* include/freetype/freetype.h (FT_RENDER_MODE_SDF): Improve documentation.

* include/freetype/freetype.h (FT_RENDER_MODE_SDF): Added one more point
  to the limitations of sdf.

include/freetype/freetype.h

@@ -3368,6 +3368,45 @@ FT_BEGIN_HEADER
    *   }
    *
    *   ```
+   *
+   *   FreeType has two rasterizers for generating SDF, namely:
+   *
+   *   1. `sdf`  - For generating SDF directly from glyph's outline.
+   *
+   *   2. `bsdf` - For generating SDF from rasterized bitmaps.
+   *
+   *   Depending on the glyph type (i.e. outline or bitmap), one of the two
+   *   rasterizer is chosen at runtime and used for generating SDF.  To
+   *   force use `bsdf` you can simply render the glyph using any of the
+   *   FreeType's other rendering modes (e.g. `FT_RENDER_MODE_NORMAL`) and
+   *   then re-render using `FT_RENDER_MODE_SDF`.
+   *
+   *   Now, a few notes on the stability and point of failures for the SDF
+   *   renderers (specifically `sdf`):
+   *
+   *   1. The `sdf` rasterizer is sensitive to really small features (e.g.
+   *      sharp turns which are less than 1 pixel) and imperfections in the
+   *      glyph's outline.  Having these in the outline can cause artifats
+   *      in the final output.
+   *
+   *   2. The `sdf` rasterizer has limited support for handling intersecting
+   *      contours and *cannot* handle self-intersecting contours whatsoever.
+   *      Self intersection happens when a single connected contour intersect
+   *      itself at some point and having these in your font will definately
+   *      pose a problem to the rasterizer and cause artifacts.
+   *
+   *   3. Generating SDF for really small glyphs may result in undesirable
+   *      output due to limited availability of pixel grid to store distance
+   *      information.
+   *
+   *   4. Since the output buffer is normalized, precision at smaller spread
+   *      will be greater than precision at larger spread values, because the
+   *      output range of [0 .. 255] will be mapped to a smaller sdf range.
+   *      A spread of 2 should be sufficient in most cases.
+   *
+   *   Point (1) and (2) can be avoided by using `bsdf` and overall it is
+   *   more stable than the `sdf` rasterizer.
+   *
    */
   typedef enum  FT_Render_Mode_
   {

src/sdf/ftsdf.c

@@ -738,6 +738,18 @@
 
     contour = shape->contours;
 
+    /* If the control point coincide with any of the end point */
+    /* then it's a line and should be treated as one to avoid  */
+    /* unnecessary complexity later in the algorithm.          */
+    if ( ( contour->last_pos.x == control_1->x &&
+           contour->last_pos.y == control_1->y ) ||
+         ( control_1->x == to->x &&
+           control_1->y == to->y ) )
+    {
+      sdf_line_to( to, user );
+      goto Exit;
+    }
+
     FT_CALL( sdf_edge_new( memory, &edge ) );
 
     edge->edge_type = SDF_EDGE_CONIC;
@@ -1137,9 +1149,10 @@
                    FT_Int        max_splits,
                    SDF_Edge**    out )
   {
-    FT_Error     error = FT_Err_Ok;
-    FT_26D6_Vec  cpos[7];
-    SDF_Edge*    left,*  right;
+    FT_Error       error = FT_Err_Ok;
+    FT_26D6_Vec    cpos[7];
+    SDF_Edge*      left,*  right;
+    const FT_26D6  threshold = ONE_PIXEL / 4;
 
 
     if ( !memory || !out  )
@@ -1148,12 +1161,25 @@
       goto Exit;
     }
 
-    /* split the conic */
+    /* split the cubic */
     cpos[0] = control_points[0];
     cpos[1] = control_points[1];
     cpos[2] = control_points[2];
     cpos[3] = control_points[3];
 
