That font is driving me mental!

[TomK]

What IS that font at

http://www.rui-camilo.de
http://www.2advanced.com
http://www.davidbowie.com etc

and how THE HELL do they get it to not anti-alias?????

[commando]

I have got a better idea man. Try going through your personal font database. Catologue them all. Imagine how you might use them commercially. Name these fonts so you can quickly reference them. Play with the kerning values on these fonts. Change the atributes on them, just to see what it will look like. Define your own style even if you see one you'd like to adopt. We are all influenced by one thing or another, but let your SELF be your guide. You can't go wrong when you trust your stuff. Select your own fonts and use them in everything you do. Make them yours. Cheers.

[TomK]

I know what you're saying, but I have no intention of actually using this font - I'm just totally perplexed as to how they managed to use it seemingly without anti-aliasing. Someone must know the secret behind this...

[iForgotMyPassword]

okay i might be worng ... but in flash 5 when you click view you have a choice between anti-alias or not....it could be that simple...

[TomK]

true, but that refers to how you view the text within the flash environment. It makes no difference to the exported swf. Come on people - someone must know the answer to this!

[Stickman]

I might be wrong, but I don't think it's a font -- I think it's been created by hand within Flash from tiny squares. Then you'd have to use ActionScript to render each letter as duplicated movie clips. Very time-consuming, but it's the only way I can think of to achieve it.

[zyrius]

Why would you create a text pixel for pixel instead of using the break apart tool??????

[nmain]

A quick parse and dump of the http://www.rui-camilo.de movie reveals no fonts but lots of small bitmaps.

[gabey]

oh yeah, ive been doing the break apart and very lightly optimize on all my text for that chisled look.

[Fallen]

I have that font, it is made like that. Want it?

[TomK]

Yes please. Made like what?

[Fallen]

Its a true type font. Give me yer email and I'll send it to you.

[TomK]

tj_knowles@hotmail.com

cheers

[Fallen]

Ok, my computer is bein a bastard...please be patient.

[cym]

Heheh, either - low quality in flash..
Or the text is placed inside a dynamic/input text feild and no font outlines are used.
=p

[TomK]

Or the text is placed inside a dynamic/input text feild and no font outlines are used.
[/B]

But then that wouldn't work because you have to have the font installed to see text that has been used without outlines.

[cym]

-But then that wouldn't work because you have to have the font installed to see text that has been used without outlines.-

how bout exporting the movie?
or even just packaging the font with it?

=p

[scoopnisker]

I was agonizing over this a few weeks ago (check the archives in the ActionScript forum if you're interested in reading that thread), and here's the jist of what I determined after days of trial/error, searching, asking, etc...

Aside from possibly using dynamic text AND embedding the font in the HTML page using one of the numerous methods of doing so (and there are legal implications and cross-browser issues invloved), the only reliable way of getting aliased text is by using bitmaps. It's not a flawless solution, and it's certainly not efficient, but it works in many cases if you follow a few simple rules:

1. Do not allow your movie to scale. Any size other than 100% (and multiples/divisibles thereof) will render odd results.
2. Do not use transparent GIFs -- use a regular GIF and set the background to the color of whatever is behind your text (obviously, this only works with solid colors). Flash unpredictably shifts the pixels of transparent GIFs -- you can get them to work if you place them meticulously, but it's best to avoid them.
3. Turn off "smoothing" for each individual GIF that's used for text.

That'll do it. If someone knows a better way, PLEASE SHARE! I spent more time researching this than actually developing the movie I needed aliased text for, and AFAIK this is the only reliable solution.

Dan