indic-computing-users

[Indic-computing-users] Akruthi fonts need to be encoded

[Nagarjuna G. <nag...@hb...>]

We started working with the akruthi fonts with a team of volunteers.
With these set of fonts I think the following needs to be done.

1. First the fonts are not encoded for utf-8 input method.  So the
font file should be opened in a editor (pfaedit) and cut paste the
glyphs at the appropriate unicode pages and recreate the fonts.

2. The other alternative is to use the existing encoding which uses
the first 256 characters of the kb, and make a xmodmap file.  May be
we can use both the strategies.

Before we begin converting them to opentype fonts, we wish to make the
fonts work so that the OS begins to support indian languages.  Since 1
and two are not very difficult tasks, please find time to do that.  To
eliminate overlapping let us announce who is doing what in the list so
that we save time.  Our group is now working on the devanagari fonts.
After our experiment succeeds we will inform and uplaod the results.

I also want the experts to inform me if the strategy is not correct.
I am just beginning to understand the technology so I may be wrong in
my decisions.  

Nagarjuna

Re: [Indic-computing-users] Akruthi fonts need to be encoded

[Baiju M <mal...@ya...>]

Now I started working on Malayalam fonts.

If anybody else working on Malayalam, please inform me, so that
we can avoid duplication efforts.

BTW, those who decided to use only *free* softwares for
developing OpenType fonts, use PfaEdit and TTX (Python package
to 
dump TTF to XML http://sf.net/projects/fonttools) and use your
favorite text editor to edit advanced OpenType tables
(GSUB,GPOS,GDEF etc.). 

Regards,
Baiju M

--- "Nagarjuna G." <nag...@hb...> wrote:
> 
> We started working with the akruthi fonts with a team of
> volunteers.
> With these set of fonts I think the following needs to be
> done.
> 
> 1. First the fonts are not encoded for utf-8 input method.  So
> the
> font file should be opened in a editor (pfaedit) and cut paste
> the
> glyphs at the appropriate unicode pages and recreate the
> fonts.
> 
> 2. The other alternative is to use the existing encoding which
> uses
> the first 256 characters of the kb, and make a xmodmap file. 
> May be
> we can use both the strategies.
> 
> Before we begin converting them to opentype fonts, we wish to
> make the
> fonts work so that the OS begins to support indian languages. 
> Since 1
> and two are not very difficult tasks, please find time to do
> that.  To
> eliminate overlapping let us announce who is doing what in the
> list so
> that we save time.  Our group is now working on the devanagari
> fonts.
> After our experiment succeeds we will inform and uplaod the
> results.
> 
> I also want the experts to inform me if the strategy is not
> correct.
> I am just beginning to understand the technology so I may be
> wrong in
> my decisions.  
> 
> Nagarjuna



=====


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Re: [Indic-computing-users] Akruthi fonts need to be encoded

[Keyur S. <key...@ya...>]

--- "Nagarjuna G." <nag...@hb...> wrote:
> 
> We started working with the akruthi fonts with a team of volunteers.
> With these set of fonts I think the following needs to be done.
> 
> 1. First the fonts are not encoded for utf-8 input method.  So the
> font file should be opened in a editor (pfaedit) and cut paste the
> glyphs at the appropriate unicode pages and recreate the fonts.

If you open and save font in pfaEdit then there will be some loss in
quality of glyphs because pfaEdit converts Quadratic-Bezier curves into
Cubic-Bezier curves. That's why I prefer FontoGrapher on windows platform.
Use of Free/OpenSource software is always good but unfortunately currently
we don't have very high-quality softwares fot font editing :(

> 
> 2. The other alternative is to use the existing encoding which uses
> the first 256 characters of the kb, and make a xmodmap file.  May be
> we can use both the strategies.

But then input will become a real pain. Can Akruti people release source
code which work for this particular encoding? It will not only save our
time but also make their encoding more popular.

> 
> I also want the experts to inform me if the strategy is not correct.
> I am just beginning to understand the technology so I may be wrong in
> my decisions.

I had a quick look at the fonts and found that some glyphs are missing if
we want to make this font Unicode compliant. So first task should be to
define new glyphset for this font. We can create new glyphs by using
references to older glyphs. It will preserve outlines. Also change in one
place will be reflected automatically at all other places if we use glyph
referencing while creating new glyphs.

