JPH02144781A - Method and device for painting out - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To paint out at high speed by reading out the minimum value and the maximum value of X and Y coordinate values of an outline to be brought to picture drawing from an address register and painting out a part between them. CONSTITUTION:When outline information is inputted from an outline picture drawing circuit, it is decided by a signal generating circuit 12 by its X coordinate value, and a selecting signal to selectors 8, 9 is set so that address registers 6, 4 are selected. Subsequently, said value is compared with a Y coordinate value by comparators 10, 11, and as a result, the maximum value and the minimum value of the Y coordinate value of the outline information are set to the address registers 4, 6. When painting-out is started, the maximum value and the minimum value are read out of the address registers 4, 6, and a part between them is painted out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a filling method and apparatus for creating dot image data from outline font data.

(Prior Art) A conventional method for generating a dot image from an outline font will be briefly explained using the block diagram shown in FIG. 3 and the operational diagram shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, data is first read from the memory 31 that stores outline font data. The contour drawing circuit 33 draws contour information on the contour drawing memory 34. When the outline drawing is completed, the filling circuit 35 is activated. The filling circuit 33 scans the outline information on the outline drawing memory 34 in the X or Y direction and paints the inside of the character or symbol to create a dot image of the character or symbol. This situation is shown in FIG. 4(a).

Conventionally, when scanning the contour drawing memory in the X or Y direction for filling, it was only possible to scan the entire contour drawing memory or scan a predetermined rectangular area. Therefore, even for the character shown in Figure 4 (L in this case), the entire outline memory must be scanned, and therefore the filling as shown by the symbol A in Figure 4(b) is not applied at all. Areas that are not covered must also be scanned.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, in the past, it was difficult to increase the processing speed because unnecessary portions had to be scanned as well.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide a filling method and device that creates a character outline from outline font data on an outline drawing memory, and then quickly fills in the inside of the outline. do.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means and Effects for Solving the Problems) The present invention has a memory for drawing an outline, calculates the outline or outline information of a character or symbol from outline font data on the memory, and draws a character. Or, in a device that creates a dot image of a character or symbol by drawing the outline or outline information of a symbol and filling in the inside of the drawn outline, the outline drawing memory is divided into n rows and m columns in the X and Y directions, respectively. For each of the n rows and m columns, there is a pointer register that stores the maximum and minimum values of the outline or outline information of the character or symbol, and when filling, the area between the pointer registers of each row and column is filled. The present invention provides a high-speed filling method and device for creating dot images of characters or symbols by filling them.

For this reason, the filling device is provided with an address register that stores the maximum and minimum values of the XSY coordinate values from the contour drawing circuit.
an X, Y decoder that decodes the X, Y coordinate values to determine a corresponding address register; a comparator that compares the value of the address register selected by the decoder with the X, Y coordinate values from the contour drawing circuit; It consists of a logic circuit that clocks the address register according to the comparison result of the comparator, and a filling circuit that reads the minimum and maximum values from the address register and fills in between when filling starts. As a result, filling can be performed with fewer scans than in the past, and the processing speed can be increased accordingly.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail using the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a Y address bus, and the Y coordinate value from a contour drawing circuit (not shown) is transferred. 2 is an X address bus to which the X coordinate value from the contour drawing circuit is transferred. Reference numeral 3 denotes a memory interface, which serves as an interface section for a contour drawing memory (not shown). 4 is an address register which stores the maximum value of the Y coordinate value of the left half of the outline drawing memory. 5 is an address register which stores the maximum value of the Y coordinate value of the right half of the contour drawing memory. 6
is an address register, which stores the minimum value of the Y coordinate value of the left half of the outline drawing memory. 7 is an address register which stores the minimum value of the Y coordinate value of the right half of the outline drawing memory.

8 is a selector that selects the address register 67; 9
is a selector that selects address register 4.5. 10 is a comparator that compares the Y coordinate value with the address register selected by the selector 8, and 11 is a comparator that compares the Y coordinate value with the address register selected by the selector. A signal generation circuit 12 generates and outputs clocks for the address registers 4-7 and select signals for the selector 8.9 from the comparison result by the comparator 10.11 and the X coordinate value.

FIG. 2 is a diagram cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention, and is indicated by (a) to (d).

