2025-12-03 22:00:29 +11:00
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// From
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// https://github.com/vroland/epdiy/blob/c61e9e923ce2418150d54f88cea5d196cdc40c54/src/epd_internals.h
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#pragma once
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#include <cstdint>
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fix: Use fixed-point fractional x-advance and kerning for better text layout (#1168)
## Summary
**What is the goal of this PR?**
Hopefully fixes #1182.
_Note: I think letterforms got a "heavier" appearance after #1098, which
makes this more noticeable. The current version of this PR reverts the
change to add `--force-autohint` for Bookerly, which to me seems to
bring the font back to a more aesthetic and consistent weight._
#### Problem
Character spacing was uneven in certain words. The word "drew" in
Bookerly was the clearest example: a visible gap between `d` and `r`,
while `e` and `w` appeared tightly condensed. The root cause was
twofold:
1. **Integer-only glyph advances.** `advanceX` was stored as a `uint8_t`
of whole pixels, sourced from FreeType's hinted `advance.x` (which
grid-fits to integers). A glyph whose true advance is 15.56px was stored
as 16px -- an error of +0.44px per character that compounds across a
line.
2. **Floor-rounded kerning.** Kern adjustments were converted with
`math.floor()`, which systematically over-tightened negative kerns. A
kern of -0.3px became -1px -- a 0.7px over-correction that visibly
closed gaps.
Combined, these produced the classic symptom: some pairs too wide,
others too tight, with the imbalance varying per word.
#### Solution: fixed-point accumulation with 1/16-pixel resolution, for
sub-pixel precision during text layout
All font metrics now use a "fixed-point 4" format -- 4 fractional bits
giving 1/16-pixel (0.0625px) resolution. This is implemented with plain
integer arithmetic (shifts and adds), requiring no floating-point on the
ESP32.
**How it works:**
A value like 15.56px is stored as the integer `249`:
```
249 = 15 * 16 + 9 (where 9/16 = 0.5625, closest to 0.56)
```
Two storage widths share the same 4 fractional bits:
| Field | Type | Format | Range | Use |
|-------|------|--------|-------|-----|
| `advanceX` | `uint16_t` | 12.4 | 0 -- 4095.9375 px | Glyph advance
width |
| `kernMatrix` | `int8_t` | 4.4 | -8.0 -- +7.9375 px | Kerning
adjustment |
Because both have 4 fractional bits, they add directly into a single
`int32_t` accumulator during layout. The accumulator is only snapped to
the nearest whole pixel at the moment each glyph is rendered:
```cpp
int32_t xFP = fp4::fromPixel(startX); // pixel to 12.4: startX << 4
for each character:
xFP += kernFP; // add 4.4 kern (sign-extends into int32_t)
int xPx = fp4::toPixel(xFP); // snap to nearest pixel: (xFP + 8) >> 4
render glyph at xPx;
xFP += glyph->advanceX; // add 12.4 advance
```
Fractional remainders carry forward indefinitely. Rounding errors stay
below +/- 0.5px and never compound.
#### Concrete example: "drew" in Bookerly
**Before** (integer advances, floor-rounded kerning):
| Char | Advance | Kern | Cursor | Snap | Gap from prev |
|------|---------|------|--------|------|---------------|
| d | 16 px | -- | 33 | 33 | -- |
| r | 12 px | 0 | 49 | 49 | ~2px |
| e | 13 px | -1 | 60 | 60 | ~0px |
| w | 22 px | -1 | 72 | 72 | ~0px |
The d-to-r gap was visibly wider than the tightly packed `rew`.
**After** (12.4 advances, 4.4 kerning, fractional accumulation):
| Char | Advance (FP) | Kern (FP) | Accumulator | Snap | Ink start | Gap
from prev |
|------|-------------|-----------|-------------|------|-----------|---------------|
| d | 249 (15.56px) | -- | 528 | 33 | 34 | -- |
| r | 184 (11.50px) | 0 | 777 | 49 | 49 | 0px |
| e | 208 (13.00px) | -8 (-0.50px) | 953 | 60 | 61 | 1px |
| w | 356 (22.25px) | -4 (-0.25px) | 1157 | 72 | 72 | 0px |
Spacing is now `0, 1, 0` pixels -- nearly uniform. Verified on-device:
all 5 copies of "drew" in the test EPUB produce identical spacing,
confirming zero accumulator drift.
