[childofthewo_mj]

Back in the 'old' days of Nokia Symbian S60 Devices. Nokia has decided that each phone sold to each region (Europe, China, North America, Middle East Africa, India, Thailand) would have separate language packs.

If you live in North America, you probably get Latin Fonts without support for CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean), Arabic, Hindi, Hebrew.... etc. and the Keyboard is limited to English, French, Spanish, maybe Italian...

So now, the iPhone and the Android has come out. It has a unicode font set that will display almost every single character of any Latin-based or Foreign non-Latin based language.

So when you are in the US, live in the US and speak English as your mother tongue. But also speak Hebrew, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Japanese, Spanish, French... your iPhone/Android will be able to browse web pages, read text messages in these languages...

BUT on a Nokia Device... you are stuck. 

If you bought a phone in the US. You most probably see ? or 'squares' when going to a foreign languages website or when you receive a message in a foreign language outside your 'pre-destined' language pack.

Then, you need to say, input something in Japanese... but you can't because your keyboard set does not support it.

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In the end, many people had to go to Nokia Care and have their phones re-flashed to their desired language. Those who speak more than what Nokia provides as language packs are hooped.

For example, someone who needs Thai, CJK and French cannot do any typing or reading for all these languages in the same device because the regional language pack in Latin-Based Languages.

With the iPhone/Android, you can!!!!

Of course, you can create your own unicode font and place it in E:\ or F:\ to override the Nokia pre-installed limited font set... and then hope that there is a 3rd Party FEP (IME) that will override the Nokia (Virtual) Keyboard that will work with your device so you could input in a language that is not English.

In short, this is a PAIN when Nokia does not release a fully flexible firmware that is truly UNIVERSAL in nature that works with the WORLD and make the phone a WORLD PHONE!

I am, we are, all of us are tired of hacking into our phones, changing language packs, fonts, FEPs to make our Nokia Device suit our needs.

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So... my question to the Nokia N8 Developers, Sales & Marketing Team.

Does the Nokia N8, rather Symbian S^3

a) Does the Font installed in the Nokia N8 (Symbian S^3) Device support all languages, foreign languages, Double-Byte Characters so like someone in the US or Canada or the UK or maybe even Europe or China.... can read something in a foreign language?

b) Does Nokia have a Universal IME, e.g., FEP that will allow users to switch language input?

...

OR do we have to find hacks and workarounds again?

Please HELP! I need to know before I buy another Nokia Device and get disappointed!

[oblivinated]

Dear Nokia,

Yes, this is really frustrating me. N8 actually has no unicode support, so I can't read any text in anything other than roman letters. Before, with my N86, I could use 3rd party software. But now, since S^3 is a fairly new operating system, the old software doesn't work. Hence, I am unable to read Chinese characters. My music files don't read properly, websites don't render properly. Is it so much to ask for to have multilingual support?

[petri71]

I am a European guy living in China, I speak and write in 3 different languages with friends, family and business partners. And I need to read Chinese. It's been three years now that I have to go through the hassle that childofthewo_mj is mentioning above.

I am not a hacker, I don't enjoy doing. I just need a professional tool as a phone.

So what is the problem for Nokia !?!? with Android you can download the language pack of your choice. Why don't you provide us the same service, you want me to pay for it ? fine ! whatever !

If you really claim to connect the world, you should start by giving us the tool to do it !  :-)

[childofthewo_mj]

I agree! Please. I do not want to do another phone 'hack'

[childofthewo_mj]

This is from a developer'

---

 Hi, 
I am developing for the N8 and want to use a custom font in my Qt application. I wanted to ask what would generally be the right way to install a ttf font on the device?

Is there a way to deploy the font file together with the sis file of the application?
In my previous attempts the sis installer file would copy the ttf to the /Resource/fonts directory on the phone, which lets me load the font in the application but prevents deinstallation of the application(!)

Looking forward to any hints,
Erik.

---

That means the complete unicode font I created may be used int he N8? Not again! Grrrr!

