Slug Algorithm for On-GPU Rendering of Fonts with Bézier Curves now in Public Domain
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Slug Algorithm for On-GPU Rendering of Fonts with Bézier Curves now in Public Domain
The Slug Algorithm has been around for a decade now, mostly quietly rendering fonts and later entire GUIs using Bézier curves directly on the GPU for games and other types of software, but due to its proprietary nature it didn’t see much adoption outside of commercial settings. This has now changed with its author, [Eric Lengyel], releasing it to the public domain without any limitations.
Originally [Eric] had received a software patent in 2019 for the algorithm that would have prevented anyone else from implementing it until the patent’s expiration in 2038. Since 2016 [Eric] and his business have however had in his eyes sufficient benefit from the patent, making it unnecessary to hold on to it any longer and retain such exclusivity.
To help anyone with implementing their own version of the algorithm, there is a GitHub repository containing reference shader implementations with plenty of inline comments that should help anyone with some shader experience get started.
Although pretty niche in the eyes of the average person, the benefits of using on-GPU rendering of elements like fonts are obvious in terms of rendering optimization. With this change open source rendering engines for games and more can finally also use it as well.
Thanks to [Footleg] for the tip.
Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
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@aeva Huh, it must default to a really low version, which is why so many extensions say they're unsupported. Thanks so much! I'll go try it right away.
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Yes, all extensions except ARB_vertex_program are now supported!
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Portable CRT TV Becomes Retro Cyberdeck
These days, it’s pretty easy to slap together a single-board computer and a cheap LCD screen to whip up a cool cyberdeck fast. But what if you wanna go more retro? [Manu] found a portable TV straight out of the original Blade Runner film, and decided this would be the perfect base for a cyberdeck rocking a whole-ass CRT screen.
The build started with a Panasonic TR-545 television. Back in the day, it took many large batteries to power this thing up—no surprise given how power hungry CRTs are. This gave [Manu] a neat opportunity to sneak all the new cyberdeck hardware into the original battery tray, including a new lithium-ion battery pack that is much more compact than the original. A Raspberry Pi 5 is running the show, computer-wise, and it’s hooked up to an HDMI RF modulator that allows the video output signal to be hooked up to the TV’s original antenna input. It’s not the cleanest way to go, but it allowed [Manu] to make the mod entirely reversible. All the new hardware slots neatly into the repurposed battery tray, and can be removed quite easily without damage to this vintage specimen. Even the keyboard fits nicely into the setup, as [Manu] was able to find a suitable 60% layout foldable unit right off the shelf.
Check out the slide deck for more details on the build, but be warned—it’s a 241 MB PDF. Bonus points if you calculate what that would cost to store on a hard drive in 1979 when the Panasonic TR-545 was on the market. We’ve seen a similar build before, too, with a classic black & white Magnavox unit. If you like squinting at a tiny blurry screen, a CRT cyberdeck is absolutely the way to go. Just be warned that the other screenwriters at your local coffee shop will be more interested in your hardware than whatever you’re actually working on. Good luck with your next pitch all the same. Video after the break.
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@landelare Can't blame OpenGL in this case. @aeva pointed out I missed an initialization function, in GTK not OpenGL, so it would have failed even if I used DirectX. Looks like the problem is me not reading the documentation correctly.
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Software is so gigantic now, I feel like I'm back on dialup. Containers and npm are trying my patience.
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Dalla parte del diritto all’abitare: brescia, ancora proteste nelle case popolari. nuova fase dell’agenzia per la casa
@anarchia
Dalla parte del diritto all’abitare, trasmissione quindicinale di Radio onda d’urto di informazione e approfondimento sulle lotte per la casa, contro sfratti, sgomberi e pignoramenti. In questa
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Checked in at 튜링의사과 by @hongminhee@hollo.social
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아, 昨日이 春分이었구나.
