Creating Own Font + Encoding Support

[Kappa]

Hello everyone,

 

  I'm making Czech translation for this game. Translation is almost done, but I currently have a problem.

In order to show letters specific to our tongue (ěščžď...) I need to swap these (so it will become esczd...). That's not problem for me, I wrote a tiny script for that and it works just fine.

We don't have big problem in our language to read text without diacritic, but the lack of it is just a little bit annoying.

    So I came up with an idea to make or edit the in-game font in data/fonts. I would like to add these special characters, but I have looked into making bitmap font and so far I did not find program, which is able to do these steps: 

1) take .fnt & .png (exported from .tex file) and make editable font from them

2) allow me to edit the font - add new letters

3) take the new font and save it again as .fnt & image file, so I can make a font.zip package again

so I want to ask you for advice on that. Also I tried to just add games fonts into my mod folder to see, if it works, and it seems, the game itself doesn't support adding your own fonts by mod, because it falls down immediately after start (I attached the log.txt).

    I also want to ask, if it is possible to add to the game some configurable control key, which could cause swap between original and translated version of string? I'm asking, because this game has a lot of phrases and sentences, of which translation is almost impossible or it removes it's ambiguity etc. So the player can see the original name of something whenever he wants to and it also helps him to find that item on official wiki if it is already translated.

 

Thanks for reply.

log.txt

Edited September 16, 2013 by Kappa

[Wiur]

Hi,

 

I have already added Lithuanian letters (ĄČĘĖĮŠŲŪŽ) to Belisa plumilla font using Typelight, just haven't tested it yet. Been a bit bussy lately and a bit lazy I must admit. I could add more letters to it or just share with you what I have done so far.

[Kappa]

Hi,

OK, that sound really great! If you could add following letters, I would be grateful for that.

List of letters I need specifically: ěščřžýáíéóůúďťňŠČŘŽÝÁÍÉÓÚŤ, I hope, it's not much for you...

But anyways, if it is too much, you can just send to me what you've got. After that, what software should I use to convert it to format readable by the game (png & fnt)?

Edited September 15, 2013 by Kappa

[Wiur]

I'll do that as soon as can. Not sure about the rest, I'm still very new to this. I know that some guys have made a full russian translation, maybe it would be worth contacting them?

 

http://forums.kleientertainment.com/index.php?/files/file/108-improved-russian-fonts/

[Kappa]

I already try that, the programmer told me, that somebody made that for him, he just adjusted it to the game, and I don't have yet contact to this person, who really made the font.

Anyway, meanwhile I was coding a little bit and I came up with program (in Java 7), which can do exacly what I want. Well, it's not done yet, but it can now take these bitmap font files (.png and .fnt), make single letters from them (in .png format). Then I can add new characters, just make sure it has the right name and this program has another part, which create again bitmap font files (.fnt & .png).

I already made test with game, the output doesn't look so clear as original fonts, but it works! And that counts, I guess

I will do some improvements and soon, it could be possible to be used by another people interested in making fonts for this game.

If anyone is interested, it's on GitHub.com: https://github.com/kappalabs/PNGsToBitmapFont.

[Wiur]

Hi,

 

Sorry it took me so long, but I have finally found some time last night. So here is what I have now.

 

Belisa plumilla font including Central European and Eastern European characters. Was done using wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows-1250. Please follow the link to dropbox to download the font in .ttf or .otf format.

 

Sample text

<img>https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6qvycwe947j0cjq/iCQYmXBa2D#lh:null-Sample%20text.png</img>

 

Hope this will be usefull. I'm also creating a separate topic so that other people might use it.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Wiur

[Kappa]

Hi,

 

Sorry it took me so long, but I have finally found some time last night. So here is what I have now.

 

Hope this will be usefull. I'm also creating a separate topic so that other people might use it.

Hi,

thanks for that, it looks really great!

 

Because I've already dealt with the swap feature I was talking about earlier, I've got just two problems remaining:

1) How to convert .ttf/.otf font file to .fnt&bitmap files compatible with game?

2) Is there any way to load custom .zip font files by my mod into game?

 

I really appreciate any help you can provide.

[Wiur]

1) How to convert .ttf/.otf font file to .fnt&bitmap files compatible with game?

 

 

Have you tried this program? http://www.angelcode.com/products/bmfont/ I might give it a try when I have another sleepless night

 

[Edit] Looks like the it is suitable for the job. Just need to know what you are doing.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Wiur

[Kappa]

Thanks,

I have tried this program before, but I must have been doing something wrong, because I tried it again and the XML format in .fnt file looks the same as original. Even the game is accepting it, now I just make some another adjustment, because of the fact, the charset values (id=[number] in .fnt file) are not in 32-255 range, so the game does not show them correctly.

When I figure out how to do that, I'll post these prepared font files to your topic, so everyone from central Europe can use them.

 

Still, one question remains:

Is there any way to load custom .zip font files by my mod into game? (Or these original font files have to be replaced externaly?)

 

I'd really appreciate anyone's help

[Sketrick]

Hey, I'm creating lithuanian language pack, but now I need lithuanian font, did any of you managed to get it work ?

I would really appreciate it, if you could shere it with me

[Wiur]

Sveikas. Lietuviskas raides itraukiau i fonta, bet tingejau toliau kazka daryti. Jeigu dar yra noro galesiu padeti arba gali Kappa parasyti, jis lyg uzbaige savo Cekiska vertima.