Implement Directwrite rendering

[ConEmu]

From Mohamad...@gmail.com on May 18, 2013 14:06:16

Required information! OS version: Win8 SP x64 ConEmu version: ? Far version (if you are using Far Manager): No

Implementing DirectWrite for screen rendering. See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd368038(v=vs.85).aspx

Original issue: http://code.google.com/p/conemu-maximus5/issues/detail?id=1074

[ConEmu]

From ConEmu.M...@gmail.com on May 18, 2013 14:08:19

Profit?

[ConEmu]

From Mohamad...@gmail.com on May 18, 2013 18:26:40

It is the best anti-aliasing method on windows better than subpixel or grayscale. Check out sublime text with the setting enabled "font_options": ["directwrite"]

[ConEmu]

From ConEmu.M...@gmail.com on May 20, 2013 00:33:34

I'm not using Sublime, so it would be nice if you provide two screenshots for comparison:

1. With directwrite output
2. GDI output with cleartype ON

[ConEmu]

From tola...@gmail.com on July 01, 2013 06:51:59

I attached the comparison of Sublime Text 2 with directwrite on and off using font Source Code Pro. Also added a screenshot how it currently looks like in ConEmu . I too would like to see DirectWrite or better font rendering implemented in ConEmu as well. Thank you!

Attachment: directwrite-comparison.png

[ConEmu]

From nanofo...@gmail.com on July 04, 2013 00:11:43

@tolanri: first & last pic is NOT ClearType but plain grayscale anti-aliasing - so it is not for a comparison.

I made a correct comparison for the perfectionists. A PDF version also included: just switch upper layer on/off. (use a 400% zoom to establish that these screen-shots ARE different)

DirectWire would be used to support fractional font sizes :)

Attachment: ClearType.png DirectWire.png ClearType vs DirectWire.psd

[ConEmu]

From Mohamad...@gmail.com on July 04, 2013 01:10:51

@nanofo Thanks for the comparison. On my system the difference is much more evident. Actually I just tried doing the same experiment on my system, however, after I copy them into photoshop the differences are rendered away? Very strange.

[ConEmu]

From tola...@gmail.com on July 04, 2013 01:49:53

Hmm, how did you enable cleartype in sublime text? I only enabled Cleartype in controls panel. Do I need to do anything else?

I made my comparisons by adding and removing line

"font_options": [ "directwrite" ],

from my Sublime text 2 preferences.

Your comparsion is pretty good, difference is negligible. If it worked that way for rendering my font (Source Code Pro) in ConEmu I'd be happy with that...

May I suggest to try to make another comparison with other font, like already mentioned Adobe Source Code Pro (available for download for free at http://sourceforge.net/projects/sourcecodepro.adobe/ ) and see how it works there?

I'm not really concerned about anti-aliasing itself, both sublime text and ConEmu do good job at it. But in case of Source Code Pro, it also affect proportions of the font (I don't know why) and it looks just so much better with DirectWrite on. Just look at the animated comparison picture I attached below (make sure to download the file, else animation doesn't work for some reason at least on Firefox)

Attachment: animation.gif

[ConEmu]

From nanofo...@gmail.com on July 07, 2013 15:35:08

@all: notice that DirectWire will render fonts in a different height - God knows why. I having a very special font made for myself with an absolutely well-defined (pixel-aligned) width - but DirecWrite renders BOLDER than I intended (!). ...WHY??? For the sake of God, this font is rendered just so perfectly/as_intented under ClearType.

For reference, my system is a plain Windows7 with a nice videocard Nvidia GTX G460, cleartype enabled (by default).

You guys maybe using a card with poor HW-accelerated alti-aliasing while DirectEire using a correct SW solution (?)

@MohamadAAM: "On my system the difference is much more evident": I will examine situation on other videocards (older nVidia and Matrod G450).

"after I copy them into Potoshop the differences are rendered away?" - sorry, English is not my native language and I not really understand what this sentence wants to express :( Please redefine for me :)

I using keyboard key PRINT/Alt-PRINT to take a screenshot then I using Ctrl-N then Ctrl-V in PhotoShop.

@tolanri: "Hmm, how did you enable cleartype in sublime text?" - I using "font_options: ["subpixel_antialias"]" to achive ClearType but I think this is the default for SublimeText. Take in account that I pointed out that Your last pic You attached on Jul.1 also uses grayscale aliased TOO, so this seems to be an OS-related "problem" (!).

"...make another comparison with other font, like already mentioned Adobe Source Code Pro" - I tried to do comparison with that font just for You - am I failed???

[ConEmu]

From meurgl...@gmail.com on May 26, 2014 09:47:38

The killer feature of directwrite is it's automatic glyph substitution.