Would anyone be willing to help me learn to edit a SMUFL font?

[LSL2026]

All I really want to do is take some symbols from one font, and put them in another…

Is that something that a non-programmer could do?

For example, I don’t really mind MuseScore’s Leland font, but I dislike what I consider to be pretty small staccato dots.

I’d like to grab a dot from say, Maestro, that has more noticeable staccato, and use them instead (MuseScore doesn’t allow that level of customization within the program itself).

I might - might, go so far as to grab “less bold” Clefs, and MAYBE once I learn it, the numerals for time signatures or something like that.

A “step by step” if practical would be great.

That is of course, if it’s even possible for me to learn…I mean, I learned basic HTML, and stuff like that, but I’m no “programmer” for sure.

TIA

[OCTO]

I think you can simply start by opening a SMUFL font, preferably Bravura, in FontForge, and start just by swapping/editing the symbols you want to change.

[odod]

To be honest, I’ve noticed that many third-party fonts are simply replicating what other Font does, rather than creating their own unique designs. However, the most advanced options are undoubtedly FontLab or Glyph apps. On the other hand, those two are quite expensive. FontForge, on the other hand, is more than sufficient for beginners who want to start creating their own fonts. Font Forge is the Musescore of font making app :D

[LSL2026]

I think you can simply start by opening a SMUFL font, preferably Bravura, in FontForge, and start just by swapping/editing the symbols you want to change.

Thanks OCTO - I tried this last night and it was easy enough to swap the symbols.

Not sure if I need to save the changes in any special way to make them take effect.

[LSL2026]

Font Forge is the Musescore of font making app :D

That’s me baby! Looking at a Macbook Neo now since you know, no money no money no money!

I tried it last night and it seems workable. Was reading the SMUFL stuff at Scoring Notes and it seems I have to do some Python or JSON stuff or something…maybe???

I could always mess up Leland, and then just re-download musescore. But I wouldn’t want my other scores to get messed up until I’m sure.

[Shinianqi]

I tried it last night and it seems workable. Was reading the SMUFL stuff at Scoring Notes and it seems I have to do some Python or JSON stuff or something…maybe???

You can check out knutnergaard's SMufoLib on GitHub, it's very helpful for creating the JSON data files needed for software to read SMuFL fonts.

[LSL2026]

You can check out knutnergaard's SMufoLib on GitHub, it's very helpful for creating the JSON data files needed for software to read SMuFL fonts.

Yeah, that’s all gibberish to me.

I’m looking for more like “save the .sfd file from FontForge, then convert it to .otf with this other app” and things like that.

I can open the font in FontForge and swap the symbols no problem, but I’m stuck there.

I would think the JSON file is already “in” the file I’m modifyingm but it doesn’t seem that simple. And I don’t really know what a JSON file is or where it’s located, etc. - seen them before on the OS (Mac) but beyond that, I have no clue.

Tagging @NorFonts and @benwiggy as I’ve seen some of their posts talking about font-building.

I definitely need an ELI5 explanation

[OCTO]

You open a font in FontForge and save it as a "sdf."
Then you edit your font.
Finally, export it as OTF from FontForge.

You don't need any other app except FF.

[LSL2026]

You open a font in FontForge and save it as a "sdf."
Then you edit your font.
Finally, export it as OTF from FontForge.

You don't need any other app except FF.

At first I was like “there’s no OTF output - but I found it - it’s OpenType CFF - that did the trick and worked perfectly!

Thanks!!!

[LSL2026]

You open a font in FontForge and save it as a "sdf."
Then you edit your font.
Finally, export it as OTF from FontForge.

You don't need any other app except FF.

Thanks OCTO, I was able to use the Leland flags, 8th and lower rests, and flat symbols in Maestro which was basically all I wanted (and the wedge staccatissimo rather than the rounded one).

This pretty much covered what I needed!