Font Creator 4.0 Build 4.0.1.135.49

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Since the Beta 4.0 Forum is locked. I will post comments here.

1. The search for glyph feature when inserting composites is a useful enhancement, but it suffers from same defect as the normal search function. The default is Postscript Name, then Macintosh mapping (of little use in Unicode fonts), and the dialogue does not remember the setting, so every time one uses it one has to click on the Mapping tab, change the platform in the dropdown dialogue, then enter the codepoint in the dialogue.
   
   Also the search must match the currently displayed caption. So if Postscript name is the current caption, one cannot search for codepoints. If the captions are codepoints, one cannot search for postscript names
2. The zoom in and out change is a big improvement. Much more useful now. I tend to use the + and - keys on the numeric keypad. If you are thinking of changing the zoom in button, and removing the zoom out button, perhaps a flyout button with three options would be best: a) zoom in, b) zoom out, and c) zoom tool. The current two clicks required to zoom in has confused a few people. Perhaps zoom to selected could also be moved to the same flyout button, but I would prefer that the zoom in button (or + key) automatically zoomed to selected whenever points or contours are selected, then the extra button would not be needed.
3. The freehand select tool is fun to play with and potentially handy for selecting points to be deleted. I wonder if the marquee select tool is any longer needed if we have this?
4. The delete font hinting information danger seems to have been missed. There should be a warning about changing this setting, or it should be effective only on the currently open font. Then it should be a button rather than an option in a dropdown dialogue.
5. More to follow. I will add here.

[Chris Eilers]

Additional feedback on version 4.0.1.135.49

Snap to diagonal guidelines:
Excellent. It rounds out the new v4 guideline features. It is now relatively easy to create a diagonal collinear < off-curve - on-curve - off-curve > point set that is the equivalent of a smooth anchor point (along with its control handles) found in the cubic Bezier curves that most drawing programs use. Given the ability to twist and/or move diagonal guidelines, it is also relatively easy to tweak a diagonal collinear point set after it has been created.

Freehand selection tool:
A handy feature. My feeling is that it would be best to follow the option that Erwin put forward in “Bug Reports > Freehand selection tool”, viz. “After the selection is made, the program could automatically return into selection mode...”. I can see the positive side of the current sticky attribute, but I think auto-revert would be more intuitive, not only for new users, but also for users who have got used to the tool. Also, I’m inclined to agree with Bhikku -- I’m not sure that there is a need for the marquee select tool any longer.

Zoom tool:
Like Bhikku, I think the change in magnification factors is a definite improvement (and also like Bhikku, I’m inclined to use the + and - keys on the numeric keyboard wherever possible). As for a possible change to the way the Zoom tool is configured, my preference would be for the same attributes as those in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Pagemaker (which would thereby be immediately intuitive to a good many new users):-
1) The Zoom tool is shown on the toolbar as a magnifying glass without a plus or minus sign inside the glass.
2) When selected, the cursor changes into a magnifying glass with a plus sign inside the glass (just the same as Font Creator).
3) The plus-magnifying-glass cursor can be clicked to zoom in, and the resultant magnified screen will be centred on the place where it was clicked (again, just the same as Font Creator).
4) The plus-magnifying-glass cursor can also be used to draw a marquee, which will magnify an exact area (again, just the same).
5) If the Alt key is pressed down while the plus-magnifying-glass cursor is visible, the cursor changes into a magnifying glass with a minus sign inside the glass. Clicking with minus-magnifying-glass cursor zooms out.
6) The Zoom tool is sticky, allowing multiple clicks to Zoom in or out.
In the Adobe version of this tool, the Zoom tool remains active until another tool is selected. However, the Zoom tool could simply remain active until another click on the Zoom tool icon on the toolbar toggles it off. As you suggest, Erwin, Zoom out could be enabled with a right mouse click. However, the advantage of pressing a key, such us the Alt key, to toggle from Zoom in to Zoom out is that there is a visual indicator (the switch from plus-magnifying-glass to minus-magnifying-glass) to advise the user that the correct command mode is active. I think Bhikku’s suggestion of incorporating the Zoom to Selected command into a single Zoom tool is an excellent idea. As Bhikku suggested, this could be implemented by modifying the action of #3 above to provide a full zoom to selected whenever a point or points were selected.

Measure tool:
Another useful addition. Had I ever got around to writing out a full wish-list, some kind of flexible measurement device (in addition to the rulers) would undoubtedly have been included. The current implementation of a flexible measurement tool is particularly comprehensive.

AutoNaming:
In addition to fixing the minor bugs described by Jowaco, I like the fact that you have eliminated all the previous clutter in various fields in the Advanced Naming dialog box, with the exception of the perfectly acceptable: “[FontName] is created with the Font Creator Program from High-Logic.com” in the Description field.

The possible addition of a Font Transform wizard sounds very worthwhile. As I have only been creating very simple fonts to date, the search feature when adding composite glyphs and the possible additions of AutoPostscript and AutoMapping refer to aspects of font creation that I haven’t needed to know about, so am not in a position to comment.

[Erwin Denissen]

Thanks for both your suggestions!

I've added several items to the todo list

- Remember last search settings.
- Add 'Match case' and 'Find whole words only' options to the Postscript search settings.
- Combine zoom in and zoom out as Chris suggests.
- Comment no 4 (was already on the todo list).

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I have just been playing with Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0

It has a dynamic zoom tool that is a delight to use. Click on any point; drag up to zoom in; drag down to zoom out. It could not be simpler. No need for any other zoom tool

[Chris Eilers]

Sounds interesting, Bhikkhu. I’ll have to take your word for it. Unfortunately, I can’t check it out (and presumably there will be other users who can’t check it out either), even though I run both Windows 98 and Windows XP. Entering Windows 98 on the Adobe Acrobat Reader download site gives me the install file for Reader 5.1, not 6.0. Entering Windows XP on the Adobe Acrobat Reader download site gives me the install file for Reader 6.0, but this requires an Internet connection to “complete the installation” from Windows XP and I haven’t yet linked to the Internet from Windows XP owing to problems in setting up a Firewall. Typical IT hassles.

Can the new Adobe zoom tool be used to draw a marquee, in order to magnify an exact area? That's a capacity that I wouldn't like to lose.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Adobe Reader has three tools: zoom in, zoom out, and dynamic zoom. Zoom in can be used to zoom to marquee selected area, which I like, but one could easily manage without it if one had dynamic zoom. It also has zoom to full page, zoom to page width, and zoom to 100% toolbar buttons, which though appropriate in Adobe Reader, would be overkill in Font Creater.

The Alter zoom feature in Font Creator is great. I would do away with the Zoom out button, and the zoom to selected, as zoom to marqueed area can do the same just as quickly. Maybe fit on screen should stay, but it doesn't fill the window quite well enough.

[Chris Eilers]

Dynamic zoom sounds yummy. Every program should have one.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Not enough contrast between on and off states for toolbar buttons

Show grid and show guidelines are obvious enough when they are on or off, as the results are immediately visible. This is not the case with snap to grid, and snap to guidelines. It is difficult to see whether they are on or off.