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Release Notes: FontLab 7.1.2.7435»

19 May 2020»

FontLab 7.1.2.7435 is a minor release that fixes some issues reported since we released 7.1.2.7432, and brings a few improvements.

Create Parallel Contour»

When you use Contour > Create Parallel Contour and turn on Remove the original to geometrically change the weight of selected contours, FontLab now places the new contour in the same ordering as the original, removed contour, so that the order of contours does not change, and matches the contour order in other masters.

Generate Glyphs»

In Font > Generate Glyphs > Custom, the Use legacy (FLS5) code setting is now called Use simple (FLS5) syntax. The Quick Help text that appears when you hold F1 over the setting is now updated to reflect the way the option currently works:

  • Off: You can put one glyphname=recipe entry per line in extended syntax, like Aacute = A + acute@top
  • On: You can put one or more space-separated recipe=glyphname entries per line in simple syntax compatible with FontLab Studio 5, like A+acute=Aacute, or put one !glyphname=recipe entry per line in extended syntax, like !Aacute = A + acute@top

Regardless of the setting, you can put multiple glyph names in one or more lines to use built-in glyph recipes. For syntax reference, close the Generate Glyphs dialog, tap ShiftF1 to open the Help panel, and reopen Font > Generate Glyphs > Custom.

Make SVG Editable»

When you import an SVG graphic and choose Element > Image > Make SVG Editable, FontLab converts the contours and images contained in the SVG into editable elements. When FontLab makes SVG editable, it now ignores invisible SVG objects that have the display="none" property.

Metrics»

Previously, you could use File > Export > Metrics to export glyph metrics and kerning into the an AFM Metrics File (.afm), and you could use File > Import > Metrics to import the AFM file and then choose whether to replace the advance widths or the sidebearings of the current master, and whether to replace kerning for the current master.

AFM is an old format that has various limitations, so FontLab now also supports a new FontLab Metrics JSON (.vfm) format for export and import. VFM contains glyphs metrics and kerning for multiple masters, respects non-spacing components/elements, fractional values and class-based kerning.

Support for VFM is preliminary. The format may change in future, and we may fine-tune the way importing metrics and kerning from VFM works.

TypeRig»

TypeRig has been updated. Choose Scripts > Update/Install Scripts to get the current version.

Bug fixes»

  • FontLab no longer prints unnecessary warnings to the Output panel when you are typing code into Font > Generate Glyphs > Custom

  • When you turn on Preferences > Open Fonts > Decompile to XML in Tables panel, remove head from the list of OpenType table tags below that setting, and open an OpenType font, FontLab puts the XML representation of the head table of the opened font in the Tables panel. When you turn on the checkbox next to the head table in the panel and export the font to OpenType, FontLab will now correctly build the head table of the exported font using the XML data rather than the data it builds from Font Info. Previously, FontLab did not build the head table correctly from the XML representation.

  • Remove Overlap no longer removes the filled part of contour in very particular contour configurations.

  • When the Glyph window does not have focus and you right-click or Ctrl-click a node, FontLab now shows the context menu for the node. Previously, it showed the generic Glyph window context menu unless you clicked the window canvas first.

  • When you have a selection and choose Tools > Free Transform, if the selected contours are referenced from another locked element in the same glyph, FontLab no longer draws the transforming rectangle around that locked element.