#### Changes
**Font conversion (`fontconvert.py`)**
- Use `linearHoriAdvance` (FreeType 16.16, unhinted) instead of
`advance.x` (26.6, grid-fitted to integers) for glyph advances
- Encode kern values as 4.4 fixed-point with `round()` instead of
`floor()`
- Add `fp4_from_ft16_16()` and `fp4_from_design_units()` helper
functions
- Add module-level documentation of fixed-point conventions
**Font data structures (`EpdFontData.h`)**
- `EpdGlyph::advanceX`: `uint8_t` to `uint16_t` (no memory cost due to
existing struct padding)
- Add `fp4` namespace with `constexpr` helpers: `fromPixel()`,
`toPixel()`, `toFloat()`
- Document fixed-point conventions
**Font API (`EpdFont.h/cpp`, `EpdFontFamily.h/cpp`)**
- `getKerning()` return type: `int8_t` to `int` (to avoid truncation of
the 4.4 value)
**Rendering (`GfxRenderer.cpp`)**
- `drawText()`: replace integer cursor with `int32_t` fixed-point
accumulator
- `drawTextRotated90CW()`: same accumulator treatment for vertical
layout
- `getTextAdvanceX()`, `getSpaceWidth()`, `getSpaceKernAdjust()`,
`getKerning()`: convert from fixed-point to pixel at API boundary
**Regenerated all built-in font headers** with new 12.4 advances and 4.4
kern values.
#### Memory impact
Zero additional RAM. The `advanceX` field grew from `uint8_t` to
`uint16_t`, but the `EpdGlyph` struct already had 1 byte of padding at
that position, so the struct size is unchanged. The fixed-point
accumulator is a single `int32_t` on the stack.
#### Test plan
- [ ] Verify "drew" spacing in Bookerly at small, medium, and large
sizes
- [ ] Verify uppercase kerning pairs: AVERY, WAVE, VALUE
- [ ] Verify ligature words: coffee, waffle, office
- [ ] Verify all built-in fonts render correctly at each size
- [ ] Verify rotated text (progress bar percentage) renders correctly
- [ ] Verify combining marks (accented characters) still position
correctly
- [ ] Spot-check a full-length book for any layout regressions
---
### AI Usage
While CrossPoint doesn't have restrictions on AI tools in contributing,
please be transparent about their usage as it
helps set the right context for reviewers.
Did you use AI tools to help write this code? _**YES, Claude Opus 4.6
helped figure out a non-floating point approach for sub-pixel error
accumulation**_
2026-03-01 10:43:37 -06:00
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/// Font metrics use "fixed-point 4" (4 fractional bits, i.e. 1/16-pixel
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/// resolution). Both the 12.4 glyph advances (uint16_t) and the 4.4 kern
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/// values (int8_t) share the same 4 fractional bits, so they can be freely
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/// added into a single int32_t accumulator during text layout. The
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/// accumulator is snapped to the nearest whole pixel only at render time,
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/// which avoids the per-character rounding errors that plagued integer-only
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/// layout.
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///
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/// The helpers below eliminate the raw bit-shifts that would otherwise be
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/// scattered across every layout / measurement call site.
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namespace fp4 {
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constexpr int FRAC_BITS = 4;
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constexpr int32_t HALF = 1 << (FRAC_BITS - 1); // 8, added before shift for round-to-nearest
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/// Convert an integer pixel value to 12.4 fixed-point.
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constexpr int32_t fromPixel(int px) { return static_cast<int32_t>(px) << FRAC_BITS; }
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/// Snap a fixed-point value to the nearest integer pixel.
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constexpr int toPixel(int32_t fp) { return static_cast<int>((fp + HALF) >> FRAC_BITS); }
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/// Convert a fixed-point value to float (mainly useful for debug logging).
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constexpr float toFloat(int32_t fp) { return fp / static_cast<float>(1 << FRAC_BITS); }
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} // namespace fp4
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/// Fixed-point conventions used by EpdGlyph and EpdFontData:
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/// advanceX: 12.4 unsigned fixed-point in uint16_t (use fp4::toPixel)
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/// kernMatrix: 4.4 signed fixed-point in int8_t (use fp4::toPixel)
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/// Both share 4 fractional bits so they combine directly in an accumulator.
