Search found 341 matches

by Tim Ahrens
14 Feb 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Normalise kerning to spacing?
Replies: 17
Views: 17285

Re: Normalise kerning to spacing?

Yes, this has been an idea of mine for a long time, and I have been thinking about it again for the last few weeks. This is how it could work: The user sets the sidebearing of a particular glyph to “auto”. Plus, the special spacing, of course. I suspect that it is mostly the special-spaced glyphs th...
by Tim Ahrens
10 Feb 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On ‘flavour’?
Replies: 5
Views: 7743

Re: Kern On ‘flavour’?

Kern On guesses (determines) the strategy through your models! That’s the idea: Designers have different tastes and they express this through the models.

Can you describe in more detail what the “picket-fence look” is?
by Tim Ahrens
09 Feb 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Largest size before overflow?
Replies: 3
Views: 12264

Re: Largest size before overflow?

Good question. I should really make this clearer in the dialogue but here are some thoughts. We need to distinguish between webfonts and desktop fonts: For webfonts, it’s up to the font maker to decide which amount of data we want to use for kerning. Careful: This is the uncompressed data size. In w...
by Tim Ahrens
08 Feb 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Bigger Suggestion Display.
Replies: 2
Views: 5748

Re: Bigger Suggestion Display.

Agreed, it would be nice to make the feedback area more visual. It’s very “texty” right now. On my to-do-list there is even the idea to show the pair in the actual font we’re working on, in a somewhat larger size, but that involves generating and loading the image (which is not too difficult, just a...
by Tim Ahrens
08 Feb 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Group-group-specific kerning rules
Replies: 8
Views: 12267

Re: Group-group-specific kerning rules

Agreed, sometimes it would be handy to specify things such as no kerning between certain groups of glyphs. Similarly, you may want special spacing between certain groups but not others. Right now, Kern On allows to have an individual special spacing value within one group, i.e. if both glyphs are fr...
by Tim Ahrens
13 Jan 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: alt + Auto (request)
Replies: 4
Views: 6987

Re: alt + Auto (request)

So, this is included in today’s update (1.09)! See https://kern-on.com/update/

Thanks for the suggestion. I decided to use ctrl to show the auto value preview – it was a bit confusing if both works with alt. Note that it usually takes half a second to display the value.
by Tim Ahrens
13 Jan 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On v 1.09
Replies: 0
Views: 5322

Kern On v 1.09

Just published version 1.09. To update, head over to https://kern-on.com/update/ New feature: For models or independent pairs, hold ctrl to preview the kerning value it would have if it was a model. This saves you switching to Auto and back. Improved internal calculation of the special spacing amoun...
by Tim Ahrens
12 Jan 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Spacing and kerning
Replies: 1
Views: 2920

Re: Spacing and kerning

I think it’s perfectly fine to adjust the metrics while working on the kerning. In fact, this is what I have started doing since I have been using Kern On! Yes, you can adjust the sidebearings while Kern On is running and it will adjust everything on the fly. The only little catch is that if you use...
by Tim Ahrens
09 Jan 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Editing special spacing default groups
Replies: 3
Views: 3640

Re: Editing special spacing default groups

The groups will disappear from the menu if they are not used any more (the next time you start Kern On).
by Tim Ahrens
08 Jan 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Prioritise kerning by kern value
Replies: 9
Views: 11894

Re: Prioritise kerning by kern value

Btw, the above post refers to desktop fonts , not webfonts. As I mentioned several times before, there is a completely different reasoning for the two scenarios. If we are looking at webfonts in detail, we’d have to optimize the data size after compression . Practically all webfonts are served as wo...
by Tim Ahrens
08 Jan 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Prioritise kerning by kern value
Replies: 9
Views: 11894

Re: Prioritise kerning by kern value

Maybe I should explain this in more detail: Glyph-to-glyph pairs take 4 bytes per pair, plus overhead. Therefore deleting a glyph-to-glyph pair saves 4 bytes, and possibly a little more in case it was the only one kerned to the first glyph. With class-to-class kerning, we have to “pay” for the whole...
by Tim Ahrens
08 Jan 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Collision detection and Kern On
Replies: 2
Views: 2489

