Postscript, Bezier curves, and chinese characters

ABSTRACT

The PostScript page description language is designed to allow the production of graphical layouts on a page. In particular, the capability to use four points to describe a Bézier curve simplifies the layout of rather complex graphical objects. Advantage has been taken of this feature to develop a system for drawing Chinese characters. This article gives the general structure of the PostScript language, defines and gives examples of Bézier curves, and describes an interactive program that allows the layout of Chinese characters by a combination of Bézier curves.

REFERENCES

• 1: Adobe Press, PostScript Language Reference Manual, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1985
• 2: PostScript Language Tutorial and Cookbook. Addison- Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1985.
• 3: James D. Foley , Andries Van Dam, Fundamentals of interactive computer graphics, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1982
• 4: Steve Enns, Free-form curves on your micro, BYTE, v.11 n.13, p.225-230, Dec. 1986

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.7 DOCUMENT AND TEXT PROCESSING
      I.7.2 Document Preparation
          Subjects: Format and notation

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.2 Language Classifications

          Nouns: PostScript

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS
      I.3.5 Computational Geometry and Object Modeling
          Subjects: Curve, surface, solid, and object representations
  I.7 DOCUMENT AND TEXT PROCESSING
      I.7.1 Document and Text Editing
          Subjects: Languages**

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Languages