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2025-12-03 22:00:29 +11:00
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/// Font data stored PER GLYPH
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typedef struct {
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2025-12-07 01:26:49 +11:00
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uint8_t width; ///< Bitmap dimensions in pixels
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uint8_t height; ///< Bitmap dimensions in pixels
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fix: Use fixed-point fractional x-advance and kerning for better text layout (#1168)
## Summary
**What is the goal of this PR?**
Hopefully fixes #1182.
_Note: I think letterforms got a "heavier" appearance after #1098, which
makes this more noticeable. The current version of this PR reverts the
change to add `--force-autohint` for Bookerly, which to me seems to
bring the font back to a more aesthetic and consistent weight._
#### Problem
Character spacing was uneven in certain words. The word "drew" in
Bookerly was the clearest example: a visible gap between `d` and `r`,
while `e` and `w` appeared tightly condensed. The root cause was
twofold:
1. **Integer-only glyph advances.** `advanceX` was stored as a `uint8_t`
of whole pixels, sourced from FreeType's hinted `advance.x` (which
grid-fits to integers). A glyph whose true advance is 15.56px was stored
as 16px -- an error of +0.44px per character that compounds across a
line.
2. **Floor-rounded kerning.** Kern adjustments were converted with
`math.floor()`, which systematically over-tightened negative kerns. A
kern of -0.3px became -1px -- a 0.7px over-correction that visibly
closed gaps.
Combined, these produced the classic symptom: some pairs too wide,
others too tight, with the imbalance varying per word.
#### Solution: fixed-point accumulation with 1/16-pixel resolution, for
sub-pixel precision during text layout
All font metrics now use a "fixed-point 4" format -- 4 fractional bits
giving 1/16-pixel (0.0625px) resolution. This is implemented with plain
integer arithmetic (shifts and adds), requiring no floating-point on the
ESP32.
**How it works:**
A value like 15.56px is stored as the integer `249`:
```
249 = 15 * 16 + 9 (where 9/16 = 0.5625, closest to 0.56)
```
Two storage widths share the same 4 fractional bits:
| Field | Type | Format | Range | Use |
|-------|------|--------|-------|-----|
| `advanceX` | `uint16_t` | 12.4 | 0 -- 4095.9375 px | Glyph advance
width |
| `kernMatrix` | `int8_t` | 4.4 | -8.0 -- +7.9375 px | Kerning
adjustment |
Because both have 4 fractional bits, they add directly into a single
`int32_t` accumulator during layout. The accumulator is only snapped to
the nearest whole pixel at the moment each glyph is rendered:
```cpp
int32_t xFP = fp4::fromPixel(startX); // pixel to 12.4: startX << 4
for each character:
xFP += kernFP; // add 4.4 kern (sign-extends into int32_t)
int xPx = fp4::toPixel(xFP); // snap to nearest pixel: (xFP + 8) >> 4
render glyph at xPx;
xFP += glyph->advanceX; // add 12.4 advance
```
Fractional remainders carry forward indefinitely. Rounding errors stay
below +/- 0.5px and never compound.
#### Concrete example: "drew" in Bookerly
**Before** (integer advances, floor-rounded kerning):
| Char | Advance | Kern | Cursor | Snap | Gap from prev |
|------|---------|------|--------|------|---------------|
| d | 16 px | -- | 33 | 33 | -- |
| r | 12 px | 0 | 49 | 49 | ~2px |
| e | 13 px | -1 | 60 | 60 | ~0px |
| w | 22 px | -1 | 72 | 72 | ~0px |
The d-to-r gap was visibly wider than the tightly packed `rew`.
**After** (12.4 advances, 4.4 kerning, fractional accumulation):
| Char | Advance (FP) | Kern (FP) | Accumulator | Snap | Ink start | Gap
from prev |
|------|-------------|-----------|-------------|------|-----------|---------------|
| d | 249 (15.56px) | -- | 528 | 33 | 34 | -- |
| r | 184 (11.50px) | 0 | 777 | 49 | 49 | 0px |
| e | 208 (13.00px) | -8 (-0.50px) | 953 | 60 | 61 | 1px |
| w | 356 (22.25px) | -4 (-0.25px) | 1157 | 72 | 72 | 0px |
Spacing is now `0, 1, 0` pixels -- nearly uniform. Verified on-device:
all 5 copies of "drew" in the test EPUB produce identical spacing,
confirming zero accumulator drift.
