# 8x8 tileset based on old IBM font?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/8x8-tileset-based-on-old-ibm-font/3109>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [September 19, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/8x8-tileset-based-on-old-ibm-font/3109 "2013-09-19T00:20:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shadowdarke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@Shadowdarke](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Shadowdarke)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/8x8-tileset-based-on-old-ibm-font/3109/1 "2013-09-19T00:20:58Z")

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I love playing Cata in text mode, but the distortion of 8x16 characters detracts from the perspective. I’ve been wanting to make a tileset based on the old IBM 8x8 character set to allow for the best of both worlds. I designed a png ([http://shadowdarke.byondhome.com/library/tinytile.png](http://shadowdarke.byondhome.com/library/tinytile.png)) and fiddled with the tile\_config.json a bit, but I haven’t had the time nor motivation to get more deeply involved with all the tile names and what their corresponding default text appearances are.

I (and perhaps others) would be grateful if someone would make a tile\_config.json file that would map this font file to the default characters/color combinations.

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**Author:** ![Gatleos](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/gatleos/32/1008_2.png) [@Gatleos](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Gatleos)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/8x8-tileset-based-on-old-ibm-font/3109/2 "2013-09-19T00:34:02Z")

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I really want a square ascii font too, but the problem is that it messes up all the menus. Making it a tileset would work, but I think a more permanent solution would be to let SDL load a separate font for the map viewport and then render it like it does with the menus. That way you could have non-distorted menus and a square-tiled map without having to update a tileset.

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**Author:** ![Shadowdarke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@Shadowdarke](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Shadowdarke)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/8x8-tileset-based-on-old-ibm-font/3109/3 "2013-09-19T01:46:31Z")

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> [@Gatleos](#):
>
> … but I think a more permanent solution would be to let SDL load a separate font for the map viewport and then render it like it does with the menus.

Aye, that would be a much better solution and would probably take less time overall for someone familiar with the source code.