font-OpenSans/original source/instance_creation_process.md

Making hinted instances

1. open the variable font in VTT
2. Tools ↦ Autohint ↦ Light Latin
3. clean up the hints
4. Tools ↦ Recalc MAXP
5. use fonttools varLib to make instances (instance-[reg|cond].sh in /tools)
6. open your new instance in VTT and autohint it again
7. do not save it
8. copy the cpgm into a text file and save that
9. close the instance and do not save it
10. open the cpgm in a text editor
11. add GROUP Hebrew to the top, right below the /* ACT generated... line

12. copy the Hebrew height CVT section from the source VF: it should be something very similar to the below

         Hebrew
           SquareHeight
         	106: 1290
         ASM("SVTCA[Y]")
         ASM("CALL[], 106, 89")
                108:     0 /* base line */
         ASM("SVTCA[Y]")
         ASM("CALL[], 108, 89")
           RoundHeight
         	107: 20 ~ 106 @ 42 /* overshoot height */
         	109: -4 ~ 108 @ 60 /* overshoot baseline */
         	110: -492 /* descender */
    

13. paste it into the new instance's cpgm between the Figure ... and Other ... sections

14. change each Hebrew CVT from 1xx to 3xx: in other words, add 200 to every occurrence of [106...110] in that section

15. dump the instance's VTTTalk to text

16. open the VTTTalk in a text editor

17. regex:

    • search for ResYAnchor\((\d+),106\)
    • replace with ResYAnchor\(\1,306\)
    • repeat for 107 & 307 and so on
    • finally, save

18. import the cpgm and VTTTalk into the instance

19. open the instance in VTT

20. Tools ↦ Compile ↦ Control values

21. Tools ↦ Compile everything for all glyphs

22. you will probably have errors: this is expected

23. ctrl+3 to open the pre-program

24. compile it with ctrl+r

25. ctrl+7 to open the font program

26. compile it with ctrl+r

27. compile everything for all again

    • if still errors, try to debug
    • check your Hebrew CVTs

28. ctrl+9 to open the glyph palette

    • proof them
    • make sure the Hebrew heights in particular look good

29. Tools ↦ Recalc MAXP

30. you did it, yay