Subject: to get bitmaps from Chinese systems

From: Chih-Hung Hsieh <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 22 May 91 14:19:14 EDT

So far, we have had many discussions on getting Chinese bitmaps from
ETEN and other Chinese systems.  In general, this is more a copy-right
issue than a technical issue.  However, I'd like to give some hints
for those who want to do this.

You may justify this technique for your own applications.
I'll take no responsibility for any violation of copy-right or damages
to your software or hardware due to the application of the techniques
I suggest.

The simple method to get the font bitmaps from any system is to
get bitmaps from the video RAM area.  All you have to know is which
video RAM page is used for displaying characters and the organization
of the video RAM pages.  You can easily get such information from the
manual of your video display card.

The program would look like:
(1) write a character at a specific location on the screen,
    (Every Chinese OS should support this function.)
(2) read the bit image from the video RAM area,
(3) store the bitmap in any format you like in any place, and
(4) go to step (1) to get the next character.

This approach is independent of the encoding system and font file format
adopted by a Chinese OS.  It only depends on the video display system.
However, if you know the internal code system, you can generate every
Chinese character in the code table automatically.  It would take only
a few minutes to display-and-extract every Chinese character in your
Chinese OS.

Hsieh, Chih-Hung
[email-masked]

P.S. 	The following bitmaps of my Chinese name was extracted from
	ETEN version 1.5 (?) and encoded in 2-bit-per-character format.

	Hsieh			Chih			Hung
------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
 ,,,       ||'      ||'             ||'           ,,,,,,,,,|,     ||,
  '||    ,,|,,,|    ||              ||        ,,          ||'     ||
,,,,|,|, ||   ||    ||   '''''''''''||'''''''''''         ||      ||
         ||'''|| ,,,||,|            ||             |,,,,,,||     ,|'
 ,,,,|,  ||,,,||    ||              ||      ,,     ||     ''     ||
         ||   ||,,  ||     ''''''''''''''''''''    ||            ||
 ''''''  || ,,||'   ||             ,,              ||,,,,,,|,   ||
 ,     '||'' ,|| |  ||      ,  ||'  '|,    ,,      ''     ||'   |'   ',
 ||''||    ,|'||  | ||      |  ||    ''     '|,           ||   |'     '|
 ||  || ,,''  ||    ||    ,|'  ||         |  '||         ,|'  ,'      ,||
 ||  ||       ||    ||   ,||   ||         |,  ||'       ,|' ,,|,,,|''' '||
 ||''''    ''||' ''||'   ''    '|||||||||||'       '''|||'   ''''       ||
------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------