Introducing TransType 4 beta 4909 for Mac OS X

[Adam Twardoch (FontLab)]

Franta: noted, we're working on this!

[Adam Twardoch (FontLab)]

I can choose between Profile (Preserve) and (Optimize).
The first thing I do is search the manual for "preserve".
No results! Wrong manual?

Why is Profile named Profile instead of "output" or something else more down to earth?

In the Preferences it says: If destination file existst: Rename
But it doesn't work; everything is overwritten.

Where do I add WOFF customer Data?

Why is the space glyph getting outlines in the glyph panel (the word space in a wrong orientation) Aaaah!

Shouldn't there be some subsetting mechanism? It's for Webfonts right?

1. We've just renamed the profiles "Native" to "Preserve" and "Optimized" to "Optimize". The manual still uses old naming, will be updated.

2. "Profile" -- future versions will allow the user to create custom profiles. A profile is a combination of the output font format and a number of operations that are perfomed before the generation. The output consists of the Profile but also Destination, so Profile is just part of output.

3. Rename -- not functional, bug confirmed.

4. WOFF customer data -- planned for the Foundry edition of the product.

5. The whitespace glyphs have a glyph name printed to give the user more orientation what the glyph is. May become a Preference in future releases.

6. Subsetting -- planned for the Foundry edition (subsetting of OpenType Layout is anything but trivial).

Thanks for the feedback, Lucas, and please keep it coming. Your sharp eye is truly valued and appreciated!

[Luc[as]]

Our normal workflow is to take a well hinted TrueType font through some simple command line tools to generate web fonts. Not a nice process but the result looks as good as the font was hinted. We've been waiting for someone to build an interface to these tools.

Finally, after a long wait, there is a tool with an interface, super! (Of course we all know that the deceased FontLab should have gotten web font export functionality years ago)

But, a web font produced with TransType looks awful! Metrics change, hints are discarded. Replaced by some lousy auto hinting? How dare you call it "Optimize" when in effect it destroys all the optimization I put into the font!? It should be called "Vandalize" :-)

So we'll wait another year until the "Preserve" (don't touch my optimized font) functionality is working?
In my opinion "Preserve" should be named "Default" and "Optimize" should be named "Experimental Autohinting".
When the input font has TrueType Hinting, TransType should assume this serves a purpose and leave it in the font!

[insigne]

FYI, using beta 4, converting .vfb to both .ttf and .otf is giving me a name validation error on os10.8.

I have a 48 member family that I am trying to get working in Word 2011. TTF conversion runs fine, but otf randomly crashes after 10 fonts or so. (number varies)

[George Thomas]

OK, so TrT4 Beta expired yesterday -- so when will a new Beta, or a final release, be forthcoming?

[Adam Twardoch (FontLab)]

Applogies, due to the Easter break we have a few days delay in publishing a new beta build.

In the meantime:
1. Open System Preferences
2. Open the System / Date & Time section
3. Uncheck "Set date and time automatically"
4. Change the date to be before March 31, 2013
5. Click on Save
6. Run TransType
7. Enable "Set date and time automatically"
8. Close System Preferences

Once TransType has started, it'll keep working even if the date is past the expiry date of a build.

[frantastorm]

Hello again, please cut the TransType ridiculous disgrace and build a solid webfont output into FontLab.

[JamesMontalbano]

When is the next version coming out? The last one expired almost a month ago.

[Adam Twardoch (FontLab)]

We expect a next build with many fixes this week!

[George Thomas]

So, Adam, what's the latest target date for an updated TrT4 build? This is the beginning of the third week since your last comment about it.

[Adam Twardoch (FontLab)]

We've got a small number of very relevant bugs which need to be fixed. Today, I've received one internal build from our developers which is "quite OK" but I'd rather not release it publicly yet.

Before we publish the next public build, please e-mail me directly to adam at fontlab dot com with the subject line "Request for intermediate TransType 4 build" and I'll e-mail you the link to the download for the current internal build.

Best,
Adam

[Adam Twardoch (FontLab)]

We've just published a new build 4900. As we are approaching release, please kindly test this build as much as possible!

Thanks!
Adam

[George Thomas]

Build 4900, OS X 10.8.3

I did NOT get any warning about an unsigned app. Just so you know.

First font I generated for testing (Adobe Type 1 font) has two copies of CR, one named CR.001. All character access shifted one character to the left, i.e. if I type TAV to check kerning in FLS 5.1.4, I get the correct kerning values showing but the names and the glyphs which preview are S@U. This is converting from Type 1 to OTF PS.

Second font, one of mine. Type 1 font to OTC PS. Had two copies of CR, both named CR, had three copies of Eth, one at the very beginning and two towards the end. Same problem with checking kerning -- everything shifted left one glyph.

Shifted characters are not limited to the Kerning Preview in FLS. It happens in Suitcase Fusion 4 and InDesign CS6 also.

[Adam Twardoch (FontLab)]

Ah!

Would you mind sending me the Type 1 fonts in a ZIP file to adam at fontlab dot com?

Thanks!
Adam

[George Thomas]

Sure. Will send in a moment.