Re: Collision detection and Kern On

I just noticed that KernCrasher doesn’t work properly while KO is running. One reason is that while KO is running, it only auto-kerns visible pairs. Then KernCrasher opens a tab with some colliding pairs and in that moment they get autokerned. Another problem is that KernCrasher checks every thinkab...
by Tim Ahrens
08 Jan 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Collision detection and Kern On
Replies: 2
Views: 2489

Re: Collision detection and Kern On

Hello Alberto, yes, you can use KernCrasher while Kern On is running (or while it is sleeping) to help you find colliding pairs. Any script or plug-in that doesn’t modify the font (or a glyph) is safe to use while KO is running. Don’t switch the pairs in question to independent, it’s much better (an...
by Tim Ahrens
08 Jan 2022
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Editing special spacing default groups
Replies: 3
Views: 3640

Re: Editing special spacing default groups

Hello Alberto, these two pop-up menus allow you to edit the special spacing groups for the current glyph. You can also select multiple glyphs and edit the special spacing for all of them.
Screenshot 2022-01-08 at 20.38.18.png
Screenshot 2022-01-08 at 20.38.18.png (58.55 KiB) Viewed 3640 times
by Tim Ahrens
29 Dec 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Wrong class?
Replies: 7
Views: 4605

Re: Wrong class?

Hi Tim, I understand that it's done with storage space in mind, but this system complicates quite a lot any manual intervention after the fact. Is there a way to achieve "human" classes? Or could it become an option in the future? BTW the plugin rocks! a Thanks for the kind words! Sorry, ...
by Tim Ahrens
29 Dec 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Wrong class?
Replies: 7
Views: 4605

Re: Wrong class?

Tim Ahrens wrote: > It looks like the pair you are showing is /ellipsis/quotedblleft? I’d say > it’s certainly necessary! Do you think that the number of pairs generated from my file it's ok? I don’t think the number of kerning pairs matters at all. Only the size of the kerning data is relevant. Fo...
by Tim Ahrens
28 Dec 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Wrong class?
Replies: 7
Views: 4605

Re: Wrong class?

It looks like the pair you are showing is /ellipsis/quotedblleft? I’d say it’s certainly necessary!
by Tim Ahrens
28 Dec 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Wrong class?
Replies: 7
Views: 4605

Re: Wrong class?

Hello Eduardo, don’t worry about the class names. The only thing that matters is the final rendering. Is there any pair that is wrong in the final result (i.e. when the font is used)? The grouping of glyphs in the classes can look a bit strange to human eyes, as it is generated with storage space in...
by Tim Ahrens
22 Dec 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: KO on CJK fonts
Replies: 3
Views: 3389

Re: KO on CJK fonts

Sorry about the late reply. Yes, Sebastian is right, the pairs need to go into the pair_frequencies.txt file. I’m more than happy to do that for you (i.e. for everyone). So far, I have only included scripts that I know enough about, as I don’t want to include scripts that are usually not kerned at a...
by Tim Ahrens
21 Dec 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Prioritise kerning by kern value
Replies: 9
Views: 11894

Re: Prioritise kerning by kern value

SCarewe wrote: 15 Dec 2021 Kern On was still kerning pairs at ±2 units
Were they class kerning pairs or exceptions? In case they were not exceptions then giving them a value of zero (instead of +2 or –2) would not decrease the file size at all.
by Tim Ahrens
21 Dec 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Prioritise kerning by kern value
Replies: 9
Views: 11894

Re: Prioritise kerning by kern value

Sorry, still don’t understand you reasoning. May I ask again: Are we talking about webfonts or desktop fonts?
by Tim Ahrens
21 Dec 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: alt + Auto (request)
Replies: 4
Views: 6987

Re: alt + Auto (request)

That’s a good idea! I’ll put that onto my to-do-list.
by Tim Ahrens
09 Dec 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Working with collaborators with KernOn
Replies: 8
Views: 6721

Re: Working with collaborators with KernOn

Thanks for pointing us to these scripts, Sebastian! I will have a closer look at them. So, it seems you find there is some missing functionality in Kern On itself? Ideally, the tool should provide all the functionality without the need for additional scripts.
by Tim Ahrens
09 Dec 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Working with collaborators with KernOn
Replies: 8
Views: 6721

Re: Working with collaborators with KernOn

"KernOnIndependentPairs" "KernOnModels" Then copy all of the kern data in from the other font and hope that the kern models line up :). The problem is that this would copy the models but not their values! I just published an updated version, see https://kern-on.com/update . Now ...
by Tim Ahrens
09 Dec 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Working with collaborators with KernOn
Replies: 8
Views: 6721