[childofthewo_mj]

Now Nokia, 

You gave me another project to do. Why not beat your rival, the iPhone and provide us with a complete unicode phone? We're just asking for the font, not even keyboard input. 

[vnlsky]

so much for the company that prides itself for "connecting people"

16 gigabytes of internal storage and no way for us to pick, choose, and install language packs?

maybe its a symbian problem but i expect to see native support for this basic feature in the N9 meego built from the ground-up...

[childofthewo_mj]

OK. This is confirmed. Font replacement in the S^3 Device Nokia N8 is the same as previous (minus a few devices that required the font router)

I am going to re-edit my Nokia Sereis 60 Font again... because I used an ugly but almost complete Unicode Typeface.

Just place your 'modified font' in E:\Resource\Fonts or F:\Resource\Fonts. The font should have the same font name, font family as what the S^3 device ships with.

Simple as in N97 and N97 Mini Font Replacement and older Nokias that do not require the 'Font Router' application that cannot be installed and used in some S60 devices.

Just don't know what the size limitations are this time.

This is from the S^3 Developer's Guide on Fonts

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Symbian^3 Product Developer Library > Symbian Guide > Text and Localization Guide > Font and Text Services Collection > Font Store Component > Font Store Tutorials >

The font store automatically loads all files in \resources\fonts\ on all drives at startup. The search path is soft to hard ( Y:, X:, W:, ..., C:, B:, A:, Z and if two or more files have the same name the first one found is used. This means that files in the ROM (Z can be replaced with files on user drives.

The font store assumes that the files are in an appropriate format (see). Unsupported font files require a corresponding font rasterizer plug-in.

To install a font file at startup:

• Copy it into \resources\fonts\ on any drive.

• Restart the device to restart the Font and Bitmap server.

It is also possible to load a font file dynamically at run time. It is not possible to install a new font rasterizer at run time, however, so font files installed at run time must either be bitmap fonts or supported by an existing font rasterizer.

To dynamically install a font file:

• Call CWsScreenDevice::AddFile() , specifying the file to be loaded.

---

Nokia just gave me a new project to do. I don;t know if I should thank them or curse them for not providing this basic feature. Font + Languages!

[childofthewo_mj]

---

oblivinated wrote:

Dear Nokia,

Yes, this is really frustrating me. N8 actually has no unicode support, so I can't read any text in anything other than roman letters. Before, with my N86, I could use 3rd party software. But now, since S^3 is a fairly new operating system, the old software doesn't work. Hence, I am unable to read Chinese characters. My music files don't read properly, websites don't render properly. Is it so much to ask for to have multilingual support?

---

@oblivinated:

N85 & N86, you needed the Font Router LT. In N97, N97 Mini, you just replace it. Nokia's Font - Series 60 Sans is a Unicode Font, however, the official release of the Font in North America, it lacks support for CJK, Hindi... as far as my Font Editor can see.

Series 60 Sans supports Latin-Based Languages including those who have funny characters, Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic-Based Languages, Hindi, Hebrew and Thai. This was the N97/N97 Mini Symbian font.

I am downloading the S^3 SDK now to see what font is in use and go on from there... Hopefully, before I finish re-creating a font that will suit my needs, Nokia would already have released an URGENT Software Update that includes an over-write of the default font provided in the device.

[childofthewo_mj]

---

Ovi by Nokia wrote: "Hi ***, the N8 is fitted with a regional language pack based on the region that the device is sold in, that will determine the languages that the device will operate in. If you require new language packs installed then this can be done at a Nokia care centre, you can find them at http://www.facebook.com/l/65935;nokia.com/repair"

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http://www.facebook.com/OvibyNokia/posts/485283412274?po=1&ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment

.... and I responded to them....

That is such a pity! When you go to the Nokia Care Centre and have another region's language pack flashed into your phone, you may or may not lose your current language pack. In the past, you do. For example, if you live in the Switzerland, you will have French, English, Italian and German, maybe a bit of Turkish and Russian on your phone. But you need Chinese. You go to the Care Centre and have your phone flashed to the N8 Chinese Region Firmware. Then, you only end up with Chinese and English. you lose your ability to do anything for French, Italian, German, Russian and Turkish.

By default. Nokia uses the Series 60 Sans Font Family. The default font s60snr.ttf contains type faces for Latin, Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic, Thai, Hindi but does not have support for others, like Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Tibetan, Lao... etc. 

Maybe Nokia does not find a need to compete with the iPhone which not only has a Unicode Font that can display these. And to boot, the iPhone has multiple IME's that you can use to input characters in another language.

"Connecting the World", but I can't!

I read Thai, Chinese, Japanese among many other languages. But I am stuck! How am I supposed to connect to the world when I have to be inconvenienced to go to the Nokia Care Centre by foot, by bus, by car, by train or by plane... talk to someone and have them re-flash my phone???

With the iPhone. (This is why I envy these guys), you just DO IT YOURSELF on your phone.

Please. For this most basic feature. You missed a point again. We thought S^3 would be cool, a penta-band world phone that would work in any corner of the world... Ooops! Nope! When you travel to a country that has a different language than your phone's pre-determined language.... GOOD LUCK.

A lot of people I know have had this complaint since the first s60 came out. Other Mobiles do not have this problem. Nokia has.

I notice that in the S^3 SDK, you included the fonts for Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean and also use the DejaVu Sans Font Family which maybe adds a little bit more languages to the font collection.

But these fonts are not in the N8 unit if your region code does not "support it"?

Please. Either change your motto to "Disconnecting the World by Forgetting to Connect" or someone in Nokia fix this most basic problem plaguing Nokia Symbian users! Maybe an immediate "software Update" via OTA that would re-flash the ROM with the missing font sets?

Or course, we can work around this by hacks and apps, but still... it would be nice if it is integrated!

[enochcheng]

Please keep us updated, including instruction to create my own font.

I tried to locate the existing font (ttf) file from the C drive or E drive /Resource/Fonts path but didn't see any.

I really need this support on N8.

Thanks

Enoch

[childofthewo_mj]

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enochcheng wrote:

Please keep us updated, including instruction to create my own font.

I tried to locate the existing font (ttf) file from the C drive or E drive /Resource/Fonts path but didn't see any.

I really need this support on N8.

Thanks

Enoch

---

Z:\Resource\Fonts

[enochcheng]

I don't have a sd card put in the phone and thus have no Z drive.

Do I have to put in a SD card to load the fonts file?

Thanks

[childofthewo_mj]

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enochcheng wrote:

I don't have a sd card put in the phone and thus have no Z drive.

Do I have to put in a SD card to load the fonts file?

Thanks

---

Z:\ is your ROM.

The phone has by default, C:\, D:\ and Z:\ most of time invisible from the default File Manager.

E:\ F:\ & the new one for USB Mass Storage can be viewed from the File Manager.

You need to use Y-Browser or some other browser App to see it. Your Mass Memory is E:\ your MicroSD is F:\ Unless Nokia made changes to Drive Lettering.

[childofthewo_mj]

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enochcheng wrote:

I don't have a sd card put in the phone and thus have no Z drive.

Do I have to put in a SD card to load the fonts file?

Thanks

---

No, plug the phone in "Mass Storage Mode", in E:\Resource\Fonts, copy the fonts and then reboot.

It is best to use F:\Resource\Fonts first (use MicroSD) and test that the boot will be successful with the 'modified font'. So if it does not, you can easily remove the MicroSD and boot the phone.

Only when you know the system will boot properly with the 'modified font', then you can transfer the font to E:\ for faster system access.

[oblivinated]

I figured it out! The intructions are similar to replacing fonts on S60.

First off, I bought Y-Browser and found out the font names on the N8.

There are as follows:

nosnr60.ttf
nssb60.ttf
nstsb60.ttf
s60ZDIGI.ttf

With this, we simply copy over a font onto X:\Resource\Fonts and copy it 4 times, with those 4 different names.