#### Changes
**Font conversion (`fontconvert.py`)**
- Use `linearHoriAdvance` (FreeType 16.16, unhinted) instead of
`advance.x` (26.6, grid-fitted to integers) for glyph advances
- Encode kern values as 4.4 fixed-point with `round()` instead of
`floor()`
- Add `fp4_from_ft16_16()` and `fp4_from_design_units()` helper
functions
- Add module-level documentation of fixed-point conventions
**Font data structures (`EpdFontData.h`)**
- `EpdGlyph::advanceX`: `uint8_t` to `uint16_t` (no memory cost due to
existing struct padding)
- Add `fp4` namespace with `constexpr` helpers: `fromPixel()`,
`toPixel()`, `toFloat()`
- Document fixed-point conventions
**Font API (`EpdFont.h/cpp`, `EpdFontFamily.h/cpp`)**
- `getKerning()` return type: `int8_t` to `int` (to avoid truncation of
the 4.4 value)
**Rendering (`GfxRenderer.cpp`)**
- `drawText()`: replace integer cursor with `int32_t` fixed-point
accumulator
- `drawTextRotated90CW()`: same accumulator treatment for vertical
layout
- `getTextAdvanceX()`, `getSpaceWidth()`, `getSpaceKernAdjust()`,
`getKerning()`: convert from fixed-point to pixel at API boundary
**Regenerated all built-in font headers** with new 12.4 advances and 4.4
kern values.
#### Memory impact
Zero additional RAM. The `advanceX` field grew from `uint8_t` to
`uint16_t`, but the `EpdGlyph` struct already had 1 byte of padding at
that position, so the struct size is unchanged. The fixed-point
accumulator is a single `int32_t` on the stack.
#### Test plan
- [ ] Verify "drew" spacing in Bookerly at small, medium, and large
sizes
- [ ] Verify uppercase kerning pairs: AVERY, WAVE, VALUE
- [ ] Verify ligature words: coffee, waffle, office
- [ ] Verify all built-in fonts render correctly at each size
- [ ] Verify rotated text (progress bar percentage) renders correctly
- [ ] Verify combining marks (accented characters) still position
correctly
- [ ] Spot-check a full-length book for any layout regressions
---
### AI Usage
While CrossPoint doesn't have restrictions on AI tools in contributing,
please be transparent about their usage as it
helps set the right context for reviewers.
Did you use AI tools to help write this code? _**YES, Claude Opus 4.6
helped figure out a non-floating point approach for sub-pixel error
accumulation**_
2026-03-01 10:43:37 -06:00
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uint16_t advanceX; ///< Distance to advance cursor (x axis), 12.4 fixed-point in pixels
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2025-12-07 01:26:49 +11:00
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int16_t left; ///< X dist from cursor pos to UL corner
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int16_t top; ///< Y dist from cursor pos to UL corner
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uint16_t dataLength; ///< Size of the font data.
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perf: Reduce overall flash usage by 30.7% by compressing built-in fonts (#831)
## Summary
**What is the goal of this PR?**
Compress reader font bitmaps to reduce flash usage by 30.7%.
**What changes are included?**
- New `EpdFontGroup` struct and extended `EpdFontData` with
`groups`/`groupCount` fields
- `--compress` flag in `fontconvert.py`: groups glyphs (ASCII base group
+ groups of 8) and compresses each with raw DEFLATE
- `FontDecompressor` class with 4-slot LRU cache for on-demand
decompression during rendering
- `GfxRenderer` transparently routes bitmap access through
`getGlyphBitmap()` (compressed or direct flash)
- Uses `uzlib` for decompression with minimal heap overhead.
- 48 reader fonts (Bookerly, NotoSans 12-18pt, OpenDyslexic) regenerated
with compression; 5 UI fonts unchanged
- Round-trip verification script (`verify_compression.py`) runs as part
of font generation
## Additional Context
## Flash & RAM
| | baseline | font-compression | Difference |
|--|--------|-----------------|------------|
| Flash (ELF) | 6,302,476 B (96.2%) | 4,365,022 B (66.6%) | -1,937,454 B
(-30.7%) |
| firmware.bin | 6,468,192 B | 4,531,008 B | -1,937,184 B (-29.9%) |
| RAM | 101,700 B (31.0%) | 103,076 B (31.5%) | +1,376 B (+0.5%) |
## Script-Based Grouping (Cold Cache)
Comparison of uncompressed baseline vs script-based group compression
(4-slot LRU cache, cleared each page). Glyphs are grouped by Unicode
block (ASCII, Latin-1, Latin Extended-A, Combining Marks, Cyrillic,
General Punctuation, etc.) instead of sequential groups of 8.
