Tools  »  DCC Tools  »  Bitmap Font Builder Tool

What is it?

This tool converts a .dat file (generated by the handy program LMNOpc Bitmap Font Builder ( http://www.lmnopc.com/bitmapfontbuilder/ ) into a .fontdef file usable by Ogre3d.

Where is it?

The exporter is found in the ogrenew\Tools\BitmapFontBuilderTool directory of the source tree.

How do I use it?

1. Compile it

2. Copy it to where your .dat file is or copy your .dat file to where it is.

3. run it.

It will ask you a series of questions.
(NOTE: None of your answers can have spaces in them! (so make sure all your file names don't have spaces either!)

Q1: Enter unique font name:

This is the name that you will use in your ogre source to refer to this font.

Q2: Enter font image name:

This is the name of the image file that the font file uses. (also saved from LMNOpc Bitmap Font Builder )

Q3: Enter size of texture(Example: 256)
This is the first value displayed in the LMNOpc gui in the box labeled "Texture Size"

Q4: Enter name of file containing binary widths:

This is the name of the .dat file you got from LMNOpc ( File > Save Font Widths ( Byte format ) )

Question 5 and 6 have an explination with them :
If you've modified the output from BitmapFontBuilder, e.g. by adding a
dropshadow, you'll need to widen the glyphs a little. If you used
BitmapFontBuilder's output directly, just answer 0 in the following two
questions.

Q5: Enter number of pixels to add to the left of all glyphs:

Usually 0, but see above.

Q6: Enter number of pixels to add to the right of all glyphs:

Usually 1, but see above.

Q7: Generate all glyph statements(Not Recommended) (Y/N):

Answering No will generate entries for only the printable charectors. Answering Yes will generate entries for all 256.

Q8: Enter name of new text file to create:

This is the filename of the output file. use whatever you want, just end it in ".fontdef"

I need Step by Step Instructions!

ok, here we go.

1. Download and install LMNOpc Bitmap Font Builder ( http://www.lmnopc.com/bitmapfontbuilder/ )

2. Compile the Ogre Exporter

3. Open LMNOpc Bitmap Font Builder

4. The defaults for everything is good for an example run.. play with the controls later.

5. File > Save 8-bit TGA ... call it test.tga

6. File > Save Font Widths (Byte format ) ... call it test.dat

7. In a file explorer, copy the .tga and .dat files you just made to where your ogre exporter lives.

8. Run the exporter.

9. Use the following answers: testFont, test.tga, 256, test.dat, 0, 0, N, test.fontdef

10. Ta da, copy the test.tga and test.fontdef files to your ogre project, and they are ready for use!