Re: Working with collaborators with KernOn

Sorry about the late reply. Not sure how exactly your workflow is, how you merge the two versions of the design, but there are ways to combine the models of different fonts. Are you familiar with working on .glyphs files in a text editor (or even with Git)? If you open the file in, say, BBEdit (whic...
by Tim Ahrens
22 Nov 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Prioritise kerning by kern value
Replies: 9
Views: 11894

Re: Prioritise kerning by kern value

In addition to limit kerning by file size and prioritising pairs by frequency, I find it would make a lot of sense to be able to set a lower threshold of kerning values bewlo which KO shouldn't kern. Our current production workflow is based around the way KO limits kerning by file size and simply s...
by Tim Ahrens
18 Nov 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Wrong Kerning Group generated
Replies: 5
Views: 8036

Re: Wrong Kerning Group generated

Don’t worry about the names of the groups. They can’t be “wrong”. Also, they will not end up in the exported fonts.
by Tim Ahrens
10 Nov 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Pan African Latin
Replies: 6
Views: 7320

Re: Pan African Latin

Still, would something like a user-set script prioritisation make sense? That’s a good question, and the answer is a bit complex. I’ll just think aloud: Generally, the idea is to give priority to pairs that occur frequently “in real life”. If necessary (because of data size limitations), Kern On sk...
by Tim Ahrens
09 Nov 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Pan African Latin
Replies: 6
Views: 7320

Re: Pan African Latin

SCarewe wrote: 09 Nov 2021 virtually doesn't kern Vietname at all
It’s surprising to hear that. Vietnamese is supported by Kern On.

Can you name a few examples of pairs that aren’t kerned although they should be?
by Tim Ahrens
02 Nov 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kerning below the baseline
Replies: 3
Views: 4159

Re: Kerning below the baseline

The effect of ignoring shapes below the baseline, even if applied to full extent, does not start immediately at the baseline. It’s not like erasing any black shape below the baseline (although that would be easier to code): below-baseline-erased.png Instead, imagine the black shapes being bent away ...
by Tim Ahrens
02 Nov 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: BigSur thinks KO is malware
Replies: 2
Views: 2806

Re: BigSur thinks KO is malware

Thanks for the notice! There seems to have been a problem with the signing certificate in version 1.05. I published an update (version 1.06) a few minutes ago. For the updated demo, download the latest release . If you have purchased a license, you can update the full version at: https://kern-on.com...
by Tim Ahrens
27 Oct 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Keeping old kern table
Replies: 2
Views: 3160

Re: Keeping old kern table

Or, do you have a font that is partly kerned, i.e. you have given it some kerning but it’s not finished yet, and you want KO to kern the rest? Then you can choose “re-work the existing kerning”, and KO will automatically select the models for you. At first, it will erase all existing kerning but, as...
by Tim Ahrens
27 Oct 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Keeping old kern table
Replies: 2
Views: 3160

Re: Keeping old kern table

Do you have a font that is kerned completely, manually, and want to add more glyphs, and automate the kerning for these new glyphs? That’s not possible with Kern On at the moment, I am afraid. It is a sensible request, of course, as it is not a rare scenario. I will try to implement features that al...
by Tim Ahrens
27 Oct 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kerning below the baseline
Replies: 3
Views: 4159

Re: Kerning below the baseline

Thanks for raising this topic. Kerning below the baseline is given special treatment internally, although I have never explained this publicly. When analysing the shapes, KO first does so disregarding the baseline, and, in addition, with shapes below the baseline and above the x-height given almost ...
by Tim Ahrens
27 Oct 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On crash on Glyphs 3
Replies: 7
Views: 6369

Re: Kern On crash on Glyphs 3

Thanks for the explanation. This kind of feedback is always useful even if you figured out the solution by yourself.

