JPH07141336A - Character producing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a character producing device which displays a character image as a draft on an editing screen to easily correct, reduces the capacity of a draft memory, and simplified the handling of the original picture of an alphabetic character image when the font data of an outline system is produced. CONSTITUTION:A character producing device consists of an input means 1 which inputs the alphabetic character images produced by a scanner, a contour extracting outline forming means 2 which produces the outline data from the image data, an editing data storage means 3 which stores the outline data as the editing data, an editing data display control means 4 which produces a character contour graphic from the editing data and shows it on a display device 6, a data correcting means 5 which corrects the outline data based on the character contour graphic, a draft data storage means 7 which stores the outline data as the draft display data, and a draft data display control means 8 which carried out the batch conversion processing as designated by the draft display data and produces a draft character graphic to show it on the device 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character creating device, and more particularly to a character creating device for creating outline type font data used in Japanese information processing devices, word processors and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, since outline type font data can express a high quality font with a small data capacity, it has been widely used in recent years with an increase in demand for computer typesetting and an increase in dot density of printers. Is becoming more common.

As a character creating apparatus for creating this outline type font data, various methods have been proposed in the past, but the following two methods are typical.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first conventional example of a character creating apparatus. An input unit 1 for inputting a character image by a scanner and a contour extracting / outlining unit 2 for converting the input character image into outline data.
An editing data storage means 3 for storing the outline data as editing data for correcting the outline data; a data correcting means 5 for correcting the editing data; and a character contour figure for editing created from the editing data. And an editing data display control means 4 for displaying on the display device 6.

Next, the operation of each means shown in FIG. 2 will be described. The input means 1 inputs a character image written on paper using a scanner as image data. Here, the character mother image is a character graphic of a character to be created, as shown in FIG.
It is an object to be imaged with a scanner.

The contour extracting / outlining means 2 extracts the contour of the character image from the image data input by the input means 1 to create outline data. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the character image of FIG. 3 is converted into outline data. Here, the outline data conversion is
This is to generate the coordinates of the contour feature points (indicated by black dots in FIG. 4) of the character mother image and the information of the line type connecting the adjacent contour feature points.

The editing data storage means 3 stores the outline data generated by the contour extraction / outlining means 2. Editing data display control means 4
Is for generating an editing character contour graphic as shown in FIG. 4 from the outline data stored in the editing data storage means 3 and displaying it on the display device 6.

The data correction means 5 is for correcting the outline data stored in the editing data storage means 3. The contents of this correction are the display device 6
In addition to individually moving each feature point of the character outline figure for editing displayed in the mouse by specifying it with a mouse, etc., or adding or deleting the feature point, generally, the parallel movement, rotation, and enlargement of the entire character outline figure are performed. , Can be reduced. The result of the correction by the data correction means 5 is the edited data display control means 4
Is displayed in real time on the display device 6. The edited data that has been corrected is output from the edited data storage means 3 as the target outline font data.

As an operation of the character creating device, when a character image of a character to be created is created and read by the input means 1, the outline extracting / outlining means 2 creates outline data, and the result is displayed on the display device 6. To be done. As the processing quality of the contour extraction / outlining means 2, it is difficult to obtain high-quality outline data fitted to the contour of the character image with the current technology.
It is necessary to use the data correction means 5 to correct the defective portion distorted from the outline of the character image while observing the display device 6 to finish it into high-quality outline data. This correction operation is performed while looking at the character outline figure displayed on the display device 6.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a second conventional example in which the correction operation of the first conventional example described above is improved. The character creation device shown in FIG. 6 has the configuration of the character creation device of FIG.
An input image storage means 9 for storing the character image input from the input means 1 as image data, and a draft character graphic are created from the stored image data, and created from the editing data on the screen of the display device 6. It is provided with a rough image display control means 10 for displaying the character outline figure in an overlapping manner.

The image data input by the input means 1 is sent to the contour extraction / outlining means 2 and
The image data is stored in the input image storage means 9 as it is. The stored image data is sent to the rough image display control means 10, a rough character graphic is created, and is displayed on the display device 6 so as to be overlapped with the edit character contour graphic created from the edit data. At this time, as a method of displaying the draft character graphic, a method of displaying in halftone so that it can be distinguished from the editing character outline graphic is used.

As a result, as an operation of the character creating device of the second conventional example, when the data modifying means 5 makes a correction while looking at the character contour figure displayed on the display device 6, the data is input by the scanner on the same screen. Since the formed character image is displayed as a rough sketch as it is, it is possible to make corrections in accordance with the rough graphic.

[0013]

In the first conventional example of the above-mentioned conventional character creating apparatus, when the outline data is modified, the display device 6 is used for editing in which the modification result is reflected in real time. Since only the character outline figure is displayed, it will be corrected while comparing it with the character image written on the paper, but not only is the operation complicated, but a sense of balance and design feeling regarding the character image to be created is required, There is a problem that no ordinary person can easily perform the correction operation.

Further, in the second conventional example in which this point is improved, since the rough-rendering image display data for displaying the rough-rendering character graphic is stored as the image data in the input image storing means 9, the storage memory capacity is increased. There is a problem that requires many. Further, since the image data is image data, the display size is determined by the disassembly performance of the scanner and the display screen density of the display device, and it is very difficult to change the display size because the processing is very large. There is a problem that there are large restrictions on the size of the original image of the character image to be read and the direction in which it is read.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above drawbacks,
When correcting outline data, you can grasp the character image to be created as a rough sketch on the display screen, and you can easily perform the correction operation, the memory capacity for storing the rough sketch display data is small, and the original character image is easy to handle. To provide a simple character creation device.

