Adding Custom Composite Glyphs

FontCreator - Font Editor FontCreator - Support
1

Dear friends

I have faced some of problems eventhough I did go through its manual (Font Creator), but still it does not help me - perhaps my English is not so good, I am very sorry.

The problems are:
1- I have invented some new fonts (for my personal usage), the fonts actually are composite glyphs. Each of them is consisted of two base glyphs plus a macron above them. I have found an example for them as what in glyph: “Dzwithmacron” & “dzwithmacron”, whereby its mapping are:
i- Dzwithmacron: Start: $0180, Latin Extended-B; Value: $01C5, Latin capital letter D with small letter Z with caron.
ii- dzwithmacron: Start: $0180, Latin Extended-B; Value: $01C6, Latin small letter DZ with caron.

The problem is I could not do mapping for other new glyphs that I have created such “Tswithmacron” & “tswithcaron”, “Khwithmacron” & “khwithcaron”, etc. So could you help me please.

2- I have combined two (2) Arabic glyphs into one (1) glyph/ character (in my new Arabic fonts), how could I remove some parts of them so it would looked nice. Actually, I dont understand how to edit the fonts/ contours- I have read and tried many times, but still i dont understand it. Could anybody tell me in a simple words, steps about it.

For your information, I use Microsoft Office 2007 (Windows XP) which enables me to write both languages, English (included Malay language) and Arabic (included Jawi fonts).

I really hope someone could help me in this. Thank you in advance.

Sincerely from Malaysia- Asar.

2

First, which version of FontCreator are you using? Home, Professional, or Trial version?

  1. Dz and dz with caron are mapped to glyphs in the Latin Extended B character set as you noted. However, Dz and dz with macron have no mapping position assigned in Unicode 5.2 as far as I know. That means you should map them to any position you like in the Private Use Area, which starts at $E000. Some PUA code-points are used internally by FontCreator for low profile accents, so I suggest mapping your custom glyphs starting at $E050. It is not difficult to change the mapping later if necessary.

If you’re using the Trial or Professional version, add as many characters as you need from the Insert, Characters dialogue, e.g. from $E050-$E05F

Then see this Tutorial post on Creating Composites in the Home Edition to create your composite glyphs in those new characters. Ask in this thread if you have problems.

  1. See this Tutorial to learn how to combine contours. Ask again in this thread if you have any problems.

I attach a rough and ready example font to show how it could be done.

3

Dear Bhikkhu Pesala, jazakumullah and thank you very much my dear friend, it helps me, but I need to study it first- just read it.

Ok, let me go straight:
1- I am using Font Creator 6.1 Professional Edition. Dz and dz with macron are mapped there- as what I stated, but just the two, others are not.
2- what is the benefit of doing this: “If you’re using the Trial or Professional version, add as many characters as you need from the Insert, Characters dialogue, e.g. from $E050-$E05F”.

I think I will finish setting my own fonts, but still there are some problems that I am facing:
1- How I can assign my new extra fonts (9 new composite fonts such 1- Ts, ts; 2- Th, th; Kh & kh; 3- Dz, dz, 4- Dh, dh + 1 new font: “I cannot write it here”) into the limited existing fonts on the keyboard? if i just use the normal method in Microsoft Office as in Insert, symbol and then asign each key; the main problem is that i have to do it again in other computers that I want to use my personal fonts.

2- I have also an Arabic language version in the Microsoft Office 2007, whereby I can write both languages, i.e. Latin and Arabic/ Jawi such اسمي عصر بن عبد الكريم . The thing is I want to assign the Arabic alphabets/ fonts into new keys on the keyboard, i.e. I dont want to follow the existing Arabic keys. In other words, for example, I dont want the Arabic alphabet Taa’ (its real name) or Teh (its name in Micosoft Office)to be assigned on the key “J” on the keyboard. I want to put the alphabet/ font on other key. How could I do it? Ok, I think that’s all for now, Bhikkhu Pesala thanks again for the Dz Composites fonts.

I am waiting for your response, very sorry for asking a lot. Psss… do you have any favour or thing that I can do it for you? Sincerely, Asar (Email address removed.)

4

The Unicode mappings for $01C5 and $01C6 should be mapped to Dz with caron and dz with caron — if you use those mappings for Dz with macron and dz with macron, it will be incorrect. So use Private Use Area mappings instead.

When you insert characters the correct mapping are automatically added to the new glyphs.

All special glyphs that do not have an assigned Unicode code-point should be mapped to the Private Use Area. You can assign your new glyphs to any code-points you wish, e.g. Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú etc., but it is not recommended.

This is the main problem that you need to solve and is not within the scope of support for using FontCreator.

For your personal, non-standard, font to be usable by others, it needs a custom keyboard. In Word, I believe this can be done by copying templates. To use the font with other Windows programs you can create a customised Windows keyboard using the Windows Keyboard Layout Creator as I have done to type in Romanized Pāḷi and Sanskrit.

You need to discuss with others who understand what the purpose of your font is to decide on the best way to type these extra special glyphs.

5

jazakumullah and thank you so much my friend, God rewards you. If you do have anything else, or necessary infomation about how to create our own fonts easily, please tell me more- I am not a computer/ system expert, just want to explore and to know - i write academic books and articles ( i am a lecturer at one of Malaysian public universities) . Well, i also wonder if my fonts could be seen as it in others’ computer? one more, how about other programmes such as Power Point, Excell, email, etc? again, thanks.