Microsoft VOLT 1.4.273 release notes

Overview

Since the last public VOLT release we have added various features and made improvements across the product. Here is a quick list of changes, followed by a detailed description:

-      Compiler optimizations enabling significant savings in compiled table size

-      Compiler optimizations to support fonts containing extensive anchor or cursive attachment lookups

-      Support for mark filtering sets in compiler and user interface

-      Speed improvements for project compilation, loading, and saving

-      User interface improvements

-      Multiple bug fixes across VOLT including the compiler, project import and export, and across the UI

Detailed description of VOLT changes

Compiler improvements

New optimizations towards reducing the size of generated layout tables, including contextual and pair positioning lookups. Savings in size are significant especially with fonts containing a large number of complex contextual lookups. In some cases, savings allowed 4x reduction in compiled table size. 

The compiler is now able to compile GPOS lookups with a large number of defined attachment anchors. This was one of the most serious compiler limitations without any workaround for font developers to overcome.

VOLT now implements mark filter glyph sets introduced in OpenType specification 1.6. Using mark glyph sets is almost the same as mark attachment classes, except the user is required to put '*' in front of mark group name in lookup editing window. This syntax is intentional, to prevent a user from accidentally creating overlapping mark classes.

In addition to automatic optimizations, VOLT added ability to manually control format of pair positioning lookups. User can specify format explicitly by adding _PPF1 or _PPF2 at the end of lookup name.

User interface

Extended proofing tool to support fonts with more than 100 lookups.

Fixed form layout problems when content is obstructed by thick window borders.

Fixed positioning lookup window so position inside grids is preserved during window resize.

Added menu item for importing project ignoring glyph definitions.

Various fixes

Fixed project corruption when editing lookups with EXCEPT context.

Fixed VOLT crash involving caret attachment lookups in some situations.

Fixed compilation error of projects using very long anchor names.

Other fixes in VOLT compiler and user interface.