Microsoft's website explains the steps to convert devanagari TTF to OTF:
  http://www.microsoft.com/typography/developers/volt/devanagari.htm

- Keyur



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Re: [Indic-computing-users] Akruthi fonts need to be encoded

[Baiju M <mal...@ya...>]

--- Keyur Shroff <key...@ya...> wrote:
> 
> --- "Nagarjuna G." <nag...@hb...> wrote:
> > 
> > We started working with the akruthi fonts with a team of
> volunteers.
> > With these set of fonts I think the following needs to be
> done.
> > 
> > 1. First the fonts are not encoded for utf-8 input method. 
> So the
> > font file should be opened in a editor (pfaedit) and cut
> paste the
> > glyphs at the appropriate unicode pages and recreate the
> fonts.
> 
> If you open and save font in pfaEdit then there will be some
> loss in
> quality of glyphs because pfaEdit converts Quadratic-Bezier
> curves into
> Cubic-Bezier curves. 

This minor loss happens only when you saving the font as a
TrueType font.

Regards,
Baiju M




=====


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Re: [Indic-computing-users] Akruthi fonts need to be encoded

[Nagarjuna G. <nag...@hb...>]

On Sat, Oct 12, 2002 at 02:24:17AM -0700, Baiju M wrote:
> 
> > 
> > > 
> > > We started working with the akruthi fonts with a team of
> > volunteers.
> > > With these set of fonts I think the following needs to be
> > done.
> > > 
> > > 1. First the fonts are not encoded for utf-8 input method. 
> > So the
> > > font file should be opened in a editor (pfaedit) and cut
> > paste the
> > > glyphs at the appropriate unicode pages and recreate the
> > fonts.
> > 
> > If you open and save font in pfaEdit then there will be some
> > loss in
> > quality of glyphs because pfaEdit converts Quadratic-Bezier
> > curves into
> > Cubic-Bezier curves. 
> 
> This minor loss happens only when you saving the font as a
> TrueType font.

I noticed that some thing of this kind may have happened since the
output ttf file from pfaedit was smaller than the original.  I will
have to continue working like this because I have no fontographer in
my office.  Besides I will patiently wait till the technology in the
free software world improves.

Nagarjuna

Re: [Indic-computing-users] Akruthi fonts need to be encoded

[G K. <kar...@fr...>]

Nagarjuna G. wrote:
> On Sat, Oct 12, 2002 at 02:24:17AM -0700, Baiju M wrote:
> 
>>>>We started working with the akruthi fonts with a team of
>>>
>>>volunteers.
>>>
>>>>With these set of fonts I think the following needs to be
>>>
>>>done.
>>>
>>>>1. First the fonts are not encoded for utf-8 input method. 
>>>
>>>So the
>>>
>>>>font file should be opened in a editor (pfaedit) and cut
>>>
>>>paste the
>>>
>>>>glyphs at the appropriate unicode pages and recreate the
>>>
>>>fonts.
>>>
>>>If you open and save font in pfaEdit then there will be some
>>>loss in
>>>quality of glyphs because pfaEdit converts Quadratic-Bezier
>>>curves into
>>>Cubic-Bezier curves. 
>>
>>This minor loss happens only when you saving the font as a
>>TrueType font.
> 
> 
> I noticed that some thing of this kind may have happened since the
> output ttf file from pfaedit was smaller than the original.  I will
> have to continue working like this because I have no fontographer in
> my office.  Besides I will patiently wait till the technology in the
> free software world improves.
> 
  You could use Font Creator, see www.high-logic.com, recently v3.1 was 
released, this has help file too..

Regards,
Karunakar

Re: [Indic-computing-users] Akruthi fonts need to be encoded

[Baiju M <mal...@ya...>]

--- G Karunakar <kar...@fr...> wrote:
> Nagarjuna G. wrote:
> > On Sat, Oct 12, 2002 at 02:24:17AM -0700, Baiju M wrote:
> Besides I will patiently wait till the
> technology in the
> > free software world improves.
> > 
>   You could use Font Creator, see www.high-logic.com, recently
> v3.1 was 
> released, this has help file too..

It is a shareware only, not a free software.


Regards,
Baiju M




=====


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Re: [Indic-computing-users] Akruthi fonts need to be encoded

[Dr. U.B. P. <pav...@vi...>]

Another option is to use the eval copy of Font Creator 
Program (FCP) from www.high-logic.com. The advantage of 
this package compared to Fontographer is that this does not 
knock-off the OpenType tables added by VOLT. Invariably, 
when you create OTF, you need to iterate between a font 
glyph editing package and VOLT. FCP and FontLab are the 
wtoo font glyph editing packages that I know which don't 
knock-off the OTF tables added by VOLT.

-Pavanaja

> On Sat, Oct 12, 2002 at 02:24:17AM -0700, Baiju M wrote:
> > 
> > > 
> > > > 
> > > > We started working with the akruthi fonts with a team of
> > > volunteers.
> > > > With these set of fonts I think the following needs to be
> > > done.
> > > > 
> > > > 1. First the fonts are not encoded for utf-8 input method. 
> > > So the
> > > > font file should be opened in a editor (pfaedit) and cut
> > > paste the
> > > > glyphs at the appropriate unicode pages and recreate the
> > > fonts.
> > > 
> > > If you open and save font in pfaEdit then there will be some
> > > loss in
> > > quality of glyphs because pfaEdit converts Quadratic-Bezier
> > > curves into
> > > Cubic-Bezier curves. 
> > 
> > This minor loss happens only when you saving the font as a
> > TrueType font.
> 
> I noticed that some thing of this kind may have happened since the
> output ttf file from pfaedit was smaller than the original.  I will
> have to continue working like this because I have no fontographer in
> my office.  Besides I will patiently wait till the technology in the
> free software world improves.
> 
> Nagarjuna
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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-----------------------------------------------------
Dr. U.B. Pavanaja
Editor, Vishva Kannada
World's first Internet magazine in Kannada
http://www.vishvakannada.com/

Note: I don't worry about pselling mixtakes

Re: [Indic-computing-users] Akruthi fonts need to be encoded

[Keyur S. <key...@ya...>]

--- "Dr. U.B. Pavanaja" <pav...@vi...> wrote:
> Another option is to use the eval copy of Font Creator 
> Program (FCP) from www.high-logic.com. The advantage of 
> this package compared to Fontographer is that this does not 
> knock-off the OpenType tables added by VOLT.

I think FontoGrapher also retains all tables of OpenType. However, I'll
check it once again.

> Invariably, when you create OTF, you need to iterate between a font 
> glyph editing package and VOLT. FCP and FontLab are the 
> wtoo font glyph editing packages that I know which don't 
> knock-off the OTF tables added by VOLT.

This is really not advisable. Before you start burning OpenType tables into
the font, you should plan and design your glyphs. Iteration may result in
malicious rule and sometimes corrupted tables.

- Keyur


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Re: [Indic-computing-users] Akruthi fonts need to be encoded

[Dr. U.B. P. <pav...@vi...>]

> 
> --- "Dr. U.B. Pavanaja" <pav...@vi...> wrote:
> > Another option is to use the eval copy of Font Creator 
> > Program (FCP) from www.high-logic.com. The advantage of 
> > this package compared to Fontographer is that this does not 
> > knock-off the OpenType tables added by VOLT.
> 
> I think FontoGrapher also retains all tables of OpenType. However,
> I'll check it once again.
 
I am pretty sure about this. The develeopments of Fontographer 
has been stopped.

> > Invariably, when you create OTF, you need to iterate between a font
> > glyph editing package and VOLT. FCP and FontLab are the wtoo font
> > glyph editing packages that I know which don't knock-off the OTF
> > tables added by VOLT.
> 
> This is really not advisable. Before you start burning OpenType tables
> into the font, you should plan and design your glyphs. Iteration may
> result in malicious rule and sometimes corrupted tables.

I agree on this account. But most of the times, when someone 
is a beginner with OTF, it is difficult to know all the needed 
glyphs in advance. Other thing people do while beginning with 
OTF is to try with a small glyph set first. Of course, these 
are not advisable.

Rgds,
Pavanaja-----------------------------------------------------
Dr. U.B. Pavanaja
Editor, Vishva Kannada
World's first Internet magazine in Kannada
http://www.vishvakannada.com/

Note: I don't worry about pselling mixtakes