Character and symbol pattern generator based on skeleton data including

Abstract

A character and symbol pattern generator includes a skeleton data storage device for storing beforehand, for every skeleton pattern. Skeleton data includes coordinate data of each skeleton point at which changes occur at least in the stroke direction of skeleton pattern for forming characters and symbols, two thickness data which represent lengths of two thickness segments of a stroke on the start and end points of the skeleton pattern, and two angle data which represent angles of the two thickness segments with respect to the stroke direction or the horizontal direction. An input device is used to designate the kind and size of the character and symbol. A thickness data calculating device calculates thickness data of each skeleton point from the two thickness data of the start and end points and the coordinate data of each skeleton point. An angle data calculating device calculates angle data of the thickness segment of each skeleton point from the two angle data of the start and end points and the coordinate data of each skeleton point. An outline data generating device generates outline data from the skeleton data and from the thickness data and the angle data of each skeleton point calculated by the calculating devices respectively. A character and symbol pattern synthesizing device synthesizes character and symbol patterns based on the outline data. An output device outputs the character and symbol patterns.