bittermelon

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Installation
• Examples
• Builtin Fonts
• GNU Unifont via {hexfont}
• Game Bit
• Related Software

Please note this README is best viewed elsewhere than github.com. github.com’s default line-height setting causes distracting extraneous horizontal lines to appear when “printing” bitmaps and github.com does not allow using CSS to set a more reasonable line-height value.

Overview

{bittermelon} provides functions for creating and modifying bitmaps with special emphasis on bitmap fonts and their glyphs. It provides native read/write support for the ‘hex’ and ‘yaff’ bitmap font formats and if ‘Python’ is installed can also read/write several more bitmap font formats using an embedded version of monobit. It features over a dozen functions that can modify individual bitmaps or every bitmap within a “bitmap list” or “bitmap font”. {bittermelon} can also pretty print bitmaps to the terminal and has a basic plot method.

Installation

remotes::install_github("trevorld/bittermelon")

The functions read_monobit() and write_monobit() that use the embedded version of monobit require that Python is available on the system. A couple of the bitmap font output formats supported by write_monobit() also require that the “Pillow” or “reportlab” Python packages are installed (installable via pip3).

Examples

library("bittermelon") # remotes::install_github("trevorld/bittermelon")

Attaching package: 'bittermelon'

The following object is masked from 'package:base':

    which

font_file <- system.file("fonts/spleen/spleen-8x16.hex.gz", package = "bittermelon")
font <- read_hex(font_file)
bml <- as_bm_list("RSTATS", font = font)
# With vertical compression
bm <- bml |> bm_call(cbind) |> bm_compress("vertical")
print(bm)

                                                
██▀▀▀█▄ ▄█▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀██▀▀▀▄█▀▀▀█▄ ▀▀▀██▀▀▀▄█▀▀▀▀▀ 
██   ██ ██         ██   ██   ██    ██   ██      
██▀▀▀█▄  ▀▀▀▀█▄    ██   ██▀▀▀██    ██    ▀▀▀▀█▄ 
██   ██      ██    ██   ██   ██    ██        ██ 
██   ██ ▄▄▄▄▄█▀    ██   ██   ██    ██   ▄▄▄▄▄█▀ 
                                                
                                                

# Upside down with ASCII characters
bm <- bml |> 
    bm_flip("both") |> 
    bm_call(cbind, direction = "RTL")
print(bm, px = px_ascii)

------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
--@@@@@@---@@----@@---@@---@@-----@@@@@@-@@---@@
-@@--------@@----@@---@@---@@----@@------@@---@@
-@@--------@@----@@---@@---@@----@@------@@---@@
-@@--------@@----@@---@@---@@----@@------@@---@@
-@@--------@@----@@---@@---@@----@@------@@---@@
--@@@@@----@@----@@@@@@@---@@-----@@@@@---@@@@@@
------@@---@@----@@---@@---@@---------@@-@@---@@
------@@---@@----@@---@@---@@---------@@-@@---@@
------@@---@@----@@---@@---@@---------@@-@@---@@
-@@@@@@-@@@@@@@@--@@@@@-@@@@@@@@-@@@@@@---@@@@@@
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------

# With a shadow effect and borders
bm <- bml |> 
    bm_pad(sides = 2L) |>
    bm_shadow() |>
    bm_extend(sides = c(2L, 1L), value = 3L) |>
    bm_call(cbind) |> 
    bm_pad(sides = 2L, value = 3L)
print(bm)

▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓
▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓
▓▓░░██████░░░░▓▓░░░██████░░░▓▓░░████████░░░▓▓░░░█████░░░░▓▓░░████████░░░▓▓░░░██████░░░▓▓
▓▓░░██▒▒▒██░░░▓▓░░██▒▒▒▒▒▒░░▓▓░░░▒▒██▒▒▒▒░░▓▓░░██▒▒▒██░░░▓▓░░░▒▒██▒▒▒▒░░▓▓░░██▒▒▒▒▒▒░░▓▓
▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░██▒░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░██▒░░░░░░░▓▓
▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░██▒░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░██▒░░░░░░░▓▓
▓▓░░██████▒▒░░▓▓░░░█████░░░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░███████▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░░█████░░░░▓▓
▓▓░░██▒▒▒██░░░▓▓░░░░▒▒▒██░░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░██▒▒▒██▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░░░▒▒▒██░░░▓▓
▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░██▒░░▓▓
▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░██▒░░▓▓
▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░██▒░░▓▓
▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░██████▒▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░██▒░░██▒░░▓▓░░░░░██▒░░░░░▓▓░░██████▒▒░░▓▓
▓▓░░░▒▒░░░▒▒░░▓▓░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░▓▓░░░░░░▒▒░░░░░▓▓░░░▒▒░░░▒▒░░▓▓░░░░░░▒▒░░░░░▓▓░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░▓▓
▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓
▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓

# Can also print colored terminal output via suggested package {crayon}
if (crayon::has_color())
    print(bm, px = " ", bg = c("white", "black", "grey", "red"))

plot(bm, col = c("white", "darkblue", "lightblue", "black"))

Builtin Fonts

{bittermelon} has a builtin versions of the 8x16 Spleen font as well as 4x6 and 6x13 Fixed fonts.

spleen_8x16 <- read_hex(system.file("fonts/spleen/spleen-8x16.hex.gz",
                                    package = "bittermelon"))
fixed_4x6 <- read_yaff(system.file("fonts/fixed/4x6.yaff.gz", 
                                   package = "bittermelon"))
fixed_5x8 <- read_yaff(system.file("fonts/fixed/5x8.yaff.gz", 
                                   package = "bittermelon"))
fixed_6x13 <- read_yaff(system.file("fonts/fixed/6x13.yaff.gz", 
                                    package = "bittermelon"))
as_bm_bitmap("RSTATS", font = spleen_8x16) |> bm_compress("v")

                                                
██▀▀▀█▄ ▄█▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀██▀▀▀▄█▀▀▀█▄ ▀▀▀██▀▀▀▄█▀▀▀▀▀ 
██   ██ ██         ██   ██   ██    ██   ██      
██▀▀▀█▄  ▀▀▀▀█▄    ██   ██▀▀▀██    ██    ▀▀▀▀█▄ 
██   ██      ██    ██   ██   ██    ██        ██ 
██   ██ ▄▄▄▄▄█▀    ██   ██   ██    ██   ▄▄▄▄▄█▀ 
                                                
                                                

as_bm_bitmap("RSTATS", font = fixed_4x6) |> bm_compress("v")

█▀▄ ▄▀▀ ▀█▀ ▄▀▄ ▀█▀ ▄▀▀ 
█▀▄  ▀▄  █  █▀█  █   ▀▄ 
▀ ▀ ▀▀   ▀  ▀ ▀  ▀  ▀▀  

as_bm_bitmap("RSTATS", font = fixed_5x8) |> bm_compress("v")

▄▄▄   ▄▄   ▄▄▄  ▄▄   ▄▄▄  ▄▄  
█  █ ▀▄ ▀   █  █  █   █  ▀▄ ▀ 
█▀▀▄ ▄ ▀▄   █  █▀▀█   █  ▄ ▀▄ 
▀  ▀  ▀▀    ▀  ▀  ▀   ▀   ▀▀  

as_bm_bitmap("RSTATS", font = fixed_6x13) |> bm_compress("v")

                                    
█▀▀▀▄ ▄▀▀▀▄ ▀▀█▀▀  ▄▀▄  ▀▀█▀▀ ▄▀▀▀▄ 
█   █ █       █   █   █   █   █     
█▀█▀   ▀▀▀▄   █   █▄▄▄█   █    ▀▀▀▄ 
█  ▀▄ ▄   █   █   █   █   █   ▄   █ 
▀   ▀  ▀▀▀    ▀   ▀   ▀   ▀    ▀▀▀  
                                    

