RE: Supporting an option deforming algorithm for <textPath>?

 

From: Paul LeBeau 
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2015 6:36 AM
To: www-svg
Subject: Supporting an option deforming algorithm for <textPath>?

 

Hi all

 

A recent question on SO highlighted the fact that cursive alphabets may not be well-served by the current textPath algorithm.

 

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/31362171/how-to-use-svg-textpath-in-persianrtl-text/31365922

 

Supporting cursive languages may not have been a high priority 15-20 years ago when the original spec was written, but it is probably more desirable now.

 

Should the idea of adding a new alternative algorithm be considered? Perhaps one that specifies glyph deformation rather than simple rotation?

 

Paul

Additional arguments for glyph deformation can be seen here:

http://cs.sru.edu/~ddailey/svg/GeometricAccessibility.html  Allowing glyphs in sequence to be deformed by two “quasi-parallel” path/curves would handle many of the cases in which authors currently have to resort to bitmaps to convey their textual intentions, though the Farsi case sited at stackoverflow (if I understand it) seems more like an issue of multicharacter ligatures in combination with deformations. It would be nice if SVG could start to add some features…

 

cheers

David