How to convert text to outlines?

[catinahat]

We sometimes have the request to produce PDFs with all text converted
to vector outlines. How would one go about achieving this?

Thanks!!

[trn2]

Q: We sometimes have the request to produce PDFs with all text

converted
to vector outlines. How would one go about achieving this?

-----------
A: You can obtain glyph outlines for every charcode used within a
document using Font.GetGlyphPath() method.

For example, assuming that an 'e_text_begin' element is encountered,
you can obtain glyph outlines for each charcode in the text block as
follows:

// Please refer to ElementEdit and ElementReaderAdv -
http://www.pdftron.com/pdfnet/samplecode.html#ElementEdit
// as a context for the following pseudo-code:

void ProcessText(ElementReader page_reader, ElementWriter writer)
{
Element element;
while ((element = page_reader.Next()) != null) {
switch (element.GetType()) {
case Element::e_text_end:
return;
case Element::e_text:
CharIterator itr = element.GetCharIterator();
GState gs = element.GetGState();
double font_size = gs.GetFontSize();
pdftron.PDF.Font font = gs.GetFont();
double horiz_spacing = gs.GetHorizontalScale() / 100.0;
Matrix2D text_mtx = element.GetTextMatrix();
Matrix2D pos = new Matrix2D(1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0);
Matrix2D font_mtx = new Matrix2D(font_size * horiz_spacing, 0,
0, font_size, 0, 0);

double units_per_em = font.GetUnitsPerEm();
font_mtx *= Matrix2D(1.0/units_per_em, 0, 0, -1.0/
units_per_em, 0, 0);

for (; itr.HasNext(); itr.Next() {
pos.m_h = itr.Current().x;
pos.m_v = itr.Current().y;
Matrix2D path_mtx(text_mtx * pos * font_mtx);
font.GetGlyphPath(itr.Current().char_code, path_oprs,
path_data, true, (ref) path_mtx);

// Now, write glyph outline instead of a text run...
... construct a path element using ElementBuilder :
b.PathBegin(); b.MoveTo(); b.LineTo();
... path_element = b.PathEnd();
... See ElementBuilder (http://www.pdftron.com/pdfnet/
samplecode.html#ElementBuilder)
writer.WriteElement(path_element);
}
}
}
}

The meaning of data stored in 'path_oprs' and 'path_data' is the same
as for the path element (returned by Element.GetPathTypes()/
GetPathPoints(); for a concrete example of how to extract the outlines
out of these arrays, please take a look at ElementReaderAdv (http://
www.pdftron.com/net/index.html#ElementReaderAdv) sample project.
Please note that Font.GetGlyphPath() will work regardless of whether
the font embedded, is subsetted or is missing.

[catinahat]

Thanks for the quick, spot-on reply!!

On Sep 21, 5:47 pm, trn2 <supp...@pdftron.com> wrote:
> Q: We sometimes have the request to produce PDFs with all text
> converted
> to vector outlines. How would one go about achieving this?
>
> -----------
> A: You can obtain glyph outlines for every charcode used within a
> document using Font.GetGlyphPath() method.
>
> For example, assuming that an 'e_text_begin' element is encountered,
> you can obtain glyph outlines for each charcode in the text block as
> follows:
>

> // Please refer to ElementEdit and ElementReaderAdv -http://www.pdftron.com/pdfnet/samplecode.html#ElementEdit

> out of these arrays, please take a look at ElementReaderAdv (http://www.pdftron.com/net/index.html#ElementReaderAdv) sample project.