#More Adobe NFNTs
5 messages in this thread
Jim,
Thanks again for the help. You've been a wealth of information.
I quickly jumped out of Navigator to try out what you suggested with ResEdit.
What's the significance of opening the FONT/NFNT resource with the Option key
down? When do you hold down the Option key? It seemed to make no difference as
far as I could tell.
^Steve^
I don't have a manual for ResEdit (who does?) but there seems to be two
advantages to holding down the option key when opening FONT/NFNT resource
lists.
1) When opening the FONT resources the display changes to show the installed
size resources in descending order down to and INCLUDING the size 0 resource
(which allows you to edit it also).
2) Applies to both FONT and NFNT resources. When you open the FONT or NFNT list
WITHOUT the option key and you change the information in a resource's info
dialog box, when you close the box you are popped back to the top of the list.
When you open the list WITH the option key down, after closing the info dialog
box the same resource will be highlight (you stay in the same position in the
list). With one down-arrow stroke you're on the next resource ready for
command-i (info dialog).
Off the subject, would you happen to know where I could find a postscipt code
wedge (?) that would help in printing a typeface catalog on the laserwriter?
What I would like to do is create the catalog in either Xpress, Word, or ? in
one piece, between each page (or font sample) this "wedge" would flush/reset
(or whatever) the laserwriter so the next font(s) could be downloaded. Do you
know if this is even possible?
Jim
I DO have a ResEdit manual…
I don't know about #2 of your Msg, but #1 is essentially accurate. Here's
why: Holding own the "option" key is the same as choosing "Open general" from
the file menu (that is, when you hold down the optionKey & doubleclick on a
resource type).
The major difference here is, as you mentioned, what is displayed when you
"open general" for a reource type FONT:
DOUBLE-CLICK WITHOUT OPTIONKEY (Regular "Open"):
===============================
|| COURIER 10 ID = 25866 ||
|| COURIER 12 ID = 25868 ||
|| ||
===============================
DOUBLE-CLICK WITH OPTIONKEY ("Open General"):
=================================
|| FONT ID = 25866 ||
|| FONT ID = 25868 ||
|| FONT "COURIER" ID = 25856 ||
|| ||
=================================
Using "Open General" is essential in many FONT situations because it allows
you see the "zero-point" FONT resource that carries the actual name of the FONT
Family to match the FOND (I don't belive that NFNTs use a zero-point NFNT?). As
for displaying the FONT resources in ascending size – FONTs are usually
displayed in the reverse order that they were copied into the file by Font/DA
Mover. If you've moved a new size of a font into an existing suitcase, you'll
see it at the top of the list, separate from its related family (which is why
it's preferable to copy font sizes a whole group at a time).
PS: In some cases, "open general" will have the exact same effect as "open"
(ex: FOND resource types).
-Scott Leyes
Where did you get your ResEdit manual? I've looked high and low, the last time
I checked the APPDEV forum the one there was a few versions obsolete. Someday I
will have to join APPDA even though I'm not a developer.
With my version of ResEdit (1.2b2) when I open a FONT resource list with the
option key down the resources are displayed as follows:
==================================
1 -> || FONT ID = 32024 | |
|| FONT ID = 32018 | |
|| FONT ID = 32014 | |
|| FONT ID = 32012 | |
2 -> || FONT ID = 32010 | |
|| FONT "Courier" ID = 32000 | |
==================================
Note that the resource numbers are displayed in descending (reverse) order.
Since 128 * FONT ID + pt.size = ResID then 128 * 250 + 24 = 32024. Remember on
negative ResIDs (overflowed?) the greater the magnitude the smaller the value.
This reverse display of the resources within a family is what I was referring
to. You are absolutely right about the display order of families as a whole.
The other benifit of opening FONT/NFNT resources with the option key is not
apparent until you change a ResID with the Info Dialog. In the above example,
if I opened the list without the option key a changed the ID of the resource at
position 2 in the window, when I close the Info Dialog I am popped back to
position 1 (almost as if it was an error to do that). On the other hand, when
the option key is used, when I close the Info Dialog I remain at position 2.
This makes it very easy to "step" through the listed resources using the arrow
keys and command-i.
NFNTs don't use the zero-point resource, I wish they did so you could tell
which was which by name (you can't tell at all!). The N-FONT utility does
leave the zero-point (and all ResIDs) intact after conversion of the family.
However once you use Font/DA Mover 3.8 to move the family, the zero-point does
not go with it
[continued in reply]
[continued]
and all the ResIDs are reassigned RANDOMLY! I really, really hate that. In
order to seperate my harmonized library into family files again, I have to make
multiple copies of the same file and "remove" everything except the desired
family from each (138 times!!!). @#$!%&*$#!!!
You wouldn't know of a NFNT compatable FDAM replacement (without a random
number generator!) would you?
Jim