Re: [From fop-user] RE: problem in rendering PS image

2004-09-23 Thread Jeremias Maerki

On 23.09.2004 20:18:33 Clay Leeds wrote:
> On Sep 23, 2004, at 11:07 AM, Jeremias Maerki wrote:
> > Well, you've just loaded me with another exciting thing to watch. I've
> > already got too many of them. Damn. Can we vote on making a day last 
> > 26h
> > instead of 24?
> 
> +1! Ride 'em cowboy! This *is* exciting! I haven't had this much fun 
> watching the list since the logo contest! Erm.. Speaking of which, I 
> really must re-visit that and see where it went... (along with the FOP 
> site generation stuff, of course!).

LOL. It would really be cool to close this long-standing issue about the
new logo.


Jeremias Maerki



Re: [From fop-user] RE: problem in rendering PS image

2004-09-23 Thread Clay Leeds
On Sep 23, 2004, at 11:07 AM, Jeremias Maerki wrote:
Well, you've just loaded me with another exciting thing to watch. I've
already got too many of them. Damn. Can we vote on making a day last 
26h
instead of 24?
+1! Ride 'em cowboy! This *is* exciting! I haven't had this much fun 
watching the list since the logo contest! Erm.. Speaking of which, I 
really must re-visit that and see where it went... (along with the FOP 
site generation stuff, of course!).

Web Maestro Clay


Re: [From fop-user] RE: problem in rendering PS image

2004-09-23 Thread Jeremias Maerki
Yes, I mean java.awt.Graphics2D because if you have that you can
generate PDF (using the PDF transcoder) and SVG (using Batik's
SVGGraphics2D) from it already and you can even use it with the AWT
renderer (which I prefer to call Java2D renderer). Obviously, this is
not important for PS output since you can simply embed the EPS in the PS
output stream.

You may remember Peter B. West (if I'm not wrong) calling for a
Java2D-only rendering approach in FOP. Here you have similar
considerations to make. It may not be an ideal approach in any
circumstance but if you want to get quick results, going for Graphics2D
first is THE choice.

Well, you've just loaded me with another exciting thing to watch. I've
already got too many of them. Damn. Can we vote on making a day last 26h
instead of 24?

On 23.09.2004 19:40:15 Victor Mote wrote:
> This is *very* much in a state of flux right now (I just started the
> interpreter 2 days ago), but here is the plan: I have a PSSystemDict class
> right now that houses the various PostScript operators (I have 4 of about
> 500 working ATM). I *think* that it ought be possible to make a subclass
> that hijacks (overrides) the native meaning of the operators to transform
> them into PDF operators instead. We'll see how it goes. You are right that
> it is non-trivial.
> 
> By Graphics2D, do you mean java.awt.Graphics2D? I don't really intend to
> build anything that will be using that directly, although subclasses could
> do that if it were useful. (Also, I suppose that it might be useful as a
> common intermediate format, but I haven't thought that far ahead). IOW, I
> guess I am building something pretty abstract, not intended to actually
> drive any hardware. (It is abstract in the PostScript sense, but not the
> java sense). So a subclass would need to handle Path Construction and
> Painting Operators and similar items. So, for example, the PostScript
> operator curveto pops 6 items off of the stack and appends a Bézier cubic
> section. My interpreter (I guess its really an emulator) will only pop the 6
> items off of the stack (i.e. it merely pretends to do the actual drawing).
> But one subclass could use java.awt tools to draw something on the screen,
> and another subclass could write a PDF "c" operator instead (I think -- they
> look similar at first glance anyway). I think that should be a pretty good
> way to proceed, but am interested in any comments.



Jeremias Maerki



RE: [From fop-user] RE: problem in rendering PS image

2004-09-23 Thread Victor Mote
Jeremias Maerki wrote:

> PDF Reference Fourth Edition Version 1.5:
> Chapter 4.7.1, page 296:
> "Note: Since PDF 1.4 encompasses all of the Adobe imaging 
> model features of the PostScript language, there is no longer 
> any reason to use PostScript XObjects. This feature is likely 
> to be removed from PDF in a future version."
> 
> Apparently it already is in reality, because Acrobat Reader 
> 6.0.2 no longer passes EPS images to a PostScript printer, 
> while Acrobat Reader 5.x does. 

