[metapost] Anyone have notes / test files for METAFONT?

[William Adams]

Managed to get a bit farther --- using the Making TeX Work chapter made the
file "eight.mf" which mf would process w/o error (but I only got a .2602gf
file out of it, not tfm).

mf '\input eight.mf'

This file did process correctly using gftodvi, resulting in a dvi which
would open (previous efforts were 0 bytes in length)

gftodvi eight.2602gf

But, when I open it, the character is many times larger than it ought to
be, over-flowing the page --- how do I get it to be limited to the page in
question.

Is there some better way to do this? As I noted, what I really want is to
overlay the proof file and a vector image (though being able to also
overlay a pixel image would be nice for some instances).

William


On Sun, Jun 25, 2017 at 9:37 AM, William Adams <will.adams at frycomm.com>
wrote:

> I've decided I really want to finally get started with METAFONT --- having
> a hard time getting started 'cause I'm not getting some of the program
> interactions, naming conventions, and so forth.
>
> It was my intent to start with the sample file from "Lessons learned from
> METAFONT" in _Digital Typography_ but I've been having a hard time just
> getting it transcribed accurately and getting started at running it.
>
> Does anyone have a cheat sheet which breaks down which program calls
> result in what files, which are need for what aspects of the design process?
>
> I guess that what needs to happen is we need to update _Making TeX Work_
> to fill in for the "local guide" http://makingtexwork.
> sourceforge.net/mtw/ch11.html
>
> Basically, I have a _lot_ of drawings in a _lot_ of files for a typeface
> revival I'm working on --- it's optically-sized, and I only have a couple
> of complete sets (from memory, 28 and 72 pt.) and only one pair of letters
> where I have all the sizes (cap and lowercase N/n) so what I want to do is
> work up a system which allows me to:
>
>  - design letters as strokes in METAFONT w/ an adjustment for optical size
> (and maybe some others)
>  - proof these letters on-screen easily / automatically / at least
> somewhat interactively
>  - overlay the proof letters w/ the outlines which I do have
>  - get a nice outline from the METAFONT design which I can then use to
> make an Opentype font
>
> I've been reading through everything I can find on this for a very long
> time, but every time I go to try something, something doesn't work /
> breaks, and I'm never sure if it's my system, my effort at running the
> command, a transcription error, or something.
>
> It doesn't help that I am now reduced to a small Windows 10 tablet as my
> main computer --- I've been trying to get MikTeX updated to run all the
> METAFONT programs, but would be open to some other distribution if it would
> be better supported. (Linux isn't really an option, since I prefer to write
> using a stylus rather than type at a keyboard).
>
> Any notes / sample files / links anyone has would be welcome.
>
> William
>
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