[0016]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a character creating device for inputting a character image by a scanner, outline extracting means for creating outline data from the input character image, and created outline data. For storing as editing data, editing data display control means for creating an editing character contour figure from the editing data and displaying it on a display device, and the editing data storage means. In a character creating device provided with a data modifying means for modifying the stored editing data, a rough sketch data for storing the outline data created by the contour extracting / outlining means as rough sketch display data. Storage means and designation within the predetermined range for the sketch display data Is constituted by a rough sketch data display control means for creating a rough sketch character graphic displays overlaid with the character outline graphic on the display device after the batch conversion process which.

A character creating apparatus according to a second aspect is the character creating apparatus according to the first aspect, in which the rough picture data display control means performs a batch conversion process of parallel movement, rotation, enlargement and reduction with respect to the rough picture data. It is characterized by being able to do.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the character production device according to the first aspect, wherein the rough picture data display control means displays the created rough graphic character graphic on the display device in halftone. It has a feature.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the character creating apparatus of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the character creating apparatus of the present embodiment is prepared by inputting a character character image by a scanner, and a contour extracting and outliner means 2 for converting the input character character image into outline data. Editing data storage means 3 for storing outline data as editing data, editing data display control means 4 for displaying a character contour figure on the display device 6 from the editing data, and data correcting means for correcting the editing data. In addition to 5, the outline data created by the outline extracting / outlining means 2 is used as a sketch display data storage means 7 for storing the outline data as sketch display data, and parallel movement, rotation, enlargement, reduction, etc. for the sketch display data. The designated batch conversion process is performed to create a character graphic for a rough sketch, which is displayed on the display device 6 so as to overlap the character contour graphic. Is constituted by a rough sketch data display control means 8 that.

The outline data created by the contour extraction / outlining means 2 on the basis of the image data input by the input means 1 using the scanner is stored in the editing data storage means 3 as editing data, and at the same time, It is stored in the sketch data storage means 7 as the sketch display data. The outline data stored in the sketch data storage unit 7 is subjected to a designated batch conversion process among predetermined batch conversion processes such as parallel movement, rotation, enlargement and reduction in the sketch data display control unit 8. After this, a rough drawing character graphic having the converted contour is created, and is displayed on the display device 6 in superimposition with the editing character contour graphic.

As shown in FIG. 5, the batch conversion process is performed on the data for display of the rough image when the image barycentric position of the character image input by the scanner is deviated from the center of the design frame. This is because it is necessary to display the image center of gravity in alignment with the center of the design frame.
In addition, since the display of the draft character graphic is superimposed and displayed on the same display device 6 as the character contour graphic displayed by the editing data display control means 4, the outline is filled with halftone for display. Clarify the distinction from the character outline figure.

With the above-described structure, after reading an arbitrary character mother image with a scanner, first, the rough-image data display control means 8 is used to display a rough-text character graphic in the center of the design frame of the display device 6 for editing. The data correction means 5 is used to change the editing character contour graphic displayed by the data storage means 3. At this time, the character outline figure is changed in real time by the correction operation, but the draft character figure is displayed without being changed, and the character image to be created can be clearly grasped on the screen and the correction operation is facilitated. It can be carried out.

[0025]

As described above, according to the character creating apparatus of the present invention, the character contour of the character to be created can be modified in conformity with the draft character graphic, so that the modification operation can be easily performed. is there. Further, since the data for displaying the sketch is the outline data similar to the data for editing, the storage capacity of the memory is small and batch conversion processing such as parallel movement, enlargement, reduction and rotation is easy, and the disassembly performance of the scanner and the display device. There is an effect that the original image can be handled more easily without being affected by the display screen density and the rough image display function can be used more effectively.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a first configuration example of a conventional character creation device.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a concept of a character mother image.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the concept of outline data.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of correction of the image center-of-gravity position at the time of scanner input.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a second configuration example of a conventional character creating device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Input Means 2 Contour Extraction Outline Means 3 Editing Data Storage Means 4 Editing Data Display Control Means 5 Data Modifying Means 6 Display Devices 7 Draft Data Storage Means 8 Draft Data Display Control Means 9 Input Image Storage Means 10 Drafts Image display control means

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A means for inputting a character image by a scanner, a contour extraction outliner for creating outline data from the input character image, and an edit data storage for storing the created outline data as edit data. Means, edit data display control means for creating an edit character contour figure from the edit data and displaying it on a display device, and means for modifying the edit data stored in the edit data storage means. In a character creation device having data correction means, a sketch data storage means for storing the outline data created by the contour extraction outline conversion means as sketch display data, and the draft display data in advance. After performing the specified batch conversion process within the specified range, the character diagram for the sketch A character creation device, comprising: a rough-image data display control means for creating a shape and displaying the shape on the display device in an overlapping manner with the character contour graphic. 2. The character creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rough-image data display control means can perform parallel conversion processing of parallel movement, rotation, enlargement, and reduction on the rough-image data. 3. The character creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rough-image data display control means displays the created rough-text character graphic on the display device in halftone.