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I have a 5x8 Neopixel shield for my Arduino. I want to display text on it, while it is in "landscape mode", i.e. a only 5pt high text. The default font that is used by the printcommand is 8pt high. How can I load a font with 5pt height into my code?

I understand that the Neopixel library depends on Adafruit GFX, which allows for different fonts. But changing the font according to the Adafruit tutorial on GFX to one of the supplied fonts does not return any readable text (only a moving line of dots). I found this font converter and used it to produce a 5pt font, but again only a moving dot appears.

This is my code (basically the Neomatrix example with modified orientation of the matrix):

// Adafruit_NeoMatrix example for single NeoPixel Shield.
// Scrolls 'Howdy' across the matrix in a portrait (vertical) orientation.

#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <Adafruit_NeoMatrix.h>
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>
#include <Fonts/Dialog_plain_5.h>
#ifndef PSTR
 #define PSTR // Make Arduino Due happy
#endif

#define PIN 6

Adafruit_NeoMatrix matrix = Adafruit_NeoMatrix(8, 5, PIN,
  NEO_MATRIX_TOP     + NEO_MATRIX_LEFT+
  NEO_MATRIX_ROWS + NEO_MATRIX_PROGRESSIVE,
  NEO_GRBW  + NEO_KHZ800);

const uint16_t colors[] = {
  matrix.Color(255, 0, 0), matrix.Color(0, 255, 0), matrix.Color(0, 0, 255) };

void setup() {
  matrix.setFont(&Dialog_plain_5);
  matrix.begin();
  matrix.setTextWrap(false);
  matrix.setBrightness(30);
  matrix.setTextColor(colors[0]);
}

int x    = matrix.width();
int pass = 0;

void loop() {
  matrix.fillScreen(0);
  matrix.setCursor(x, 0);
  matrix.print(F("Howdy"));
  if(--x < -36) {
    x = matrix.width();
    if(++pass >= 3) pass = 0;
    matrix.setTextColor(colors[pass]);
  }
  matrix.show();
  delay(100);
}

and this is the content of the font file:

// Created by http://oleddisplay.squix.ch/ Consider a donation
// In case of problems make sure that you are using the font file with the correct version!
const uint8_t Dialog_plain_5Bitmaps[] PROGMEM = {

