Convert WG1 to FM3

Understanding WG1 and FM3 file formats

WG1 files are spreadsheet documents created by Lotus 1-2-3, a pioneering spreadsheet application popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The WG1 format stores worksheet data, formulas, and formatting. FM3 files, on the other hand, are FontMonger font files used for storing font data, typically for font editing or conversion purposes. These two formats serve entirely different purposes: WG1 for spreadsheets and FM3 for fonts.

Is direct conversion possible?

Because WG1 and FM3 are fundamentally different (spreadsheet vs. font), there is no direct or standard conversion between these formats. If you are looking to extract data from a WG1 spreadsheet and use it in a font design context, you would need to manually interpret the data and use it as a basis for font creation, rather than perform a file format conversion.

Alternative approaches

If your goal is to use spreadsheet data (such as characters or symbols) from a WG1 file in a font editor that supports FM3 files, follow these steps:

1. Open the WG1 file in a compatible spreadsheet program, such as Lotus 1-2-3 (if available) or LibreOffice Calc (which can import some Lotus files).
2. Export or copy the relevant data (such as character drawings or symbol grids) to a standard image or vector format (e.g., File → Export → PNG or File → Export → SVG).
3. Open a font editor that supports FM3 files, such as FontMonger or FontForge (with import/export plugins).
4. Import the exported images or vectors into the font editor and assign them to glyphs as needed.
5. Save or export the font as an FM3 file (File → Save As → FM3).

Recommended software for the process

• LibreOffice Calc: For opening and exporting WG1 spreadsheet data.
• FontForge: A free, open-source font editor that can import images and export to various font formats (FM3 support may require plugins or conversion steps).
• FontMonger: Legacy software specifically for FM3 font files (may require running on older operating systems).

Summary

There is no direct WG1 to FM3 file conversion due to the different nature of these formats. However, you can manually extract and repurpose spreadsheet data for use in font creation by exporting images or vectors and importing them into a font editor that supports FM3 files.