AFAIR, this was necessary in Fontlab 4.6. Did Leslie write a new 'Learn FL5 fast'?

My question is: is it really necessary? What happen if the OT font is generated while in 'Name mode'?

FL does what FL does. My question is, what's so difficult about clicking the Codepages button? Isn't "better safe than sorry," regardless of the reason, worth the minute effort?

It is a pain to click the button for a 16 fonts family. And when you have so many fonts open, the windows are small and the button not visible, so you must resize the window and then to click the button, and then to resize the window again. I do not like it.

If you keep Names mode active and don't get the warning dialog seen on p86 of LFF, you're probably OK. Judging from the Preferences in FL5, codepages are automatically exported with OpenType fonts unless "Ignore Unicode indexes" is checked. It's only Type 1 fonts that require Codepages mode to be active when generating (assuming that's the option selected in the "Generating Type 1" preferences).

Sixteen windows open at once? Sounds like you need a BIIIIIG monitor...

@ oldnick

Sixteen windows open at once? Sounds like you need a BIIIIIG monitor...

How do you generate a font family?

How do you generate a font family?

The same way I would generate any family, not being the Octomom: one font at a time...but I guess that's just me...

The same way I would generate any family, not being the Octomom: one font at a time...but I guess that's just me...

And when the font is born, how long do you take parental care, before you release it?

And when the font is born, how long do you take parental care, before you release it?

Generally—after the font has been tested in CorelDraw, DTL OTMaster Light, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop and Word—as soon as it has three or more new-born companions...

If you begrudge Octomom's prolificacy and wish to spawn an entire family (or just a bunch of bastards) all in one go-- open Fontlab's Action Set tool, keep the set empty (or add desired "genetic enhancements"), apply to "Fonts in the Fonts list", add your baby batter (ahem, source files), set the format, and let em drop. Should take considerably less than nine months, unless the the stork gets distracted by a spinning beachball, in which case you'll need to kill the stork and start over.

Never mind, found it.

All I know is that using WordPad, I occasionally find that some fonts don't work properly because it refuses to allow me to change text from one font to another if they don't share a common codepage that includes the selected characters. So if a font has the wrong codepage data, or codepage data that is too limited, with it, some applications won't be able to use it.

...after the font has been tested in CorelDraw, DTL OTMaster Light...
oldnick - how do you use DTL OTMaster Light for testing a font?
There is so much technical data in the tables and so forth - what should I look for?

@Vladimir Tamari

I use DTL OTMaster Light primarily for the Consistency Checker and to double-check kerning data; all the other propeller-head stuff is WAY beyond me...

Nick,

How do you use OTM Light if you can't save changes?

There are no differences in the OpenType (.otf or .ttf) fonts regardless of the Font Window mode. The only difference applies to Type 1 fonts.

How do you use OTM Light if you can't save changes?

The old-fashioned way: I take notes...

Thanks Nick. BTW I enjoyed a quick look at your website and fonts.

"The old-fashioned way: I take notes..."

LOL! I should have expected that from someone my age :-)

Thanks for the info.

Did Leslie write a new ‘Learn FL5 fast’?

Just for the record: yes, he did. Well, at least he started. “This book is in print and it’s only available here, direct from the author/publisher! When you order, you will receive my most current edition for Studio 5.”

Now with a blue cover (not shown in the site), actually this is an “in-progress edition” started by Cabarga in 2007, but “some other commitments” forced him “to stop one-third of the way into the task. I realize now that I cannot complete the project myself and I am inviting anyone qualified and interested to contact me about picking up where I left off”.

But I don’t know if someone has contacted Cabarga.