Moving Parallax FONT to an Macintosh iMac

HShanko · 2011-09-03 10:54

Is there any info on getting the Parallax font in an iMac to preserve a 'drawing' in a Spin file, when copy/pasted into the forum, so that it will retain its formatting.

I just created a 'drawing' and what a mess. On selecting font size and type I noticed that Parallax font was missing on the iMac. That is probably why I never could create such a drawing.

Like where to find the font file(s)? I am running Windows under Parallels virtual engine. And I'm rather lost working with Windows when I have to do such a task.

Thanks for any help on this matter.

edit: I was able to find the fonts on the Windows side, but Copy/Paste doesn't seem to work to do what I want. Must be some other 'windows' trick.

Cluso99 · 2011-09-03 13:50

The bst compiler works on the mac. However, I am unsure if bst uses the propeller font. If so, then perhaps you could try installing bst.

HShanko · 2011-09-03 14:51

Cluso99,

Thanks for the suggestion, BST couldn't provide anything beyond what the iMac has in its fonts. Unfortunately.

I can see the Windows Parallax font, but cannot move, copy, or do anything with it in the Windows environment. I can try to click/drag to a iMac folder but then get this error message:
.....The operation cant be completed because you dont have permission to modify some items.

Rather misleading statement as I was just trying to move a new item into the fonts folder. Guess I need to find out the meaning of that error message. Always seems one runs into NEW things which are not obvious.

Tracy Allen · 2011-09-03 15:02

From Brad's site for bst:

The biggest hurdle for new users in getting bst functioning properly is the installation of a suitable Font. A modified version of the Parallax Propeller Font can be found linked from the "Propeller Wiki" here : http://propeller.wikispaces.com/Propeller+Font Please install this font prior to running bst the first time and it will ensure the smoothest installation.

Note : Do not simply copy the font from a Windows installation of the Propeller Tool, it will not work

Mac users : please install the FTDI SIO driver from the ftdichip website.

I use bst on a macbook OS10.6.7 and can see the fonts fine.

HShanko · 2011-09-03 15:43

@ all,

Found Font Book which helped me move the Parallax font into the Font folder, after I moved the Windows Parallax font icon directly onto the iMac desktop. The font appears in the font folder, but doesn't show up in the Parallax Forum 'font' selection. I'm not using BST much, as often I need tools like ViewPort or PASD which are Window based. Found the 'permission' detail was because I needed to provide a valid password, which needed to be done via Font Book

My goal today was to get the Parallax font to show up in the forum font selector so I could see and edit a 'drawing' there. For some reason formatting seems to get lost if I Copy in Windows and Paste into the iMac Forum.

BST is nice if I don't need those tools, EXCEPT for not being able to print from BST directly. Nice app otherwise.

Brian Riley · 2011-09-07 09:01

I infer from the above that you are running Winders under virtualization. I suggest that you plug in a FAT-formatted flashkey, do a "Save As" of the file in question to the flashkey, then open it in BST-mac.

Brian Riley · 2011-09-07 09:40

I am not sure what font you are using. The 'stock' Windows doesn't work right on Mac. Here is the one I have been using from Leopard to Snow Leopard to Lion. I installed it way back when and its been carried through . Windows created spin files with graphics display just fine in BST, ... heck, even in TextEdit, BBEdit, and TextMate.

HShanko · 2011-09-07 14:23

I'll restate the above:

I finally found a way to move the Parallax font from Windows to the iMac. However, in the Parallax forum on the iMac editing a file, the Parallax font does NOT show up in the Fonts selector in 'Go Advanced. editor.

I find that rather strange. I don't recall ever having Parallel fonts on the iMac side before. Thus could not edit a Spin 'drawing' using Parallax font. Totally near impossible to even format such ddrawing, let alone not being able to display the unusual (lines, Rs, Cs, ground/power symbols, etc.).

I tried to illustrate a simple 'schematic' drawn in Spin; but copy/paste effort doesn't retain spacing due to probably only lack of having the Parallax font. On the forum it looks terrible if working on the forum on the iMac side.

HShanko · 2011-09-07 14:50

Tracy Allen,

You wrote:

Note : Do not simply copy the font from a Windows installation of the Propeller Tool, it will not work

Well, where does one obtain it? I couldn't find it anywhere else.

Brian Riley · 2011-09-07 16:33

I attached the font file you need to my message #7 above.

