How to edit font's outline and keep OT features (or transfer OT fea between fonts)

Wei Huang
Wei Huang Posts: 98
edited October 2015 in Type Design Software
I have some fonts (open source but... no sources files just binaries). I plan to make changes to a font's outlines but keep all the features and tables (except the names). What's the most reliable way to do this?

Thanks in advance!
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Comments

  • Robin Mientjes
    Robin Mientjes Posts: 132
    Could you extract all the features with ttx, then redraw the glyphs, then reapply the ttx files?
  • Malcolm Wooden
    Malcolm Wooden Posts: 58
    If you make a change to the glyph index order then the existing OT binary tables will probably no longer work.

    If you are just modifying existing glyphs it may be possible to re-use the GPOS, GSUB and GDEF tables from the original font. I think I read here that the latest version of OTMaster can copy and paste tables but I'm not sure, you will need to check that.
  • Deleted Account
    Deleted Account Posts: 739
    Binary open source fonts are probably eligible for oxymoronhood.
  • Erwin Denissen
    Erwin Denissen Posts: 302
    FontCreator allows you to open and change existing OpenType fonts.
  • LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland
    LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland Posts: 723
    edited October 2015
    DTL OTMaster allows you to work on the outlines without decompiling the font. It contains a fully featured glyph editor. The altered glyph(s) can be autohinted within OTM. The program is not for free nor open source though.
  • Erwin Denissen
    Erwin Denissen Posts: 302
    I forgot to answer the other part of your question; FontCreator allows you to export and import OpenType layout features between fonts.
  • LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland
    LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland Posts: 723
    As does OTM! It even subsets OpenType Layout features! Wow, it’s becoming competitive here! I like it!
  • LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland
    LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland Posts: 723
    And OTM’s nitrogen oxide emissions are guaranteed identical on your desktop as in our testing environment!
  • Chris Lozos
    Chris Lozos Posts: 1,458
    Frank is a gas ;-)
  • Wei Huang
    Wei Huang Posts: 98
    edited October 2015
    Malcolm Wooden I use Glyphs app, I plan to edit outlines with GA, generate binaries, ttx it and then reapply original tables. I'll get back with results.

    Sorry @LeMo aka Frank E Blokland I don't intend to license it just for this task!
  • LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland
    LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland Posts: 723
    Darn! :'( Good luck anyway! :)
  • Dave Crossland
    Dave Crossland Posts: 1,431
    If you make a change to the glyph index order then the existing OT binary tables will probably no longer work.
    I use Glyphs app, I plan to edit outlines with GA, generate binaries, ttx it and then reapply original tables. I'll get back with results.

    Glyphs is likely to re-order the glyph index order, so this approach won't work. 

    Binary open source fonts are probably eligible for oxymoronhood.

    Often the sources are available from obscure locations. Wei, did you ask the original designers for sources?

  • Denis Moyogo Jacquerye
    Denis Moyogo Jacquerye Posts: 197
    edited October 2015
    You can export the features with FontForge or AFDKO’s spot with something like:
    spot -tGSUB=7 -tGPOS=7 font.ttf


  • Georg Seifert
    Georg Seifert Posts: 674
    Glyphs is likely to re-order the glyph index order, so this approach won't work. 
    There are options to prevent that. 
  • Dave Crossland
    Dave Crossland Posts: 1,431
    There are options to prevent that. 

    Where are these options documented?

  • Rainer Erich Scheichelbauer
    Rainer Erich Scheichelbauer Posts: 157
    Make sure Glyphs > Preferences > Keep Names from Imported Files is on, and when you open a file, Glyphs will insert a glyphOrder parameter, which determines the glyph order in the exported file. Both are documented in the handbook for Glyphs 1, and there is a tutorial about glyph order, too.

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