Alien Language Font (+ PNGs)

[Mouse]

Oh, Mouse. That program sounds really handy. How did you make it? I occasionally use online name generators.

Hello Josiah.

I got fed up with online generators giving me cheesy things like "Pollycat", "Starwarren" or "Mousefiend", (apologies if there are any members here with those names), so I made a spreadsheet that randomly selects from lists of consonant groups and vowels, with a few conditions built into it to prevent the same vowel or syllable set occurring more than twice in the same generated word. Many of the words it generates are rubbish, but among them I have found a few tiny nuggets of gold, like Ajandrani, and Jerrosar (both of whom are characters in my books)

Here are a couple of screen shots of the active sheets, followed by one of the data sheets. You may also notice that I occasionally end up generating a real name, like Kojak in the first example. This only goes to show that I have the formula some way right. I'd be worried if it never happened. Its also the reason I have to google each of the words I think might be good for a name, to make sure it isn't the name of a real person already - or worse - something obscenely rude in another language (like Codari, which I was politely informed is a huge insult to a man in Polish the other day - or at least the phonetic sound of it is!)

If you look at the formula bar at the top of each spreadsheet you will see that the random selection is done on the data sheets, and the concatenation of those random elements to form the names is done on the name sheets.

If you know of anyone who can turn this into an app, I wouldn't mind sharing the sheets. I have offered the spreadsheet to others before now, but so few people seem to have Excel nowadays that I usually don't bother even telling anyone about it. It just doesn't run on cheaper spreadsheet apps. Its like they don't know what a formula is for!







EDIT: Here is a page that works by randomly selecting syllables. It was an attempt to iron out those irritating tendencies in the earlier sheets, where two R's or two L's can often appear before and after a single vowel which makes a word relatively awkward on the tongue. The disadvantage of going down the route of random syllables, however, is that it is limited by the syllables you have stored in your data sheet - ie not as versatile as random letters and consonant groups.

[Josiah VE]

That is very cool! As a matter of fact I do have Excel, would you mind if I tried it out?
I'm afraid I don't know anyone that could turn it into an app.

P.S. Sorry Neyjour if we're hijacking your thread. I actually tried that template and it worked really nicely! Thanks for sharing!

[Neyjour]

Mouse - That looks awesome! It'd be terrific if someone could help you turn it into an online generator (or something similar) that everyone could use! Perhaps make a post about it in the General Discussion forum, where more people would be likely to see it?

Josiah - I don't mind! Hijack away. I'm glad you're enjoying the font generator. I've never really looked into creating my own font before, and I was surprised at how easy it was. Never even considered that there would be a free online generator either. Also, any fonts you make with it can be used commercially, which is really great.

[Mouse]

That is very cool! As a matter of fact I do have Excel, would you mind if I tried it out?
I'm afraid I don't know anyone that could turn it into an app.

P.S. Sorry Neyjour if we're hijacking your thread. I actually tried that template and it worked really nicely! Thanks for sharing!

Yes... we have rather hijacked Neyjour's thread here (Sorry Neyjour )

You are welcome to have the sheets, although you will have to forgive me for deleting the contents of the sheet named "THE BEST", as this is where I copy and paste the better names from the random generator sheets, many of which are included in my novels I can't upload it to this thread, so please will you message me with an email address?

[Mouse]

Heya Neyjour. There I was busy apologising, only to be ninja'd by your pardon! LOL

EDIT: If you really think it would be of use to anyone, then I will raise a new thread. The biggest drawback is that it does tend to generate an awful lot of words that aren't really much good - as you can see from the random selection I pasted. As long as everyone accepted that and didn't start to complain, I don't see why it can't be turned into an app, really.

[Neyjour]

Yes... we have rather hijacked Neyjour's thread here (Sorry Neyjour )

It's fine! I don't mind.

[Neyjour]

Okay, Cybertek Chaylek it is! The download link is in my initial post.

[Mouse]

Congratulations Neyjour

Did I say it was beautiful before launching myself at the naming game?

If I didn't, well then I'll say it now.

Everything you do is beautiful. That's just the way it comes out of you

[Neyjour]

Congratulations Neyjour

Did I say it was beautiful before launching myself at the naming game?

If I didn't, well then I'll say it now.

Everything you do is beautiful. That's just the way it comes out of you

Thanks so much Mouse! And thanks again, for helping me name it!

[Mouse]

Hey! It was nothing, but thanks anyway