HShanko · 2011-09-07 16:50

Windows is 'weird'. I can go into Windows folder and get to the fonts folder and see a Parallax (TrueType) file. But, try to copy that name and search and find it doesn't seem to work. Mighty unfriendly.

Even searching for Parallax or TrueType wouldn't find the fiie in the fonts folder, for some reason.

Brian Riley · 2011-09-07 17:18

HShanko wrote: »

Windows is 'weird'. I can go into Windows folder and get to the fonts folder and see a Parallax (TrueType) file. But, try to copy that name and search and find it doesn't seem to work. Mighty unfriendly.

Even searching for Parallax or TrueType wouldn't find the fiie in the fonts folder, for some reason.

Is there something wrong with the forum? Are my messages getting posted? I uploaded the file you needed. I reminded you in a subsequent message that I had done so. Is there something else I can do to attract your attention?

HShanko · 2011-09-07 17:59

Brian, I finally did find your Parallax font file some posts above. Downloaded, installed, but for some reason it doesn't show up in the Parallax Forum when in edit mode. I could view the font file for the symbole I could recognize for drawing. But, why it won't show up for selecting and using on the forum while working with the iMac is beyond me. Probably need to do some selection elsewhere?

Don't know why your posts wouldn't retain the file.

Humanoido · 2011-09-08 05:27

The post # 7 is perfectly fine. It downloads on a Mac, unzips automatically, and easily moves to the desktop from the downloads folder automatically as specified. Click install font. Font book will automatically start up to prove it was installed.

The font is used with the PC Propeller Software Tool and also works with BST on a Mac. It won't appear in the edit font list for the Forum postings. It will appear with TextEdit and other word processors. From TextEdit, select Format, Font, Show Fonts, and there you'll see it.

To prove it's working, start up BST, New, and type some comments into the program field. Now go to Tools, Character Chart, and select some of the same characters. You'll see they're identical. So your Parallax font is correctly installed and working on the Mac.

HShanko · 2011-09-08 08:50

Humanoido, ANYONE

My whole goal was to properly format/edit a Spin 'drawing' in the forum posts on an Mac/iMac. They just don't get copy/pasted correctly and maintain their formatting.

You wrote

The font is used with the PC Propeller Software Tool and also works with BST on a Mac. It won't appear in the edit font list for the Forum postings. It will appear with TextEdit and other word processors. From TextEdit, select Format, Font, Show Fonts, and there you'll see it.

and then you write

To prove it's working, start up BST, New, and type some comments into the program field. Now go to Tools, Character Chart, and select some of the same characters. You'll see they're identical. So your Parallax font is correctly installed and working on the Mac.

It may be correctly installed, but not properly working on the Mac when in the Parallax forum edit mode.

Anyone know why it won't work properly? And if it can be fixed? Forum member, Parallax???

Tracy Allen · 2011-09-08 09:36

Ahh, I think you may be after something that requires a workaround. The best way to post a diagram made with the font is to take a scree capture and post it as an image. (PNG) Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I think the forum software itself does not support the Parallax font no matter what the originating OS. The font should now be working in bst and other Mac apps as Brian and Humanoido said, so you can post code as attachments, but snippets with the Spin font will not display correctly in the body of posts.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2011-09-08 09:57

Here's a screen capture I made on my iMac using the Parallax font to create a post:

attachment.php?attachmentid=84905&d=1315500944

This will specify to the user's browser which font to use. It's up to each user, though, to have this font installed on his own machine for the page to render properly. The forum server has no way to include the font in the webpages being served.

Also, if you're posting drawings or indented text in the Parallax font, you have to incorporate them in code tags to keep the spacing accurate. (The font tags have to be inside the code tags for this to work, the size should be set to 2, and boldface should be avoided.) Here's an example:

[font=Parallax][size=2]

                  &#9484;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#61610; rhipins     xhipins &#61609;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9488; 
                  &#61628; &#9484;&#61629;&#61630;&#9472;&#61610; rfbpin                    &#61628;
    Audio Inp &#61609;&#9472;&#61611;&#9472;&#9547;&#9472;&#9547;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#61610; rcvpin      xmtpin  &#61609;&#61629;&#61630;&#9472;&#9523;&#9472;&#9547;&#9472;&#61611;&#9472;&#9523;&#9472;&#61610; Audio Out
                  &#61628;&#61612;&#61613;&#61614;                           &#61612;&#61613;&#61614;&#61628;   &#9474;
                  &#9474; &#9492;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#61610; rlopins     xlopins &#61609;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9496; &#9474;   &#61628; 2.2K
                  &#9492;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#61610; rlopins     xlopins &#61609;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9496;   &#9474;
                                      xenpin  &#61609;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#61465;&#61467;
                                                        &#61464;
[/size][/font]

'Hope this helps...

