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From: Adam.Frix@p18.f20.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Adam Frix)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: FontMonger vs. the rest (was: Re: Four TrueType Fonts placed in ftp arc
Message-ID: <226255.2812BC60@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG>
Date: 19 Apr 91 22:03:15 GMT
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baumgart@esquire.dpw.com (Steve Baumgarten) writesl:

SB> I was just curious... how does FontMonger compare to Metamorphosis 
SB> and Evolution? Are there things one can do that the others cannot? 
SB> I'm particularly concerned with hinting. You noted that FontMonger 
SB> preserves hints, but has anyone tried converting an Adobe Type 
SB> 1 font to TrueType and comparing the results? 

From what I can tell, Ares Software has a right to crow about their hinting methods when translating Type 1 to TrueType.  Looks pretty good.  There's a buglet in FMonger 1.0 when translating characters with descenders; the entire character gets squished down a bit, and it looks ugly as hell on screen.  Allegedly, it prints OK.  Anyway, Ares says this is fixed in FMonger 1.01.

So far, Metamorphosis Pro 2.0 can do a few things FMonger can't:  namely, it can translate to PS and TT formats for the IBM, and to PS format for the NeXT.  It can also export font outlines to PICT format, which FMonger 1.0 can't do.

However, FontMonger 1.01, which should be available as you read this, _can_ export font outlines to PICT.

(Both of them, of course, can export font outlines to Illustrator and EPSF.  FMonger gives you the option of having these outlines filled.)

As for translating to TT/IBM format, this might be an example of a feature that's before its time:  it seems that Microsoft just recently diddled with the TrueType PC format yet again, and that may mean that any fonts translated by Meta Pro 2.0 might not work.  Nobody will know until Microsoft releases TT for DOS.  Ares Software is waiting to add such a capability to FMonger until the TT/DOS format is finalized.

Of course, don't overlook what FMonger _can_ do.  Meta Pro is a font conversion utility, plain and simple.  FMonger, on the other hand, allows you to diddle with fonts and characters, just like Fontographer can do.  And Fontographer is a $250 program, with FontMonger costing only $63.  So, you could buy Fontographer for $250 and Meta Pro for $85, **or** you could buy FMonger for $63 and have the same capabilities as the other two combined.

And FMonger gives you the power to do some simple things that you need to do:  creating real fractions.  It's as simple as choosing the format (horizontal divider bar or slash-type divider bar), typing in the upper and lower numbers, and assigning the result to a keystroke.  Voila.  You can also create a composite character (one keystroke for, say, your company name or whatever), and you can import Illustrator and EPS artwork directly to a keystroke.

All in all, I think FontMonger is a winner of a product.

--Adam--
 
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