I implemented a safer behaviour for that case (KO refuses to start, and asks the user to define the x-height). After all, a crash is never acceptable, no matter what the user does.
by Tim Ahrens
26 Oct 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On v 1.04
Replies: 0
Views: 4933

Kern On v 1.04

Just published version 1.04. To update, head over to https://kern-on.com/update/ This version does not add any obvious new features but has significantly improved overall behaviour: More consistent, reliable and better autokerning results. Better model sugestions. Additional warnings. As always, do ...
by Tim Ahrens
21 Oct 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On crash on Glyphs 3
Replies: 7
Views: 6369

Re: Kern On crash on Glyphs 3

Sorry to hear this. Would you mind sending me the .glyphs file? Thanks!
by Tim Ahrens
30 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On crash on Glyphs 3
Replies: 7
Views: 6369

Re: Kern On crash on Glyphs 3

Sorry about the crash. I just published version 1.03, which fixes two crashes reported by other users. Can you try again with the latest version? Don’t forget to re-start Glyphs after installing the new version!

If it still crashes with version 1.03 then please let me know!
by Tim Ahrens
30 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On v 1.03
Replies: 0
Views: 5143

Kern On v 1.03

Just published version 1.03. To update, head over to https://kern-on.com/update/ Note: This update is likely to autokern the font somewhat differently. I recommend to: Fully kern the font(s) you are working on (using the “Kern On” button) Create a backup copy of that file Install Kern On v 1.02 Open...
by Tim Ahrens
28 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Glyphs3 extension crashes app
Replies: 15
Views: 14393

Re: Glyphs3 extension crashes app

Thanks for reporting this, I just fixed the crash. It will be reflected in the next release. What confused Kern On was that in the file you sent, the Remove Glyphs custom parameter contains a line with a comment (I was not aware this is allowed). Until the next release is out, would you mind deletin...
by Tim Ahrens
27 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Glyphs3 extension crashes app
Replies: 15
Views: 14393

Re: Glyphs3 extension crashes app

Thanks for sending the file, I will have a look.
by Tim Ahrens
23 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Fraction kerning
Replies: 10
Views: 9850

Re: Fraction kerning

Sorry to hear you are struggling. Would you mind sending me the file?
by Tim Ahrens
23 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Fraction kerning
Replies: 10
Views: 9850

Re: Fraction kerning

Did you change the spacing of the inferiors while KO was running? Which Kern On version are you using? The latest version (1.02) updates components if the base glyph is modified (whether contour or sidebearings). In older versions, this did not happen. If in doubt, close and re-open Kern On, and all...
by Tim Ahrens
18 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On v 1.01
Replies: 6
Views: 5873

Re: Kern On v 1.01

Great! Actually, the current version is 1.02. I just set up a new thread for that.
by Tim Ahrens
18 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On v 1.02
Replies: 0
Views: 5264

Kern On v 1.02

Just published version 1.02. To update, head over to https://kern-on.com/update/ Note: This update is likely to autokern the font somewhat differently. I recommend to: Fully kern the font(s) you are working on (using the “Kern On” button) Create a backup copy of that file Install Kern On v 1.02 Open...
by Tim Ahrens
09 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Missing Autopairs / Unkerned Pairs
Replies: 3
Views: 3763

Re: Missing Autopairs / Unkerned Pairs

If the pair does not show up after generating the full kerning although it is kerned while Kern On is running then that means it had to be removed in the last phase of finalization because it was considered less important than other pairs. /V/c is not very frequent (currently ranks 33021 in the list...
by Tim Ahrens
07 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: KO forgetting models upon file edit
Replies: 4
Views: 5486

Re: KO forgetting models upon file edit

You could do a multi-file search (all good text editors have that feature) to also rename the kerning groups in the .glyph files – but do so at your own risk. I don’t understand why you would want to rename the kerning groups and later re-start Kern On (which will erase all kerning groups) but that ...
by Tim Ahrens
07 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Store kern list in-file?
Replies: 3
Views: 4360

Re: Store kern list in-file?

You are right, this is still on my list of things that need a more elegant solution. Right now, the pairs list is strictly Unicode pairs, and this list is extended by “applying” the OT features. I don’t want to assume any particular glyph naming scheme so we’d need to define the pairs like 1⁄ +numr ...
by Tim Ahrens
07 Sep 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: KO forgetting models upon file edit
Replies: 4
Views: 5486

Re: KO forgetting models upon file edit

Your edits have invalidated the class kerning in the font. Be careful if you edit the raw text of the .glyphs or .glyphspackage files. Only do this if you know exactly what you are doing. I just played around and did the same as you, replacing KO_ only in the fontinfo.plist. After re-opening the fil...
by Tim Ahrens
28 Aug 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Store kern list in-file?
Replies: 3
Views: 4360

Re: Store kern list in-file?