+    /* If the segment is flat enough, we won't get any benifit by */
+    /* splitting it further, so we can just stop splitting. Here, */
+    /* we check the deviation of the bezier and stop if it is     */
+    /* lower than a pre-defined `threhold` value.                 */
+    if ( FT_ABS( 2 * cpos[0].x - 3 * cpos[1].x + cpos[3].x ) < threshold &&
+         FT_ABS( 2 * cpos[0].y - 3 * cpos[1].y + cpos[3].y ) < threshold &&
+         FT_ABS( cpos[0].x - 3 * cpos[2].x + 2 * cpos[3].x ) < threshold &&
+         FT_ABS( cpos[0].y - 3 * cpos[2].y + 2 * cpos[3].y ) < threshold )
+    {
+      split_cubic( cpos );
+      goto Append;
+    }
+
     split_cubic( cpos );
 
     /* If max number of splits is done */
@@ -1250,13 +1276,31 @@
           /* Subdivide the curve and add it to the list. */
           {
             FT_26D6_Vec  ctrls[3];
+            FT_26D6      dx, dy;
+            FT_UInt      num_splits;
 
 
             ctrls[0] = edge->start_pos;
             ctrls[1] = edge->control_a;
             ctrls[2] = edge->end_pos;
 
-            error = split_sdf_conic( memory, ctrls, 32, &new_edges );
+            dx = FT_ABS( ctrls[2].x + ctrls[0].x - 2 * ctrls[1].x );
+            dy = FT_ABS( ctrls[2].y + ctrls[0].y - 2 * ctrls[1].y );
+            if ( dx < dy )
+              dx = dy;
+
+            /* Here we calculate the number of necessary bisections. Each */
+            /* bisection reduces the deviation by exactly 4-fold, hence   */
+            /* we bisect the bezier until the deviation becomes less than */
+            /* 1/8th of a pixel. For more details check `ftgrays.c`.      */
+            num_splits = 1;
+            while ( dx > ONE_PIXEL / 8 )
+            {
+              dx >>= 2;
+              num_splits <<= 1;
+            }
+
+            error = split_sdf_conic( memory, ctrls, num_splits, &new_edges );
           }
           break;
 
@@ -3284,6 +3328,7 @@
             FT_26D6_Vec          grid_point = zero_vector;
             SDF_Signed_Distance  dist       = max_sdf;
             FT_UInt              index      = 0;
+            FT_16D16             diff       = 0;
 
 
             if ( x < 0 || x >= width )
@@ -3311,7 +3356,7 @@
             if ( dist.distance > sp_sq )
               continue;
 
-            /* square_root the values and fit in a 6.10 fixed-point */
+            /* square_root the values if required */
             if ( USE_SQUARED_DISTANCES )
               dist.distance = square_root( dist.distance );
 
@@ -3323,11 +3368,15 @@
             /* check whether the pixel is set or not */
             if ( dists[index].sign == 0 )
               dists[index] = dist;
-            else if ( dists[index].distance > dist.distance )
-              dists[index] = dist;
-            else if ( FT_ABS( dists[index].distance - dist.distance )
-                        < CORNER_CHECK_EPSILON )
-              dists[index] = resolve_corner( dists[index], dist );
+            else
+            {
+              diff = FT_ABS( dists[index].distance - dist.distance );
+
+              if ( diff <= CORNER_CHECK_EPSILON )
+                dists[index] = resolve_corner( dists[index], dist );
+              else if ( dists[index].distance > dist.distance )
+                dists[index] = dist;
+            }
           }
         }
 

src/sdf/ftsdfcommon.h

@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ FT_BEGIN_HEADER
 #define MIN_SPREAD      2
   /* maximum spread supported by the renderer */
 #define MAX_SPREAD      32
-
+  /* pixel size in 26.6 */
+#define ONE_PIXEL       ( 1 << 6 )
 
   /**************************************************************************
    *