Urm. I'd love to advise, but FontShop's end user license doesn't permit you to modify their fonts. It reads:

"You agree not to modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, alter, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code of the Software."

So you should contact FontShop and let them know you want OpenType versions of the fonts.

That aside, it would not be at all difficult to add a handful of OpenType features like those you're contemplating. You could indeed do a contextual alternate that substituted a multiplication symbol for an x in the manner you describe.

Regards,

T

EULA aside, FontLab's documentation really leaves me in the dark. Where would one find this sort of documentation for adding OpenType features?

I'll contact FontShop and see about an OpenType version of Scala and Scala Sans.

> "You agree not to modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile,
> disassemble, alter, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code of
> the Software."

Hmmm, I'm smelling a legal loophole: look at that "otherwise" and tell me if you think that everything before if would be forgiven in court if it were not to "discover the source code"...

Anyway, loophole or no, I would advise Sean to "just do it" in such cases (as long as he: owns the original; and keeps the derivatives to himself).

hhp

<font class="dontLookLikeCrap">I find this in a FontFont/FontShop EULA on Veer's site (unfortunately we didn't get a hardcopy of the EULA specifically for our purchase, it's only available, as text and not as a download, as part of the purchase online process, there's no link to it on FontShop's site that I can find).

"You do have the right to modify and alter Font Software for your customary personal and business use, but not for resale or further distribution."

http://www.veer.com/help/license.aspx?eula=DET</font>

Hrant,

First, the clause after the "or" clearly does not modify the first part of the sentence. But we can leave that to lawyers to debate, since neither of us is one.

Second, there are laws about inducing somebody to break a contract. "Tortious interference" IIRC from my business law class. Technically, you can be sued for this. I don't know that it applies when you merely advise somebody without giving them any incentives though. (note: revised this comment after thinking about if a few minutes.)

Third, unless Sean commissioned FontShop to build Scala just for him (work for hire), he does NOT "own the original"; he owns a license to use it.

As for OT features in FontLab, I will post some comments later.

T

Sean:

That's the EULA for Device Type; Veer doesn't sell FontShop fonts as far as I can tell.

Cheers,

T

Yes, I realized that, but it does reference FontShop as well, didn't know if it was the same as the FontFont EULA.

Interesting, I grabbed one of the free fonts from FontFont's website, and this is what it says in the license included therein:

3. You agree that the Software, and all copies thereof, are owned by FSI and/or its suppliers, and its structure, organisation and code are the valuable trade secrets of FSI and/or its suppliers. You acknowledge that the Software is protected by the United States Copyright Law, by the copyright and design laws of other nations, and by international treaties. You agree to treat the Software as you would any other copyrighted material, such as a book. You may not copy the Software or Documentation, except as expressly provided herein. Any copies that you are permitted to make pursuant to this Agreement must contain the same copyright, trademark, and other proprietary notices that appear on or in the Software. You agree not to modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, alter, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code of the Software. You agree to use trademarks associated with the Software according to accepted trademark practice, including identification of the trademark owner's name. Trademarks can only be used to identify printed output produced by the Software. The use of any trademark as herein authorized does not give you any rights of ownership in that trademark and all use of any trademark shall inure to the sole benefit of the trademark owner. Except as expressly provided herein, this Agreement does not grant you any right to intellectual property rights in the Software and its associated trademarks. You do have the right to modify and alter Font Software for your customary personal and business use, but not for resale or further distribution.

emphasis mine

Huh? i can't find any reference to FontShop or FontFont in the Device EULA. Oh well....

Interesting, but not shocking, that the free font EULA is different. I got the blurb I quoted by going partway through the purchase process on Scala Sans. Not that I was trying to catch you out or anything, just curious as to FontShop's policies on the matter. Always interesting to see what the competition is up to in their EULAs.

Regards,

T

It still contains the same line about altering the fonts for personal and business use:

http://www.fontfont.com/cgi-bin/license.pl?f=1

Look at section three. It's the same.

(Thanks for the hint on finding the EULA!)

I've purchased a number of fonts form FontShop, and I've never been able to _find_ the EULA.

I'm in Canada, so the EULA may be different, and since I wasn't made aware of it, its application seem...moot.

I have relied instead on a little booklet called "FontShop's Guide to Legal Typeface Use" put out by FontShop Canada some time ago. It states that: "most font manufactures will allow you the right to produce a modified [font]... subject to the same licensing requirements as the original font."

Now, I haven't relied on this booklet for other foundries, but the booklet goes on to discuss a hypothetical swash version of a FS font, so it certainly strongly implies that modifications are permitted, at least in Canada.

Anyhow, back to the main question:

Open the "OpenType" panel in FontLab. The left side lists the OT features, the right side lists the code for the currently selected feature.

Click on the "+" sign at the bottom left of the OT panel. This adds a feature. The feature will initially be called "xxxx".

In the right pane of the panel, you'll see the initial template of the feature code appear. Change the two occurrences of "xxxx" in the right pane " to the feature you want. Let's say lowercase to small caps ('smcp').

The remaining line to change and expand on is this one:

> sub by ;

You need to fill that out and duplicate i