Font Forum

Wondering if it is possible to implement a "FontStruct" like mode, a mode which users create glyphs with various predefined and custom shapes for beginners or amateurs that are just into font making?

At least it helps creating fonts in a much easier way and users can switch to the regular mode for further fine tuning...

You can already do this to some extent by using the Samples Toolbar. Any font can be assigned to the Samples toolbar, so you could begin your project by creating several elemental shapes such as horizontal strokes, vertical strokes, elliptical rings, and serifs, then saving that font to use in the Samples Toolbar.

The Samples Toolbar can be shown from the View menu, and the font can be changed in Tools, Options, General.

To create the rest of the font, drag and drop the elements into each glyph, and use the "Get Union of Contours" feature to combine them into full glyphs.

Creating fonts from elements has huge advantages — strokes weights and serifs are consistent, and work done once doesn't need to be repeated. E.g. I can be used when creating H, L, M, N, T, and P and be used when creating B and R, while b can be a basis for d, p, and q.

Take a look at Dave Crosby's thread on altering existing fonts, with particular reference to his Shapes Toolkit.

Seriously you want a easy solution make a font on struct with all the glyphs separated and guess what you can use it on FontCreator xD and just fix your font so that the top and sides have no spaces and you then end up with your own struct design patterns, heck if I recall William had a nice base of something similar.

Shawn W. Dion