Colossus_LTSM

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Installation
• Libraries
• Usage
• Input
• Output
• Configuration file
• Screenshots
• 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
2. Pypi package

The program is present in python package index, Pypi. Install (you can use pip or pipx) to the location or environment of your choice.

# For example with pipx 
pipx install colossus-ltsm

Libraries

Pillow 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:

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

Output

• Generates a C or C++ header file with bitmap arrays
• Example output

// 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<uint8_t, 20> 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
};

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	8	Scale of font displayed
Columns	int	16	Number of columns of font characters to display

Screenshots

Projects

Some of my libraries that use these fonts are:

MCU type	Library link	Data adddressing mode
Arduino	GFX	Horizontal
Raspberry Pi Pico	GFX 16 bit	Horizontal
Raspberry Pi Pico	GFX 1 bit	Vertical
Raspberry Pi	GFX	Horizontal
PIC	OLED	Vertical