JPH08328534A - Character processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a character processor capable of embodying three- dimensioned and shaded characters at a high speed without using special arithmetic processing. CONSTITUTION: This character processor is constituted to have font data 104 which is composed of the contour line information in the case of the absence of a request for character modification and the contour line information to be added at the time of a request for three-dimensioning and shading of the characters and executes the discrimination thereof by the codes added to the top of the contour lines and a character generator 103 having a contour line selecting means which discriminates the presence or absence of the need for development of closed curves by referencing the codes added to the contour lines and the present request for generating the three-dimensioned and shaded characters.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character processing apparatus having a function of printing and displaying a three-dimensionalized and shaded character.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 shows an example of characters that have been three-dimensionalized and shaded.

A conventional means for generating a three-dimensional and shaded character in a character processing device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-303.
As the 372 publication, the contour line is classified into the viewpoint side and the side opposite to the viewpoint by comparing the angle of the adjacent coordinates on the contour line of the character with the angle of the viewpoint, and the inflection point of the viewpoint side contour line is extracted. Dots created by repeating the process of drawing the contour line on the viewpoint side, drawing the boundary lines between the side surfaces by shifting the inflection points one dot at a time, and deleting the line hidden in the shadow on the boundary line on the opposite side of the viewpoint. A technique is known that is realized by synthesizing a pattern with a dot pattern of an original character by logical sum.

[0004]

However, in the prior art, in order to realize solid and shaded characters, it takes a lot of calculation time to shift the inflection point and to perform a logical operation process. There was a problem that performance deteriorated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a high-speed three-dimensionalization and shaded character generation method.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises contour line information when there is no character modification request and contour line information which is added at the time of character three-dimensionalization and shadowing, and distinguishes between them. The font data executed by the code added to the beginning of the contour line, the contour line for determining the necessity of expanding the closed curve by referring to the code added to the contour line and the current three-dimensionalization and shaded character generation request A character generation device having a selection means is provided in the character processing device.

[0007]

With the above-mentioned means, the outline selection means in the character generator compares the font data code with the three-dimensional and shaded character generation request to determine whether or not the outline needs to be developed and is selected. By generating a character composed only of contour lines, it is possible to generate a three-dimensionalized and shaded character without using special arithmetic processing.

[0008]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a character processing apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes an input device for inputting data such as characters and designation of modification of characters.
Reference numeral 2 is a storage device that stores data input by the input device 101, 103 is a character generation device that generates a dot pattern of characters stored in the storage device 102, and 104 is a character generation device 103 that generates a character dot pattern. Font data to be referred to at a time, 105 is a display device for displaying the characters stored in the storage device 102 by drawing a dot pattern generated by the character generation device 103 on the screen, 106
Is a printing device that prints the characters stored in the storage device 102 by drawing a dot pattern generated by the character generation device 103 on paper, and 107 is a screen for calculating data on the storage device 102 and displaying the input device 101. A CPU device that controls the operations of the device 105 and the printing device 106.
The present invention is applied to the internal processing of the character generator 103 and the internal structure of the font data 104 among them.

Next, the internal structure of the font data 104 will be described with reference to FIGS. Reference numeral 201 shows three-dimensional font data of "4" as an example. The three-dimensional font data 201 is roughly divided into font data 202 when the three-dimensional processing is not performed and portions 203 to 209 required when the three-dimensional processing is performed. Therefore, the actual font data structure is the refraction points 210 to 210 inside 202.
A discrimination code "normal" (3) indicating that the expansion is performed even when the stereoscopic and shaded decoration request is not made in the portion 302 storing the x and y coordinate values from the coordinate origin 225 of 224
01) is added, x from the coordinate origin 225 of the internal refraction points of the portions 203 to 209 necessary when the three-dimensional processing is performed,
Similar to 302, the portion 305 storing the y-coordinate value is added with a discrimination code “three-dimensional” (304) indicating that expansion is performed when three-dimensionalization and shading processing is designated. At the end of each closed curve, a loop end code 303 indicating that the closed curve has ended is added, and at the end of one character of the font data, a character end code 306 indicating that one character of font data has ended is added. .

