Questions about RMX tools & macros
AbiRasheed
Posts: 238
I had a look at RMX and find it useful specially RMX slant (keeps tangents perpendicular), scaler and axis. I'm wondering if RMX is necessary and if any of you using it find it useful if so giving an example of a difficult situation where it made sense to use it would help. I'm trying to keep my workflow to just illustrator and fontlab, no plugins/macros, etc but there are all these other tools and scripts out there that makes me wonder if I'm missing something. Are there any essential tools and macros that would be useful to run in FLS for Windows, if so which?
Just FYI I'm only sticking to the basic Latin set for now and in the future maybe no more than two weights for a typeface.
thanks!
Just FYI I'm only sticking to the basic Latin set for now and in the future maybe no more than two weights for a typeface.
thanks!
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Comments
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If you ever make small caps in a multi-weight design you'll find it's tremendously helpful.3
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RMX tools are extremely helpful for making smallcaps, Italics, smoothing contours, and making small width/height/weight/ adjustments to glyphs. However, since you're still working in illustrator, I'd suggest you first get used to FL's drawing environment (trust me, way better). Your Illustrator use suggests to me that you are currently not at a level where RMX will be of much use, but I might be wrong.3
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Illustrator does more harm than good and causes way too much cleanup [Using Ai for type design is like going to the bathroom without toilet paper]. I would dump it as soon as possible! RMX is great! I highly recommend!5
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RMX is great but is limited to a non-UFO workflow as far as I know.1
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RMX is brilliant piece of software! Highly recommended - alongside BetaType's Interpolated Nudge, I consider it the most useful and essential tool for my workflow! It's usage however depends on your particular style of working - if you do not work entirely in MM space (and you prefer blending) it's capabilities will be reduced. So go and get it - it is a lifesaver, also start working in MM space (if not doing so already). I would also suggest ditching AI for good...2
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The RMX tools are the most important tools in my box. I draw every font as a multiple master just to be able to use them properly, even when I need only one weight.
For me, the most useful is the Tuner. It helps do this tiny adjustments like making a shape a few units wider or narrower or fix the balance it on is in fear to fall over. (The slanter is not a good solution to make Italics. It works fine for 1 or 2 degrees. With more, the contrast is disturbed to much)
Then there is the Harmoizer. It is great to smoothen your curves.
And last sat but not least the Scaler. It can save a lot time when you need small caps or superscript figures.
(And try to get Illustrator out of you workflow as much as possibel. It's drawing tools as mediocre and going back and forth only slows you down)7 -
While we're on the topic I often have problems with RMX tuner and scaler, in particular with weight adjustments. Even if I set stem widths, the height and width work fine but weight adjustments usually do nothing. Anyone else seen this?0
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I use it to adjust weight all the time. When it doesn't work that's inevitably due to incompatible masters.1
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I use UFO Strecht instead. I don't like to be force to work with MM fonts and I like UFO Strecht's visual feedback.3
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Alright, thanks for the insight everyone, looks like it might be a useful tool to invest in. As for everyone who pointed out about ditching Ai, I sort of have and mostly draw in FL now, but for some things like drawing from a scan Ai helps me to draw up a quick sketch and then moving it over to FL for cleanup, also I rely on Ai's align and stroke tool. FL's bitmap feature is a bit weird and you don't get an accurate scan really. I think FL VI will resolve most of these issues I hope so I can stick to FL entirely. Cheers
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Do RMX Tools work in Fontlab VII?
Sorry for digging dead topic from grave1 -
No. But Vassil Kateliev developed TypeRig, on the same principles. There are short video tutorials published on YT recently. You can find more on this thread, pozdrav!
https://typedrawers.com/discussion/comment/49601#Comment_49601
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@Igor Petrovic I have FL 7 but haven't gotten into it yet but wow that is insanely useful. @Vassil Kateliev \o/2
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