Font differences between 1.4.2 and 1.5

Java 2D
#1 
Font newFont = (Font)loadedFonts.get("microgme.ttf");
Constants.FONT_MENU_SMALL = newFont.deriveFont(20f);

And later…

font = Constants.FONT_MENU_SMALL.deriveFont(Font.BOLD, Constants.FONT_MENU_SMALL.getSize2D() - 3.f);

In Java 1.5 it shows text like this:

http://www.gamelizard.com/images/games/rimscape/textIn1.5.gif

In Java 1.4.2 it shows text like this:

http://www.gamelizard.com/images/games/rimscape/textIn1.4.2.gif

Why is it so different? I want the text to always look like it shows in 1.5. Is there any way I can make them act the same?

#2

it looks like it’s anti-aliased, or possibly using ClearType which wasn’t supported on 1.4…

it seems like they really gave Swing a facelift.

#3

both are anti-aliased. I assume that means it’s the ClearType support you mentioned then

#4

Much of the internals for fonts has been rewritten for 1.5, that’s why. Much are still missing when it comes to quality though. ClearType (I.e. sub-pixel anti aliasing for TFT) is one thing that are missing so it can’t be that.

Cheers,
Mikael Grev

#5

i wouldn’t call that sample of 1.4.2 font anti-aliased, unless it’s really dodgy anti-aliasing… it looks like a smaller version of the font has been resized. no idea how it could be fixed though…

#6

it’s exactly the same code in both cases. The only difference is the Java versions

#7

Well, I asked our fonts guys about this, and the response was basically “Whatever 1.5 is doing is correct” =)

#8

hehe yes it does look much nicer :slight_smile: