How to Dock and Undock Toolbars in FontForge

FontForge allows users to switch between docked and undocked interface elements, specifically for primary editing components like the Tools and Layers palettes. While FontForge utilizes a distinct user interface toolkit that lacks modern drag-and-drop snapping, it provides straightforward options to toggle these toolbars between being embedded inside the glyph editing window and floating as independent panels across your desktop.

Understanding Toolbars and Palettes in FontForge

In FontForge, primary editing tools are grouped into palettes rather than traditional modular toolbars. The two essential components you interact with are:

  • Tools Palette: Contains drawing, zooming, slicing, and point-manipulation tools.
  • Layers Palette: Manages the foreground, background, and guide layers of individual glyphs.

These palettes primarily reside within the Outline (Glyph) Window, which is the main canvas used for vector editing.

How to Undock and Dock Palettes

To change the attachment state of your toolbars, use the built-in window controls within the editing workspace:

  1. Open any font project and double-click a glyph to enter the Outline Window.
  2. Click the Window menu located in the top menu bar.
  3. Select Detach Palettes to undock the Tools and Layers palettes. They will immediately transform into separate, floating windows that you can move anywhere on your screen.
  4. To re-dock them, return to the Window menu and click Attach Palettes (or uncheck the detach option, depending on your operating system and FontForge build). The tools will snap back into the margins of the main glyph editing canvas.

Managing Floating Windows

When undocked, each palette behaves like an independent window controlled by your operating system:

  • You can minimize, move, or position the floating panels across multiple monitors to maximize canvas area.
  • If a floating palette accidentally disappears, navigate to the Window menu in the Outline view and select Show Tools or Show Layers to bring it back into view.

Limitations of the FontForge Interface

FontForge does not support free-form docking, customizable tabs, or edge-snapping found in modern creative applications. Toolbars can only exist in two predetermined configurations: pinned to their default sidebars within the glyph canvas or completely detached as floating utility panels.