34. Font

Bitmap Fonts can be created using a Plugin in the jMonkeyEngine SDK, and we can use them as 2D objects.

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We can check plugins from the Tools menu. If the Font Creator plugin is not already installed, install it from the Available Plugins tab, and restart the SDK.

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In a project, right-click on the Interface folder in the Assets, and select new Font file. Then, any system font can be installed. You can also get free fonts from some websites.

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In the next step, you have to set some settings such as image size, font size and padding.

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After these steps, two files be in a Fonts folder.

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To use the fonts, first load the file into BitmapFont object. Then you can create BitmapText objects and attach them to guiNode.

        // *** 1. Start (Load font, initial text)
        BitmapFont myFont = assetManager.loadFont(
                "Interface/Fonts/TrebuchetMS.fnt");
        outText = new BitmapText(myFont, false);
        outText.setSize(guiFont.getCharSet().getRenderedSize());
        outText.move(settings.getWidth()/5,      // X
                        settings.getHeight()/2,  // Y
                        0);                      // Z
        outText.setText("This is test # " + count);
        outText.setColor(ColorRGBA.Blue);
        outText.setLocalScale(2);
        guiNode.attachChild(outText);
        // *** 1. End

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In the simpleUpdate(), the counter is incremented and new text is written.

        // *** 2. Start (Updated text)
        outText.setText("This is a test # " + (++count));
        // *** 2. End

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package mygame;

import com.jme3.app.SimpleApplication;
import com.jme3.font.BitmapFont;
import com.jme3.font.BitmapText;
import com.jme3.math.ColorRGBA;
import com.jme3.system.AppSettings;

public class JMonkey34 extends SimpleApplication {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        AppSettings cfg = new AppSettings(true);
        cfg.setFrameRate(2); // 2 frames per second
        JMonkey34 app = new JMonkey34();
        app.setSettings(cfg);
        app.start();
    }
    private int count = 0;
    private BitmapText outText = null;

    @Override
    public void simpleInitApp() {
        flyCam.setEnabled(false);
        viewPort.setBackgroundColor(ColorRGBA.LightGray);
        setDisplayStatView(false);
        setDisplayFps(false);
        // *** 1. Start (Load font, initial text)
        BitmapFont myFont = assetManager.loadFont(
                "Interface/Fonts/TrebuchetMS.fnt");
        outText = new BitmapText(myFont, false);
        outText.setSize(guiFont.getCharSet().getRenderedSize());
        outText.move(settings.getWidth()/5,      // X
                        settings.getHeight()/2,  // Y
                        0);                      // Z
        outText.setText("This is test # " + count);
        outText.setColor(ColorRGBA.Blue);
        outText.setLocalScale(2);
        guiNode.attachChild(outText);
        // *** 1. End
    }
    
    @Override
    public void simpleUpdate(float tps) {
        // *** 2. Start (Updated text)
        outText.setText("This is a test # " + (++count));
        // *** 2. End
    }
}

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Output: