Update 2: Fixed a font width problem.
UPDATE: I've changed the code so that it works with any character (ASCII or Extended Characters) that the respective PFont can display.

Alright, so i decided to make a class that will convert any font you could normally create using "createFont" into an ultra efficient object.
Each character is rendered as a point sprite display lists. _Added bonus_: It works in ortho projection mode!

Note: this works on my macbook pro which has an Nvidia card. Point Sprites are sort of fickle and may not be supported on your machine.

to use it:
Code:

//set everything up as usual
PGraphicsOpenGL pgl = ((PGraphicsOpenGL)g);
GL gl = pgl.beginGL();

// GLFont (opengl Context, font name, size (in pixels), smooth)
GLFont gltext = new GLFont(gl, "Monaco",26, true);
gltext.setcolor( 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
pgl.endGL();

....
//somewhere in your render
gl = pgl.bignGL();
gltext.write(gl, "Joey Joe-Joe Junior Shabadoo" ,  20, 20);
pgl.endGL();

....
//when you dont need text any longer
gltext.deallocate(gl);
 

Ok here's the class:
Code:

class GLFont{
  int _texsize, _tex[], _list[];
  float _size, _charwidth[], _color[];
  String _name;
  Hashtable _charmap;
  
  GLFont(GL gl, String fontName, float fontSize, boolean smoothFont){
    PFont font = createFont(fontName, fontSize, smoothFont);
    textFont(font);
    textMode(MODEL);

    _name = fontName;
    _size = fontSize;
    _texsize = font.images[0].width;
    _tex = new int[280];
    _list = new int[280]; 
    _charwidth = new float[280];
    _charmap = new Hashtable();
    setcolor(1,1,1,1);

    ByteBuffer tempBuf;
    boolean noImage;
    _charwidth[32] = textWidth( " " );
    for(int index=0; index<280; index++){
      _charmap.put( new Character( char(font.value[index]) ), new Integer(index) );
      _charwidth[index]= textWidth(char(font.value[index]));

      noImage = true;
      tempBuf = ByteBuffer.allocate( 4 * font.images[index].pixels.length );
      for(int t=0; t< font.images[index].pixels.length; t++){
        tempBuf.putInt(  t*4, (255<<24)+(255<<16)+(255<<8)+(font.images[index].pixels[t]) );
        if( font.images[index].pixels[t] >0 ) noImage = false;
      }
      tempBuf.rewind();
      if( noImage ) continue;

      _tex[index] = glNewTex(gl, GL.GL_TEXTURE_2D, _texsize, _texsize, GL.GL_RGBA, GL.GL_RGBA, GL.GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE,  GL.GL_NEAREST, GL.GL_NEAREST,  tempBuf);    

      //generate and build the display list
      _list[index] = gl.glGenLists(1);
      gl.glNewList( _list[index] ,GL.GL_COMPILE);
        gl.glActiveTexture( GL.GL_TEXTURE0); 
        gl.glEnable( GL.GL_TEXTURE_2D ); 
        gl.glBindTexture( GL.GL_TEXTURE_2D, _tex[index] );

        gl.glPushMatrix();
        gl.glBegin(GL.GL_POINTS);
          //i shift the pixel to the char's correct distance from the baseline
          gl.glVertex2f( _texsize/2 +font.leftExtent[index] , _size + _texsize/2 -font.topExtent[index] );
        gl.glEnd();
        gl.glPopMatrix();
      gl.glEndList();
    }
    gl.glActiveTexture( GL.GL_TEXTURE0); 
    gl.glEnable( GL.GL_TEXTURE_2D ); 
    gl.glBindTexture( GL.GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0 );
  }

  void deallocate(GL gl){
    gl.glDeleteTextures(128, _tex, 0);
    gl.glDeleteLists(128, _list[0] );
  }

  void setcolor(float r, float g, float b, float a){
    _color = new float[]{r,g,b,a};
  }
  
  void write(GL gl, String l_text, float x, float y){
    gl.glPushAttrib( GL.GL_ALL_ATTRIB_BITS );
    gl.glPushMatrix();
    gl.glColor4f( _color[0], _color[1], _color[2], _color[3] );
    gl.glTranslatef(x,y,0);
    gl.glDepthMask(false);
    gl.glDisable(GL.GL_DEPTH_TEST);
    gl.glEnable(GL.GL_BLEND);  //blending is important for alpha

    //set up point sprites
    gl.glEnable(GL.GL_POINT_SPRITE);
    gl.glPointSize(_texsize);
    gl.glTexEnvi(GL.GL_POINT_SPRITE, GL.GL_COORD_REPLACE, GL.GL_TRUE);
    int len = l_text.length();
    int t;
    for(int i=0; i<len; i++){
      if( _charmap.containsKey( new Character( l_text.charAt(i) ) ) ){
        t = ( (Integer)_charmap.get( new Character( l_text.charAt(i) ) ) ).intValue();
        gl.glCallList( _list[t] );
        gl.glTranslatef( _charwidth[t], 0, 0 );
      }else if( l_text.charAt(i) == char(32) )
	  gl.glTranslatef( _charwidth[32], 0, 0 );
    }
    gl.glPopMatrix();
    gl.glPopAttrib();
  }
}

//Create a new texture of any type and pass back it's ID
int glNewTex(GL gl, int texType, int w, int h,  int internalFormat, int l_format, int dataType, int minFilter, int magFilter, Buffer data){
  gl.glActiveTexture( GL.GL_TEXTURE0 );
  gl.glEnable(texType);
  int[] temp = new int[1];
  gl.glGenTextures( 1, temp, 0 );

  gl.glBindTexture( texType, temp[0] );
  gl.glTexParameteri( texType, GL.GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, minFilter );
  gl.glTexParameteri( texType, GL.GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, magFilter );
  gl.glTexParameteri( texType, GL.GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_S, GL.GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE );
  gl.glTexParameteri( texType, GL.GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_T, GL.GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE );
  gl.glTexImage2D( texType, 0, internalFormat, w, h, 0, l_format, dataType, data );    
  gl.glActiveTexture( GL.GL_TEXTURE0); 
  gl.glEnable( GL.GL_TEXTURE_2D ); 
  gl.glBindTexture( GL.GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0 );
  return temp[0];
}
 

UPDATE: I updated the code (see above) and will add this to the hacks section when i get a bit of time. I have another much larger sketch to demonstrate that i must finish

You know I just realized that it only works for ASCII charcters right now. It should be a quick fix but i want to extend it to character codes 127 and up before i add it to the hacks section.

This doesn't work. . I tried adding Code:

import processing.opengl.*; 

but it still wouldn't compile.

Your class works fine on my MBP15 CoreDuo, thanks for sharing! I couldn't manage to use JOGL with Processing's OpenGL, though: I first did 3D stuff with Processing within pushMatrix and popMatrix, then started a 3D session using JOGL to do 2D text drawings. After that I couldn't continue with 3D stuff. Porting to JOGL solved this issue.

When do you call deallocate (glDeleteTextures, glDeleteLists) to free ressources? I always get a BAD MEMORY ACCESS in opengl.dylib, I think the GL canvas is already destroyed on stop(), close(), destroy() and finalize()? Does JOGL free OpenGL resources automatically, I am worried about memory leaks.

I can't be sure what your setup is like but this sounds like GL_TEXTURE_2D is not enabled before you go to write the text. If that is the case try this:

Try changing the begining of the write() method to this:

Code:

void write(GL gl, String l_text, float x, float y){ 
    gl.glPushAttrib( GL.GL_ALL_ATTRIB_BITS ); 
    gl.glPushMatrix(); 
    gl.glColor4f( _color[0], _color[1], _color[2], _color[3] ); 
    gl.glTranslatef(x,y,0); 
    gl.glDepthMask(false); 
    gl.glDisable(GL.GL_DEPTH_TEST); 
    gl.glEnable(GL.GL_BLEND);  //blending is important for alpha 
    gl.glEnable( GL.GL_TEXTURE_2D ); //Enable 2D Textures!
 

here's another textwriter in opengl for 2d/3d mode.


how to use:

VTextRenderer textRender;

void setup()
{
 textRender = new VTextRenderer( "Arial", 32 );
}

void draw()
{
textRender.print( "singing in the rain", 0, 10, 0, 0.2 );
}


-------------------------------------------------------

import java.text.*;
import com.sun.opengl.util.*;
import com.sun.opengl.util.j2d.*;

class VTextRenderer
{
 VTextRenderer( String fontName, int size )
 {
   _fontName = fontName;
   _fontSize = size;
   _textRender = new TextRenderer( new Font(fontName, Font.TRUETYPE_FONT, size), true, true, null, true );
   _textRender.setColor( 1.0f, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 );
   //_textRender.setUseVertexArrays( true );
 }

 VTextRenderer( String fontName, int size, boolean antialiased, boolean mipmap )
 {
   _fontName = fontName;
   _fontSize = size;
   _textRender = new TextRenderer( new Font(fontName, Font.TRUETYPE_FONT, size), antialiased, true, null, mipmap );
   _textRender.setColor( 1.0f, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 );
   //_textRender.setUseVertexArrays( true );
 }
 
 
 void print( String str, int x, int y )
 {
   _textRender.beginRendering( width, height, true );
   _textRender.draw( str, x, y );
   _textRender.endRendering();  
   _textRender.flush();
 }

 void print( String str, float x, float y, float z )
 {
   print( str, x, y, z, 1.0f );
 }

 void print( String str, float x, float y, float z, float s )
 {
   _textRender.begin3DRendering();
   _textRender.draw3D( str, x, y, z, s );
   _textRender.end3DRendering();  
   _textRender.flush();
 }

 void setColor( float c )
 {
   setColor( c, c, c, 1 );
 }

 void setColor( float c, float a )
 {
   setColor( c, c, c, a );
 }

 void setColor( float r, float g, float b )
 {
   setColor( r, g, b, 1 );
 }
 
 void setColor( float r, float g, float b, float a )
 {
   _textRender.setColor( r, g, b, a );
 }
 
 void setSmoothing( boolean flag )
 {
   _textRender.setSmoothing( flag );
 }


 /// ____________________________________________________
 /// Members
 int _w, _h;
 
 String _fontName;
 int _fontSize;
 TextRenderer _textRender;
 Font font;
 
}

i dont see what the problem is. i just tried a simple processing test and it works just fine.

you might be having problem with your matrix states. you will need to reset your modelview to ortho mode to draw over the screen. or then disable DEPTH_TEST to reset on top.


Code:

VTextRenderer textRender;

void setup()
{
  size( 800, 600, OPENGL );
  
  textRender = new VTextRenderer( "Arial", 32 ); 
  
  rectMode( CENTER );
}

void draw()
{
  float time = millis() * 0.001;
  
  background( 0 );
  perspective( PI*0.25, 1.33333, 1, 1000 );
  camera( 0, 0, 100, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0 );
  
  rotateY( time*.60 );
  rotateZ( time*.60 );
  rotateX( time*.60 );
  rect( 0, 0, 80, 80 );
  
  textRender.setColor( 0.3, 0.3, 0.3, 1 );
  textRender.print( "testing.1.2.3", (int)(200+sin(time)*200), 400 );
}
 

I can't get the 3d (x,y,z position) in VTextRenderer to work.  It just doesn't display anything.  Works with 2d (x,y).