    // Bitmap Data:
    0x00, // ' '
    0xF0, // '!'
    0xC0, // '"'
    0x07,0xF2, // '#'
    0x79,0xF4, // '$'
    0xD1,0x10,0xB0, // '%'
    0x88,0xCA, // '&'
    0x80, // '''
    0x2A,0x00, // '('
    0x15,0x00, // ')'
    0x08,0x00, // '*'
    0x01,0x1C,0x40, // '+'
    0x00, // ','
    0xC0, // '-'
    0x00, // '.'
    0x6A,0x00, // '/'
    0xD6,0xE0, // '0'
    0xC9,0x20, // '1'
    0x62,0x48, // '2'
    0xE8,0xE0, // '3'
    0x26,0x62, // '4'
    0x08,0x90, // '5'
    0x7A,0xE0, // '6'
    0x25,0x20, // '7'
    0xEA,0xE0, // '8'
    0xD5,0xE0, // '9'
    0x00, // ':'
    0x00, // ';'
    0x02,0xC6, // '<'
    0x77, // '='
    0x06,0x16, // '>'
    0xD0, // '?'
    0x27,0xB7,0x66,0x00, // '@'
    0x4A,0x68, // 'A'
    0xFA,0xD0, // 'B'
    0x68,0x86, // 'C'
    0xE9,0x9A, // 'D'
    0xDA,0x40, // 'E'
    0x9A,0x40, // 'F'
    0x78,0xB5, // 'G'
    0xBE,0xD0, // 'H'
    0xF0, // 'I'
    0x55,0x40, // 'J'
    0xAC,0xCA, // 'K'
    0x92,0x40, // 'L'
    0x9F,0xF9, // 'M'
    0xBF,0xD0, // 'N'
    0x69,0x96, // 'O'
    0xF7,0x40, // 'P'
    0x69,0x96,0x00, // 'Q'
    0xEA,0xCA, // 'R'
    0x91,0x60, // 'S'
    0x21,0x08,0x40, // 'T'
    0xB6,0xE0, // 'U'
    0xAA,0xA4, // 'V'
    0xAF,0xBC,0xA0, // 'W'
    0xA4,0x4A, // 'X'
    0x53,0x08,0x40, // 'Y'
    0x64,0x88, // 'Z'
    0xAA,0x80, // '['
    0xAA,0x40, // '\'
    0x55,0x40, // ']'
    0x61, // '^'
    0x70, // '_'
    0x00, // '`'
    0xDE,0x80, // 'a'
    0x9A,0xE0, // 'b'
    0x92,0x00, // 'c'
    0x3E,0xD0, // 'd'
    0xDE,0x00, // 'e'
    0x49,0x20, // 'f'
    0xF6,0xA0, // 'g'
    0x9E,0xD0, // 'h'
    0xF0, // 'i'
    0x55,0x40, // 'j'
    0x9A,0x60, // 'k'
    0xF0, // 'l'
    0xFD,0x6A, // 'm'
    0xF6,0x80, // 'n'
    0xD7,0x00, // 'o'
    0xD7,0x40, // 'p'
    0xF6,0xB0, // 'q'
    0x2A, // 'r'
    0x4C,0x80, // 's'
    0x49,0x20, // 't'
    0x16,0xD0, // 'u'
    0xB9,0x00, // 'v'
    0xD7,0x60, // 'w'
    0xCB,0x00, // 'x'
    0xB9,0x40, // 'y'
    0x68, // 'z'
    0x4A,0x24, // '{'
    0xF8, // '|'
    0x48,0xA4 // '}'
};
const GFXglyph Dialog_plain_5Glyphs[] PROGMEM = {
// bitmapOffset, width, height, xAdvance, xOffset, yOffset
      {     0,   1,   1,   3,    0,    0 }, // ' '
      {     1,   1,   4,   3,    0,   -4 }, // '!'
      {     2,   2,   2,   3,    0,   -4 }, // '"'
      {     3,   4,   4,   5,    0,   -4 }, // '#'
      {     5,   3,   5,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '$'
      {     7,   5,   4,   6,    0,   -4 }, // '%'
      {    10,   4,   4,   5,    0,   -4 }, // '&'
      {    12,   1,   2,   2,    0,   -4 }, // '''
      {    13,   2,   5,   3,    0,   -4 }, // '('
      {    15,   2,   5,   3,    0,   -4 }, // ')'
      {    17,   3,   3,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '*'
      {    19,   5,   4,   6,    0,   -4 }, // '+'
      {    22,   2,   3,   3,    0,   -2 }, // ','
      {    23,   2,   1,   3,    0,   -2 }, // '-'
      {    24,   2,   1,   3,    0,   -1 }, // '.'
      {    25,   2,   5,   3,    0,   -4 }, // '/'
      {    27,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '0'
      {    29,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '1'
      {    31,   4,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '2'
      {    33,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '3'
      {    35,   4,   4,   5,    0,   -4 }, // '4'
      {    37,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '5'
      {    39,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '6'
      {    41,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '7'
      {    43,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '8'
      {    45,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '9'
      {    47,   2,   3,   3,    0,   -3 }, // ':'
      {    48,   2,   4,   3,    0,   -3 }, // ';'
      {    49,   4,   4,   5,    1,   -4 }, // '<'
      {    51,   4,   2,   5,    0,   -3 }, // '='
      {    52,   4,   4,   5,    0,   -4 }, // '>'
      {    54,   2,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '?'
      {    55,   5,   5,   6,    0,   -4 }, // '@'
      {    59,   4,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'A'
      {    61,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'B'
      {    63,   4,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'C'
