Expose more hinting options to the user.

Author: mdboom

lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py

@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@
 from matplotlib.cbook import is_string_like, maxdict
 from matplotlib.figure import Figure
 from matplotlib.font_manager import findfont
-from matplotlib.ft2font import FT2Font, LOAD_FORCE_AUTOHINT, LOAD_NO_HINTING
+from matplotlib.ft2font import FT2Font, LOAD_FORCE_AUTOHINT, LOAD_NO_HINTING, \
+     LOAD_DEFAULT, LOAD_NO_AUTOHINT
 from matplotlib.mathtext import MathTextParser
 from matplotlib.path import Path
 from matplotlib.transforms import Bbox, BboxBase
@@ -40,6 +41,18 @@
 
 backend_version = 'v2.2'
 
+def get_hinting_flag():
+    mapping = {
+        True: LOAD_FORCE_AUTOHINT,
+        False: LOAD_NO_HINTING,
+        'either': LOAD_DEFAULT,
+        'native': LOAD_NO_AUTOHINT,
+        'auto': LOAD_FORCE_AUTOHINT,
+        'none': LOAD_NO_HINTING
+        }
+    return mapping[rcParams['text.hinting']]
+
+
 class RendererAgg(RendererBase):
     """
     The renderer handles all the drawing primitives using a graphics
@@ -69,12 +82,6 @@ def __init__(self, width, height, dpi):
         if __debug__: verbose.report('RendererAgg.__init__ done',
                                      'debug-annoying')
 
-    def _get_hinting_flag(self):
-        if rcParams['text.hinting']:
-            return LOAD_FORCE_AUTOHINT
-        else:
-            return LOAD_NO_HINTING
-
     # for filtering to work with rasterization, methods needs to be wrapped.
     # maybe there is better way to do it.
     def draw_markers(self, *kl, **kw):
@@ -141,7 +148,7 @@ def draw_text(self, gc, x, y, s, prop, angle, ismath):
         if ismath:
             return self.draw_mathtext(gc, x, y, s, prop, angle)
 
-        flags = self._get_hinting_flag()
+        flags = get_hinting_flag()
         font = self._get_agg_font(prop)
         if font is None: return None
         if len(s) == 1 and ord(s) > 127:
@@ -178,7 +185,7 @@ def get_text_width_height_descent(self, s, prop, ismath):
                 self.mathtext_parser.parse(s, self.dpi, prop)
             return width, height, descent
 
-        flags = self._get_hinting_flag()
+        flags = get_hinting_flag()
         font = self._get_agg_font(prop)
         font.set_text(s, 0.0, flags=flags)  # the width and height of unrotated string
         w, h = font.get_width_height()

lib/matplotlib/mathtext.py

@@ -224,10 +224,8 @@ def get_results(self, box, used_characters):
         return result
 
     def get_hinting_type(self):
-        if rcParams['text.hinting']:
-            return LOAD_FORCE_AUTOHINT
-        else:
-            return LOAD_NO_HINTING
+        from matplotlib.backends import backend_agg
+        return backend_agg.get_hinting_flag()
 
 class MathtextBackendBitmap(MathtextBackendAgg):
     def get_results(self, box, used_characters):

lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py

@@ -313,6 +313,13 @@ def deprecate_svg_embed_char_paths(value):
 
 validate_svg_fonttype = ValidateInStrings('fonttype', ['none', 'path', 'svgfont'])
 
+def validate_hinting(s):
+    if s in (True, False):
+        return s
+    if s.lower() in ('auto', 'native', 'either', 'none'):
+        return s.lower()
+    raise ValueError("hinting should be 'auto', 'native', 'either' or 'none'")
+
 class ValidateInterval:
     """
     Value must be in interval
@@ -407,7 +414,7 @@ def __call__(self, s):
     'text.latex.preamble' : [[''], validate_stringlist],
     'text.latex.preview' : [False, validate_bool],
     'text.dvipnghack'     : [None, validate_bool_maybe_none],
-    'text.hinting'        : [True, validate_bool],
+    'text.hinting'        : [True, validate_hinting],
     'text.hinting_factor' : [8, validate_int],
 
     # The following are deprecated and replaced by, e.g., 'font.style'

matplotlibrc.template

@@ -170,9 +170,17 @@ backend      : %(backend)s
                              # correction off.  None will try and
                              # guess based on your dvipng version
 
-#text.hinting : True # If True, text will be hinted, otherwise not.  This only
-                     # affects the Agg backend.
-#text.hinting_factor : 8 # Specifies the amount of softness for hinting in the
+#text.hinting : 'auto' # May be one of the following:
+                       #   'none': Perform no hinting
+                       #   'auto': Use freetype's autohinter
+                       #   'native': Use the hinting information in the
+                       #             font file, if available, and if your
+                       #             freetype library supports it
+                       #   'either': Use the native hinting information,
+                       #             or the autohinter if none is available.
+                       # For backward compatibility, this value may also be
+                       # True === 'auto' or False === 'none'.
+text.hinting_factor : 8 # Specifies the amount of softness for hinting in the
                          # horizontal direction.  A value of 1 will hint to full
                          # pixels.  A value of 2 will hint to half pixels etc.