### Render Time
| | Baseline | Compressed (cold cache) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Median** | 414.9 ms | 431.6 ms | +16.7 ms (+4.0%) |
| **Pages** | 37 | 37 | |
### Memory Usage
| | Baseline | Compressed (cold cache) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Heap free (median)** | 187.0 KB | 176.3 KB | -10.7 KB |
| **Heap free (min)** | 186.0 KB | 166.5 KB | -19.5 KB |
| **Largest block (median)** | 148.0 KB | 128.0 KB | -20.0 KB |
| **Largest block (min)** | 148.0 KB | 120.0 KB | -28.0 KB |
### Cache Effectiveness
| | Misses/page | Hit rate |
|---|---|---|
| **Compressed (cold cache)** | 2.1 | 99.85% |
------
### AI Usage
While CrossPoint doesn't have restrictions on AI tools in contributing,
please be transparent about their usage as it
helps set the right context for reviewers.
Did you use AI tools to help write this code? _**YES**_
Implementation was done by Claude Code (Opus 4.6) based on a plan
developed collaboratively. All generated font headers were verified with
an automated round-trip decompression test. The firmware was compiled
successfully but has not yet been tested on-device.
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-02-19 20:30:15 +11:00
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uint32_t dataOffset; ///< Pointer into EpdFont->bitmap (or within-group offset for compressed fonts)
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2025-12-03 22:00:29 +11:00
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} EpdGlyph;
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perf: Reduce overall flash usage by 30.7% by compressing built-in fonts (#831)
## Summary
**What is the goal of this PR?**
Compress reader font bitmaps to reduce flash usage by 30.7%.
**What changes are included?**
- New `EpdFontGroup` struct and extended `EpdFontData` with
`groups`/`groupCount` fields
- `--compress` flag in `fontconvert.py`: groups glyphs (ASCII base group
+ groups of 8) and compresses each with raw DEFLATE
- `FontDecompressor` class with 4-slot LRU cache for on-demand
decompression during rendering
- `GfxRenderer` transparently routes bitmap access through
`getGlyphBitmap()` (compressed or direct flash)
- Uses `uzlib` for decompression with minimal heap overhead.
- 48 reader fonts (Bookerly, NotoSans 12-18pt, OpenDyslexic) regenerated
with compression; 5 UI fonts unchanged
- Round-trip verification script (`verify_compression.py`) runs as part
of font generation
## Additional Context
## Flash & RAM
| | baseline | font-compression | Difference |
|--|--------|-----------------|------------|
| Flash (ELF) | 6,302,476 B (96.2%) | 4,365,022 B (66.6%) | -1,937,454 B
(-30.7%) |
| firmware.bin | 6,468,192 B | 4,531,008 B | -1,937,184 B (-29.9%) |
| RAM | 101,700 B (31.0%) | 103,076 B (31.5%) | +1,376 B (+0.5%) |
## Script-Based Grouping (Cold Cache)
Comparison of uncompressed baseline vs script-based group compression
(4-slot LRU cache, cleared each page). Glyphs are grouped by Unicode
block (ASCII, Latin-1, Latin Extended-A, Combining Marks, Cyrillic,
General Punctuation, etc.) instead of sequential groups of 8.
### Render Time
| | Baseline | Compressed (cold cache) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Median** | 414.9 ms | 431.6 ms | +16.7 ms (+4.0%) |
| **Pages** | 37 | 37 | |
### Memory Usage
| | Baseline | Compressed (cold cache) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Heap free (median)** | 187.0 KB | 176.3 KB | -10.7 KB |
| **Heap free (min)** | 186.0 KB | 166.5 KB | -19.5 KB |
| **Largest block (median)** | 148.0 KB | 128.0 KB | -20.0 KB |
| **Largest block (min)** | 148.0 KB | 120.0 KB | -28.0 KB |
### Cache Effectiveness
| | Misses/page | Hit rate |
|---|---|---|
| **Compressed (cold cache)** | 2.1 | 99.85% |
------
### AI Usage
While CrossPoint doesn't have restrictions on AI tools in contributing,
please be transparent about their usage as it
helps set the right context for reviewers.
