Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!pa.dec.com!shlump.nac.dec.com!engage!3d.enet.dec.com!davis
From: davis@3d.enet.dec.com (Peter Davis)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: What is a good pathforall substitute??
Message-ID: <1991May2.135131.1263@engage.enet.dec.com>
Date: 2 May 91 13:46:38 GMT
Sender: news@engage.enet.dec.com (USENET News System)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 35


In article <1991May1.212603.7751@gmuvax2.gmu.edu>, mhovan@gmuvax2.gmu.edu (Mike Hovan) writes...
> 
>	I am interested in placing text on a path created by a
>charpath call.  Unfortunately the LRM says that pathforall operator 
>is not allowed to operate on paths created with charpath.  What is
>a good way to accomplish this?
> 
>	Basically, I am trying to display text created with a small font
>along the outline of text created with a much larger font.
> 
Can't do it.  The restriction on doing 'pathforall' on paths containing
character outlines was specifically put in by Adobe to protect font designs.

Actually, this is a PostScript Level I restriction.  PostScript Level II
supposedly lifts this restriction, depending on where in the Language Reference
Manual you look.  On page 462, in the description of the 'pathforall' operator,
the book says:

	If charpath was used to construct any portion of the current
	path from a font whose outlines are protected, pathforall is
	not allowed.  Its execution will produce an invalidaccess
	error (see charpath).

However, on page 560, in the section on language changes affecting existing
operators, it says:

	charpath no longer protects the character outlines for most fonts.
	pathforall is permitted after charpath for normally constructed
	Type 1 and Type 3 fonts.

I guess the upshot is that it's still possible to protect your font's outlines,
but that by default, they will not be protected.

-pd