Using Microsoft VOLT for OTF Design

Post general font related questions (e.g. how to install, convert and use fonts) and requests (looking for fonts, designers etc.) here.
algrass
Posts: 114
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:02 pm
Location: West Midlands, UK
Contact:

Re: Using Microsoft VOLT for OTF Design

Post by algrass »

This reply refers to Khikkhu and William in reverse order.

Pcursive.ttf font is not a cursive font, William. It is a sanserif geometric typofont therefore not suitable for this exercise.

Regarding Bhikkhu's comment on Contextual Ligatures and Stylistic Alternates, as well as the useful attachment, I have to confess my ignorance on the current typographic definitions. However, let me explain with the following example what I mean then you tell me which classification applies.
The Horror Video.JPG
The Horror Video.JPG (38.14 KiB) Viewed 6315 times
This a high quality cursive script I have developed. The first line shows disjunctions between the first letter o and the first following letter r, plus you can see another disjunction between the final letter o and the third r.
The line below shows that by inserting an alternative or substitute glyph of the letter r which has a short stem rather than a long one, then the disjunction goes away. This implies that my font contains two different glyphs for the letter r and two different codepoints.

Now tell me what is the correct definition for this type of operation which in a cursive script becomes dominant. The word cursive must be understood as a calligraphic term, a book-hand script. Normal handwriting is also generally cursive but it is largely free of the ductus rules of calligraphy, i.e. informal.

As a rule of thumb a calligraphic cursive script requires a font set where the minuscule letters are at least two sets: one set is used mostly and the other set is used whenever the previous letter is an "o", a "v" and a "w". As well as the letter "b", actually.

By stylistic alternatives I refer to letters which follow the same shape of the normal letters but in addition present flourishes and tails. Also there are several ways of writing some capital letters. For example capita; "A" can be written in at least three common styles, and each style is a different glyph. Likewise the minuscule letter can e written in four different styles, hence four different glyphs. Tell me how you would categorise these options.
Bhikkhu Pesala
Top Typographer
Top Typographer
Posts: 9873
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2002 5:28 am
Location: Seven Kings, London UK
Contact:

Re: Using Microsoft VOLT for OTF Design

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

So, you create an alternattive design for "r2" which is designed to join b, o, v, or w. Then you add a ContextualLigatures (clig) feature to the font, which, when enabled will automatically make the substitution of r2 for r whenever the user types br, or, vr, or wr. In this quick test, since I don't have a font with an alternative "r2" glyph, I have substituted Capital R instead. The OpenType Viewer shows what happens if the clig feature is enabled.
Contextual R.png
Contextual R.png (31.85 KiB) Viewed 6315 times

Code: Select all

script latn {  
    feature ContextualLigatures; 
}    
    feature ContextualLigatures clig {
    lookup ContextualLigatures;
}
    group @group1 [b o v w];
    group @group2 [r];

    lookup ContextualLigatures{
    context (@group1) @group2;
    sub 0 joiner1;
}  lookup joiner1 {
    sub r -> R; 
}
My FontsReviews: MainTypeFont CreatorHelpFC15 + MT12.0 @ Win 10 64-bit build 19045.2486
algrass
Posts: 114
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:02 pm
Location: West Midlands, UK
Contact:

Re: Using Microsoft VOLT for OTF Design

Post by algrass »

Very good input Bhikkhu. Where do I get that Open Type Viewer from? I don't think that it's part of VOLT.
Can't you produce some kind of tutorial as I personally need to get those OT feature I explained, in my previous input, built into my font asap. You seem to have the best knowledge in this field. Can you make a statement of the current art and advise how to proceed?
León Fridsma
Posts: 694
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 10:26 am
Location: De Bilt, Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Using Microsoft VOLT for OTF Design

Post by León Fridsma »

The truetypeviewer can be downloaded here: http://home.kabelfoon.nl/~slam/fonts/tr ... iewer.html

In the last mail I sent you I thought that contextual lookups were the way to go, but as Bhikkhu Pesala nicely presented it's also possible with chained contextual lookups and hence you can use the tool I e-mailed you. With a little help from Bhikkhu Pesala and me you should be able to write a script that solves your problem(s).

León Fridsma
Bhikkhu Pesala
Top Typographer
Top Typographer
Posts: 9873
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2002 5:28 am
Location: Seven Kings, London UK
Contact:

Re: Using Microsoft VOLT for OTF Design

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

algrass wrote:Very good input Bhikkhu. Where do I get that Open Type Viewer from? I don't think that it's part of VOLT.
Can't you produce some kind of tutorial as I personally need to get those OT feature I explained, in my previous input, built into my font asap. You seem to have the best knowledge in this field. Can you make a statement of the current art and advise how to proceed?
I really don't like repeating myself. Please read the replies that I already gave you, and follow the links provided.
My FontsReviews: MainTypeFont CreatorHelpFC15 + MT12.0 @ Win 10 64-bit build 19045.2486
Post Reply