1. Product Release:   TypeServer ...scaleable TrueType technology!
2. Product Preview:   FontBUILDER/Unicode ...multilingual bitmap fonts!
3. Product Preview:   MetaWINDOW v6 ...for Windows XP, 2000, NT, CE, ME, 98, 95!
4. Recent FAQ's ...straight answers to common questions
5. Programming Techniques ...writing language-portable code
6. Current Versions
7. Subscribe/Unsubscribe

TypeServer™ is our new high performance TrueType rasterizing engine designed for use in OEM, real-time and embedded applications.  Using industry-standard TrueType fonts, TypeServer creates typeset-quality bitmap text for virtually any device, at any size and at any resolution.  Supporting both ASCII and Unicode character sets, TypeServer makes it easy to scale and render international and multilingual TrueType text directly from your application.  TypeServer includes special assembly optimized versions for top performance with Intel-based systems, plus pure C/C++ versions for portable cross-platform use.

   Features

• Use industry-standard TrueType fonts to create typeset-quality bitmap text for virtually any device, at any size, and at any resolution.
• Supports both 8-bit ASCII and 16-bit UNICODE character coding.
• Smooth anti-aliased characters produce clean well-formed text that is easy to read even at small sizes.
• Sub-pixel positioning maintains precise typeset accuracy.
• Works with TrueType fonts stored on disk, in memory or in ROM.
• Tight fast code - Performance-tuned ANSI C components for platform portability.  Enhanced assembly language optimizations for Intel CPU's.
• Fully ROMable - Reentrant thread-safe design uses no static variables, no floating-point math.
• Royalty-Free application distribution.

TypeServer's tight portable design makes it ideal for use in a wide variety of OEM products needing high-quality scaleable fonts and type.  Applications include real-time and embedded software applications, operating systems, medical instrumentation, handheld computers, personal digital assistants (PDA's), web browsers, multimedia servers, television set-top boxes, printer engines, Internet appliances, avionic displays, industrial controls, web applications and more.  For more information visit the TypeServer web page at  http://www.metagraphics.com/typeserver/.

FontBUILDER/Unicode™ is the latest update to our bitmap font programming toolkit for OEM, embedded and real-time applications needing multi-lingual Ascii and Unicode text.  FontBUILDER includes two main components: 1) a bitmap font generator that converts scaleable TrueType fonts into high-quality bitmap fonts at any size or resolution that you specify, and 2) a C/C++ callable API that allows your programs to read bitmap fonts, and draw text into video frame buffers and system memory bitmaps.  FontBUILDER includes integrated support for Metagraphics MetaWINDOW and ATI Nucleus GRAFIX, works compatibly with other third-party graphic programming tools, or can be used by itself.

   Bitmap Font Generator features

• Converts scaleable TrueType fonts into high quality bitmap fonts at any size or resolution that you specify.
• Multi-lingual - creates either 8-bit ASCII and 16-bit Unicode bitmap fonts.
• Creates standard Metagraphics bitmap fonts compatible with MetaWINDOW and ATI Nucleus GRAFIX.
• Outputs converted fonts either as binary bitmap font files (.fnt), or as C header files (.h) that can be compiled and linked directly into your program.
• Supports "Mapfile" operations allowing you to selectively control which characters are processed into a bitmap font, or to merge characters from multiple TrueType fonts into a single bitmap font.
• Supports command-line operation for automated font generation.
• Simple to use, runs under Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, or NT4.

   Bitmap Text API features

• Provides a C/C++ API that reads bitmap fonts and processes ASCII/Unicode text for output to video frame buffers and system memory bitmaps.
• Outputs to any standard bitmap format from 1 to 32 bits-per-pixel.
• Supports both BitBLT (opaque) and TransBLT (transparent) pixel transfers.
  
• Works with bitmap fonts stored either on disk, in memory or in ROM.
• Includes integrated support for Metagraphics MetaWINDOW and ATI Nucleus Graphics.  Also works compatibly with other third-party graphic programming tools, or can be used by itself.
• FontBUILDER Reference Manual provides full details documenting bitmap file format and operation.
• Royalty-Free application distribution!

FontBUILDER/Unicode is scheduled to be released in September.  For more information visit the FontBUILDER web page at  http://www.metagraphics.com/fontbuilder/.

Preliminary beta testing on MetaWINDOW version 6.0 for Windows has already begun, and initial benchmarks show a blistering 5x to 8x+ performance improvement over Windows GDI!  This major new MetaWINDOW release includes:

   MetaWINDOW Version 6 features

• Integrated library for use with Windows XP, 2000, NT, CE, ME, 98 and 95.
• Added support for 2-, 4-, 24- and 32- bits-per-pixel bitmap formats.
• Expanded support for transparent and translucent bitmap blits.
• Updated support for popular real-time, embedded and protected-mode OS platforms.

