Metrics, Mask layer, alternative numbers

Glyphs
1

Hello Georg,

I got a few basic questions that I couldn’t find answers to just by playing around…

  1. Is there a way to set a right and left sidebearings to the entire font?

  2. I noticed “kerning group”? How does one set the properties of a kerning group?

  3. I would like to have two sets of numbers in my font. Basically, have alternatives. What’s the right way to do so without creating a unicode conflict.

  4. One of the features I found useful in Fontlab is the mask layer. I can draw on top of it while seeing it in the background. Similarly to using a transparency paper. I realized how to send things to the background layer and how to view the background layer. However, is there a way to see the overlaps? Is there a way to work in Glyphs with transparencies?

Thank you!

Roy

2

Hi,

to 1) no. Thought about it and it will add this functionality.

to 2) you enter the desired name of the group in all the members you want to have in the group. e.g. You enter “A” in the left and right kerning group field (the fields marked “G:” in the glyph inspector) in all “A” characters like “A, Adieresie, Aacute, Agrave”. There is no list view of kerning groups.

to 3) you have to define a standard figure set and call them “zero, one, …” and the alternates get a suffix and no unicode. The suffix depend on the style of the figures. If they are oldstyle figures, add “.osf” for tabular figures (upper case, monospace) add “.tf” for Lining figures (upper case, proportional) add “.lf” and for tabular oldstyle figures use “.fosf” if the figures o do not fit to any of the categories, use a stylistic set “.ss01” to “.ss20”. If you created the figures like this, go to font info > features and hit the auto button.

to 4) dont understand exactly what you mean with transparency? Did you enable View > Show Background?

Georg

3

Hello!

Thanks for the reply.

As for #4. I will send you a separate email with a screenshot to further illustrate what I mean. But, in Fontlab, I can place an object on the mask layer and than draw over this object in the Outline layer. So, if I want to adjust the glyph I am currently working on, while I see the ghost of the glyph before the change for instance…

I hope that the screenshot better explain what I mean.

Thanks!

Roy

4

You can just do that: put the shape you want to have in the background in the pasteboard, hit cmd+B (Menu > Layer > Edit Background), than cmd+C and cmd+B again.

You should check if you have the background enabled: menu > View > check Show Background.

5

Perfect! Thanks!!