In such a kind of apparatus, in general, a font such as italic, bold, or the like is selected and a character which is input by a key is input as a type to the apparatus. Further, as an apparatus which can output a desired character at a high quality, there has been proposed an apparatus in which characters corresponding to a character train which are input from an input section, for example, vector fonts are read out of the auxiliary memory device or the like and displayed or output as an image.
On the other hand, in an apparatus having vector fonts, the vector font corresponding to one character which is fundamentally prepared can be variably magnified (enlarged or reduced) to various sizes and output or can be modified and output. Such an apparatus is shown in, e.g., Japanese Patent Application No. 60-87516 (U.S. Ser. No. 854,193 filed Apr. 21, 1986) and Japanese Patent Application No. 60-222937 (U.S. Ser. No. 914,733 filed Oct. 2, 1986). Further, there is also proposed an apparatus in which once a vector font has been set to specified coordinates, the vector font having a synthetic shadow effect by painting, blanking, and various kinds of hatching patterns (line shadow, irregular pattern) can be output (refer to Japanese Patent Application No. 60-222938 (U.S. Ser. No. 914,150 filed Oct. 1, 1986)).
However, in the modified outputs of the vector font as mentioned above, it is necessary to set various parameters to the contour process and shadow process for one character.
FIG. 6 is a diagrammatical view for explaining a screen to set the foregoing vector font parameters.
In this diagram, reference numeral 31 denotes a vector font (which reads "ji" and means "character") which is constituted by contour process information 32, shadow information 33, and the like. The contour process information 32 comprises: type parameters 34a to 34c; hatching parameters 35a to 35c; an outline parameter 36; a bold amount parameter 37; a flat amount parameter 38; a tilt amount parameter 39; and the like. The shadow information 33 comprises a continuous parameter 40, a discontinuous parameter 41, and the like. The shadow parameter consists of a hatching parameter 42a, a shadow amount parameter 42b, and the like.
To display the vector font 31, after the type parameters 34a and 34c were instructed by input means, the hatching parameter 35a is set to white, the hatching parameter 35c is set to gray, the outline parameter 36 is set to black, the flat amount parameter 38 is set to 60%, and the tilt amount parameter 39 is set to +15.degree. in the x-direction. After completion of these designating processes, the vector font is generated.
As explained above, a desired vector font modification cannot be performed unless various necessary parameters are set. Therefore, with reference to a manual, an operator needs to successively designate the parameters of percentages of enlargement and reduction, tilting direction, tilt percentage, and the like, the painting, blanking, and hatching patterns, and parameters of angle, width, and the like of a shadow. There is a problem such that these designating operations are troublesome even for an experienced operator. On the other hand, there is a case where the sense of design is necessary to set the parameters. In such a case, there is a problem such that an unexperienced operator can generate a vector font which meets the final image only after he repeated the trial and error.
On the other hand, as a feature of vector fonts, figure or character data can be fundamentally arbitrarily changed. For example, a character size can be modified for enlargement, reduction, elongation, widening, or the like and the resultant character can be output. However, for example, in order to magnify the character data which has once been input at a certain character size, the character size needs to be set every time by a method whereby, for example, an enlargement or reduction percentage or a long size or flat size percentage is input by keys or the like. On the other hand, in most of ordinary word processors, only fixed modifications such as four-time enlargement, vertically-double enlargement, and the like can be realized.
Therefore, when an operator wants to magnify existing character data to an arbitrary size, he must presume the magnification corresponding to a desired size and then set it.
An example is shown. As shown in FIG. 7A, it is assumed that character data of 64 points (which reads "kin-en" and means "No smoking") is written in a rectangle. When the character in this rectangle is to be reduced to fit in a rectangle of a size as shown in FIG. 7E, the operator presumes that the magnification of the character data which will be written in the rectangle of FIG. 7E will be 0.80 times in both of the directions of x and y axes as reproduced in FIG. 7B. Then, the operator inputs and sets this magnification by using a keyboard. However, since the characters are too large (FIG. 7B), the operator resets the magnification to 0.70 time in both of the directions of x and y axes as shown in FIG. 7C in a manner similar to the above. However, since the characters are too small in this case, the magnification is reset to 0.75 times in both directions of x and y axes as shown in FIG. 7D. Finally, the character data of the desired size is obtained. Although not shown, each time-such operations are executed, it is necessary to perform a plurality of operations to access a window for setting the magnification, to input the magnification by the keys, and the like.
In this manner, in order to magnify the character data to an arbitrary size, the character data of an object size cannot be derived if trial and error are not repeated.