FIG. 4 shows the internal structure of the character generator 103. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 401 denotes the storage device 102.
3D shadowing information acquisition means for acquiring the 3D or shadowing modification request stored in. Reference numeral 402 denotes the storage device 10.
2 is a developed character code acquisition means for acquiring the code of the character generating the dot pattern stored in 2. The character font data acquisition unit 403 acquires corresponding font data from the font data 104 based on the character code acquired by the expanded character code acquisition unit 402. Next, the discrimination code added for each closed curve of the font data acquired by the contour line development necessity discrimination means 404 is "normal".
Whether or not the contour line needs to be developed is determined by determining which of (301) and “three-dimensional” (304) and the character modification request acquired by the three-dimensional shadowing information acquisition unit 401. Next, the contour drawing drawing means 405 is used to draw and paint the contour line for the contour line whose determination result needs to be developed, and the contour line is stored in the pattern memory 406. Finally, the dot pattern drawn on the pattern memory 406 is printed or displayed by the printing device 106 or the display device 105 to generate solid and shaded characters.

FIG. 5 is a processing flow of the contour line expansion necessity determining means 404 and the contour line drawing means 405 when the font data shown in FIG. 3 is used. First, the discrimination code added to the beginning of the font data obtained by the character font data obtaining means 402 is discriminated at 501. Here, if the discrimination code is "normal" (301), the character modification request acquired by the three-dimensional shading information acquisition unit 401 is discriminated at 502, and if the shadowing request is made, at 505 a dot pattern is formed only for the contour line. Generated and stored in the pattern memory 406. Further, when a three-dimensional character request is made in 502 and when a character modification request is not made, a dot pattern in which a closed curve is filled is generated in 504 and the pattern memory 4 is generated.
It is stored in 06. Also, in 501, the discrimination code is “three-dimensional”
In the case of (304), the character modification request is determined in 503, and if the three-dimensionalization request is made, the processing of 505 is performed, and if the shadowing request is made, the processing of 504 is performed. If the character modification request is not issued, the dot pattern is not generated and it is determined in 506 whether one character ends. 504
Alternatively, when the generation of the dot pattern for one closed curve is completed at 505, it is determined at 506 whether or not one character is completed based on the presence or absence of the character end code 306. Here, if the next closed curve is still in the same character, the determination code of the next closed curve is similarly determined by 501. By repeating these processes, it is possible to generate solid and shaded characters.

[0013]

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize high-speed solid and shaded characters without performing special arithmetic processing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a character processing device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a font data internal structure to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration in font data to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a character generator to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of a contour line expansion necessity determination means and a contour line drawing means to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an example of solid and shaded characters.

[Explanation of symbols]

102 ... Storage device, 103 ... Character generating device, 104 ... Font data, 105 ... Display device, 106 ... Printing device,
401 ... Stereoscopic shadowing information acquisition means, 402 ... Expanded character code acquisition means, 403 ... Character font data acquisition means,
404 ... Contour line development necessity determination means, 405 ... Contour line drawing means, 406 ... Pattern memory.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Muneaki Watanabe 1-1-1, Higashitaga-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki Hitachi, Ltd. Electric Appliances Division, Taga Headquarters

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An input device for inputting data such as characters and a request for three-dimensionalization of characters and a shadowing request, a storage device for storing data input by the input device, and a dot pattern of characters stored in the storage device. A character generator for generating, a display device for displaying a dot pattern generated by the character generator on the screen, and a character stored in the storage device by drawing the dot pattern generated by the character generator on paper. In a character processing device including a printing device for printing, a data operation in the character generation device, a CPU device for controlling the operation of the input device, the display device, the printing device, and the storage device, a character modification request is made. Font data composed of contour line information in the case of no marking and contour line information added at the time of the three-dimensionalization and shading request, and the character solid And character processing apparatus characterized by having means for determining the necessity of for individual edge dot pattern generating constituting a character in response to shading request to the character generator.