README file for fontopia - the console font editor
Copyright (c) 2015 by Mohammed Isam
Fontopia is a GNU software
Released under GPL v3+

About:
======
Fontopia is an easy-to-use, text-based, console font editor.
What this means in simple English is that you can edit the fonts
that your GNU/Linux kernel is using to display your text on
text-based (vs graphical) terminals.

Unlike other console text editors which usually work on one PSF
version, or work on unicode tables only, or allow very minimal glyph
editing, fontopia provides all these functions together:
- It works on both PSF 1 & 2, you can even change file type and save
  it to disk in the other version.
- It allows exporting and importing of unicode tables from external
  files.
- It provides a user-friendly, easy-to-use glyph editor.
- It can easily change font metrics, e.g. length, width, height...

Console font files are commonly of PSF type (of which there are two
versions), or of CP type (legacy fonts). Fontopia works with PSF files
of both versions, as well as CP fonts, BDF files and raw font files.

Supported formats:
==================
- PSF 1 and 2
- Linux Code pages (CP)
- Raw fonts
- BDF fonts (beta)
- PCF font and Windows FON files support are under development

WARNING:
========
There is one downside currently: fontopia doesn't work with unicode
sequences properly (at least not in all cases). If you export a unicode
table, edit it, and then import it to another file, you should be safe.

Navigation:
===========
Using the editor is very easy:
(1)  Navigate the glyphs on the right side window using the arrow keys. Edit
     a single glyph using ENTER (or TAB).
(2)  Navigate the bits that form a single bit (on the left side window)
     using arrow keys. Press ENTER or SPACE to set/unset the desired bit. Go
     back to right window (glyph list) using TAB.
(3)  To zoom in (make the glyph on the left look bigger), press Z.
(4)  To zoom out, press X.
(5)  To open a new file, press CTRL+O.
(6)  To create a new font from scratch, press CTRL+N.
(7)  To save your work, press CTRL+S.
(8)  To save with a new filename, press CTRL+D (aka Save As..).
(9)  To quit the editor, press CTRL+Q.
(10) To show help, press CTRL+H.
(11) To copy a glyph, press CTRL+C.
(12) To cut a glyph, press CTRL+X.
(13) To paste a glyph, press CTRL+V.
(14) To show about dialog box, press A.
(15) To switch buffer mode (on/off), press CTRL+B.
(16) To clear a glyph (i.e. remove all bits), press C.
(17) To invert a glyph, press D.
(18) To export font unicode table (by default to a file with same original
     file name plus .tab extension), press E.
(19) To flip a glyph horizontally, press H.
(20) To import unicode table from another file, press I.
(21) To show these keys without the extra jargon, press K.
(22) To show font metrics window, press M.
(23) To change codepage of a CP font, press P.
     If font is in BDF format, P shows properties (or metadata).
(24) To remove unicode table from font, press CTRL+R.
(25) To set a glyph (i.e. set all bits), press S.
(26) To show font unicode table, press U.
(27) To flip a glyph vertically, press V.
(28) To export font glyphs in textual format (by default to a file with
     same original file name plus .glyph extension), press W.

The unicode values that are mapped to a specific glyph are shown on the
status bar (the bottom strip) to the right side.

That should make you ready to move around and edit your fonts. Have fun!.