Did you use AI tools to help write this code? _**YES**_
Implementation was done by Claude Code (Opus 4.6) based on a plan
developed collaboratively. All generated font headers were verified with
an automated round-trip decompression test. The firmware was compiled
successfully but has not yet been tested on-device.
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-02-19 20:30:15 +11:00
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/// Compressed font group: a DEFLATE-compressed block of glyph bitmaps
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typedef struct {
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uint32_t compressedOffset; ///< Byte offset into compressed data array
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uint32_t compressedSize; ///< Compressed DEFLATE stream size
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uint32_t uncompressedSize; ///< Decompressed size
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uint16_t glyphCount; ///< Number of glyphs in this group
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uint16_t firstGlyphIndex; ///< First glyph index in the global glyph array
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} EpdFontGroup;
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2025-12-03 22:00:29 +11:00
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/// Glyph interval structure
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typedef struct {
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uint32_t first; ///< The first unicode code point of the interval
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uint32_t last; ///< The last unicode code point of the interval
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uint32_t offset; ///< Index of the first code point into the glyph array
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} EpdUnicodeInterval;
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feat: Support for kerning and ligatures (#873)
## Summary
**What is the goal of this PR?**
Improved typesetting, including
[kerning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerning) and
[ligatures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligature_(writing)#Latin_alphabet).
**What changes are included?**
- The script to convert built-in fonts now adds kerning and ligature
information to the generated font headers.
- Epub page layout calculates proper kerning spaces and makes ligature
substitutions according to the selected font.



## Additional Context
- I am not a typography expert.
- The implementation has been reworked from the earlier version, so it
is no longer necessary to omit Open Dyslexic, and kerning data now
covers all fonts, styles, and codepoints for which we include bitmap
data.
- Claude Opus 4.6 helped with a lot of this.
- There's an included test epub document with lots of kerning and
ligature examples, shown in the photos.
**_After some time to mature, I think this change is in decent shape to
merge and get people testing._**
After opening this PR I came across #660, which overlaps in adding
ligature support.
---
### AI Usage
While CrossPoint doesn't have restrictions on AI tools in contributing,
please be transparent about their usage as it
helps set the right context for reviewers.
Did you use AI tools to help write this code? _**YES, Claude Opus 4.6**_
---------
Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>
2026-02-24 02:31:43 -06:00
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/// Maps a codepoint to a kerning class ID, sorted by codepoint for binary search.
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/// Class IDs are 1-based; codepoints not in the table have implicit class 0 (no kerning).
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typedef struct {
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uint16_t codepoint; ///< Unicode codepoint
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uint8_t classId; ///< 1-based kerning class ID
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} __attribute__((packed)) EpdKernClassEntry;
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/// Ligature substitution for a specific glyph pair, sorted by `pair` for binary search.
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/// `pair` encodes (leftCodepoint << 16 | rightCodepoint) for single-key lookup.
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typedef struct {
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uint32_t pair; ///< Packed codepoint pair (left << 16 | right)
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uint32_t ligatureCp; ///< Codepoint of the replacement ligature glyph
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} __attribute__((packed)) EpdLigaturePair;
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2025-12-03 22:00:29 +11:00
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/// Data stored for FONT AS A WHOLE
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typedef struct {
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const uint8_t* bitmap; ///< Glyph bitmaps, concatenated
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const EpdGlyph* glyph; ///< Glyph array
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const EpdUnicodeInterval* intervals; ///< Valid unicode intervals for this font
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uint32_t intervalCount; ///< Number of unicode intervals.
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uint8_t advanceY; ///< Newline distance (y axis)
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int ascender; ///< Maximal height of a glyph above the base line
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int descender; ///< Maximal height of a glyph below the base line
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2025-12-08 19:48:49 +11:00
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bool is2Bit;
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feat: Support for kerning and ligatures (#873)
## Summary
**What is the goal of this PR?**
Improved typesetting, including
[kerning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerning) and
[ligatures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligature_(writing)#Latin_alphabet).
**What changes are included?**
- The script to convert built-in fonts now adds kerning and ligature
information to the generated font headers.
- Epub page layout calculates proper kerning spaces and makes ligature
substitutions according to the selected font.