First, I’d be really curious to see which pairs you added and removed. As you can imagine, when I created that list, there were many tough calls, and I’d expect some users to have a different opinion. I am really open to adding more pairs permanently. If you have custom pairs that are project-specif...
by Tim Ahrens
28 Aug 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Why the only option for pairs containing Y is independent?
Replies: 2
Views: 3209

Re: Why the only option for pairs containing Y is independent?

This is strange. The only reason why the model and auto buttons can be disabled is that one of the two glyphs in the pair is set to “No kerning”. As we can see, the o is set to “Standard kerning” so the only possibility is that the Y has “No kerning” set. Can you check? If that’s not the case you co...
by Tim Ahrens
14 Aug 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Missing Autopairs / Unkerned Pairs
Replies: 3
Views: 3763

Re: Missing Autopairs / Unkerned Pairs

Thanks for your feedback! If a pair doesn’t have any of the ‘Model’, ‘Auto’, or ‘Ind’ selected that means it is ‘not in the system’, or ‘ignored’. Kern On has a built-in list of Unicode character pairs, which is then expanded by applying the OT features in the font, all other pairs are ignored. Ther...
by Tim Ahrens
06 Aug 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: SC punctuation
Replies: 2
Views: 3838

Re: SC punctuation

Did you include the smallcap punctuation in the OT features? Where did you include them? smcp or c2sc? (Note that changes to the feature code, like other major changes to the font, should be made while KO is sleeping.)
by Tim Ahrens
05 Aug 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Copy kern on setup from one master to another
Replies: 1
Views: 2601

Re: Copy kern on setup from one master to another

If your metrics are shared between masters you could use the custom parameter “Link Metrics With Master”. Then Kern On will understand and use identical kerning. See also this post.

Would that work in your case?
by Tim Ahrens
03 Aug 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Do we need kerning against the space character?
Replies: 24
Views: 32071

Re: Do we need kerning against the space character?

Thanks for pointing this out. After seeing this, I realize the handling of independent pairs that include “No kerning” glyphs – when the class kerning is generated – should be refined. Right now, the reasoning is: Ensure all independent pairs are preserved exactly as they are set, while all pairs th...
by Tim Ahrens
03 Aug 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Special Spacing groups not maintained in UFO
Replies: 2
Views: 3117

Re: Special Spacing groups not maintained in UFO

Thanks for testing, this was also my suspicion. Kern On is using the “official” technique to store the data in the font’s and glyphs’ userData so there’s not much I can do from my side. Let’s hope it will be fixed soon.
by Tim Ahrens
02 Aug 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Controlling kerning groups
Replies: 26
Views: 19659

Re: Controlling kerning groups

I agree that some combinations in your images above seem too loose. However, disabling exceptions can’t be the solution. It‘s difficult to tell purely from the images, though. How many models do you have in your font? Were there any warnings you ignored? That would force KO to loosen the grip on the...
by Tim Ahrens
02 Aug 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Controlling kerning groups
Replies: 26
Views: 19659

Re: Controlling kerning groups

So, you are practically saying there shouldn’t be any class kerning exceptions? I think it’s crucial that exceptions are part of the kerning strategy. Otherwise, combinations such as Tö or, quite often, Té as in your example above, are exceptions or they will be too tight. So, working completely wit...
by Tim Ahrens
01 Aug 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Do we need kerning against the space character?
Replies: 24
Views: 32071

Re: Do we need kerning against the space character?

Independent pairs are always glyph-glyph pairs. Kern On will not transfer them to other pairs. You would need to set all necessary glyph-glyph pairs as independent pairs (I know that’s not convenient, just a work-around for now).
by Tim Ahrens
01 Aug 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Do we need kerning against the space character?
Replies: 24
Views: 32071

Re: Do we need kerning against the space character?

