Hi! A couple days ago, I started to work with Font Creator 4.0. I have already installed on my computer and it is working well. But now, the problem report gives overview of errors. Here is a sample:
Simple glyph index $0000
Contours with incorrect direction
Contour index 1
Contour index 2
Simple glyph index $0001
Intersecting coordinates
(524,3, 1064,7)
(342,5, 241,5)
(299,6, 277,7)
(573,3, 472,3)
(530,8, 509,7)
Contours with incorrect direction
Unable to perform this test due to previously detected errors
Yeah! Change the direction of of countours 1 and 2 on glyph 0 (the .null character). The error "Unable to perform this test due to previously detected errors" happens any time it checks contour direction and there are intersecting contours. The contour doesn't wind a particular direction if it self intersects. I'm sure several people can come up with some great diagrams of intersecting contours, but I don't do images - they never work for me on these forums. Needless to say, you intersecting contours really just need to be split up into several contours. It's not a redesign, but you really need to remake glyph 1 from scratch in order to make sure your contours don't fold in on themselves.
Welcome to the FCP world! It's going to be more helpful to read the manual I'm afraid than try to follow the following.
There are two types of errors (sorta) - contour and points. Contour errors are easier to fix but point errors are basic and you might need to address them eventually in order to fix the former.
When editing a glyph (in Edit mode), you will display the individual points (in Point mode - a black triangle on end with 3 points) or show the contours (in Contour mode - black triangle on end). These options are displayed on the Drawing Tool bar.
In the letter O for example there are two contours, an inner and outer. Thus you have two places to select to change direction. I found complex glyphs ranging up to 942 contours with 9388 points! (Far too gory to mess with!).
So in contour mode, select any part of the glyph and right click the mouse. The "Change Direction" instruction is shown. Select it and the direction of the highlighted contour is changed. It may turn white or black or not. Sometimes this works to correct a problem immediately. Sometimes you have to fix individual points which make up those contours as they form "hidden" contours. Because of this I tend to fix the point problems first, then the contour problems when I'm done. It's like eating the cake at the end of the meal.
This leads to the second type of error you mentioned, the Intersecting Coordinates. The most obvious example can originate when a capital letter C and = sign are merged to form a euro symbol. Anytime the = crosses the C you would have an Intersecting Coordinate. It also comes up when the individual points form loops and cross over each other. Also two points can be coincident, redundant, or form "duplicate knots" with each other. Thankfully the Validate function will clean up a whole host of point errors before you begin..
Unfortunately you have to edit the glyph in point mode to see which areas and which points have problems. By and large the Validate Report tells you exactly where there are things to look at by giving you the point coordinates i.e., "(524,3, 1064,7)". Where these x, y coordinates intersect, there is a problem to investigate. Using the horizontal and vertical Guidelines at these points is a help.
Fixing bad points come in 3, possibly 4 choices:
1. Do nothing. Go to bed early. They are not necessarily fatal.
2. Look at the offending areas close up and rearrange or delete tangled or duplicated points. Try not to rearrange the glyph shape...!
3. Reform the glyph by adding, joining and splitting sets of points. You are repairing the problem area. This is what could be done to fully merge the C and the = and eliminate all 8 intersecting errors.
I am not as pessimistic as vanisaac about having to remake the glyph from scratch. You'd hope it should be possible to use a knife and a trowel so smooth up the rough spots rather than jackhammer the whole thing away. However, we've all seen examples of that.
I enjoy working an occasional Glyph Validation Report to the point you get a "Congratulations, you and your glyphs are perfect" message. Then you can go to bed!
Sorry this was so long --- reading the manual would probably have been faster. Good luck and good night.
