescribed area ratio corresponding to the number of arranging characters based on the character string stored in the memory device 3 and closed curved surface information enclosed with the free-formed curve and calculate arranging information to arrange the character string, and a character string arranging device 6 which calculates the shape of individual character of the character string based on the arranging information calculated by the character arranging device 5. The character string can be deformed and arranged in the closed curved surface enclosed with two free-formed curve fitting in the shape of the free-formed curve.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a document layout device used in a word processor or the like, and more particularly to a document layout device having an outline character string processing function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a word processor or the like,
The format of the document is specified by setting the number of digits per line. Then, a document is created according to this format, and the created document is printed by the printer. In this case, the character representation is hardware (storage capacity, printer, built-in font, screen resolution, etc.) in display or printing.
There are many parts that depend on, and the characteristics of each word processor come out, but in general, you can use full-width, half-width, 1/4 double-width, double-width double, vertical double-width, and double-width characters for each character or line unit. Pitch can be specified, and many have underline, character decoration, and ruled line functions. In addition, when creating a sentence, many document processing apparatuses can emphasize a particular character or line by underlining or enlarging the character size. These operations are called character modification.

Further, in the document processing apparatus, when printing out a created document, it can be set in a desired format and output. To set such a format, enter or select desired values in the setting items such as pitch between columns, pitch between lines, number of digits per page, number of lines per page, and character points. It is being appreciated.
A document is output by a printing device such as a printer based on the format set in this way. Prior to this output, what kind of print output can be obtained in the set format is displayed on the display device. A Japanese word processor equipped with a print image display function for displaying on a display screen is also known.

There is also a method in which outline font editing is applied to image data or data called from a dictionary to print smoother lines. Here, the outline font is a character font that is represented by several points indicated by coordinates and the outline (outline) that connects them, and the information on the coordinate positions of some dots that are the starting points is used as data. In the case of holding and displaying or printing, the procedure is to calculate the line that traces the character through the starting point and smoothly connect the inside. Since only the coordinate data from the starting point is required, the memory is smaller than that of the dot font when a fine font is stored, and the characters can be easily enlarged, reduced or deformed.

Further, in order to display the outline font character string, it is necessary to set an area such as a frame for outline font on the document.

[0006]

However, in the conventional document layout apparatus, when setting an area such as a frame for the outline font, only an area surrounded by a fixed curve or a straight line can be set, so that it is more free. I couldn't make a string representation of the shape. That is, there is no device for arranging character strings along an arbitrary free curve, and it is considered that there is room for improvement in this respect.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to arrange a character string along an arbitrary free curve.

[0008]

The means of the present invention are as follows.

The input means is an input device or the like for inputting a character string. For example, there are a plurality of keyboard free curve setting means provided with function keys such as keys for inputting alphanumeric characters, numeric keys, execution keys and the like. Is an input device for setting the free curve of, such as a keyboard provided with function keys such as a numeric keypad and an execution key, and a mouse as a pointing device.

The character string arranging means arranges the character string input by the input means on a closed curved surface obtained by connecting the end points of a plurality of free curves specified by the free curve specifying means, and a character string arranging device. Etc.

The output means deforms and outputs the character data based on the arrangement information from the character string arranging means. For example, the character is deformed by the CPU, the character deforming device, etc., and the deformed character string is displayed on the display device. Alternatively, it is displayed / printed by a printing device.

[0012]

The operation of the means of the present invention is as follows.

First, the area where the character string is to be expanded is specified by the free curve specifying means. When the free curve designating means performs the designation, the character string input by the inputting means is placed on the closed curved surface obtained by connecting the end points of the plurality of free curve designated by the character string arranging means. Based on the output means, the character data is transformed and output.

Therefore, the character string can be arranged along any free curve.

[0015]

EXAMPLES Examples will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIGS. 1 to 8 are views showing an embodiment of a document layout apparatus, which is an example applied to a word processor.

First, the structure will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a document layout device. In this figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU that controls the entire apparatus and performs setting processing described later.
The CPU 1 controls various operations of the document layout device according to a microprogram stored in a ROM (not shown). The CPU 1 stores an input device 2 such as a keyboard for inputting a character string and designating a free curve, a character string input by the input device 2, and a plurality of free curve designating devices 4 to be described later. A storage device 3 including a RAM or the like for storing free curve information specified as coordinate information (FIG. 2), and a free curve specifying device 4 for calculating information of a free curve specified by the input device 2 as a plurality of coordinate information. Then, based on the closed-curved surface information (FIG. 3) enclosed by the character string and the free-form curve stored in the storage device 3, the closed curved surface is divided at a predetermined area ratio according to the number of arranged characters, and the character string is arranged. The character string placement device 5 that calculates the placement information (FIG. 4), the character transformation device 6 that calculates the shape of each character of the character string based on the placement information calculated by the character string placement device 5, image A display device 7 for the screen display of over data, printing device 8 which prints characters and the like are connected.