Hereinafter, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail. In this operation explanation, the outline drawing memory is
A case will be described in which the image is divided into two in the direction and filled in in the Y direction. Address registers 4 and 5 when starting contour drawing
is all “0”, and address register 6.7 is all “0”.
1'. Suppose that an "L" figure as shown in FIG. 2(b) is drawn on the outline drawing memory. The outline is ■−■−■・・
・Suppose that they are drawn in the order of −■−■. First, when the coordinate value of the point ■ in b is received, the signal generation circuit 12 determines that it is on the left side of the outline drawing memory based on the X coordinate value, and sends a select signal to the selector 8.9 to the address register 6.4. Set so that it is selected. Comparators 10 and 11 compare the Y coordinate value, and as a result, the Y coordinate value of Y address bus 1 is larger than the address of address register 4 (which stores the maximum value of the Y coordinate value in the left half of the contour drawing memory). , is smaller than the address of the address register 6 (which stores the minimum value of the Y coordinate value of the left half of the contour drawing memory), so the signal generation circuit 12 generates and outputs clocks for the address registers 4 and 6, and the Y coordinate value 1 ( 0
Y coordinate value of the point) is set in address registers 4 and 6.

While the scan progresses from point ■ to point ■, address register 4
, 5 and the value of the Y address are the same, so the address register 4.5 does not change. However, when it crosses the center, the signal generation circuit 12 moves so that the address register 7.5 (which stores the minimum and maximum values of the Y coordinate values in the right half of the contour drawing memory) is selected by the selector 8°9. . In this case, the Y coordinate value 2 (
The Y coordinate value of the 0 point, that is, the Y coordinate value of the 0 point) is set.

While moving from ■ to ■, the Y coordinate value is stored in address register 7.
Since the value is smaller than the value of 5, only the address register 7 is updated one after another, and the Y coordinate value 3 (the Y coordinate value of the 0 point) is finally set in the address register 7. As the scanning progresses in the order of ■-■-■-■, the values of address registers 4 to 7 become as shown in FIG. 2(c).

Next, the outline drawing is finished and the filling begins. At this time, when filling the left side of the drawing memory, the value of address registers 4 and 5 indicates, and when filling the right side, address registers 7 and 4
Fill in the space between the values of (see Figure 2(d)). This makes it possible to fill in the smallest area, thereby reducing the filling time.

In the embodiment of the present invention, only the case of vertical division has been described, but it is also possible to divide into 3, 4, . . . n.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, instead of scanning the entire contour drawing memory in the past, filling can be achieved by scanning a portion of the memory, and the filling speed can be increased accordingly. processing can be realized.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram cited to explain the operation of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a general outline drawing system.
FIG. 4 is a diagram cited for explaining the operation of the conventional example. 4 to 7: Address register, 8, 9: Selector, 10.11: Comparator, 12: Signal generation circuit. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue (a) Figure (a) Outline drawing (b) Figure filled in

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) By having an outline drawing memory, calculating the outline or outline information of a character or symbol from the outline font data on the memory, drawing the outline or outline information of the character or symbol, and filling the inside of the drawn outline. In a pattern generation device that generates a dot image of a character or symbol, the outline drawing memory is divided into n rows and m columns in the X and Y directions, respectively, and the outline of the character or symbol is generated for each of the divided n rows and m columns. Alternatively, a filling method characterized by storing the maximum and minimum values of contour information, reading out the maximum and minimum values when filling, and filling in between to generate a dot image of a character or symbol. . (2) By having an outline drawing memory, calculating the outline or outline information of a character or symbol from the outline font data on the memory, drawing the outline or outline information of the character or symbol, and filling the inside of the drawn outline. In a pattern generation device that generates a dot image of a character or symbol, the outline drawing memory is divided into n rows and m columns in the X and Y directions, respectively, and the outline of the character or symbol is generated for each of the divided n rows and m columns. or an address register that stores the maximum and minimum values of the XY coordinate values of contour information, an XY decoder that decodes the XY coordinate values and determines the corresponding address register, and the value of the address register selected by this decoder. a comparator that compares the XY coordinate values from the contour drawing circuit; a clock generation circuit that supplies a clock to the address register according to the comparison result of the comparator; and a clock generation circuit that reads the maximum and minimum values from the address register when filling. A filling device characterized by comprising a filling circuit that performs filling in between.