Which type of kerning against the space do you want to add to the font (see my list above)? I would advise to add the kerning as independent pairs within Kern On, which allows you to re-run KO if you spot pairs that need a different value.
by Tim Ahrens
30 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Pan African Latin
Replies: 6
Views: 7320

Re: Pan African Latin

Pan African is generally supported by Kern On. You can have a look at the built-in list of pairs by choosing “Show package contents” with the .glyphsPlugin file, then you will find the file Contents/Resources/pair_frequencies.txt. As you can see, it doesn’t even think in terms of languages (although...
by Tim Ahrens
30 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Controlling kerning groups
Replies: 26
Views: 19659

Re: Controlling kerning groups

I assume you are saying the pairs in your images are not correctly kerned, is that right? What exactly is not correct?
by Tim Ahrens
29 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Controlling kerning groups
Replies: 26
Views: 19659

Re: Controlling kerning groups

Sorry, I’m somewhat confused. What exactly is your question or suggestion?
by Tim Ahrens
29 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Controlling kerning groups
Replies: 26
Views: 19659

Re: Controlling kerning groups

Thanks for posting these images.

Are you looking for advice what to do now (without using Kern On), or are you suggesting Kern On should behave differently?
by Tim Ahrens
28 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Feature suggestions
Replies: 2
Views: 3171

Re: Feature suggestions

Custom Kerning Interpolation In the case of a font with 6 masters (Light Condensed, Light, Light Extended, Bold Condensed, Bold, Bold Extended), actually, if you want to interpolate Kerning from Width axe (that means for example to kern Light by interpolating kerning from Light Condensed to Light E...
by Tim Ahrens
28 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Feature suggestions
Replies: 2
Views: 3171

Re: Feature suggestions

KernOn specific master You are right, there is a lot of seemingly unnecessary processing taking place. The problem is that the kerning groups are the same for all masters, they are generated after all masters have been autokerned. The generating of kerning classes is a kind of data compression, and...
by Tim Ahrens
28 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On delete zero model when re-opened
Replies: 3
Views: 3922

Re: Kern On delete zero model when re-opened

That’s weird. Could you send me the .glyphs file where this happens? Thanks!
by Tim Ahrens
22 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On v 1.01
Replies: 6
Views: 5873

Re: Kern On v 1.01

Oops, I see what you mean. Removing them from the classes I mentioned will change the overall behaviour. When I code calt, I usually try to differentiate between classes that trigger the substitution, and the substitution itself. On the other hand, I think it’s extremely important to stick to the Do...
by Tim Ahrens
22 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On v 1.01
Replies: 6
Views: 5873

Re: Kern On v 1.01

Thanks for reporting this, and sending the file. In your calt feature, all substitution classes include the plain figures, so for the figures there is no real substitution, the glyphs are substituted with themselves. This does not seem to be forbidden, at least Glyphs allows it, but it does not have...
by Tim Ahrens
19 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Ask to confirm model removal
Replies: 2
Views: 3268

Re: Ask to confirm model removal

Btw, the slider range is also more reliable now. Instead of typing in a value, not knowing whether that change will cause a model removal, you can simply drag the slider. Sometimes it will give you additional leeway, then you can drag the slider to the end again. Technically, this means that the ini...
by Tim Ahrens
19 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Ask to confirm model removal
Replies: 2
Views: 3268

Re: Ask to confirm model removal

For now, I have implemented an undo (in the gear menu) in the current version (1.01) but I like the idea of having the “Are you sure?” question.

Maybe if many models are removed I can simply show a feedback that says “This action has removed 7 models”, with Undo and OK buttons.
by Tim Ahrens
19 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Consider UC and LC separately
Replies: 27
Views: 25416

Re: Consider UC and LC separately

I just released an update (see https://kern-on.com/update/) that hopefully makes it easier to handle special spacing, i.e. it better applies the priorities. Note that clicking the “Try again” button, or setting a previously removed model again (which has the same effect) gives the pair(s) a higher i...
by Tim Ahrens
19 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On delete zero model when re-opened
Replies: 3
Views: 3922

Re: Kern On delete zero model when re-opened

Hello Hugo, thanks for your feedback!

Which script are you running that causes the problem?