The input device 2 is a keyboard provided with keys for inputting alphanumeric characters, hiragana, etc., function keys such as a cursor movement key, an execution key, a stop key, etc., and a mouse as a pointing device. It is used as a position specifying means for inputting and inputting a free curve. In this case, in addition to the method in which the user specifies a plurality of coordinate points (coordinate information) to specify a straight line, a Bezier curve, a quadratic curve, etc., the free curve in this case, a pointing device such as a mouse Including a method of specifying an arbitrary curve using.

The free curve designating device 4 is for calculating a plurality of pieces of coordinate information capable of specifying a free curve input from a group of data called a free curve. In the present embodiment, a mode in which coordinate information is input to specify a free curve is adopted, and a plurality of specified coordinate information is stored in the storage device 3.

The character string arranging device 5 calculates the closed surface information as shown in FIG. 3 by connecting the end points of the two calculated free curves, and calculates the number of characters in the character string for the obtained closed surface information. According to the division, a region for expanding one character is determined (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 4, the area for displaying one character is indicated by the coordinates (a, b, c, d) of four points, and the coordinates of these four points serve as the arrangement information.

The character transforming device 6 transforms each character data input based on the layout information.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the program of the free curve coordinate information calculation processing.

When the program is started, two free curves are input by the input device 2 in step S1, and step S1 is entered.
The coordinate information of the free curve input in 2 is calculated. For example,
As shown in FIG. 2, the coordinate information can be specified by two points for straight lines and four points for curves (Bezier curves). Next, the coordinate information calculated in step S3 is stored in the storage device 3, and the processing of this flow ends.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a program for character output processing, and this flow is started by a print or display instruction.

First, in step S11, closed surface information is created from the coordinate information of the free curve. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when there is a Bezier curve specified by the coordinate information of four points (a, b, c, d) and a straight line specified by the coordinate information of two points (e, d), The shape obtained by connecting the end points (a, d, e, f) of these two lines (here, a curve and a straight line) becomes closed surface information. Next, the placement information is created from the closed surface information obtained in step S12 and the number of characters placed on the closed surface. This arrangement information is information indicating an area (area) in which one character is displayed in the closed curved surface. For example, in the closed curved surface shown in FIG. 3, the four points (a, b,
The coordinates of c and d) are the arrangement information of the one character. In this embodiment, when the closed curved surface is divided by the number of characters, the character width is changed according to the character height so that the character width is expanded when the character height is high. In this case, the closed curved surface may be divided by the area ratio or the like, or may be simply divided evenly according to the number of characters. Next, the character shape of each input character is calculated based on the layout information of the individual characters created in step S13, and the character modification device 6 modifies the character data in accordance with the character shape in step S14. For example, the arrangement information (a, b, c,
A character modification example in which the character "light" is arranged in the coordinate data of point d) is shown in FIG. Next, the modified character string obtained in step S15 is output to the display device 7 or the printing device 8 for display / printing, and the process of this flow ends. For example, FIG. 8 shows an output example when the character string “Karuizawa Kiyuki” is arranged in the closed curve surrounded by the free curve in FIG.

As described above, the document layout apparatus of this embodiment has the input device 2 such as a keyboard for inputting a character string and designating a free curve, the input character string, and the designated free curve. A storage device 3 for storing information,
Based on the character string stored in the storage device 3 and the closed curved surface information surrounded by the free-form curve, the closed curved surface is divided at a predetermined area ratio according to the number of arranged characters, and the arrangement information for arranging the character string is calculated. The character string arrangement device 5 and the character string arrangement device 6 for calculating the shape of each character of the character string based on the arrangement information calculated by the character string arrangement device 5 are provided, and the character string arrangement device 5 is enclosed by two free curves. Since the character string is transformed and arranged on the curved surface according to the shape of the free curve, it is possible to arrange and print the character string on the closed curved surface surrounded by the arbitrary free curve. As a result, it has become possible to create expressive characters that were not possible with conventional word processors, and it has become possible to greatly expand the applications of word processors.

In this embodiment, the outline font frame is displayed at the time of editing operation, and the outline font corresponding to the frame is printed at the time of printing.
The present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that an outline font may be displayed on the edit screen.

In this embodiment, the document layout device is applied to a Japanese word processor, but any device having a function of outputting an outline font can be applied to all other devices such as a personal computer. Needless to say.

[0030]

According to the present invention, an input character string is arranged on a closed curved surface obtained by connecting end points of a plurality of designated free curves, and character data is transformed based on this arrangement information. Since it is output, the character string can be arranged along an arbitrary free-form curve, and it becomes possible to create a document full of expressiveness.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a document layout device.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing coordinate information of a document layout device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing closed surface information of the document layout device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing arrangement information of a document layout device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing coordinate information calculation processing of the document layout device.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a character string output process of the document layout device.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of a character string of the document layout device.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an output example of a document layout device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 CPU 2 Input device 3 Storage device 4 Free curve designating device 5 Character string arranging device 6 Character transforming device 7 Display device 8 Printing device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An input means for inputting a character string, a free curve designating means for designating a free curve, and a closed curved surface obtained by connecting end points of a plurality of free curves designated by the free curve designing means, A document comprising: a character string arranging unit for arranging a character string input by the input unit; and an output unit for deforming and outputting character data based on the arrangement information from the character string arranging unit. Layout equipment.