Modules/print/Usage

Use of this module begins with the initialization of a font. Then you can use all the functions to draw text on screen.

Modes

You have several font render modes.

Text

Draw characters as pattern names (text mode).

Requirement:

• Compatible with tiled-based screen modes: Screen 0 (40/80 columns), 1, 2 and 4.
• You need to activate PRINT_USE_TEXT compile option in your library configuration (msxgl_config.h).

Example using tile-based render mode:

#include "font/font_mgl_sample8.h"

VDP_SetMode(VDP_MODE_SCREEN1);            // Initialize screen mode 1 (tiled-base mode)
Print_SetTextFont(g_Font_MGL_Sample8, 1); // Upload font tile-set from index 1
Print_SetPosition(10, 10);                // Position in tile grid unit
Print_DrawText("Text mode");

Bitmap

Draw characters from RAM (real-time unpack font data and draw it).

Requirement:

• Compatible with bitmap-based screen modes: Screen 5 to 8.
• You need to activate PRINT_USE_BITMAP or PRINT_USE_VRAM compile option in your library configuration (msxgl_config.h).

Example using bitmap render mode for MSX2:

#include "font/font_mgl_sample6.h"

VDP_SetMode(VDP_MODE_SCREEN5);            // Initialize screen mode 5 (bitmap mode)
Print_SetBitmapFont(g_Font_MGL_Sample6);  // Initialize bitmap font
Print_SetOutline(TRUE, COLOR_GRAY);       // Set outline effect
Print_SetPosition(100, 100);              // Position in pixel unit
Print_DrawText("Bitmap mode");

Bitmap with transparency

Draw characters from RAM with transparency (real-time unpack font data and draw it).

Same mode than Bitmap but a little bit slower.

Can be activated using:

#include "font/font_mgl_sample6.h"

VDP_SetMode(VDP_MODE_SCREEN5);            // Initialize screen mode 5 (bitmap mode)
Print_SetBitmapFont(g_Font_MGL_Sample6);  // Initialize bitmap font
Print_SetMode(PRINT_MODE_BITMAP_TRANS);   // Activate transparency
Print_SetPosition(100, 100);              // Position in pixel unit
Print_DrawText("Bitmap mode with transparency");

VRAM

Draw characters from VRAM (font data is upack once in VRAM thne drawing is done by VRAM copy). slower to initialize, far quicker to draw.

Requirement:

• Compatible with bitmap-based screen modes: Screen 5 to 8.
• You need to activate PRINT_USE_VRAM compile option in your library configuration (msxgl_config.h).

Example using bitmap render mode for MSX2:

#include "font/font_mgl_sample6.h"

Print_SetVRAMFont(g_Font_MGL_Sample6, 212, COLOR_WHITE);
Print_SetPosition(100, 150);              // Position in pixel unit
Print_DrawText("VRAM mode");

Sprites

Draw characters from sprites (load font data as sprite pattern in VRAM then display characters using sprite system).

Requirement:

• Compatible with all sprite enabled screen modes:
  • Screen 1 to 3 (4 sprites per line),
  • Screen 4 to 8 (8 sprites per line),
• You need to activate PRINT_USE_SPRITE compile option in your library configuration (msxgl_config.h).

Example using sprite render mode:

#include "font/font_mgl_sample8.h"

VDP_SetMode(VDP_MODE_SCREEN1);            // Initialize screen mode 1 (tiled-base mode)
Print_SetSpriteFont(g_Font_MGL_Sample8, 0, 0);
Print_SetPosition(100, 50);               // Position in pixel unit
Print_DrawText("SPRT");

Font modes compatibility matrix

Font mode	Screen modes
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	10	12
Text	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Bitmap	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	❔	❔
VRAM	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	❔	❔
Sprites	❌	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️