[OTVar] Best solution of interpolating inverted glyphs
Belleve Invis
Posts: 269
Hi all.
It might look stupid but I am wondering what is the best way to interpolate inversed glyphs like these (taken from Adobe-Japan1-6).
Dealing with the inverted glyphs looks non-trivial, considering that when designing an MM font we use a lot of stroke overlaps, so how the negative space changes during interpolation may be really complex.
It might look stupid but I am wondering what is the best way to interpolate inversed glyphs like these (taken from Adobe-Japan1-6).
Dealing with the inverted glyphs looks non-trivial, considering that when designing an MM font we use a lot of stroke overlaps, so how the negative space changes during interpolation may be really complex.
0
Comments
-
use components?
0 -
Gustavo Ferreira said:use components?0
-
.1
-
An example of complex situations. The topology of the ink changed significantly between weights.
0 -
This is an incredibly interesting problem, and surprising that I've not seen it discussed before. I'm not sure what the solution could be other than fundamentally changing the way fill/non-fill works in digital outlines (edit: that is, allowing overlapping paths).
Short of that, the only thing I can think of is using a pair of layered fonts. Color variable fonts are not a thing yet, are they?2 -
I suppose you could swap glyphs at the point(s) where the non-ink shapes begin to overlap.0
-
What about adding the enclosing rectangle after interpolating?0
-
That would work if he was generating instances for static fonts, but not for a variable font.0
-
Mark Simonson said:This is an incredibly interesting problem, and surprising that I've not seen it discussed before. I'm not sure what the solution could be other than fundamentally changing the way fill/non-fill works in digital outlines (edit: that is, allowing overlapping paths).
Short of that, the only thing I can think of is using a pair of layered fonts. Color variable fonts are not a thing yet, are they?
I think supporting Boolean operations in GLYF would be a better solution to this kind of problems. I've read the Spec and there are some unused bits in GLYF, so I wrote this, and it could be a starting point: https://gist.github.com/be5invis/5df85378b02e8bb955309f1e59ceb041
2 -
Ooh, I like that idea.0
-
Whatever the solution is, it should apply to both TrueType and PostScript outlines.0
-
Whatever the solution is, it should apply to both TrueType and PostScript outlines.The latter would be Adobe's responsibility within CFF2 (or CFF3?). The approach @Belleve Invis suggests, for example, could be applied to either outline format, but couldn't be done at a level above the glyph definition, which means in the glyf table for TTF and in the CFF* table for CFF OTF.
[For the record: I think we should stop calling CFF outlines 'PostScript'.]
0 -
John Hudson said:[For the record: I think we should stop calling CFF outlines 'PostScript'.]
"One good source for sTypoAscender in Latin based fonts is the Ascender value from an AFM file."
1 -
Thomas Phinney said:Whatever the solution is, it should apply to both TrueType and PostScript outlines.
<Content layer background> endlayer <Content layer hole> endlayer 001 boole // Subtraction endchar
But, hey, if we supported cubic curves in glyf, why do we need CFF?2 -
Support for something like this would help with other kinds of designs, such as variable fonts with outline effects.2
-
But, hey, if we supported cubic curves in glyf, why do we need CFF?Totally with you on cubic curves in the glyf table, including hybrid glyphs containing both cubic and quadratic curves, so designers can select the best curve type for the design detail. That would be brilliant.
I wonder if CFF might still provide size benefits in terms of its built-in compression?
1 -
Each format has unique advantages to its hinting model, as well. So... more than the curve format.0
-
Moved the draft to here → https://github.com/be5invis/ot-cubic-boolean-extension0
Categories
- All Categories
- 43 Introductions
- 3.7K Typeface Design
- 803 Font Technology
- 1K Technique and Theory
- 622 Type Business
- 444 Type Design Critiques
- 542 Type Design Software
- 30 Punchcutting
- 136 Lettering and Calligraphy
- 83 Technique and Theory
- 53 Lettering Critiques
- 485 Typography
- 303 History of Typography
- 114 Education
- 68 Resources
- 499 Announcements
- 80 Events
- 105 Job Postings
- 148 Type Releases
- 165 Miscellaneous News
- 270 About TypeDrawers
- 53 TypeDrawers Announcements
- 116 Suggestions and Bug Reports