External beta testing for MetaWINDOW Version 6 will begin shortly and will be open to a limited number of MetaWINDOW developers.  If you have an interest in beta testing this new version of MetaWINDOW, please complete the MetaWINDOW Version 6 Beta Request form on-line at http://www.metagraphics.com/metawindow/mw6beta.htm.  Keep an eye out for the next issue of MetaTRENDS for expanded MetaWINDOW Version 6 information.

The following are recent FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) that have been added to the FAQ postings on the Metagraphics web site:

Q.  I'm working with a 32-bit embedded OS and need to use VESA linear frame buffer access for my graphics.  How do I set up MetaWINDOW for VESA linear frame buffer access?  (This article discusses VESA linear frame buffer operation under Phar Lap ETS, but the same techinique applies to other 32-bit OS's.)

A.  http://www.metagraphics.com/metawindow/faq/mwfaq029.htm

Q.  What color values should I use with the MetaWINDOW PenColor() and BackColor() functions when working in a VGA "high-color" 64K-color display mode?

A.  http://www.metagraphics.com/metawindow/faq/mwfaq033.htm

Q.  InitGraphics() returns with a File-I/O-Error code (74/11), but my program still seems to work fine.  What's going on?

A.  http://www.metagraphics.com/metawindow/faq/mwfaq034.htm

Additional answers to other common technical questions are available on the MetaWINDOW and Media!Lab FAQ pages at:

http://www.metagraphics.com/metawindow/faq/

http://www.metagraphics.com/medialab/faq/

In each MetaTRENDS issue we submit a "programming technique" for you to consider and use in your own programs and applications. These are ideas that we have found useful and document in our Metagraphics C/C++ Programming Guidelines manual that we use as part of our in-house "standard practices" guide for improving software quality.

Writing Language-Portable Code
As the move to broaden applications onto new platforms and into new markets expands, designing code for language portability is a growing importance.  Just as familiarity in using int, short and long integer types is key for designing processor-portable code, familiarity in handling different character types is important for designing language-portable code.

While many compiler and operating systems today use standard 8-bit ASCII, a growing number of platforms are now also using 16-bit Unicode as a language standard.  To be platform independent your C/C++ application code needs to be capable of compiling and running in both ASCII and Unicode based environments.  In addition, there will be cases when working on an ASCII-based platform where you may need to handle Unicode-specific text, and vice-versa on a Unicode-based platform where you may need to handle ASCII-specific text.  The desired goal is to maintain a single source code base that is portable to any platform, and that supports both specific ASCII and Unicode needs when required.

The following article proposes C/C++ programming guidelines for writing portable code to handle both ASCII and Unicode needs.

• Article - "Writing for ASCII & Unicode Portability"
      http://www.metagraphics.com/pubs/mgct_language-portable-code.htm

• Prior Article - "Enhancing 'struct' Compatibility"
      http://www.metagraphics.com/pubs/mgct_04-08.htm

• Full "Metagraphics C/C++ Programming Guidelines manual
      http://www.metagraphics.com/pubs/MetagraphicsCodingGuide.pdf (213Kb Adobe Acrobat PDF file)

The following is a list of the current Metagraphics software products in both release and beta versions.  Beta versions are available for free download to registered users of the current released product.

MetaWINDOW and MetaWINDOW Companion Products:
       MetaWINDOW-16 v5.0B*    (originally MetaWINDOW-DOS)
       MetaWINDOW-32 v5.0B*    (originally MetaWINDOW-386)
       MetACCEL v5.0B*
       MetHICOLOR v5.0B*
       PCXLab v5.0B*

*v5.0B is a free update for registered v5.0A developers.  Email support@metagraphics.com with your current v5.0A serial number for password access and download instructions.  Developers with Version 4 and earlier may upgrade to v5.0B for a discounted price.  See http://www.metagraphics.com/order/mg_upgrade-ns.htm for special upgrade pricing and ordering details.

FontBUILDER and FontWINDOW:
       FontWINDOW v4.1
       FontBUILDER v5.0
       FontBUILDER/Unicode v6.0 (available 9/01)

TypeServer:
       TypeServer v1.1B

Media!Lab:
       Media!Lab/Win32 v2.0B
       Media!Lab/Win32 v3.01-beta**

** Media!Lab/Win32 v3.01-beta is available for free beta testing to currently registered Media!Lab/Win32.  Email support@metagraphics.com with your current Media!Lab serial number for password access and download instructions.

MetaTRENDS is a quarterly publication of Metagraphics.  If you received this newsletter by email and wish to unsubscribe, simply send a reply with the keyword "remove" or "unsubscribe" in the Subject line.  You may also subscribe or unsubscribe on-line at  http://www.metagraphics.com/subscribe/.