X is the drive path for the mass storage on the N8. I used a font called Microsoft Yi Baiti from my fonts folder, because it was .ttf and because it includes support for Japanese. By using copying this font over, I am able to read Chinese and Japanese on my N8 (sorry no Korean at the moment, although I'm sure if you got a Korean font it will work).

Since the font itself is almost 22 MB, I don't know if this adversely affects the phone performance. So far, I haven't seen any slowdown.

So once again, the instructions are:

1. Plug in your N8.

2. Open its mass storage.

3. Go to \Resource\

4. Make a new folder called "Fonts"

5. Copy a font that supports Chinese (or whatever language you want to be read). In my case, that was Microsoft Yi Baiti.

6. Copy it 3 more times, so you have a total of 4 copies of the font in the "Fonts" folder on your phone.

7. Rename them with the following filenames:

nosnr60
nssb60
nstsb60
s60ZDIGI

8. Reboot your phone, and voila!

Make sure the font you are using is .ttf (although I'm not sure if .otf or .tfc fonts work, someone will have to check that for me). I'll put the font up for download somewhere if people need it, it seems to be exceeding the Nokia file upload limit.

Hope this helps a lot of people.

Kevin

[childofthewo_mj]

Y-Browser is FREE from Dr. Jukka, you just have to download the open signed version, sign it wit OPDA. Anyway, thanks for clarifying my point. I am working on 4 Series 60 Sans fonts. I'll post here when I am done and how to get them... as always... GRATUIT.

Download the S^3 SDK from Forum Nokia, all the fonts for CJK are in the EPOC directory.

Series 60 Sans is TTF with Open Type Table for Devanagari (Hindi) Support and also for Arabic & Hebrew.

I'm borrowing the Droid Sans font and using the font glyphs there to a redone Nokia Font.

Smaller in file size. I figure smaller font file size is better for the N8.

Thanks for clarifying. This saves us a lot of trouble. ;-)

---

oblivinated wrote:

I figured it out! The intructions are similar to replacing fonts on S60.

First off, I bought Y-Browser and found out the font names on the N8.

There are as follows:

nosnr60.ttf
nssb60.ttf
nstsb60.ttf
s60ZDIGI.ttf

With this, we simply copy over a font onto X:\Resource\Fonts and copy it 4 times, with those 4 different names.

X is the drive path for the mass storage on the N8. I used a font called Microsoft Yi Baiti from my fonts folder, because it was .ttf and because it includes support for Japanese. By using copying this font over, I am able to read Chinese and Japanese on my N8 (sorry no Korean at the moment, although I'm sure if you got a Korean font it will work).

Since the font itself is almost 22 MB, I don't know if this adversely affects the phone performance. So far, I haven't seen any slowdown.

So once again, the instructions are:

1. Plug in your N8.

2. Open its mass storage.

3. Go to \Resource\

4. Make a new folder called "Fonts"

5. Copy a font that supports Chinese (or whatever language you want to be read). In my case, that was Microsoft Yi Baiti.

6. Copy it 3 more times, so you have a total of 4 copies of the font in the "Fonts" folder on your phone.

7. Rename them with the following filenames:

nosnr60
nssb60
nstsb60
s60ZDIGI

8. Reboot your phone, and voila!

Make sure the font you are using is .ttf (although I'm not sure if .otf or .tfc fonts work, someone will have to check that for me). I'll put the font up for download somewhere if people need it, it seems to be exceeding the Nokia file upload limit.

Hope this helps a lot of people.

Kevin

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[childofthewo_mj]

RE: Renaming of Fonts.

a) Back in S60v3 and S60v5, the renaming of fonts involved  renaming the whole font family details using a font editor to the correct name.

b) I think with S^3, you just install any font.

[oblivinated]

Do you mean the Nokia QT SDK?

[childofthewo_mj]

S^3 SDK

http://www.forum.nokia.com/info/sw.nokia.com/id/ec866fab-4b76-49f6-b5a5-af0631419e9c/S60_All_in_One_...