Font Forum

Apart from using
Tools > AutoMetrics... > FIxed Height　to set the Vertical Origin and Advance Height, or
Tools > Metrics Options... > ✓Top side bearing & ✓Bottom side bearing > (move guidelines)　to move the vertical glyph bearings physically,
FontCreator would be perfect if this can be done with reference to the 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 of individual glyphs, e.g.:
(1) Tools > AutoMetrics... > [ADD] FIxed Vertical Bearings　Space above:___　Space below:___ ; and
(2) Tools > Glyph Transformer... > Metrics > Bearings > [ADD] Top Side Bearing:___　Bottom Side Bearing:___ ; and
(3) Glyph Properties > [ENABLE CHANGE] Top side bearing:___　Bottom side bearing:___ ; etc.
This being a small feature but I believe will become particularly useful for designers working on Traditional Mongolian fonts (and punctuations and symbols) if not CJKV fonts.

Yes, you are right. Such enhancements seem to be very useful, so we have added your request to our to-do list. However, right now we have other priorities, so this has to wait for a while.

Thank you so much. I didn’t expect a response so prompt. I will be waiting for the next update. I think I will have to get by with the present tools then.

jonlammh wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 11:56 am Thank you so much. I didn’t expect a response so prompt. I will be waiting for the next update. I think I will have to get by with the present tools then.

We will only consider this enhancement after we have released FontCreator 14. That said, if during the beta period more people want enhancements related to these side bearings, we might decide to add it sooner.

Sure, sure. I think I’m okay with that. I have saved much time with the Add Shape & Exclude Contours features; and the all-rounded, user-friendly OpenType Designer and Class Manager are gonna do me good with my next steps. Setting vertical glyph metrics individually is a brainless task so I think I can manage with it using the present tools. But thanks, good to know!

Just a quick update:
Top & Bottom bearings of multiple glyphs can be set in one go in this way:
1) Set the Top & Bottom bearings to your desired values for ONE glyph first (Tools > Metrics Options... > ✓Top side bearing & ✓Bottom side bearing > move guidelines manually in the Glyph Edit window);
2) Copy that glyph in the Font window, select those glyphs you want the bearing values to apply to;
3) Edit > Paste Special... [Ctrl+Alt+V] >　✓Metrics　◉Side bearings　> OK
4) WITHOUT clearing selection, undo [Ctrl+Z] to set back to the original Left & Right bearings. This will NOT undo setting the Top & Bottom bearings.
5) DONE
Now I hope this great hack won’t go away in the next update.

What can I say. It is a bug and I am happy to know you like it.

This feature is now fully supported in FontCreator 14. Just select the glyphs in the font overview panel, and then make adjustments to the side-bearings through the glyph properties panel.