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Descriptive Names for Stylistic Sets
Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 12:42 pm
by graphity
I'm wondering whether FontCreator is correctly interpreting the syntax for Descriptive Names in Stylistic Set feature scripts introduced as of OpenType specification 1.6.
I did a Syntax Check in a font generated from FontLab that had three Stylistic Sets each with a featureName script at the start of the features and FontCreator's Syntax Check failed with an "empty feature" error. I removed the featureName scripts, regenerated the font and now the Syntax Check was successful. A sample Stylistic Set script with Descriptive Name is in the form:
feature ss01 {
featureNames {
name "Alternate Ampersand";
name 1 "Alternate Ampersand";
};
sub ampersand by ampersand.ss01;
} ss01 ;
Any ideas? Is FontCreator DescriptiveNames-aware?
Regards, Kevin.
Re: Descriptive Names for Stylistic Sets
Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 12:58 pm
by MikeW
Hello Kevin,
Yes it works, but the syntax between FL & FC are different. Easiest means to do the names is via the "Feature Parameters" dialog accessed by selecting any Stylistic Set at its main level. So...
- capture-001378.png (34.34 KiB) Viewed 4245 times
The syntax if editing the code is:
Code: Select all
...
feature "German Double S";
...
feature "German Double S" ss06 {
params FeatureParams_ss06;
lookup Ligature8;
}
...
Mike
Re: Descriptive Names for Stylistic Sets
Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 1:02 pm
by MikeW
BTW, I don't know how many applications support this yet. My ID CS6 was produced before 1.6 was introduced and the only ID I am renting on an as-needed basis is ID2015 (one client who doesn't want to update their plug-ins) so I haven't/cannot check the newer versions until I need to rent ID again.
I do know that Xara Design Pro does with the XDP365 version. But beyond that, I dunno what applications support descriptive naming.
Re: Descriptive Names for Stylistic Sets
Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 1:49 pm
by Erwin Denissen
graphity wrote: ↑Mon Sep 04, 2017 12:42 pm
I'm wondering whether FontCreator is correctly interpreting the syntax for Descriptive Names in Stylistic Set feature scripts introduced as of OpenType specification 1.6.
I did a Syntax Check in a font generated from FontLab that had three Stylistic Sets each with a featureName script at the start of the features and FontCreator's Syntax Check failed with an "empty feature" error. I removed the featureName scripts, regenerated the font and now the Syntax Check was successful. A sample Stylistic Set script with Descriptive Name is in the form:
feature ss01 {
featureNames {
name "Alternate Ampersand";
name 1 "Alternate Ampersand";
};
sub ampersand by ampersand.ss01;
} ss01 ;
Any ideas? Is FontCreator DescriptiveNames-aware?
Regards, Kevin.
In general a feature without lookups is useless, so that's why FontCreator won't accept it if you compile such script. The size feature is the only exception, but it is (becoming) deprecated.
Re: Descriptive Names for Stylistic Sets
Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 11:22 pm
by graphity
Thanks for that. Regarding applications that support Descriptive Names, I believe the MacOS Fonts Panel displays these names (in its Typography window). This would automatically provide access to the Descriptive Names to quite a wide variety of Mac applications - eg Sketch, NisusWriter, iBooks, Pages, TextEdit etc. Cheers, Kevin.