Mapping in TypeLight?

[capdoc]

I'm probably overlooking something very simple; please bear with me.

After I've put in all the points and moved them around so the shape is what I want, I highlight a character on mapping and click 'add' but nothing happens.

I've tried this before and after conversions between True Type and PS, I've tried different fonts (Latin, Symbol, etc.), and every other variation I can think of.

Nothing can make what I created replace the grey symbol.

Is this feature disabled in TypeLight or is there some step that I'm overlooking?

[Allan Murray]

Every unique glyph has it's own glyph number (bottom left of the screen), whether it is mapped to a character or not. You can navigate between glyphs using the yellow arrows in the tool bar at the top.

When you create a new font four glyphs are automatically created (#0 to #3) and mapped to special characters. I think what you are doing is trying to modify and map glyph #0.

To create a new character you have two options:

1. press the new glyph button (the blue a with + on it) and then map this using the add button
or
2. double click on a character in the mapping window and press yes to the prompt.

Glyph #0 can only be mapped to the null character (unicode 0000), and it is also best not to alter the mapping of glyphs #1-3.

Cheers,
Allan

[capdoc]

What I did:
File --> New
Radio button 'PostScript metrics' OK
Glyph --> Clear Glyph (the box is too hard to manipulate into the shape I want)
'Clear' Delete All Contours? OK
Font --> Metrics
EM Unit Size 800
WinAscent 1000
WinDescent 200
Caps Height 700
'x' Height 500
(needed to change these to match my character shape)
Moved right limit (vertical green line) to 800 (and don't understand why changing EM Unit size didn't do that)
View --> Grid Size 20 OK
Tools -- Corner at 0, 520
-On Curve at 740,200, and 1000,400, etc.
Mapping at default (1252 Latin 1)
Highlight Character# 49, one
Click 'Add' Button.
Nothing happens.
Click anything else.
Nothing happens.

www.dialup4less.com/~wildepad/p/TLtry005.jpg

You said:

1. press the new glyph button (the blue a with + on it) and then map this using the add button

What happens:
Glyph disappears. Highlighting something in Mapping and clicking 'add' does nothing.
Draw new glyph. With highlight on Mapping unchanged, 'add' button still does nothing.

You said:

2. double click on a character in the mapping window and press yes to the prompt.

No prompt appears.

I am running this under WindowsXP, SP3.

[Allan Murray]

Here are the relevant sections of the manual:

Getting started
and
The mapping window

The square box (glyph #0) is a standard 'null' character so it shouldn't be changed - it is not suppose to be a starting point for your own glyph. So, instead of Glyph > Clear Glyph you need to use Glyph > New Glyph.

Also make sure that you are using the most recent version (2.2.022), as some older versions that may be around on the internet do not have the 'double-click' to create a new glyph function.

I would be interested to hear if many other users are having problems understanding or implementing this?
Do you think it is counter-intuitive?

I understand that Type 2.2 is slightly different to other font editors in that it is a two-step process (1. create glyph, 2. map glyph to a character) - but it is a closer representation to the way that glyphs are actually stored in a font.

Cheers,

Allan

[capdoc]

Thanks for the help.

As someone who learned ACAD by being given the program without any manuals or support, I have to say that your process is counterintuitive, but perhaps not in the way you think.

When opening the program, the obvious choice is to select between creating a new font or editing an existing one. Once I've done that, and there's an editing window with a default glyph to manipulate, I expect to be able to begin. Having to further set up the environment is not the next intuitive step.

Also, if it's not acceptable to edit glyph #0, then why does it appear as the default in the editing window?

I also had a problem with the manual. Perhaps it's just me, but when I see the phrase "add glyph button" and there's a button labeled "add" in the graphic accompanying the paragraph, I associate one with the other. It never dawned on me that it would refer to something on a different toolbar, a button I should have clicked long before I got to the point of mapping the character.

Please understand that I'm not a font designer nor do I want to become one. I am only using the program to save myself a lot of copying/moving some simple but very specialized symbols in a project I'm working on.

Perhaps someone with experience with fonts and font creation programs will breeze through this, and it will all be obvious to them. All I can say is that it looks well laid-out and is as easy to use as can be expected. Now that I understand this hiccup, I think I'll enjoy using it.

Thanks again!

[Allan Murray]

Note that in version 2.2.023 these changes have been made:

- the add and clear buttons on the mapping window have been renamed to map and unmap.

- In the mapping window section of the manual, the new glyph button was wrongly referred to as the add glyph button. This has been corrected.

Allan Murray