I am currently using FCP 4.1 (Sorry.. don’t have version 5 yet…)
Here it is - I’ve used the import image function to get a really complex image into a font (I would like to use it to make a beautiful image on my book). This image (font character) has: 1550 contours, 13530 points. Seems like a lot but it shows (the character) fine in Microsoft Word and I have no problems saving it on FCP either.
But when I try to print it, it just does not appear. Also, if I try to display it on my graphic program (like typing text) - it normally appears with other fonts - but not with this specific character.
It has, also, an unusually big width! the height is small. Now…
What’s the problem? is it the number of contours/points? is there a limit for them? Or is it the width of the character (approx. 6 times the normal width of a normal character)?
What should I do to reduce the number of contours/points when importing a picture?
It seems like you’re really stretching the limits of what Truetype fonts were designed to do. Is there any good reason why you need the design as a font instead of using a Windows Meta File? It seems like you are making an aweful lot of unnecessary work for yourself. It must take ages to import. The most complex character I tried to work with had only 1585 points and 145 contours, but that took 30 seconds or so to generate the contours. After importing, I simplified it to 10 contours with 338 points. At normal sizes (even at 72 pt) the level of detail the original design had would not be very clear.
I try to do this because it’s better for printing than a simple image. Can you tell me if is there another way to achieve good printing results other than with fonts? What’s Windows Meta File?
This forum is only for help with Font Creator. If you don’t know what a Windows Meta file (WMF) is, you should sign up to a general PC Help forum like PC Advisor.
If you post a link to the graphic image you’re trying ti import, we might be able to see what the problem is. The recommended image dimensions are between 100x100 and 500x500 pixels.
I am sorry, to go beyond this forum’s objective, we’re really talking beyond FCP.
I still have a question, though: Is there another way to achieve similar results without using FCP (only for big images, because I still use it for medium-sized images..)?
What you have already is about the best possible option: an 8 colour GIF image. There is no way that you will get a decent result with a vector image or font with a complex image like that. Just save two or three diffierent resolutions to use the image at different sizes.
If you resize it before trying to trace it in Font Creator, you might get a more workable result, but I doubt whether it will be worth your effort.
My PC is grinding to a halt with the image reduced by 50% now 565 contours 5965 points. The image is just too complex for a font. Though it works in Wordpad, it doesn’t look as good as a GIF image.
Of course! that’s the best way indeed… Should have done this since the beginning. I believe it really should look better as an image since the size is already so big.
A work-around is possible. I split up the image using the free application. for dicing images, Shoestring’s Image Dicer. The program is really aimed at creators of web pages and is designed to optimise the speed-up of image display. I can use it so it must be easy to use!:
I split the image vertically into four separate parts e.g:
Each of these was then Imported into a New font in FC5. You get the rough idea by examining how the glyphs fill the whole space allotted to them in the cells usually occupied by ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’ and ‘d’. Typing these in succession reunites the parts in Word 2000 (or whatever) making the whole.
What you found and what you did is terrific. I tried to reconstruct the parts in Word and could see no problem! Really nice.
My solution was to buy a bigger computer! By the time I was able to validate (!) the glyph it was Friday and I had to go home for the weekend. Your answer is much more elegant!
