Some Cosmetic RoboFont Enhancements

bas

Would be handy if typing other characters than A-Z also jump directly to that character in the Font Collection window (like typing @ instead of ‘at’ for example, plus, etc)
Would really like to see a ‘Jump to glyph’ window in the Font Collection window. It's very hard to find specific glyphs within a large font file. Currently a search is the only option, but that is far from ideal.
Native Close Path function. I think I said this before, but a close path function is a very basic, essential function of a font editor, so it should be a native function. (preferably also included in the contextual menu)
Measuring tool (Glyph window) currently cuts and measures at left and right side bearing, but not at x-height, cap height, etc.
"Users can add, delete, reorder layers in the layer inspector pane." > rename layers?
Better spacing functions. Groups should be part of the spacing workflow. Also, it would be handy if groups can be treated the same as kerning in MetricsMachine. Changes to one glyph can have effect to spacing of all other glyphs within that group, or this change could be an exception to the spacing [left/right/or both] of that group. I think I need to write a longer, separate text for better spacing functions and Space Center improvements because the current Space Center does only 10% of what it should do.
If the input text in the Space Center is too long (eg. more than xx characters), you better make a coffee and wait. Would be handy if Space Center could handle longer pieces of text.
What about an option of keeping words together at the same line in Space Center? So not moving just a couple of letters to the next line and breaking the word. Simple solution: no complicated hyphenation or so: only break at space.
Can I change the ‘selection color’? [the color of the rectangle which the arrow creates in the Glyph window while selecting] On some screens this color is 100% invisible. I don't see this color in the prefs.
While manually scaling (outlines or images), I would like to have the possibility to keep current proportion. No difference between x & y. Currently by using ‘shift’, it also keeps track of 0°, 45° and 90° which I especially would like to avoid. Should be solved by a key combination.
Zooming in Space Center through keys: Currently the command with plus/minus make fairly big jumps. Scaling with mouse/trackpad makes smaller steps. Maybe just make smaller zooming steps for the keyboard as well. Or otherwise have the option (with Shift for example) to have smaller zooming steps.
Can the Inspector remember my most recent settings for scaling (like from which position I want to scale [left top, middle, right top, etc], as well as the scaling %? After closing and opening the Inspector, it currently forgot last used settings.
Opening Space center, while working in the Glyph window, shows the glyph which is selected in the Font Collection window in the Space Center, while I would prefer that Space Center would show the glyph I'm currently working on in the Glyph window. (especially handy when multiple ufo's opened)
Deleting a component can influence the width of the character, which shouldn't happen.
Possibility for a shortcut for Test Install?
Any schedule for v1.3? ;-)

frederik

He

I've added those as hot keys to the prefs, will be available in the next update

that is idd handy that one can toggle while measuring

thanks

bas

Top.

(having Glyph metrics on by default, and Font metrics off by default sounds as the best option)

frederik

In the next release there will be some options in the prefs related to the measurements tool: show glyph metrics and font metrics.

Cause there are cases where one doesn't want to show one of those measurements.

danmilne

4. A couple of thoughts:

Breaking measurements when they cross horizontal metrics would be undesirable in many situations [e.g. when trying to measure the distance between two contours in a glyph which overshoots (e.g. the stroke at the top or bottom of an 'o')].

Perhaps the measurement tool's behaviour in relation to horizontal metrics could depend on where the measurement lines start and finish:

Measurements could be cut at a horizontal metric line only when the horizontal metric line is the first or last line which it crosses (i.e. when it's not disturbing a measurement between two contours).

Actually, perhaps this idea could be applied more broadly to include horizontal and vertical guides as well? [cutting at guides would be useful sometimes]

And conversely, this could mean that the measurement line is not cut at sidebearings when the measurement line crosses contours which fall on either side of the sidebearing.

Thanks again for being so open to suggestions Frederik!

bas

4. Distance to horizontal metrics are sometimes more important than distance to vertical metrics

7. 8. No problem because of 15. > use InDesign permanently for testing and previewing

10. Would love to have the option for only using the proportional angle (maybe with extra key?)

14. will try and let you know.

[Really appreciate the quick response and implementation. Goed bezig!]

frederik

long post :)

1. 2. yep, true that is handy, this is added in 1.3

3. in 1.3 there will be a "Join Contours" in the contextual menu, and double click in the drawing tool to close the contour

4. should it do that? maybe, don't know

5. renaming is not possible and layers will change a lot when UFO3 gets implemented (not in 1.3)

6. for now, you have to write your own sets of script to handle "group spacing" see http://forum.robofont.com/topic/130/group-spacing

7. 8. that is true, its not a text setting tool :)

9. in 1.3 you can

10. there are 4 angles constrains: 0°, 90°, 45° and the proportional angle (=the diagonal from the bounding box), in 1.3 you can eliminate the 45° contain in the prefs

11. shift keyboard zoom with smaller steps makes sense

12. 13. in 1.3 :)

14. can you reproduce that?

15. yep, interesting, will add it

16. soon :)

thanks