Converting and copy-pasting open contours causing corrupted result

[LittleWhiteDog]

I’m using FontCreator 15.0.0.3017 64-bit on a Windows 11 23H2 system and I noticed it will produce corrupted results when handling the conversion of TrueType open contours to PostScript open contours and vice versa. And when the outline format in the export settings is set to TrueType, copy-paste a normal PostScript contour will make it be converted to a TrueType contour and vice versa. And thus copy-paste a PostScript open contour in a TrueType project will cause corrupted result and vice versa.

Existing TT curve —> Toggle open contour : OK —> Convert to PS curve : Corrupted situation 1
Existing TT curve —> Convert to PS curve : OK —> Toggle open contour : OK
Existing PS curve —> Toggle open contour : OK —> Convert to TT curve : Corrupted situation 2
Existing PS curve —> Convert to TT curve : OK —> Toggle open contour : OK

Project outline format == PostScript
————————————————
Existing PS curve —> Copy and paste : OK
Existing TT curve —> Copy and paste : Converted to PS curve
Existing PS curve —> Toggle open contour : OK —> Copy and paste : OK
Existing TT curve —> Toggle open contour : OK —> Copy and paste : Corrupted situation 1

Project outline format == TrueType
————————————————
Existing TT curve —> Copy and paste : OK
Existing PS curve —> Copy and paste : Converted to TT curve
Existing TT curve —> Toggle open contour : OK —> Copy and paste : OK
Existing PS curve —> Toggle open contour : OK —> Copy and paste : Corrupted situation 2

I was designing a single line font and for some reason I changed the outline format to PostScript and forgot to switch it back, then I try to copy and paste a contour but I got a messy result. At the first time I thought maybe the copy-paste function of the program is broken, but with my further test I got varied results, it took me some time to finally figure out the logic of this bug.

The copy-paste issue only affects the copy-paste, control + mouse dragging will duplicate the TT/PS open/closed contour just fine.

I guess I can always toggle to closed contour before any conversion and copy-paste movement, but it’s better if FontCreator can take care of it for me.
And I guess copy-paste a contour will convert it into the same format as the project setting is a bug? I’m not 100% sure but I hope the future versions can let me copy-paste a contour and keep it’s original format.

Thank you!

[ErwinDenissen]

Thank you for reporting this issue. We will look into this and hope to have this fixed with the next upcoming release.

[ErwinDenissen]

We have just released an unofficial update that solves the problem:

https://www.high-logic.com/tmp/fontcreator/FontCreatorSetup15.0.0.3019-x64.exe

Let us know your results.

[LittleWhiteDog]

We have just released an unofficial update that solves the problem:

https://www.high-logic.com/tmp/fontcreator/FontCreatorSetup15.0.0.3019-x64.exe

Let us know your results.

I have tried the 15.0.0.3019 version.

First, I have just remembered to check this area in the options :

The first 2 options in this dropdown menu will not convert my contour, the last 3 will.
So the auto-convert is not a bug, I just noticed that .
But I think maybe adding a new option “Don’t change it, but project based” to let the user draw new contour using the project format and copy-paste contours while keeping it’s original format will be a good idea. But it’s not a major issue though, it’s OK if not having it.

Then I tested all the situations described in my original post, including toggling, copying and converting contours around, and I didn’t find any issue, so I think the bug is fixed.

And I think right now I just figured out the full logic of how FontCreator deals with open contours.
At first I thought toggling to open contour should unjoin the contour from the position of the first point, but it seems like FontCreator won’t let you unjoin a contour unless you do it manually. Maybe because the overlapped points is hard to manage.

Instead you have this logic below.

You have these contours:

And you toggle open contour :

The contour seems to be closed, but there is no fill. The handle of the last curve segment of the contour will not show any connecting line, to remind you the contour should disconnect from here if this segment is straight line without any handles.
Then you delete those handles :

You will get true open contours.

This logic ensures compatibility for toggling from open to closed contours. When you toggle a closed contour to open, FontCreator won’t delete any handles for you to make the contour “true open”, so you can always toggle it back to closed losslessly. And it also let’s you to create circles for single line font without introducing a overlapped points, but if you want a square for single line font, you have to manually unjoin the contour because if you don’t do that, the last curve segment will be straight and it will not be displayed.

Although it makes sense, sometimes the result can be a little bit strange. Even looks like it’s displaying some corrupted informations.

For example, in my original post I think converting an open contour will make it output some corrupted result. But when I looked at it again, I realized that the display is actually normal, just the last point was lost in the conversion.

So I wrote this documentation, maybe people who have the same confusion can search the forum and find this post and figure out how the open contours work in FontCreator.

————————————————

Besides that, I tried the localization feature in the newest FontCreator (just found this feature), it’s super cool because I can finally use FontCreator in my native language, 干杯! I believe the localization will definitely make more people willing to try this software.
But I find some minor issue related to this, so maybe you could fix these in the future updates.

1. My system language is zh-CN, but FontCreator thinks it’s zh, and maybe there’s no option matches “zh”, when I choose “system language” it will fallback to en, but if I choose zh-CN manually it will display Chinese correctly.
   
   
2. In the “fill mode” dropdown menu, first option should be “缠绕”(Winding) not “焊接”(Welding) in Chinese.
   
   
3. In the Font Properties panel, Font tab, at the bottom, the “最后求助字体”(Last call for help font) is an unusual translation in Chinese. Considering the “Last resort font” doesn’t have an appropriate Chinese translation, it’s better to just write “Last resort 字体”.
   
   
4. Switch to another language → click cancel → it keeps my setting, didn’t cancel my move. Everything is changed to the new language I have selected, except for the title of the glyph properties panel.
   
   
5. The tooltips of the Undo and Redo buttons are always “Can’t Undo” and “Can’t Redo” no matter my language setting and whether the button is clickable or not.
   
   
6. Some UI misplaces.
   
   
7. A lot of texts is cropped out when the interface is in Japanese.
   
   
8. The dot has been translated into an ideographic full stop in Chinese and Japanese, it should remain as a dot.
   
9. “em 四方の単位数”(unit count of em four-way) in Japanese is a mistranslation, maybe better if remain as “Units per Em”.
   
   
   
   That’s all, the current version has already solved my main problem, but please consider fixing the other issues I mentioned, thanks!

[ErwinDenissen]

I am glad to know the main issue is solved.

We will fix other reported issues, but for the translations, please consider providing an update of the translation files. You can find them here:

C:\Program Files\High-Logic FontCreator\Lang

Also note, on our system we also notice several translations don’t fit, but since we use a different font, it is not always equal to your user experience. See this window for example.

[LittleWhiteDog]

I am glad to know the main issue is solved.

We will fix other reported issues, but for the translations, please consider providing an update of the translation files. You can find them here:

C:\Program Files\High-Logic FontCreator\Lang

Also note, on our system we also notice several translations don’t fit, but since we use a different font, it is not always equal to your user experience. See this window for example.

OpenTypeDesignerSettings.png

Oh, I just remembered that Japanese Windows uses condensed Kanas, so there will be far fewer problems compared to Chinese Windows.

I just did a full refinement on the “lang.zh-CN”, fixed some translation issues and improved overall accuracy, please have a look!
lang.zip (37.8 KB)

[ErwinDenissen]

Thank you for the update. We will incorporate it with the next upcoming release.