Hi,
I just recently acquired FontLab VI. The next step is to learn the software. I have been using Glyphs before, and they were kind enough to make tutorials on their website accessible to beginners like me. I was wondering if any of you have found any tutorials on FontLab VI—except for their interesting and motivating manual (incidentally, that is called sarcasm). Thanks!
—Mads
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Also, FontLab forum has a thread listing selected topics with learning contents. We are updating that list periodically.
How's it going with the tutorials? ;-)
Ah, OK, sorry.
@James Montalbano That is VERY true. FontLab 7 is basically the same app, BUT with a few more features, many improvements to workflow, many more bugs fixed, and just more stable.
I think a lot of folks feel it has passed some key point of overall functionality and usability to the point that it changes how they feel about the app—in a good way.
I'm not going to upgrade to version 7 when there are no tutorials. I already feel silly for buying version 6. For now, I stick with Glyphs because I know how to use that.
If someone has been using FLVI, then I'd thoroughly recommend upgrading to FL7: it is similar to VI, but more stable and with some nice added features (including some things that VI users missed from FLS5).
When exporting the font, it is also possible to round all values (which is the default setting).
Documentation is under a complete overhaul and the new user manual will also bring tutorials.
Many questions about FontLab will inevitably pop up on the board over the years, maybe it would be good if there was a dedicated topic? What do the mods think?
@Dyana Weissman @Ramiro Espinoza
But if one was going to have separate categories, other apps will need them as well.
Can you explain more what you mean by "validation"? I don't think you mean glyph-level tests like FontAudit.
By "generating instances" do you mean as standalone fonts? Or do you mean just specifying which coordinates in a variable font are to be named instances? (I'd guess the former, but it's hard to be certain without asking.)
"Class creation" I assume is kerning classes, as you mention it just before kerning.
"Exporting"—not sure what here is non-obvious, other than when it comes to generating instance-fonts (standalone fonts from variable font instances) which I think is covered above.
I agree. I just want to be able to create a typeface in the software. It's fine if I have to resort to the written manual if I want it more in depth.
I also realized just now that the menu item “Profiles...” is highly ambiguous, really doesn’t give the user any clue as to what it does, or is about. Maybe “Font Export Settings”?