-Phil

Tracy Allen · 2011-09-08 10:36

Thanks Phil. Nice sleuthing!

Trying it from MacBook, using size=2 as in your text.

[FONT=Parallax][SIZE=2]
          1k
   p5  &#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#61629;&#61630;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9516;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9488;
         9.1M   &#9474;    &#61613;  PVDF tab
   p6 &#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#61629;&#61630;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9496;    &#61464;
[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Parallax][SIZE=2]
&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;....  cog ctra at Fx
&#61574;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;....  cog ctrb phase backed up Nx cycles of F
comibined by Prop wired OR:
&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61573;&#61569;&#61570;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;&#61574;.....  output Nx pulses at frequency Fx
[/SIZE][/FONT]

HShanko · 2011-09-08 12:42

Phil, Tracy,

Maybe my problem is because the 'drawing' originally was created in Prop Tool on Windows, copied from there and the scrapbook contents pasted into my post on the forum on the iMac. Here's the thread; it is presently on page 2, near the bottom, post #1 of:

[unsolved] Strange QuickStart board and LCD (Wintk WDC2401P - a 24 x 1 line display)

I re-copied the drawing and pasted it in. Looked OK at first but when Previewed, it looses its formatting, some portions moving too far to the right. Maybe it would be OK if I created it on the forum, but it is part of a .spin file.

Weird part is the format looks almost decent in the edit window, but with the R, C, ground symbols missing (well, a faint placeholder symbol there). When you Go Advanced, the formatting is loat, with various parts scattered horizontally on each line. And final drawing on Save, in the post is still improper.

Brian Riley · 2011-09-08 13:24

While on the subject of BST and Mac, the serial terminal is a might humble. The only alternative has been Zterm. But, alas, version 1.1b7 dated from 2002 has been the only game in town. 2002 was long before Apple went Intel so its no surprise that Zterm is a PPC binary ... and of course with the recent release of Mac OSX Lion (OSX 10.7) Rosetta is not supported ... bummer ... but wait ... in my search for a replacement I stumbled on the fact that Zterm's author, after 9 years, has updated Zterm to a Universal binary.

Zterm version 1.2 is available free at http://homepage.mac.com/dalverson/zterm/. It's not cripple ware. However he accepts 'registrations' and donations. I had been using Zterm for 12 years, so I made a donation. I was impressed that he bothered to update 15 year old software.

HShanko · 2011-09-08 13:41

Brian,

Thank you for that information on Zterm. I've not used BST enough to know whether is us usable for my use or not. I'd only tried it once using the QuickStart and Jonny Mac's QS demo of the touchpads and LEDs. Guess I should look into Zterm.

Pretty disappointing that the Parallax tool font isn't totally usable on theParallax forum. Maybe it is a Windows vs non-windows systems. However, being TrueFont seems it should work OK. I wouldn't have thought the forum editor to be this 'fussy'.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2011-09-08 16:00

Harley,

The weird horizontal spacing is probably due to not using size=2. At least that's what I observed when using the larger sizes.

-Phil

HShanko · 2011-09-08 16:19

Phil,

I just rechecked and it is 2 poioit Parallax. Here's my 'code' line: in bold: [code].

Wish that were the culprit. I'm not sure if I've ever had a Parallax font drawing turn out decent, I'll have to play with it later; else, won't get projects done. But I see nice ones that I assume are Parallax font drawing and they look nice.

Humanoido · 2011-09-12 01:12

This may help. In BST, you may need to set the font. Go to the menu and select IDE preferences. Then select font and Parallax. You will see Parallax in menu list of fonts. That will activate the Parallax font. This should be the final step to get it working on BST.

For me, a good test was the demo program for the PIR sensor because it has a schematic drawing. If the Parallax font is not active, the drawing will look very strange like this:

Moving Parallax FONT to an Macintosh iMac

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