Hello,
I have run into an issue regarding anchor points and intermediate layers (I have attached a screenshot below to illustrate my problem). My ogonek matches up perfectly with the edge of my “E” for the thin and bold masters of my font. That said, it is misaligned in interpolation.
I tried nudging my ogonek anchor in an intermediate layer I created for the “E” but it doesn’t work. Assistance solving this problem would be much appreciated.
Best,
-Sam
Which exact build of Glyphs are you running?
Workaround:
Hope that helps.
can you send me that file?
Glyphs says I’m running the latest version.
Hi Georg,
I am not comfortable giving people the source files for my fonts. Can you give me suggestions to try instead?
Moving anchors works as expected for the two layers that are part of a real master (Thin, Black). The only time moving the anchor points doesn’t work is on intermediate layers.
When I click on an anchor point for the Thin or Black layer of a glyph, I see a bunch of different accents that are transparent black overlapping with each other (screenshot attached). However, when I select the same anchor point for an intermediate layer, nothing shows up (screenshot also attached). I wanted to mention this because it is something I noticed. I don’t know if it provides any context clues.
Try the latest beta please. Go to Glyphs > Preferences > Updates, activate both checkboxes and press the Update button.
you could remove all glyphs that are not relevant?
Do you have intermediate layers?
Can you show the bottom right of the E and the ogonek?
Yes. This is about anchors in intermediate layers. If I recall correctly, anchors don’t interpolate correctly in intermediate layers (at least up until 3260). Rainer’s workaround as described above is necessary to circumvent this.
So this is a bug you’re aware of, correct? If so, do you know when it will be fixed? I would like to keep fixing my ogonek on my todo list until I can do it the best way. I don’t like using workarounds.
Have you tried the latest cutting-edge version?
I usually wait for the stable release of new software before upgrading. Im assuming that the latest, cutting-edge version of Glyphs is still in its beta stage and not stable enough for use in production. Is this correct?
I think the current beta is more stable than the current stable version.
not necessarily. Can you show all layers of the lower right of the E and of the ogonek?
I included a screenshot of the lower half of the “Ę” for all weights below. I’m pretty sure this is what you’re asking for, correct? You might have to zoom in to see where the alignment mismatch begins.
My ogonek has a few intermediate layers in order to make the thickness look appropriate for each weight of the font. The thickness of the ogonek caps off at the 7th weight (bold). The thickness remains the same up until the final weight (black).
My base character “E” also has intermediate layers. As I previously mentioned, I tried moving the “ogonek” anchor point for one of the intermediate layers (this had no reflected changes).
Side Note: I’m a bit confused. Sebastian Carewe stated that, “anchors don’t interpolate correctly in intermediate layers (at least up until 3260).” If this isn’t a bug, is an intentional choice on the part of the developers?
Please let me know if you need a screenshot of anything else.
The workaround for this is what I described above. Can you try that?
Hi Rainer,
I had considered the workaround. It sounds like you’re suggesting to move glyphs or combining marks horizontally until they look correct. Do I have you? If not, please correct me.
The problem with this solution is that metrics are thrown off in various places when you manually adjust the x-position of something to work in one particular scenario. Fixing the new problems that the workaround would introduce would require new layers of duct tape (this is why I don’t like workarounds).
Side Note: I haven’t yet tried using the latest cutting edge version of Glyphs. If you’re telling me that it’s safe to use and won’t put my work in jeopardy, I will try it. Would you recommend that I uncheck “Show cutting edge versions” in settings → updates after installing the latest cutting edge update? I ask because I don’t know if future cutting edge updates will be as stable.
Again, please correct me if I’m not understanding your proposed workaround correctly.
Best,
-Sam
Not an issue for a combining mark.
The workaround is that you move the shape so it fits the anchor position in the intermediate layer. So in total it means less movement, not more.
Which extra trouble did this workaround cause you?
This is an issue for a combining mark in my case. You’re telling me to open the intermediate layer for the ogonek and move it a few pixels to the left so that it matches up with the anchor of the “E.” This will introduce new problems for characters like the I-ogonek and A-ogonek. The reason is because there is little or no wiggle room for the ogonek to be a couple of pixels off at the thinner weights of the font. If it isn’t pixel perfect, it will look noticeably wrong. This is where I’d need to find more workarounds to add on top of my initial workaround (not ideal).
I need a way to move the ogonek for the “E” only while leaving other characters like I-ogonek and A-ogonek unchanged. Thank you.
Do I understand you correctly that you have an intermediate layer for the E, in which you are finding that the anchor doesn’t get used for the positioning of the ogonek?
If, as you say, the difference is only a few units, why not make the outline of the E in the intermediate the same width as if it were interpolated? As in, click Re-Interpolate on your intermediate layer and then line up your adjusted outlines to that width. Essentially, what you’re doing is aligning your outlines with the anchor as if it were interpolated (since your adjusted anchor position is not taken into account in your intermediate layer, apparently).
Did you try the cutting-edge version? You can easily install two Glyphs versions side by side, that way you can test a newer one without losing access to the old one: Glyphs Versions
Simply rename the downloaded version to Glyphs 3324.app, or whatever else you prefer.
I suppose that workaround would be fine. I only have a couple more questions for now:
you previously said, “If I recall correctly, anchors don’t interpolate correctly in intermediate layers (at least up until 3260).” I tried clarifying if this was a bug you’re aware of. Georg Seifert replied and said that it isn’t necessarily a bug. This is indeed unintended behavior in Glyphs that you’ve encountered yourself up until 3260, correct?
Are there any known compatibility issues with Glyphs and MacOs Sequoia?
Thank you for your patience and assistance.
