｢‍｣ Lingenic Compose: Fonts In Development

Stroke-based font formats

GitHub: pen-path brush-path chisel-path lettering character lapidary engraving

Compose fonts are stroke-based, not outline-based. Instead of storing filled contours (like TrueType or OpenType), Compose fonts store the tool paths that create letterforms: pen strokes, brush strokes, or chisel cuts.

This enables:

Parametric variation — Change pen width, brush pressure, or cut depth
Tool simulation — Render with authentic tool physics
Smaller files — Strokes compress better than outlines
Animation — Replay the stroke sequence

Architecture

Lingenic Compose font technology recovers something older than Multics Compose — the physical knowledge of how letters were made, across every major mark-making tradition (brush for CJK, pen for Western calligraphy, chisel for inscriptions, burin for engraving), encoded as machine-readable primitives so that knowledge isn't lost the way Compose was lost when Multics shut down.

pen-path (primitives)    ──► lettering   (.lettering format)
                         └─► 字           (.字 format, with brush-path)

brush-path (primitives)  ──► 字           (.字 format)

chisel-path (primitives) ──► lapidary    (.lapidary format)
                         └─► engraving   (.engraving format)

Three primitive crates model different mark-making tools. Four format crates use these primitives to define fonts.

Primitives

Crate	Tool Model	Mark-Making
`pen-path`	Rigid pen (circular, elliptical, rectangular)	Additive — ink on paper
`brush-path`	Flexible brush (bristle geometry, bend, splay)	Additive — ink on paper, pressure-sensitive
`chisel-path`	Chisel or burin (V-cut, U-cut, lozenge)	Subtractive — incising into substrate

pen-path

2D vector graphics primitives using a pen-and-path model. Points connected by Lines (⏤), Curves (⌒), or Corners (∠). Pens sweep along paths to create strokes. Coordinates in centipoints (7200/inch).

brush-path

Brush mark-making primitives for CJK calligraphy. Models physical brush properties (tip width, belly width, bristle type, flexibility) and dynamics during strokes:

Term	Chinese	Meaning
Pressure	輕重	Light-heavy variation
Press-pause	頓	Momentary press at direction change
Lift	提	Lighten pressure while moving
Sharp-turn	折	Abrupt direction change
Entry style	入鋒	How brush enters stroke
Exit style	收鋒	How brush leaves stroke

chisel-path

Subtractive mark-making for incising into substrates. Two techniques:

Technique	Tool	Substrate	Method
Carving	Chisel	Stone, wood	Struck with mallet
Engraving	Burin	Metal, end-grain wood	Pushed by hand

Substrates have physical properties (hardness, ductility, grain) that affect cutting behavior. Serif cuts are functional techniques for cleanly terminating strokes in stone.

Font Formats

Lettering — `.lettering`

Western stroke-based fonts using pen-path. Defines glyphs as sequences of pen strokes. Supports circular, elliptical, and rectangular pen shapes.

.font-begin MyFont
  .circular-pen-begin mono
    diameter 40
  .circular-pen-end

  .glyph-begin A U+0041
    advance-width 650
    stroke mono 50,0 ⏤ 325,750 ⏤ 600,0
    stroke mono 150,250 ⏤ 500,250
  .glyph-end
.font-end

字 — `.字`

CJK fonts using brush-path and/or pen-path. Supports Han (漢字), Kana (ひらがな/カタカナ), Hangul (한글), with regional variants (CN, TW, JP, KR) and multiple calligraphic styles:

Style	Chinese	Primitives
Regular script	楷書	brush-path
Running script	行書	brush-path
Grass script	草書	brush-path
Song typeface	宋體	pen-path
Gothic typeface	黑體	pen-path

Lapidary — `.lapidary`

Inscriptional fonts using chisel-path. Models stone carving with V-cut and U-cut chisels, serif cuts, and substrate properties. For Roman inscriptions and monumental lettering.

.font-begin Trajan
  .v-chisel-begin roman
    angle 60
    width 40
  .v-chisel-end

  .glyph-begin I U+0049
    cut roman 200,0⌵30 ⏤ 200,700⌵30 serif-entry triangular serif-exit triangular
  .glyph-end
.font-end

Engraving — `.engraving`

Copperplate and metal engraving fonts using chisel-path. Models burin tools with pressure-controlled line width, swelling strokes, and characteristic flick exits.

.font-begin Copperplate
  .burin-begin fine
    profile Lozenge
    angle 45
  .burin-end

  .glyph-begin A U+0041
    engrave fine 50,0 ◊20 ⏤ 300,720 ◊80 ⏤ 550,0 ◊20
  .glyph-end
.font-end

Path Symbols

All formats share a common path notation:

Symbol	Unicode	Meaning
`⏤`	U+23E4	Straight line segment
`⌒`	U+2312	Smooth curve (Hobby's algorithm)
`∠`	U+2220	Corner / inflection point
`↻`	U+21BB	Close path to start

Format-specific symbols:

Symbol	Unicode	Format	Meaning
`⌀`	U+2300	lettering	Diameter at point
`⌵`	U+2335	lapidary	Depth at point
`◊`	U+25CA	engraving	Pressure at point
`⤴`	U+2934	engraving	Flick exit

Units

Primitive crates (pen-path, brush-path, chisel-path) use centipoints (Cp):

7200 centipoints = 1 inch
100 centipoints = 1 point (1/72 inch)

Font formats (.lettering, .字, .lapidary, .engraving) use em-units — coordinates relative to the em square defined by units-per-em (typically 1000). This matches OpenType/TrueType convention.

Em-units are scaled to centipoints at rendering time. Integer math throughout.