install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install msdfgen

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install msdfgen

MacPorts ports tree · graphics/msdfgen/Portfile · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Multi-channel signed distance field generator

Project links

Commands and aliases

msdfgen

history

Project history and usage

msdfgen is a utility and library for generating signed distance fields from vector shapes and font glyphs, with its main focus on multi-channel signed distance fields for real-time graphics.

Project history

The official GitHub repository was created in 2016 and the changelog lists version 1.0 as the initial public release on 2016-04-28. The project later added CMake support, expanded SVG and font handling, introduced MTSDF mode, and kept refining error correction, geometry preprocessing, and build options.

Adoption history

The README positions msdfgen both as a standalone console program and as a C++ library. It also points users toward msdf-atlas-gen when generating complete font atlases, which reflects its adoption in graphics and text-rendering pipelines rather than as an end-user media tool.

How it is used

Typical package-manager usage is running msdfgen with a mode, input, and options to generate SDF, PSDF, MSDF, or MTSDF textures from fonts, SVG files, shape descriptions, or standard input. The library API exposes the same core generation routines for embedding in renderers and tools.

Why package nerds care

msdfgen matters in packaging because it bridges graphics research and practical asset generation: a small CLI plus C++ library, optional image/font/SVG dependencies, and current releases that track real-world build-system needs.

Timeline

2016: Repository created and version 1.0 published.
2017: CMake build script added.
2020: MTSDF mode added.
2023: Standalone executable can be built in a limited dependency-free form.
2025: Version 1.13 released.

Related projects

msdf-atlas-gen is the official companion project recommended by the README for generating full font atlases.

Sources

https://github.com/Chlumsky/msdfgen
https://github.com/Chlumsky/msdfgen#readme
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Chlumsky/msdfgen/master/CHANGELOG.md
source_facts.description
source_facts.repo

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for msdfgen. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Installs with 3 runtime dependencies.
Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`msdfgen`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-25

manager version1.13

manager updated2026-07-02

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv1.13

https://github.com/Chlumsky/msdfgen

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:msdfgen
Version	1.13
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/msdfgen
Homepage	https://github.com/Chlumsky/msdfgen
Repository	https://github.com/Chlumsky/msdfgen
Upstream docs	https://github.com/Chlumsky/msdfgen#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/Chlumsky/msdfgen/archive/refs/tags/v1.13.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-07-02T15:53:33+02:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	freetype, libpng, tinyxml2
Build dependencies	cmake
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	msdfgen
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

MacPorts95%

msdfgen

sudo port install msdfgen

normalized package name match
Matched by: Msdfgen

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: graphics/msdfgen/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/msdfgen.yml

Used sources

Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install msdfgen with Homebrew, MacPorts