Font Factory 3.0 2

[Linkblade]

I'm referring to this thread

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=242502

I wanted to reply to that thread but couldn't. I wanted to PM JohnRBaker but couldn't.
So I now start a new thread.

I want to design a font for our company, which works with Siemens NX8.5.
It seems FontFactory is the only program to export the NX font format .fnx .
From where do I get the 3.0 version of FontFactory? In the thread is no attached file (anymore I suppose).
Does FontFactory import .eps (Encapsulated Post Script) or .ps files? Or does it only import .ttf (True Type Font)?

My plan was to draw the font in NX as sketches, extrude them, make a drawing of it and export the drawing as a vector graphic with post script to get a .ps file.
Then import the .ps file into FontFactory, align the letters to their boundaries and export the font as .fnx file.
Hopefully it then will be possible to use the font in NX for modelling (engraving on free-form surface).

If FontFactory cannot import .ps files, would it work to first import the .ps file into FontForge to export it to .ttf and then import this .ttf into FontFactory to export it as .fnx?

Unfortunately it is not possible for me to use other font designers like Inkscape or FontFactory itself to create the font. I need to use NX, because the font to create has explicit dimensions/measurements and shall not be created free-hand. All other font designers only support free-hand design. Or am I wrong?

Please help.

P.S.: Do I need to make a drawing of each letter for the font import?

 

[PSI-CAD]

Hi,

Find herewith fontfactory 3.0

Regards
Didier Psaltopoulos

http://www.psi-cad.com

 

[BubbaK]

Creating a font in NX is going to be a great deal of work (assuming it has full set of characters).

FontFactory can import .FNT and .FNX files (old-style NX fonts) and also any TrueType, Postscript, or OpenType font.

I would recommend looking at FontForge. It's a free font editor, and it's very good. It's mainly based on "free-hand" drawing of the characters, but you can enter specific dimensions, too. You can use it to create a TrueType fornt that you can then use in NX.

If you insist on designing in NX, I'd recommend that you write a small program to export NX curves into a .FNT file. This would not be too hard -- you'd have to decompose the curves into line segments and then just write them out.

 

[Linkblade]

Thank you both!

I already started creating the font with NX and it's really easy and fast for me, because I know how to handle NX, but not FontForge. The hardest part of everything is to know how. And since I don't know how to work with FontForge I think I will be faster with NX.
But you said something what would be even more efficient:

If you insist on designing in NX, I'd recommend that you write a small program to export NX curves into a .FNT file. This would not be too hard -- you'd have to decompose the curves into line segments and then just write them out.

I'm no expert at programming but this could be helpful. Do you know of a site where I can learn the basics about how to write this small export program?

Thank you!

 

[Toost]

If you are starting out from scratch, :
Back before the NX8/8.5 introduction of the "windows fonts", all we had was the "UG fonts", and since there is quite a few of these, there must be a way to create them too, - right ?
I'm not saying that this is easy or fast, and there are limitations. And you have to read some manual. ( or if John can do a 5 minute video demo on the need to know things ?)
anyhow, Go file - Utilities - Character font, then press F1 for the manual...

Regards,
Tomas

 

[Linkblade]

Back before the NX8/8.5 introduction of the "windows fonts", all we had was the "UG fonts", and since there is quite a few of these, there must be a way to create them too, - right ?

Hm, seems logical!

Go file - Utilities - Character font, then press F1 for the manual...

WOW GREAT! Didn't know NX had a font creator implemented! I will study the NX font creator manuals and do it this way. Since NX knows what it needs, this way the font is safe to work with NX. It seems to be the easiest way for me!
Thanks!