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From: seldin@antares.concordia.ca ( JONATHAN SELDIN )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Using Mac fonts
Summary: Need a program like FONTZ!
Message-ID: <301@daily-planet.concordia.ca>
Date: 20 May 91 17:37:34 GMT
References: <49233@ut-emx.uucp>
Sender: usenet@daily-planet.concordia.ca
Organization: Concordia University, Montreal Quebec
Lines: 86

In article <49233@ut-emx.uucp> tdrga@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Todd Drga) writes:
>My questions to the net:
>
>What do I have to do to use some of the Mac fonts that I have found archived
>on various FTP servers?  What program will convert the to GDOS (or other)
>fonts that I can use?  I am interested in using the fonts for DTP and screen
>fonts.

FONTZ! from Neocept will do this conversion.  The documentation
that comes with it gives all the necessary information.

>I am ignorant when it comes to Mac file structure, systems, etc.  The doc
>files for some of the fonts mention things like 'Font DA Mover file'
>'suitcase file' 'resource forks' etc.  what do these mean *to me* as an
>Atari user?  How easy is it to convert these various file types into something
>my machine can read/use?

The documentation with FONTZ! gives all the necessary information
about this.  Perhaps the most important thing to know before
starting is that the font files downloaded from Macintosh archive
sites or BBS's must be separated into files each of which
contains one size and style of one font.  This requires the use
of the Font DA Mover on the Macintosh (the program that moves
fonts and desk accessories between files); it can be run under
Spectre on an ST.  Also, because the screen and printer
resolutions for the Atari and Epson campatible printers differ
from those for the Macintosh and the ImageWriter, the fonts will
convert to odd sizes, and transforming them for use on the ST
will require rescaling them.  In my experience, this rescaling
requires checking the design of each character, and can be very
time consuming.  I believe that some of the fonts which can be
legally circulated have been converted for GDOS use and, if I am
not mistaken, the results are available on atari.archive.

For those who are interested, Macintosh files come in a format
that combines a text part and a binary part; these parts are
called, respectively, the data and resource forks.  Because of
this special format, transferring a binary file between a
Macintosh and a system like the ST or UNIX requires special
software at both ends.  For those who have Spectre, the program
Transverter will do this kind of transformation; since my UNIX
host does not have the necessary UNIX end of the special transfer
software, when I want to download a binary Macintosh file, I
transfer it to my ST using Kermit (since my host does not have
x-modem or y-modem) and then use Transverter to get it into
Macintosh format.

>Are there UnBinHex and UnStuffIt programs for the ST or UNIX?  Or do I have
>to find a Mac to unarchive these files?  (I have a general idea what BinHex
>and StuffIt do - they are comparable to uuencode and ARC/LZH, respectively 
>- or is this not the case)

There are such programs for UNIX; mcvert for UnBinHex and unsit
for UnStuffIt, both obtainable from archive sites.  But I do not
know of any program running under UNIX that will separate fonts
into separate files, which is what is needed to use FONTZ!  So to
convert Macintosh files for GDOS use, you will need a real
Macintosh or Spectre.

>Thanks,

You're welcome.  I hope this helps.

>Todd
>(E-mail replies if you have to explain something really trivial that I got 
>wrong.  Otherwise, post if it is of general interest)
>
>
>-- 
>=  INTERNET-> tdrga@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu   (Todd Drga, UT Dept. of Drama)      =
>=                                                                            =
>=          ' The dry grass will set fire to the damp grass '                 = 
>=                                                                            =
>=           African proverb brought to the Americas by slaves                =

Jonathan P. Seldin
Department of Mathematics                 seldin@alcor.concordia.ca
Concordia University, Montreal		   seldin@vax2.concordia.ca




-- 
Jonathan P. Seldin
Department of Mathematics                 seldin@alcor.concordia.ca
Concordia University, Montreal		   seldin@vax2.concordia.ca