# bitmap-font-maker (`fontc`)

Turns `.font` text files — pixel glyph grids an agent can read and edit
directly — into **font atlases (PNG + JSON metrics)** and renders text
strings to PNG. Proportional widths, unicode glyph names (ÅÄÖ works).
Go, zero dependencies, single static binary.

## Build

```bash
# Arch/Garuda: sudo pacman -S go
cd bitmap-font-maker
go build -o build/fontc .        # or the VS Code task "build bitmap-font-maker"
go test ./...
```

## The `.font` format

```
# comment
font: tiny5          optional name
spacing: 1           px between glyphs (default 1)
space-width: 3       advance of ' ' (default: width of '0')
line-height: 7       default: glyph height + 1
baseline: 5          default: glyph height

glyph A:
  .#.
  #.#
  ###
  #.#
  #.#

glyph ::             the char between "glyph " and ":" is literal
  .
  #
  .
  #
  .
```

- `#` = pixel on, `.` = off.
- **All glyphs share one height; widths may differ** (proportional fonts —
  `M` can be 5 px wide while `.` is 1 px).
- Max glyph size 64x64.

## Commands

```bash
fontc build tiny5.font -o out/tiny5        # -> tiny5.png (atlas) + tiny5.json (metrics)
fontc render tiny5.font 'HEJ!\nRAD 2' --scale 4 --color '#FFD700' -o title.png
fontc info tiny5.font                      # validate + list glyphs
fontc preview tiny5.font 'HELLO'           # draw in the terminal
```

## Atlas + metrics

The atlas draws glyphs **white on transparent** so game engines can tint
them. The JSON carries everything a loader needs:

```json
{
  "name": "tiny5", "atlas": "tiny5.png",
  "height": 5, "lineHeight": 6, "baseline": 5,
  "spacing": 1, "spaceWidth": 3,
  "glyphs": { "A": {"x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 3, "h": 5, "advance": 4}, ... }
}
```

Drawing text in a game: blit `glyphs[c]` from the atlas, advance the
cursor by `advance`; spaces advance `spaceWidth + spacing`; new lines
step `lineHeight`.

[`examples/tiny5.font`](examples/tiny5.font) is a complete 3x5 font:
A-Z, ÅÄÖ, 0-9 and punctuation.