https://github.com/gavinlyonsrepo/colossus_ltsm
Colossus_LTSM is a Python tool for converting TrueType fonts (.ttf) into C/C++ bitmap arrays and for visualizing font data stored in C/C++ header files. It is aimed at users working with embedded systems, LCDs, and GUIs where compact fonts are needed.
https://github.com/gavinlyonsrepo/colossus_ltsm
bitmap bitmap-font bitmap-font-converter bitmap-font-generator cplusplus embedded embedded-systems font-rendering fonts gui lcd python3 tool ttf ttf-fonts utlity
Last synced: 4 months ago
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Colossus_LTSM is a Python tool for converting TrueType fonts (.ttf) into C/C++ bitmap arrays and for visualizing font data stored in C/C++ header files. It is aimed at users working with embedded systems, LCDs, and GUIs where compact fonts are needed.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/gavinlyonsrepo/colossus_ltsm
- Owner: gavinlyonsrepo
- License: mit
- Created: 2025-08-23T20:29:25.000Z (10 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-08-24T13:49:28.000Z (10 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-09-30T09:12:24.977Z (9 months ago)
- Topics: bitmap, bitmap-font, bitmap-font-converter, bitmap-font-generator, cplusplus, embedded, embedded-systems, font-rendering, fonts, gui, lcd, python3, tool, ttf, ttf-fonts, utlity
- Language: Python
- Homepage:
- Size: 820 KB
- Stars: 2
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# Colossus_LTSM
[](https://gavinlyonsrepo.github.io/) [](https://gavinlyonsrepo.github.io//feed.xml) [](https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/whitelight976)
## Table of Contents
* [Overview](#overview)
* [Installation](#installation)
* [Libraries](#libraries)
* [Usage](#usage)
* [Input](#input)
* [Output](#output)
* [Configuration file](#configuration-file)
* [Desktop Entry](#desktop-entry)
* [Glyph rendering](#glyph-rendering)
* [Screenshots](#screenshots)
* [Projects](#projects)
## Overview
**Colossus_LTSM** is a Python tool for converting TrueType fonts (`.ttf`) into C/C++ bitmap arrays and for visualizing font data stored in C/C++ header files.
It is aimed at users working with embedded systems, LCDs, and GUIs where compact fonts are needed.
* Convert `.ttf` fonts to C/C++ arrays
* Adjustable font size, ASCII range, and addressing mode
* Visualize fonts from existing C/C++ headers
* GUI built with Tkinter
* Lightweight: only depends on `Pillow`
## Installation
1. [github repository](https://www.github.com/gavinlyonsrepo/Colossus_LTSM)
2. [Pypi package](https://pypi.org/project/colossus-ltsm/)
The program is present in python package index, Pypi.
Install (you can use *pip* or *pipx*) to the location or environment of your choice.
```python
# For example with pipx
pipx install colossus-ltsm
```
## Libraries
[Pillow](https://python-pillow.org/) for image processing
## Usage
0. Github repository: Colossus_LTSM
1. PyPI package name: colossus-ltsm
2. Import path: import colossus_ltsm
3. Executable command: colossus
Run the GUI:
Select from application menu(if desktop entry installed) or run from terminal with:
```python
colossus
# or directly with Python
python3 -m colossus_ltsm.colossus_main
```
## Input
* Select a `.ttf` font file
* Set font size, Width and Height(e.g., 12, 16, 24)
* Define ASCII range (e.g., 32-126)
* Choose data addressing mode (horizontal or vertical)
* Choose C or C++ arrays
* Choose file extension (.h or .hpp)
* Choose font name and file name
* Some ttf files are available in the `extras/ttf` directory for testing.
## Output
* Generates a C or C++ header file with bitmap arrays.
* Visualizes the font in the GUI, a PNG image can also be exported.
Example output :
```c
// Example Font
// An 8 by 8 character size font starting at
// ASCII offset 0x30 in ASCII table with 0x02 characters in font.
// 0 and 1 , size 20 bytes, 4 Control bytes at start.
static const std::array FontBinaryExample =
{
0x08, 0x08, 0x30, 0x01, // x-size, y-size, offset, (last character-offset : 0x31-0x30)
0x7C,0xC6,0xCE,0xD6,0xE6,0xC6,0x7C,0x00, // ASCII font data '0' : 0x30
0x18,0x38,0x18,0x18,0x18,0x18,0x7E,0x00 // ASCII font data '1' : 0x31
};
```
Exported PNG image of font data visualization:
## Configuration file
The configuration file is created on startup and populated by default values.
The file is located at '~/.config/colossus_ltsm/colossus_ltsm.cfg' on Linux systems.
| Setting | Value | Default | Note |
| ------ | ------ | ----- | ----- |
| scale | int | 4 | Scale of font displayed |
| Columns | int | 16 | Number of columns of font characters to display |
| debug | bool | False | Enable debug output to terminal |
## Desktop Entry
A button on the main GUI allows Linux users to install a desktop entry and icon for Colossus.This creates a `.desktop` file in `~/.local/share/applications/` and an icon in `~/.local/share/icons/`, allowing Colossus to be launched from the application menu. The button is automatically disabled if the desktop entry is already installed. Uses *Curl* to download the icon from GitHub and creates the desktop entry file with the correct paths.
## Glyph rendering
Glyph rendering help [readme.](extras/docs/README_glyph_help.md)
Explains how the converter measures and positions glyphs within the bitmap cell, and how to interpret messages in the conversion log related to width scaling and clipping.
## Screenshots
## Projects
Some of my libraries that use these fonts are:
| MCU type | Library link | Data adddressing mode |
| ------ | ------ | ----- |
| Arduino | [GFX](https://github.com/gavinlyonsrepo/display16_LTSM) | Horizontal |
| Raspberry Pi Pico | [GFX 16 bit](https://github.com/gavinlyonsrepo/displaylib_16bit_PICO) | Horizontal |
| Raspberry Pi Pico | [GFX 1 bit](https://github.com/gavinlyonsrepo/displaylib_1bit_PICO) | Vertical |
| Raspberry Pi | [GFX](https://github.com/gavinlyonsrepo/Display_Lib_RPI) | Horizontal |
| PIC | [OLED](https://github.com/gavinlyonsrepo/pic_18F47K42_projects ) | Vertical |