GNU Unifont via {hexfont}

The {hexfont} package includes a helper function unifont() which loads several GNU Unifont hex fonts as a single {bittermelon} bm_font() object. GNU Unifont is a monoscale bitmap font (8x16 and 16x16 glyphs) that pretty much covers all of the official Unicode glyphs plus several of the artificial scripts in the (Under-)ConScript Unicode Registry.

library("hexfont") # remotes::install_github("trevorld/hexfont")
system.time(font <- unifont()) # Unifont is a **big** font

   user  system elapsed 
 60.958   0.072  61.036 

length(font) |> prettyNum(big.mark = ",") # number of glyphs

[1] "77,418"

object.size(font) |> format(units = "MB") # memory used

[1] "116 Mb"

# Mandarin Chinese
as_bm_bitmap("Ｒ很棒！", font = font) |> bm_compress("v")

                    █ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄      █      █                     
                  ▄▀  █     █      █  ▀▀▀▀█▀▀▀▀                 
  ██▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▄▄   ▀  █ █▀▀▀▀▀█   ▀▀▀█▀▀ ▀▀█▀▀▀▀         ██       
  ██        ██    ▄█  █▄▄▄▄▄█     ██▄ ▀▀█▀▀▀█▀▀        ██       
  ██▀▀▀▀██▀▀    ▄▀ █  █  █  ▄▀   █ █ ▀▄▀  █  ▀▄        ██       
  ██      ██       █  █   █▀    ▀  █    ▀▀█▀▀          ▀▀       
  ██        ██     █  █ ▄  ▀▄      █  ▀▀▀▀█▀▀▀▀        ██       
                   █  █▀     ▀▀    █      █                     

# Emoji
as_bm_bitmap("🐭🐲🐵", font = font) |> bm_compress("v")

  ▄▄       ▄▄           ▄▄▄            ▄▄       
▄▀  ▀▄▄▄▄▄▀  ▀▄       ▄█▀           ▄█▀██▀█▄    
█    ▀   ▀    █      ▄████       ▄▀█ ▄▄  ▄▄ █▀▄ 
▄█   ▀   ▀   █▄   ▄▄██▄█████     ▀▄█ ▀▀  ▀▀ █▄▀ 
▄█▀    ▄    ▀█▄ ▄█▄███████████     ▄▀      ▀▄   
  ▀▄  ▀▀▀  ▄▀   ▀▀▀▀▀███▀▀█████    █ ▀▄▄▄▄▀ █   
    ▀▀▄▄▄▀▀        ▄███   ████▀     ▀▀▄▄▄▄▀▀    
                  ▀▀▀     ▀▀▀                   

Game Bit

I wrote {bittermelon} in order to help create Game Bit, a fixed-width bitmap font specialized for making board game diagrams. The duospaced version is called Game Bit Duo while the square monospaced version is called Game Bit Mono. Check out the Game Bit Github repo to see an extended example of using {bittermelon} to make a custom font (albeit with several glyphs adopted/adapted from GNU Unifont).

Related Software

R packages

• bdftools provides some tools for reading and manipulating BDF bitmap fonts. In particular provides much richer graphical output capabilities than {bittermelon} will likely support including a specialized {ggplot2} geom.
• fontr allows one to extract character glyphs from a specific font (which itself may not be a bitmap font) as a bitmap.
• raster has tools for manipulating “raster” objects with a focus on spatial applications.

Python

• BDF Parser Python library
• bdflib
• monobit lets one modify bitmap fonts and convert between several formats. Embedded within {bittermelon}.

Other

• Bits’n’Picas
• FontForge

Fonts

• Fixed aka “Unicode fonts and tools for X11”

• Embedded in {hexfont} package:

  • GNU Unifont

• Hoard of Bitfonts

• bitmap-fonts

• Embedded in {bdftools} package:

  • Cozette
  • Creep2
  • Spleen