Advanced Features
This section covers advanced features of NineBoxView Pro, including Light Table integration, keyboard shortcuts, and grid lines.
Table of Contents
- Light Table Integration
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Grid Lines
- Advanced Drag Operations
- Special Layer Support
Light Table Integration
NineBoxView Pro supports integration with the third-party plugin Light Table, allowing you to compare different versions of glyph designs within the grid.
What is Light Table?
Light Table is an independent Glyphs plugin that provides font version comparison functionality. When Light Table is installed and its tool is active, you can view comparison version glyphs in the grid.
Requirements
To display comparison versions in the grid, the following conditions must be met:
- Install Light Table: Install the Light Table plugin from Plugin Manager
- Activate Light Table tool: Select the Light Table comparison tool in the Glyphs toolbar
- Select comparison version: Choose a comparison version in the Light Table panel
- Hold Shift key: Hold Shift to trigger comparison mode
Usage
- Ensure Light Table is installed and activated
- Select a comparison version in the Light Table panel
- Hold the Shift key
- Glyphs in the grid will switch to the comparison version
Note
Shift key behavior: If Light Table is not installed or its tool is not active, holding Shift enters Solo mode, temporarily hiding reference and locked glyphs, showing only the current editing glyph to help quickly compare the overlay effect with the glyph itself.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Grid Operations
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Click | Random arrange | Randomly rearrange reference glyphs |
| Cmd + click | Lock/unlock | Toggle lock state at that position |
| Cmd + click center | Toggle lock feature | Enable/disable the lock feature |
| Cmd + Option + click | Glyph picker | Open glyph picker to set locked glyph |
| Cmd + Option + click center | Clear all locks | Clear locks at all positions |
| Cmd + Shift + click center | Save lock preset | Save current lock configuration to Presets |
Drag Operations
| Shortcut | Drag Effect |
|---|---|
| None | Swap visible top-layer glyphs (within grid) / Insert (edit view) |
| Cmd | Lock operations (move or lock) |
| Option | Within grid: Copy glyph (clears lock if target is locked); To edit view: Open glyph in new tab |
| Shift | Open grid in new tab |
| Cmd + Option | Copy locked glyph (source preserved) |
Toolbar Operations
Toolbar buttons are triggered by clicking. Some buttons show tooltips on hover:
| Button | Function |
|---|---|
| / | Toggle dark/light mode |
| Toggle grid lines (Option: open grid settings) | |
| Show/hide Presets panel | |
| Show/hide Locked panel | |
| Show/hide Reference panel |
Panel Snapping
Hold Option and click a panel button to snap the panel to the side of the main window:
| Button | Option + Click Effect |
|---|---|
| Snap to left side of main window | |
| Snap to upper right of main window | |
| Snap to lower right of main window |
Tip
The snapping feature lets you quickly rearrange scattered panels around the main window, creating a tidy workspace layout.
Grid Lines
The grid lines feature displays guides in the grid to help check glyph alignment and proportions.
Enable / Disable
- Toolbar: Click the button
- Context menu: Select "Show Grid Lines" or "Hide Grid Lines"
Grid Line Styles
Select a grid line style from the "Grid Style" submenu in the context menu:
| Style | Description |
|---|---|
| Cross Grid | horizontal/vertical center lines (default) |
| Diagonal Grid | cross grid + two diagonals |
| Division Grid | two horizontal + two vertical third-lines |
Counter Frame
The counter frame displays an inset rectangle in each cell, representing the approximate character face area, making it easy to check whether the character face proportions are consistent.
- Enable / Disable: Select "Show Bounding Box" or "Hide Bounding Box" from the context menu
- Ratio adjustment: Adjust via grid settings (see below)
Grid Settings
Hold Option and click the button in the toolbar to open the grid settings panel:
- Grid line style: Select Cross Grid, Diagonal Grid or Division Grid
- Bounding Box ratio: Adjust the counter frame size ratio (default 80%, i.e. 10% inset on each side)
Tip
The number field supports keyboard input: use ↑↓ arrow keys to adjust by 1, or hold Shift + ↑↓ to adjust by 10.
You can also open this via "Grid Settings…" in the context menu.
Note
All grid settings are automatically saved and persist after restart.
Advanced Drag Operations
Shift + Drag to Open New Tab
Holding Shift while dragging from the grid to a Glyphs window opens the entire grid content in a new tab, convenient for quickly previewing the arrangement in edit view.
Special Layer Support
When editing a non-master layer in Glyphs, surrounding grid cells automatically sync to display the corresponding layer version, allowing real-time preview of special layers alongside surrounding characters.
Tip
If you want surrounding cells to stay on the master layer instead of following special layers, use the Lock or Reference features. Locked and reference glyphs remain on the master layer.
Data Persistence
NineBoxView Pro data is stored in two locations:
| Storage Location | Content | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Font file | Reference glyphs, locked glyphs | Saved with file, not shared across files |
| Application settings | Window configuration, Presets, theme, etc. | Global settings, usable across files |
Tip
Use the import/export feature to share Presets between computers.