If model pairs are deleted while Kern On is sleeping (e.g. using Glyphs’ kerning window or a script) and then re-start Kern On then these models are removed. Maybe this is happening in your case?
by Tim Ahrens
19 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On v 1.01
Replies: 6
Views: 5873

Kern On v 1.01

Just published version 1.01. To update, head over to https://kern-on.com/update/ Changes in this version include: Added feature: undo (to be found in the gear menu). Added feature: show glyphs and models for current special spacing group (to be found in the special spacing menu). “Show overview” now...
by Tim Ahrens
16 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Glyphs3 extension crashes app
Replies: 15
Views: 14393

Re: Glyphs3 extension crashes app

For the record, related discussion on the Glyphs forum:
https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/glyphs-3- ... view/16496
by Tim Ahrens
13 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Consider UC and LC separately
Replies: 27
Views: 25416

Re: Consider UC and LC separately

even when I set up special spacing groups as granular as I was comfortable with, Kern On was still finding pairs from one case contradicting another. I think I know what you mean: when a model is removed because of a contradiction that involves different special spacings, and you wonder why it didn...
by Tim Ahrens
13 Jul 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Consider UC and LC separately
Replies: 27
Views: 25416

Re: Consider UC and LC separately

Thanks for your feedback, Colin! About the “Removing model XH because it is tighter than rt”: It’s tricky to define which cases of inconsistency (according to Kern On’s analysis of the shapes) to let slip through or not. Throughout the development of Kern On, I was faced with the question of how fle...
by Tim Ahrens
24 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Controlling kerning groups
Replies: 26
Views: 19659

Re: Controlling kerning groups

Thanks for the explanation. It seems the real problem is that LŸ and LY have different kerning, the issue is not the kerning groups. So, we need to fix the inconsistent kerning in LŸ vs LY rather than setting the kerning groups differently. If Kern On allowed you to set groups manually, and it think...
by Tim Ahrens
24 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Remove small Kerning Pairs
Replies: 3
Views: 4330

Re: Remove small Kerning Pairs

This kind of request has been discussed before, and I do not see any rational reason to do so, I am afraid.

It will not speed up the processing, unfortunately. You say “also” – can you explain what the other reasoning is?
by Tim Ahrens
24 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Controlling kerning groups
Replies: 26
Views: 19659

Re: Controlling kerning groups

I’m a bit surprised that some users find it important to control the kerning groups that are generated. In the above example: If the groups KO_o and KO_oacute are merged then that would result in different class-class kerning, different glyph-glyph pairs (a.k.a. exceptions) but the rendering of the ...
by Tim Ahrens
22 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Glyphs3 extension crashes app
Replies: 15
Views: 14393

Re: Glyphs3 extension crashes app

Thanks, got the file. It appears that Glyphs 3 thinks (or at least tells Kern On) this font has an insanely high-height value, probably an un-initialized variable. I need to get into Glyphs 3 in more detail but it seems this happens because you defined the x-height only for specific conditions (“Any...
by Tim Ahrens
22 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Glyphs3 extension crashes app
Replies: 15
Views: 14393

Re: Glyphs3 extension crashes app

Yes, please.
by Tim Ahrens
22 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Glyphs3 extension crashes app
Replies: 15
Views: 14393

Re: Glyphs3 extension crashes app

If this can be reproduced, i.e. it happens every time, would you mind sending me the file? Then I can have a closer look and it should be easy to fix the bug. Thanks!
by Tim Ahrens
20 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Glyphs3 extension crashes app
Replies: 15
Views: 14393

Re: Glyphs3 extension crashes app

I don’t think the crash logs are stored anywhere. If you can reproduce this, you could click on “send” or “report” (or similar) in the macOS crash dialog, then copy the report, and then click cancel (or similar). Unlike Glyphs 2, the Glyphs 3 crash report dialog doesn’t show the report any more. In ...
by Tim Ahrens
19 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On sleeps in second master
Replies: 6
Views: 6416

Re: Kern On sleeps in second master

On the other hand, a proper feedback message (that simply explains that the master does not have any models yet) wouldn’t hurt, you are right.
by Tim Ahrens
19 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Fraction kerning
Replies: 10
Views: 9850

Re: Fraction kerning

Thanks for pointing that out. I will have another look at the user-set autopairs and see whether it’s not storing them reliably.
by Tim Ahrens
19 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: too many kerning combinations
Replies: 12
Views: 9994

Re: too many kerning combinations

I will try to make Kern On determine whether it has enough models and maybe provide feedback. You are right, how is the user supposed to know? Around 70 model pair sounds realistic. Maybe you will add a handful more as you do thorough proofing. You could say, when you don’t spot any more pairs you’d...
by Tim Ahrens
19 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: too many kerning combinations
Replies: 12
Views: 9994

Re: too many kerning combinations

Tabular figures (.tf) should not be kerned, of course. That’s simply achieved by setting them to “No kerning” like this: Screenshot 2021-06-19 at 10.30.28.png I will refine the automatic setting of “No kerning” during the initial start-up so as to detect tabular figures and set them to “No kerning” ...
by Tim Ahrens
19 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Glyphs3 extension crashes app
Replies: 15
Views: 14393

Re: Glyphs3 extension crashes app

Oh no. Sorry about this, and thanks for reporting it.

