NAME

       load_bitmap_font - Grabs a font from a bitmap file. Allegro game programming library.

SYNOPSIS

       #include <allegro.h>

       FONT *load_bitmap_font(const char *filename, RGB *pal, void *param)

DESCRIPTION

       Tries  to  grab  a  font  from  a bitmap. The bitmap can be in any format that load_bitmap
       understands.

       The size of each character is determined by the layout of the image,  which  should  be  a
       rectangular  grid  containing  all  the  ASCII  characters from space (32) up to the tilde
       (126). The way the characters are separated depends on the color depth of the image file:

       paletted (8 bit) image file Use color 0 for the transparent portions of the characters and
       fill the spaces between each letter with color 255.

       High  (15/16  bit)  and true (24/32 bit) color image file Use bright pink (maximum red and
       blue, zero green) for the transparent portions of  the  characters  and  fill  the  spaces
       between each letter with bright yellow (maximum red and green, zero blue).

       Note that in each horizontal row the bounding boxes around the characters should align and
       have the same height.

       Probably the easiest way to get to grips with how this works is to load up the  `demo.dat'
       file  and  export  the TITLE_FONT into a PCX file. Have a look at the resulting picture in
       your paint program: that is the format a font should be in.

       Take care with high and true color fonts: Allegro will convert these to the current  color
       depth  when you load the font. If you try to use a font on a bitmap with a different color
       depth Allegro will do color conversions on the fly, which will be rather slow. For optimal
       performance  you  should  set  the  color  depth to the color depth you want to use before
       loading any fonts.

RETURN VALUE

       Returns a pointer to the font or NULL on error. Remember  that  you  are  responsible  for
       destroying the font when you are finished with it to avoid memory leaks.

SEE ALSO

       register_font_file_type(3alleg4),         load_font(3alleg4),        load_bitmap(3alleg4),
       set_color_depth(3alleg4), grab_font_from_bitmap(3alleg4)