FPS shit

So this got returned to me since the helmet was down so long.

[ BTW, I got a snapshot of the FPS 2.0 sources if anyone is interested.  2.0
  runs on PLT. ]

-d

-------- Original Message --------
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2003 12:18:38 -0500
From: dvanhorn <[email protected]>

jereme wrote:
> Seriously.
> 
> Please tell us that you are at least doing bonghits or
> something.

Hey man, have you ever seen a Gantt chart... *on weed*?

Seriously though, this functional postscript shit is super cool.  There is a
version 2.0 in the works by Michael Sperber (and possibly others).  It has yet
to be released, but I'm trying to get a copy.  Supposedly it will work on scsh
*and* PLT.

FPS allows vector drawings of arbitrary precision, any type 1 font you can
throw at it, bitmaps, and color.  See examples below.  In conjunction with
(La)Tex, I think we have a pretty solid base for typesetting, say, a magazine.
 Bitmap images would have to be created in some other program (unless you're
good at writing hex strings that turn out to be nifty images), but they can be
placed within a PS document and manipulated using FPS.  So I see LaTeX being
used to set text, it does kerning and justification really well, and FPS used
for layout (rotation, scaling, cropping, reflection, etc).  Since latex can
output encapsulated PS, the text can be manipulated like any other glyph in
FPS.  Alternatively we can use TeX for layout and include EPS files generated
from FPS in the documents.  Of course, we can do any combination of TeX, FPS,
and bitmaps; its turtles all the way down.

I would say the only thing needed besides FPS, TeX, and some image editor like
PhotoShop or GIMP is some practice using the tools, hence my Gantt excercise.

Maybe we can talk sometime about prototyping a mag cover and page layout,
jereme.  Even if you decide this isn't the approach you want to take, I'd like
to see how far I can stretch my typesetting-fu; especially with something that
needs to look "dirty".

   FPS Examples
   ftp://ftp.scsh.net/pub/scsh/contrib/fps/doc/examples/

   Vector Graphics Editors
   http://vectorgraphics.sourceforge.net/editors.php

   GIMP
   http://www.gimp.org/

-d