Typophile

copy glyphs from one font to another in Fontlab

docunagi0 votes

Hello,

I am trying to copy several alternate glyphs from one window font to another one (which not have alternate glyphs in it). I first select my alt glyphs (about 80) in my font window, copy, go to the other font window and paste.
But I get this annoying message saying : "You have dropped glyphs at the places used by the glyphs with names listed below…" CANCEL or REPLACE.

The thing is that I named all my alternate glyphs "xxx.alt" and I have no such glyphs with that names in my new fontwindow. In fact the alert window says that the glyphs to be replaced by the alt glyphs are common ones (space, one, two, etc.). I really don't get it. Even with a new font window it does not create the extra glyphs but just replace some existing ones. Do I do something wrong (I guess so…). Is it because my alternate glyphs have name but no unicode numbers ? Any help would be much appreciate ! Thanks.

Chris Lozos0 votes

"Use Paste Special" but don't start on a coded glyph. Go to the end of the coded glyphs in your new window.

A better way is to copy all the glyphs you want to paste into a text editor. Then select "Search and Replace" replace each "slash" with a space. Use this edited text to paste into the window of "Generate New Glyphs" window. It will then generate the same naming order of glyphs as in your list. After that, copy the glyphs from your original file, then select all the newly created alternates and paste into the window.

Nick Curtis0 votes

The message is not annoying: it's telling you that you're going about this process in the wrong way.

The thing is that I named all my alternate glyphs "xxx.alt" and I have no such glyphs with that names in my new fontwindow.

Precisely the problem. There's probably a way to script this process, BUT what you need to do is to create glyph slots in your new font window for your alts. Select Names mode, then find a glyph slot that is normally blank--I usually use the one immediate to the tight of "oe"--and double-click. Then right-click/shift-click for the Properties dialog, and enter your first alt.glyph name. When you hit "Apply," the box will relocate itself with its new name. Repeat the process for each new alt.glyph you want to add. When you're done, open your alt.glyph font and minimize it. Then select Tools > Merge Fonts, and apply. FontLab will do all the cutting and pasting for you, without any "annoying" messages, and all your glyphs will be where you want them to be.

twardoch0 votes

Switch to the Index mode of the Font Window. Everything pasted there will be just appended to the glyph repertoire.

Chris Lozos0 votes

Thanks, Adam! Who knew it was all so simple :-)

John Hudson0 votes

Right click in the Font Window and select 'Append Glyphs'. This will paste the copied glyphs into the new font without overwriting any existing glyph cells. If glyphs already exist in the font that have the same names as appended glyphs, the latter will have a number added to their name, e.g. /glyph.001/.

docunagi0 votes

Adam always has the right solution to every problem :) Thanks everyone, it works like a charm !

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