Please explain fit curves

Would someone please explain what the “fit curves” tool actually does and what changing the values do? Right now I am trying to figure it out with trial and error and not having much luck.

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It is quite difficult to explain.

Draw a circle and select it. Then put 20 % in the left field and 100% in the right (klick the triangle if you see a 6x6 grid of buttons)

If you now click on the leftmost button, the handles become quite short, the rightmost button make the handles meet. All buttons in between interpolate the values.

What is does is that is measures the distance from the node to the intersection of the two handles and than sets the length of the handle to the percentage you entered in the textfield (or the interpolated value).

You can use it to make similar curves. If you select the “o”, find the right button to get the shape you like, remember that button, go to the “e”, select the left curve and hit the same button. It will apply the same curvature, even if the size and the proportion are different.

I usually use 57% and 80% as values. 57% is quite close to a circle and 80% is enough for me. If you have more squarish glyphs, you might need bigger values.

Does this help?

That helps a lot. Now if only I could right-click on the boxes I like and mark them as best for a given font :wink:

There are even shortcuts for the boxes. it is ctrl+opt+(1-8).

The remembering thing was asked before, but you will need different values in one font and to mark them would not help with that.

I usually put the original in the Background (select all + cmd+K) and then just try to find the best fit.