      {    65,   4,   4,   5,    0,   -4 }, // 'D'
      {    67,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'E'
      {    69,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'F'
      {    71,   4,   4,   5,    0,   -4 }, // 'G'
      {    73,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'H'
      {    75,   1,   4,   2,    0,   -4 }, // 'I'
      {    76,   2,   5,   2,   -1,   -4 }, // 'J'
      {    78,   4,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'K'
      {    80,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'L'
      {    82,   4,   4,   5,    0,   -4 }, // 'M'
      {    84,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'N'
      {    86,   4,   4,   5,    0,   -4 }, // 'O'
      {    88,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'P'
      {    90,   4,   5,   5,    0,   -4 }, // 'Q'
      {    93,   4,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'R'
      {    95,   3,   4,   5,    1,   -4 }, // 'S'
      {    97,   5,   4,   4,   -1,   -4 }, // 'T'
      {   100,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'U'
      {   102,   4,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'V'
      {   104,   5,   4,   6,    0,   -4 }, // 'W'
      {   107,   4,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'X'
      {   109,   5,   4,   4,   -1,   -4 }, // 'Y'
      {   112,   4,   4,   6,    1,   -4 }, // 'Z'
      {   114,   2,   5,   3,    0,   -4 }, // '['
      {   116,   2,   5,   3,    0,   -4 }, // '\'
      {   118,   2,   5,   3,    0,   -4 }, // ']'
      {   120,   4,   2,   5,    0,   -4 }, // '^'
      {   121,   4,   1,   4,   -1,    1 }, // '_'
      {   122,   2,   1,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '`'
      {   123,   3,   3,   5,    1,   -3 }, // 'a'
      {   125,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'b'
      {   127,   3,   3,   4,    0,   -3 }, // 'c'
      {   129,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'd'
      {   131,   3,   3,   5,    1,   -3 }, // 'e'
      {   133,   3,   4,   3,   -1,   -4 }, // 'f'
      {   135,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -3 }, // 'g'
      {   137,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'h'
      {   139,   1,   4,   2,    0,   -4 }, // 'i'
      {   140,   2,   5,   2,   -1,   -4 }, // 'j'
      {   142,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'k'
      {   144,   1,   4,   2,    0,   -4 }, // 'l'
      {   145,   5,   3,   6,    0,   -3 }, // 'm'
      {   147,   3,   3,   4,    0,   -3 }, // 'n'
      {   149,   3,   3,   4,    0,   -3 }, // 'o'
      {   151,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -3 }, // 'p'
      {   153,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -3 }, // 'q'
      {   155,   2,   4,   3,    0,   -4 }, // 'r'
      {   156,   3,   3,   5,    0,   -3 }, // 's'
      {   158,   3,   4,   3,   -1,   -4 }, // 't'
      {   160,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -4 }, // 'u'
      {   162,   3,   3,   4,    0,   -3 }, // 'v'
      {   164,   4,   3,   5,    0,   -3 }, // 'w'
      {   166,   3,   3,   4,    0,   -3 }, // 'x'
      {   168,   3,   4,   4,    0,   -3 }, // 'y'
      {   170,   2,   3,   5,    1,   -3 }, // 'z'
      {   171,   3,   5,   4,    0,   -4 }, // '{'
      {   173,   1,   6,   2,    0,   -4 }, // '|'
      {   174,   3,   5,   4,    0,   -4 } // '}'
};
const GFXfont Dialog_plain_5 PROGMEM = {
(uint8_t  *)Dialog_plain_5Bitmaps,(GFXglyph *)Dialog_plain_5Glyphs,0x20, 0x7E, 7};
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1 Answer 1

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I was having the same problem until I read the library source code. Later I found the documentation reference.

The classic font cursor position is defined as the top-left corner of the character cell. For GFX and custom fonts it is the 'y' position is relative to the baseline of the character cell.

My display is 5 by 5. The TomThumb font is 3 by 5. Instead of matrix.setCursor(x, 0); I needed to use matrix.setCursor(x, 5); so the 'y' coordinate corresponds with the bottom of the pixel matrix, not the top.

It's described in Adafruit's docs.

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