Bhikkhu Pesala

Adam Twardoch said:

It can also import (and I think export) VOLT project code. 

It can import VOLT code, but not export it. What it exports is OpenType Layout Feature Definition scripts, which can be imported into other font projects. The workflow is very efficient for a set of fonts.

1. Create a set of features for the Regular style
2. Export the script
3. Import it into the Italic style
4. Run the Autokern wizard to adjust the pair adjustment values to suit. 

David Perry said:

I particularly like the tools for creating/editing OT features in Font Creator.

The Visual OpenType Designer certainly makes it easier for non-professionals to add OpenType Features, but Professional font designers are probably more comfortable with coding. I know at least one FontCreator user who prefers to use the Code Editor, and I often use it myself too, although the visual approach is more convenient for seeing how things work.

Now that I have designed my fonts, I import scripts into the Code Editor, and maybe add a few lookup substitutions or change the precedence of lookups, but I don't often add new features. I do sometimes add new languages, which also requires some cut and paste in the Code Editor. The Visual Designer is great for testing if features work as designed. 

All of the accented A glyphs can be in the same class. One can combine letters like V and W in he same class, along wiht Ŵ, Ẅ, etc., but in some fonts, V and W have different shapes and don't fit well together. These two screen shots show the different Autogenerated kerning values for VA and WA Small Capitals.





I find that lowercase à ǎ ã and ä need to be in a different class to a, due to kerning pairs with T V W and Y. 

This is a screen shot from the Kerning Class Manager in FontCreator 10.1. O, Ó, Ò, Ö, etc., can be kerned left or right, but Ohorn combinations should only be the second glyph of a kerning pair. I use a naming convention that reminds me how to use the classes. 



FontCreator can generate kerning classes automatically, but I prefer to do it manually to retain full control. It has taken many iterations to arrive at a set of classes that I am happy with, but the kerning classes can now be imported into all of my fonts. 

This is a video on Vimeo that I created to illustrate drawing if quadratic and cubic curves in FontCreator 11.0

Looking at Tahoma, I see that it places the macron over the L dot ($1E38) centred horizontally. 

I prefer the macron to be to the far left, centred over the upright of the L. 

I also use a narrower macron to compensate for the narrow stroke, and in lowercase ($1E39), which is centred. Likewise, with ī macron and Ī macron. 

Should Macron be Left or Centre? Obviously it should not be on the far right.