I have since thought that my previous response to the question as to how to use Unicode fonts was on that sentence alone and that maybe a more context aware answer is needed as well.
So, I am now trying to answer the following question as if it had been put.
How does one add a cell for a character or cells for characters from the http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U2600.pdf code sheet to a new font in FontCreator that does not have any of those characters?
For example, let us use U+2615 HOT BEVERAGE.
Start a new Unicode font in FontCreator.
Insert Glyphs.. and use 1, which is the default number to insert, and select to insert it at after the last glyph.
A cell is added to the font, at the end.
Right-click on that cell. A dialogue panel should be displayed. The General sub-panel should be being displayed and the Mappings sub-panel is hidden, with just a title showing on a tab.
Click on the Mappings tab.
Microsoft Unicode BMP only should be highlighted: if it is not, click on it.
There is a box labelled Value, which should have a zero in it.
Add x2615 to it so that it shows 0x2615 after the adding.
Click the Add button.
Click OK
Add some more cells for other characters if desired, or just have the one if that is all that is wanted.
When as many as desired have been added, add Postscript names as follows.
Format Post…
The Include Postscript Names checkbox should already be checked: if not, check it.
Click on the Generate Names button.
Click OK.
A Postscript name should now appear in the heading to the cell.
The Postscript name for the U+2615 HOT BEVERAGE character is uni2615 and not something like hot_beverage.
If one is using the professional version of FontCreator one can use the Insert Characters… feature, with which one may add lots of character cells, all properly mapped, in one process.
However, convenient though that is for large numbers of cells, it may well be helpful to learn first using the Insert Glyphs… facility, even if that is just for a test font.
An interesting point that may affect some users is that the Insert Characters… facility is not useable with an 800 pixel by 600 pixel screen display. I habitually use an 800 pixel by 600 pixel screen display and find that I have to change the screen resolution of the display from the Windows Control Panel to 1024 pixel by 768 pixel if I want to use the Insert Characters… facility.
Although not directly on this topic, may I mention one other matter?
When making a font I make notes in a WordPad file as I proceed. I often find this useful for checking back on something later.
Something I have done sometimes is to copy some or all of such a file and post the notes in a post in this forum.
If someone learning makes such notes as he or she proceeds, then, if he or she encounters a problem along the way, it would be possible to paste a copy of some or all of the notes in a post in this forum when asking a question seeking to solve the problem.
An example of such a transcript is in the following thread.
I hope that this helps.
William Overington
6 May 2010