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  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Location
    East Sussex, England
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    2,021

    Default Re: Assignment Time!

    I'm happy to help.

    Christine

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Liverpool, N.Y.
    Posts
    6,112

    Default Mike's tracings Round 1

    Mike, when I opened your file, I gasped at how precise and beautiful your traces are!

    And...we need a few revisions. Actually I did them on page 2 of the attached, but nobody learns anything if I just correct people's work covertly.

    1. You had one or two nodes at extremes. That is, the control handles were way too long and the arc of a curve went way past a recommended 45 degrees. The fix is to put another node (control point) right next to the first one at high magnification, and make the connection between the two a straight line segment.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    2. You got a few non-essential nodes along the outline, probably because you used a Boolean operation which will produce 'em unless shapes are perfectly overlapped (and they never are!). My own solution is to put a copy on the guides layer, delete the superfluous nodes, and then correct the outline back—because shapes change when you delete control points) using your guides layer as your...um, guide.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    3. An oval at the bottom of one glyph had some superfluous nodes at its top. I see it's not exactly a circle, but it would have been wicked hard to just delete these control points without un-shaping the oval. So I matched the oval shape with the Ellipse tool, deleted the control points that made up the oval (which didn't change the rest of the design), and then used the Boolean Add command to the oval I made.


    Click image for larger version. 

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    4. You had two areas where a path crossed itself. It cannot, because when typed out, it will have a gap in the "loop" portion. Also, it could fault a PostScript printer. Paths must not do a figure 8 on themselves. You accomplish the effect when it's intentional by using two shapes closely arranged together. In this case, it's an error and not deliberate so a support control point can be added (I did this) to reinforce the apogee of the curve.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I think your work is artistically stunning, Mike, an example for the unfortunate few, such as myself, who will have to follow to make this the best picture font in existence! People, please download the attached Xara file and take a look at a craftsman's intelligence, grace, and mindfulness in action.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    -g-
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Last edited by Gare; 04 April 2012 at 03:55 PM.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Liverpool, N.Y.
    Posts
    6,112

    Default Re: Assignment Time!

    Quote Originally Posted by Christine Farrelly View Post
    I'm happy to help.

    Christine
    Then let me help you to be happy. Christine!

    Attached is No. 4.

    One more talented Xara volunteer, please. We will reserve one for Frances as she is currently on unpaid sick leave as Moderator. I want to bring this up at the next Moderator union meeting, by the way. And a dental plan.

    If someone else wants in, you're not too late. I figure we can either strike a "Son of Bergeon Ornaments", a sequel font, or put 15 more gylphs in this one to cover !#$%& and so on. Looks like comic book swearing doesn't it?


    -g-
    Attached Files Attached Files

  4. #14

    Default Re: Assignment Time!

    You'll make me blush...

    Thanks. I think the extra nodes on the square and circles were vagaries of drawing half and flipping and not catching all the dup nodes. The other, well...thanks again.

    Here is 28684H on my sheet. In importing it into TT, you'll need to Close open contours, and then set the PS direction. I also think this is a flipping one half thing as the "broken" side is the flipped side.

    Take care, Mike
    Attached Files Attached Files

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Liverpool, N.Y.
    Posts
    6,112

    Default Re: Assignment Time!

    28684H looks quite clean to me, Mike, at a glance.

    We have two goals here: reproduction/restoration (when necessary).

    -and-

    "clean" gylph path construction. Every node that's unnecessary adds 1 byte to a character, so imagine what scores of them do the overall saved typeface size.

    That's not to say to skimp.

    This is also an exercise in ingenuity: how can a shape be expressed accurately with proper control point connections, proper placement of control points, and the correct number.

    Tell you what: If I can get some more submissions from others by the weekend, I will take first crack at making the glyphs into a font, and I'll post it, with blank characters being blank. Closing contours and winding path directions are not a problem with FontLab.

    Then it's Bill's big chance to critiqué me.

    -g-

  6. #16

    Default Re: Assignment Time!

    Ill likely be able to avoid the problem induced when flipping part of the design. I just did a quickie test and if I had immediately selected all the nodes of the flipped portion and used Xara's Reverse Paths option, the exported EPS comes into TT fine.

    Take care, Mike

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Liverpool, N.Y.
    Posts
    6,112

    Default Re: Assignment Time!

    Cool, Mike!

    Other kind souls and wonderfully talented Xaraists: I'm serious. Trace me off some glyphs so we can have something to critiqué on Monday.

    You don't really want me to spend my weekend at Putt-Putt miniature golf, do you?

    -g-

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Red Boiling Springs TN USA
    Posts
    19,208

    Default Re: Assignment Time!

    Gary I have a question about the nodes at an extreme. I have been doing the double node in my drawings as you have pointed out. Today I was working on cleaning up some issues with one of the glyphs using the Font Audit feature in FontLab. I exported the corrected glyph out to eps and brought that into Xara DP7. All my double nodes at extremes had been converted to single nodes. Have you encountered this before?
    Soquili
    a.k.a. Bill Taylor
    Bill is no longer with us. He died on 10 Dec 2012. We remember him always.
    My TG Album
    Last XaReg update

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Liverpool, N.Y.
    Posts
    6,112

    Default Re: Assignment Time!

    Can you post a copy, or send it to my private email, Bill? The XAR file?

    It's quite possible that FontLab is using a 32 bit system for parsing the EPS files, bringing them in. And because Xara can zoom way beyond the capability of a 32 bit system, it's conceivable FontLab can't write a glyph that has nodes microns away from each other. IOW, it can't reconcile the two control points because it sees them as one in a limited 32 bit system.

    Or I could be full of manure.

    Can I see the gylph in question and let me play with it in FL?

    TIA,

    Gary

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Red Boiling Springs TN USA
    Posts
    19,208

    Default Re: Assignment Time!

    Gary my working file for tracing and the imported fontlab eps files are attached.
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Soquili
    a.k.a. Bill Taylor
    Bill is no longer with us. He died on 10 Dec 2012. We remember him always.
    My TG Album
    Last XaReg update

 

 

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