Abstract: A system for typographic glyph construction includes a graphics system, a glyph server coupled to the graphics system, and an operating system coupled to the glyph server. An apparatus for typographic glyph construction of input text in a graphics system running on a computer system and output on an output device of the computer system includes a line layout core unit, a glyph cache unit coupled to the line layout core unit, an open font architecture services unit coupled to the glyph cache unit, at least one scaler unit coupled to the open font architecture unit, a font object management unit coupled to the at least one font scaler, and an attribute group support unit supporting a data structure for communication among the units of the apparatus.

Abstract: Aspects for achieving enhanced glyphs of a font are presented. In a method aspect, the method includes determining a glyph layer description for a selected glyph, and accessing at least one contour for the selected glyph. The method further includes accessing at least one layer style for the at least one contour of the selected glyph, and rendering the selected glyph in accordance with the at least one layer style to produced an enhanced glyph. In a system aspect, the system includes a mechanism for providing a hinted path. A glyph layer processor is coupled to the mechanism for providing and receives the hinted path. The glyph layer processor outputs enhanced glyph data. A drawing client for receiving the enhanced glyph data from the glyph layer processor for output from a computer system is further included.

Abstract: A method and system for providing multiple typographic glyph data items to a requesting client from a font scaler sub-system. The method and system includes accepting a request from the client that describes multiple glyphs and a destination memory in which to store the glyphs. From the request, a transaction message is formed and transmitted to a scaler server using an application program interface. The scaler server then generates the multiple glyph data items from the descriptions of the multiple glyphs, and stores the glyph data items directly into the destination memory.

Abstract: Aspects for achieving enhanced glyphs of a font are presented. In a method aspect, the method includes determining a glyph layer description for a selected glyph, and accessing at least one contour for the selected glyph. The method further includes accessing at least one layer style for the at least one contour of the selected glyph, and rendering the selected glyph in accordance with the at least one layer style to produced an enhanced glyph. In a system aspect, the system includes a mechanism for providing a hinted path. A glyph layer processor is coupled to the mechanism for providing and receives the hinted path. The glyph layer processor outputs enhanced glyph data. A drawing client for receiving the enhanced glyph data from the glyph layer processor for output from a computer system is further included.

Abstract: A system for typographic glyph construction includes a graphics system, a glyph server coupled to the graphics system, and an operating system coupled to the glyph server. An apparatus for typographic glyph construction of input text in a graphics system running on a computer system and output on an output device of the computer system includes a line layout core unit, a glyph cache unit coupled to the line layout core unit, an open font architecture services unit coupled to the glyph cache unit, at least one scaler unit coupled to the open font architecture unit, a font object management unit coupled to the at least one font scaler, and an attribute group support unit supporting a data structure for communication among the units of the apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of dynamic rendering protocol for display of glyphs used in a data processor comprising the steps of listing output image formats of font scalers which can be outputted to a graphics system and listing input image formats which can be inputted to a blitter function. These input image formats and output image formats are intersected, and an ordered list of the intersecting input image formats with output image formats are generated based upon a predetermined criteria. The first of the ordered list can then be selected for use.

Abstract: A method of providing text faces to a graphics display system in a data processor. The method includes the steps of receiving a request for a text face from a graphics system and determining whether the requested text face has been saved. If the requested text face has been saved, then it is retrieved. If it has not been saved, then it is generated and saved for access by the graphics system. In this manner, a single generation of a text face is necessary. The storage of the generated text face saves the system from having to generate the same text face repeatedly.

Abstract: A method and system for allowing scalers to support multiple font formats in a graphics system that processes data having a specified font format. The method and system includes actively registering each of the scalers with a font scaler manager by specifying a primary font format and one or more secondary font formats that are supported by each of the scalers. The font scaler manager then selects one of the scalers to process the data by finding a match between the specified font format and the primary font formats registered by the scalers. If a match is not found, then one of the scalers is selected by finding a match between the specified font format and the secondary font formats registered by the scalers.