## Additional Context
- I am not a typography expert.
- The implementation has been reworked from the earlier version, so it
is no longer necessary to omit Open Dyslexic, and kerning data now
covers all fonts, styles, and codepoints for which we include bitmap
data.
- Claude Opus 4.6 helped with a lot of this.
- There's an included test epub document with lots of kerning and
ligature examples, shown in the photos.
**_After some time to mature, I think this change is in decent shape to
merge and get people testing._**
After opening this PR I came across #660, which overlaps in adding
ligature support.
---
### AI Usage
While CrossPoint doesn't have restrictions on AI tools in contributing,
please be transparent about their usage as it
helps set the right context for reviewers.
Did you use AI tools to help write this code? _**YES, Claude Opus 4.6**_
---------
Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>
2026-02-24 02:31:43 -06:00
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const EpdFontGroup* groups; ///< NULL for uncompressed fonts
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uint16_t groupCount; ///< 0 for uncompressed fonts
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const EpdKernClassEntry* kernLeftClasses; ///< Sorted left-side class map (nullptr if none)
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const EpdKernClassEntry* kernRightClasses; ///< Sorted right-side class map (nullptr if none)
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fix: Use fixed-point fractional x-advance and kerning for better text layout (#1168)
## Summary
**What is the goal of this PR?**
Hopefully fixes #1182.
_Note: I think letterforms got a "heavier" appearance after #1098, which
makes this more noticeable. The current version of this PR reverts the
change to add `--force-autohint` for Bookerly, which to me seems to
bring the font back to a more aesthetic and consistent weight._
#### Problem
Character spacing was uneven in certain words. The word "drew" in
Bookerly was the clearest example: a visible gap between `d` and `r`,
while `e` and `w` appeared tightly condensed. The root cause was
twofold:
1. **Integer-only glyph advances.** `advanceX` was stored as a `uint8_t`
of whole pixels, sourced from FreeType's hinted `advance.x` (which
grid-fits to integers). A glyph whose true advance is 15.56px was stored
as 16px -- an error of +0.44px per character that compounds across a
line.
2. **Floor-rounded kerning.** Kern adjustments were converted with
`math.floor()`, which systematically over-tightened negative kerns. A
kern of -0.3px became -1px -- a 0.7px over-correction that visibly
closed gaps.
Combined, these produced the classic symptom: some pairs too wide,
others too tight, with the imbalance varying per word.
#### Solution: fixed-point accumulation with 1/16-pixel resolution, for
sub-pixel precision during text layout
All font metrics now use a "fixed-point 4" format -- 4 fractional bits
giving 1/16-pixel (0.0625px) resolution. This is implemented with plain
integer arithmetic (shifts and adds), requiring no floating-point on the
ESP32.
**How it works:**
A value like 15.56px is stored as the integer `249`:
```
249 = 15 * 16 + 9 (where 9/16 = 0.5625, closest to 0.56)
```
Two storage widths share the same 4 fractional bits:
| Field | Type | Format | Range | Use |
|-------|------|--------|-------|-----|
| `advanceX` | `uint16_t` | 12.4 | 0 -- 4095.9375 px | Glyph advance
width |
| `kernMatrix` | `int8_t` | 4.4 | -8.0 -- +7.9375 px | Kerning
adjustment |
Because both have 4 fractional bits, they add directly into a single
`int32_t` accumulator during layout. The accumulator is only snapped to
the nearest whole pixel at the moment each glyph is rendered:
```cpp
int32_t xFP = fp4::fromPixel(startX); // pixel to 12.4: startX << 4
for each character:
xFP += kernFP; // add 4.4 kern (sign-extends into int32_t)
int xPx = fp4::toPixel(xFP); // snap to nearest pixel: (xFP + 8) >> 4
render glyph at xPx;
xFP += glyph->advanceX; // add 12.4 advance
```
Fractional remainders carry forward indefinitely. Rounding errors stay
below +/- 0.5px and never compound.
#### Concrete example: "drew" in Bookerly
**Before** (integer advances, floor-rounded kerning):
| Char | Advance | Kern | Cursor | Snap | Gap from prev |
|------|---------|------|--------|------|---------------|
| d | 16 px | -- | 33 | 33 | -- |
| r | 12 px | 0 | 49 | 49 | ~2px |
| e | 13 px | -1 | 60 | 60 | ~0px |
| w | 22 px | -1 | 72 | 72 | ~0px |
The d-to-r gap was visibly wider than the tightly packed `rew`.
