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[amos]

Hi all,

A few people have asked about being able to change the font of the letters. Here follows some alternate fonts, a brief tutorial on how to change the font, and a template if you want to make your own.

WinFlip does not draw text next to the windows, it relies on an alphabet file. This is an image consisting of 26 64x64 panes, one for each letter of the alphabet, and named 'alphabet.png'. WinFlip uses the top-left colour of the first pane and replaces it with transparency for every pane.

Attached are a few sample fonts. I've called them alphabet_[name].png. To install and use new font, save them into your WinFlip folder, then rename the file 'alphabet.png' 'alphabet_default.png', or any other name you'll remember if you want to go back. Then copy the font your want to use and rename the copy 'alphabet.png'. Restart WinFlip and your new alphabet should be used!

I've also attached a template in Photoshop's PSD format and the GIMP's XCF format, just delete the ".txt" from the extension. To make your own font, assuming you have a basic knowledge of your image manipulation program, do the following:

- Download the template and fire it up in the program of your choice
- Click on Layer 'a', and change the font. Rinse and repeat for every letter after that.
- Once you're done changing the font, you want an outline. First merge all of the alphabet layers, then right-click >> Alpha To Selection (GIMP) to get the outline.
- Grow the selection by 2px, make a new layer with this selection, fill it white and move it underneath the black text layer.
- You're pretty much done! Save as a PNG, with an obvious name, in your WinFlip folder, duplicate it as alphabet.png and reboot WinFlip, then sit back and admire your work.

I'll take any questions, font requests, etc, on the condition that no one asks for Comic Sans. You have been warned 

- Amos

[Dracion]

Hope this doesn't sound negative, but is there any way to remove the alphabets from the corner of the window? I find them a bit annoying.

Thanks

[amos]

Yes, do the above but use a blank alphabet image.

Here you go:

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q187/amosharper/alphabet.png

- Amos

[Roman]

  

Thank you for the alphabets, Amos. I know it's been already suggested (can't find now), but I think too it's worth including a few within a new option to choose an alphabet.

Dracion, how far "from the corner of the window" would you like to remove them ?   Get rid of the letters completely ?   Then you may also want to right-click on the WF tray icon and clear the option "Enable the quick flip" :

[Zirix]

Yes, do the above but use a blank alphabet image.

Here you go:

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q187/amosharper/alphabet.png

- Amos

I use the blank alphabet image, and I see a red square thats looking at another angle. Can you like make it some different color, maybe white or black?

[amos]

That's odd - it should read the bottom-left* pixel colour and treat that as transparent throughout the image...

Open the above file in MS Paint, press Ctrl-Shift-N to clear the image, fill it white, save it as a PNG and replace alphabet.png to try a different colour, although I can't see why it would make any difference. Seems odd.

Cheers - Amos.

*Can't remember off-hand if it is the bottom-left, might well be top-left. On a monochrome image, it shouldn't make a difference.

EDIT: Roman has pointed out - and I had forgotten this - that in WinFlip 0.50 you can hide the alphabet by right-clicking the WinFlip tray icon, going to Options and unticking 'Show shortcut letters' under the 'Keyboard' section.
If you don;t have the latest version of WinFlip, download it here: http://winflip.stylekings.de/