Zbalermorna Font Development Kit

A collection of tools and processes for using and developing typefaces for Zbalermorna, an alternative orthography for the constructed language Lojban.

Project status

Done

• Design unicode layout
• Create reference glyphs
• Complete opentype features declaration
• Complete first working ZLM font
• More complete sample jufra for test page
• Create ibus config for existing unicode range
• Port the old ZLM font, now called 'Drakono' to new system

To Do

• Decide on Unicode and glyph names
• Finalise Unicode layout and submit to UCSUR
• Finalise build process for new font development
• Update existing fonts
• Create alternate typefaces and add them to this repo

How to learn ZLM

• Tinycard deck of the 50 most common words in Lojban

How to type ZLM text

• Install an IME file and a ZLM font
• Type native ZLM directly into any app or website

or

• Clone this repo
• Open /ime/index.html and use the IME emulator
• Copy-paste the generated ZLM text

Soon we will also have an online version of the IME emulator you can use to play with ZLM text. You'll still need a font to support the generated ZLM text~

How a ZLM font works

Zbalermorna uses special glpyhs which live in the Private Use Area, covering the region from 0xED80 -> 0xEDBF.

A method of inputting these glyphs requires in IME for your particular operating system, such as ibus or scim. This project attempts to provide configurations for as many IMEs as possible.

Once a IME and an appropriate configuration is loaded, it can be used to type ZLM glyphs, which a correctly constructed ZLM font will automatically display as assembled composite glpyhs using OpenType features.

Currently Supported IMEs using ligatured fonts

• Windows (ime/windows/setup.exe)
• Javascript (ime/index.html)
• ibus (ime/zlm.ibus)

Creating a new Zbalermorna typeface

This procedure is still incomplete - build script and feature file have bugs

• Install FontForge
• Launch the Preview page: gulp preview
• Clone and rename src/zlm-manri.sfd to create your own copy
• Open your new copy using FontForge
• Modify vector shapes for component glyphs; composite glyphs will auto-update
• Self-assembling composites can also be manually overriden with real vectors, if your typeface wants to use special forms for certain composites.
• Build the font for preview with ./build.sh <name of file without .sfd> --update-test or
• When your .sfd file is saved, Gulp will automatically recompile it into a TrueType font, and refresh the preview page so you can see how your updates effect ligatures and kerning.