Optimum Settings for Glyph Overview

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I experimented with different settings for glyph overview using a bold font and came up with the following results:

Best Overview Options @ 1024 x 768

Compact 16 cols x 10 rows = 62 x 50 pix (160 glyphs)
Medium 12 cols x 8 rows = 82 x 66 pix (120 glyphs)
Large 10 cols x 6 rows = 98 x 92 pix (60 glyphs)

I use a keyboard macro program when editing fonts, so I have created shortcuts &#151 Ctrl Alter Page Up and Control Alter Page Down &#151 to switch between compact and large settings.

It would great to have a toolbar button to do this, and take into account the current screen resolution.

[Erwin Denissen]

I'll add it to the todo list. I do like the idea!

It won't take too much time to implement, although it also affects the Overview page in the Options window. However I gave it a low priority as you already have a workaround.

Maybe other users like your request as well and make me change the priority...

[vanisaac]

Ok, I'm gonna request it. I would like to be able to switch between a compact overview (16 wide by 10 tall. 72x72) and a wide character view (8 wide, 10 tall, 72x144) for when I need to see full glyph names (I have some long ones) or presentation forms.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

A couple of ways to go here:

&#149 Half a dozen or so preset sizes or
&#149 Slider controls as in The Font Thing

[vanisaac]

Why couldn't the "preset" sizes be user defined? I think that would be the way to go. So if someone is working on a han character set, they could select large sizes (maybe 288x288) so they can get a good look at the 30+ stroke characters that occasionally appear in the Chinese character repetoire, or if they are working on a Braille set, have very small boxes (32x32). It seems to me that if you are going to make a feature like switch on demand glyph overview settings, you might as well have them customizable.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

It seems that we're both thinking the wrong way here. The glyph overview dialogue currently has two boxes for entry of glyph width and glyph height in pixels.

Surely, all that is needed is to change this dialogue to rows and columns of glyphs?

[Erwin Denissen]

I'll add new shortcuts to the Overview window. + and - will increase (factor 1.25) and decrease (factor 0.80) the glyph dimensions.

[vanisaac]

Hey Erwin, would it be possible to also increase/decrease only one of the dimensions by holding alt or control, with normal +/- changing both?

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I would prefer the row and column method, zooming by a percentage will only occasionally fit the glyphs precisely to all available space unless one resized in preset steps, which would be dependent on the current window size in pixels.

[Jowaco]

What would please me most would be to have the Overview window open as I left it. The facility to stretch the small window (what is that called?) is sufficient for my needs.
Joe.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

That little window is called "The Glyph Edit Window." What you might find helpful is to open two copies of the glyph that you want to work on, minimize the overview window(s), then tile the two glyph edit windows vertically. They you can zoom in to edit, but keep an overview of how the whole character looks in the other window.

[Jowaco]

Thanks Pesala. What an interesting facet of FCP. However, I do not see how this can be used because the changes to a glyph show up identically in both windows.

I did not explain myself very clearly. I was referring explicitly to the 'Glyph overview' window in my post. I use a monitor set at a resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels. When I open a font I am presented with the 'Glyph overview' window which is always small and always the same size. I'll call this the 'Base' window since I do not know the correct name. This Base window can be minimised (i.e. hidden), maximised or changed to a desired size by dragging the left-hand side or bottom corner i.e. to a fixed number of columns and rows, perhaps. I would like FCP to 'remember' this desired size.
Joe.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I would call the "base" window the "Overview" window. I see what you mean about resizing it to fit a precise number of columns or rows of glyphs - not something I would do myself as I prefer to use all possible screen real-estate and would like the overview window to be always maximized on startup.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough about opening two windows of the same glyph. The point is that they are identical - except that you can have different zoom factors for each. By having the left window zoomed to fill the window and zooming in to the right window to edit nodes, one can quickly see the overall effect of editing a serif on the whole character.

Tiles.jpg (69.23 KiB) Viewed 13125 times

I normally work with Font Creator Maximized, but have reduced it to a window here to reduce the graphic size for this forum.

[Jowaco]

Ahh! The penny drops. Thanks Pesala; that changes the situation and something which did not seem of value suddenly becomes important. You gave a good enough clue when you mentioned zooming. As a person gets into the 'autum years' the perception of time changes; time seems to fly past. I'm beginning to think that the deterioration in normal neurone activity is operating in tandem fashion!
The images are excellent and illustrate your point well.
Joe.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I sometimes work with four typestyles at once and tile four windows to compare them. In that case the best overview settings are:

Best Overview Options @ 4 Windows @ 1024 x 768

Compact 10 cols x 5 rows = 47 x 44 (50 glyphs in each window)
Medium 8 cols x 4 rows = 59 x 58 pix (32 glyphs in each window)
Large 5 cols x 3 rows = 92 x 84 (15 glyphs in each window)