**After** (12.4 advances, 4.4 kerning, fractional accumulation):
| Char | Advance (FP) | Kern (FP) | Accumulator | Snap | Ink start | Gap
from prev |
|------|-------------|-----------|-------------|------|-----------|---------------|
| d | 249 (15.56px) | -- | 528 | 33 | 34 | -- |
| r | 184 (11.50px) | 0 | 777 | 49 | 49 | 0px |
| e | 208 (13.00px) | -8 (-0.50px) | 953 | 60 | 61 | 1px |
| w | 356 (22.25px) | -4 (-0.25px) | 1157 | 72 | 72 | 0px |
Spacing is now `0, 1, 0` pixels -- nearly uniform. Verified on-device:
all 5 copies of "drew" in the test EPUB produce identical spacing,
confirming zero accumulator drift.
#### Changes
**Font conversion (`fontconvert.py`)**
- Use `linearHoriAdvance` (FreeType 16.16, unhinted) instead of
`advance.x` (26.6, grid-fitted to integers) for glyph advances
- Encode kern values as 4.4 fixed-point with `round()` instead of
`floor()`
- Add `fp4_from_ft16_16()` and `fp4_from_design_units()` helper
functions
- Add module-level documentation of fixed-point conventions
**Font data structures (`EpdFontData.h`)**
- `EpdGlyph::advanceX`: `uint8_t` to `uint16_t` (no memory cost due to
existing struct padding)
- Add `fp4` namespace with `constexpr` helpers: `fromPixel()`,
`toPixel()`, `toFloat()`
- Document fixed-point conventions
**Font API (`EpdFont.h/cpp`, `EpdFontFamily.h/cpp`)**
- `getKerning()` return type: `int8_t` to `int` (to avoid truncation of
the 4.4 value)
**Rendering (`GfxRenderer.cpp`)**
- `drawText()`: replace integer cursor with `int32_t` fixed-point
accumulator
- `drawTextRotated90CW()`: same accumulator treatment for vertical
layout
- `getTextAdvanceX()`, `getSpaceWidth()`, `getSpaceKernAdjust()`,
`getKerning()`: convert from fixed-point to pixel at API boundary
**Regenerated all built-in font headers** with new 12.4 advances and 4.4
kern values.
#### Memory impact
Zero additional RAM. The `advanceX` field grew from `uint8_t` to
`uint16_t`, but the `EpdGlyph` struct already had 1 byte of padding at
that position, so the struct size is unchanged. The fixed-point
accumulator is a single `int32_t` on the stack.
#### Test plan
- [ ] Verify "drew" spacing in Bookerly at small, medium, and large
sizes
- [ ] Verify uppercase kerning pairs: AVERY, WAVE, VALUE
- [ ] Verify ligature words: coffee, waffle, office
- [ ] Verify all built-in fonts render correctly at each size
- [ ] Verify rotated text (progress bar percentage) renders correctly
- [ ] Verify combining marks (accented characters) still position
correctly
- [ ] Spot-check a full-length book for any layout regressions
---
### AI Usage
While CrossPoint doesn't have restrictions on AI tools in contributing,
please be transparent about their usage as it
helps set the right context for reviewers.
Did you use AI tools to help write this code? _**YES, Claude Opus 4.6
helped figure out a non-floating point approach for sub-pixel error
accumulation**_
2026-03-01 10:43:37 -06:00
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|
const int8_t* kernMatrix; ///< Flat leftClassCount x rightClassCount matrix, 4.4 fixed-point in pixels
|
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|
uint16_t kernLeftEntryCount; ///< Entries in kernLeftClasses
|
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|
uint16_t kernRightEntryCount; ///< Entries in kernRightClasses
|
|
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|
|
uint8_t kernLeftClassCount; ///< Number of distinct left classes (matrix rows)
|
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|
|
uint8_t kernRightClassCount; ///< Number of distinct right classes (matrix cols)
|
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const EpdLigaturePair* ligaturePairs; ///< Sorted ligature pair table (nullptr if none)
|
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|
|
uint32_t ligaturePairCount; ///< Number of entries in ligaturePairs
|
2025-12-03 22:00:29 +11:00
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|
} EpdFontData;
|