How to view font layout on Keyboard

[Beacher]

How do I view how a specific font is laid out on the Keyboard?

For example, I have a music symbol font (Musical.ttf) but I don't know which keys generate which symbols. When I open "Keyboard Viewer" I just see the US QWERTY layout not the Music Font layout. See attached screenshot. How do I do this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[chscag]

I'm not sure what you mean by how a specific font is laid out on the keyboard?

Fonts including the musical.ttf you mentioned are chosen from an application's menu for fonts. For example: Pages, Word, etc. They're chosen the same way you would choose any other font for print.

I routinely choose musical fonts for a bulletin I publish every week. I use a variety of programs including Word and iStudio, but the selection of font is always from the program's font menu.

And, if you were attempting to attach a screen shot it didn't get attached.

 

[Beacher]

Chscag


Sorry if I didn't explain it clearly.

For example: When I use Musical.ttf and I hit the letter "e" I get an eighth note. What I want to find out is which musical symbol each key will generate when I hit it? I just discovered that although Musical.ttf works in InDesign it does not seem to work in Text Edit or Mail? Wondering why that is? I then found and downloaded "MusiSync.ttf" which does seem to work in Text Edit & Mail unlike Musical.ttf.

However my problem still exists that I have to keep hitting keys until I find the symbol I am looking for. It would seem logical to me that you should be able to open up the Keyboard Layout and see any font mapped on it, especially things like Dingbats, Wingdings, and the Music Notation fonts we are discussing, so if I am looking for a treble clef I would instantly see which key to press to get it?

Sorry if I am missing something simple here?

 

[chscag]

OK, thanks for the additional explanation. I'm not sure there is a keyboard layout pattern that you could display on screen which would tell you what key corresponds to what notes you desire. There are a variety of on screen keyboards available in OS X but they're mostly for Asian and Arabic languages. I know of none that display musical notations.

I suppose you could design something yourself from trial and error with the keyboard and musical.ttf, however, that's not a very elegant solution.

 

[chas_m]

If you are in Lion, you want "Keyboard and Character Viewer" under "Language and Text" -> Input sources.

 

[Beacher]

Unless I am missing something all you can do in this case is pick "Languages" not fonts, to map on the keyboard?

So back to the original question, is it then true that when you chose a symbol font like the music notation ones we've been discussing or things like Wingdings etc., you basically have to play "minesweeper" to figure out which keys trigger which symbols? Surely there must be an easier way?

If you are in Lion, you want "Keyboard and Character Viewer" under "Language and Text" -> Input sources.

 

[franke]

I have the same problem...

Looking for a program to show what each letter generates in a particular symbol font without having to type each letter. Is there a solution?

 

[toMACsh]

If you are in Lion, you want "Keyboard and Character Viewer" under "Language and Text" -> Input sources.

Is that in System Preferences, or from the menu (which one?).

I know there used to be an easy way to do this, but I'd have to play with it on my Mac to see if I could find it.

 

[joypebble]

Ollie's Keys used to do this before Lion.

I'm also looking for the same simple way to view hidden or unusual available characters in any given font.

---JP

 

[dianapratt]

keyboard & character viewer

Here's the link you need to for info on how to place the keyboard symbol on your menu bar. Took me a bit of fishing to find it myself!
Understanding the Character Viewer in OS X 10.7, Lion - Got Unicode?