If you could send the file and the log that would be extremely helpful. I will have a look at it myself. Thanks!
by Tim Ahrens
19 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Other scripts
Replies: 4
Views: 7510

Re: Other scripts

Right now, Kern On supports Latin, Greek, Coptic, Cyrillic, Thai, Lao, Armenian, Georgian and IPA. It’s very easy to add support for other scripts, though. If you are working on a script that you think can be auto-kerned, and it’s missing, just get in touch! We can then figure out which characters (...
by Tim Ahrens
15 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On sleeps in second master
Replies: 6
Views: 6416

Re: Kern On sleeps in second master

Sorry, I realized I cannot really reproduce the problem. If a master is completely new it’s normal not to have any models (of course), and no auto-pairs. It is, in a way, sleeping. However, you should be able to set new models, and after that, there should be auto-pairs as well. Would you mind sendi...
by Tim Ahrens
15 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern On sleeps in second master
Replies: 6
Views: 6416

Re: Kern On sleeps in second master

Thanks for reporting this. I can reproduce the problem, looks like this is simply a use case that was never tested so the bug went unnoticed.

I will fix this as soon as possible.
by Tim Ahrens
08 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Lock models
Replies: 6
Views: 5535

Re: Lock models

Model removals on start-up should not happen under normal circumstances. Maybe you opened a font you had worked on with Kern On version older than 0.9b17? That was the version where some parts deep in the engine got changed (fixed, I would say). I hope the modes that were removed as you opened the f...
by Tim Ahrens
08 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Pre-Kern On?
Replies: 3
Views: 4038

Re: Pre-Kern On?

Good point, I have thought about spacing assistance (or even auto-spacing) for a long time but it’s surprisingly difficult to put into an algorithm. Of course, a glyph side that only has negative kerning in all possible combinations must be spaced too loosely (or too tightly if it has only negative ...
by Tim Ahrens
08 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Do we need kerning against the space character?
Replies: 24
Views: 32071

Re: Do we need kerning against the space character?

3. Should be the easiest to implement: Just take all kerning pairs, “insert” a space in the middle, possibly apply a taming factor < 1, and export as triplets. Maybe I will try this as an experiment. From a typographic (semantic?) point of view, this may not be as crucial as normal kerning, as the s...
by Tim Ahrens
08 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Do we need kerning against the space character?
Replies: 24
Views: 32071

Re: Do we need kerning against the space character?

It seems we need to distinguish different cases of kerning that involves the space character: Pairs with space that need negative kerning, as the sidebearings of the glyph are always chosen with neigbouring glyphs in mind, which means the “close zone” has to be over-represented. For example, thinkin...
by Tim Ahrens
08 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern on with several masters
Replies: 14
Views: 10890

Re: Kern on with several masters

FWIW, just posted a new video dedicated to working with multiple masters.
by Tim Ahrens
05 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Masters with linked metrics
Replies: 3
Views: 4147

Re: Masters with linked metrics

Today’s update, version 0.9b20, adds support for “Link Metrics With...”. The affected master shows a quick note, and disables editing, similar to interpolated masters. When finalizing the kerning and generating the classes (kerning groups), the affected masters are completely ignored. Jens, hope it ...
by Tim Ahrens
05 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern on with several masters
Replies: 14
Views: 10890

Re: Kern on with several masters

This should be fixed in today’s update, version 0.9b20. As it turned out, programmatically setting several disabled masters for an instance needs an array of master names, not a line-break-separated text like in the UI.

Thanks for your feedback!
by Tim Ahrens
03 Jun 2021
Forum: Kern On forum
Topic: Kern on with several masters
Replies: 14
Views: 10890

Re: Kern on with several masters

You are right, Display Regular and Micro Regular should be interpolatable at the same time. Would you mind sending me the file? Also: Which Glyphs version do you use?