OK, I see what you mean, and I am intimately familiar with the citation.
Embedding EPS as an XObject is deprecated. However, using EPS as input for a
PDF document would not be deprecated by the above statement. Instead they
are suggesting that because there is a one-to-one relationship between the
capabilities, that any PostScript code (EPS or otherwise) should be
converted to the PDF equivalent. So, EPS input is not deprecated per se,
just embedding it as an XObject.

> > Reason: I am in the middle of writing a very rudimentary PS 
> > Interpreter for FOray, for purposes of "properly" parsing 
> the contents of Type1 font files.
> > There are easier ways to accomplish the immediate purpose, but one 
> > reason I went to this level of trouble is that I *think* it 
> may help 
> > us in embedding EPS files in PDF. If EPS graphics are being 
> deprecated 
> > within the PDF standard itself, that is of great interest.
> 
> Interesting. You probably know from my various comments on 
> this list that I'm longing for such a beast under BSD-style 
> license. Having an interpreter is one thing, but making it 
> paint EPS files to a Graphics2D will be another challenge 
> altogether. But even if it only supported some basic Level 1 
> elements this would already be extremely helpful.

This is *very* much in a state of flux right now (I just started the
interpreter 2 days ago), but here is the plan: I have a PSSystemDict class
right now that houses the various PostScript operators (I have 4 of about
500 working ATM). I *think* that it ought be possible to make a subclass
that hijacks (overrides) the native meaning of the operators to transform
them into PDF operators instead. We'll see how it goes. You are right that
it is non-trivial.

By Graphics2D, do you mean java.awt.Graphics2D? I don't really intend to
build anything that will be using that directly, although subclasses could
do that if it were useful. (Also, I suppose that it might be useful as a
common intermediate format, but I haven't thought that far ahead). IOW, I
guess I am building something pretty abstract, not intended to actually
drive any hardware. (It is abstract in the PostScript sense, but not the
java sense). So a subclass would need to handle Path Construction and
Painting Operators and similar items. So, for example, the PostScript
operator curveto pops 6 items off of the stack and appends a Bézier cubic
section. My interpreter (I guess its really an emulator) will only pop the 6
items off of the stack (i.e. it merely pretends to do the actual drawing).
But one subclass could use java.awt tools to draw something on the screen,
and another subclass could write a PDF "c" operator instead (I think -- they
look similar at first glance anyway). I think that should be a pretty good
way to proceed, but am interested in any comments.

Victor Mote



Re: [From fop-user] RE: problem in rendering PS image

2004-09-23 Thread Jeremias Maerki

On 23.09.2004 16:38:51 Victor Mote wrote:
> [Thread moved from fop-user]
> 
> Jeremias Maerki wrote:
> 
> > Note: Support for EPS graphics in PDF has been deprecated 
> > with the latest specs.
> 
> When I saw this comment, I went looking for this in the PDF Reference, Third
> Edition (for PDF 1.4) and Fourth Edition (for PDF 1.5), and couldn't find
> it. Could you be more specific about who is doing the deprecation?

PDF Reference Fourth Edition Version 1.5:
Chapter 4.7.1, page 296:
"Note: Since PDF 1.4 encompasses all of the Adobe imaging model features
of the PostScript language, there is no longer any reason to use
PostScript XObjects. This feature is likely to be removed from PDF in a
future version."

Apparently it already is in reality, because Acrobat Reader 6.0.2 no
longer passes EPS images to a PostScript printer, while Acrobat Reader
5.x does. 

> Reason: I am in the middle of writing a very rudimentary PS Interpreter for
> FOray, for purposes of "properly" parsing the contents of Type1 font files.
> There are easier ways to accomplish the immediate purpose, but one reason I
> went to this level of trouble is that I *think* it may help us in embedding
> EPS files in PDF. If EPS graphics are being deprecated within the PDF
> standard itself, that is of great interest.

Interesting. You probably know from my various comments on this list
that I'm longing for such a beast under BSD-style license. Having an
interpreter is one thing, but making it paint EPS files to a Graphics2D
will be another challenge altogether. But even if it only supported some
basic Level 1 elements this would already be extremely helpful.


Jeremias Maerki