Export Unicode glyph?

(…) Anyone have a more general implementation that, say, pops up a list of glyphs (configurable would be nice) or at least a code entry field, instead of being 2012-hardwired to one string?

The InstantUnicode ‘responsive’ script may help — just type your codepoint in the form uHHHH and it instantly inserts the glyph at the insertion point:

https://indiscripts.com/post/2020/03/instantunicode-insert-characters-by-typing-their-codepoint

(Also supports code points beyond the BMP using the uppercase form U1HHHH.)

Hope that helps.

Best,

Marc

By Jove, I think that's it.

• Install Symbola or the mega-symbol font of your choice; you could use more conventional sets like Dingbats, Webdings or Symbol but it might be better (and have further reach) to use a specific "symbols" font.
• Create a Character Style named SYMBOLEXPORT or something, with characteristics as close to [None] as possible, especially a null font assignment.
• Dupe that style and name it SYMBOLA or FANCYDANCYGLYPHS or something. Make a simple change to Symbola font and leave all else null/default.
• While styling and formatting and building, use the latter style to highlight symbols entered using the Glyph panel (hint: Unicode has to be entered in hex, using your favorite glyph lookup tool if needed). These will now print and PDF-export in visible glyph form.
• For export to HTML or EPUB, do a simple F/R to replace SYMBOLA with SYMBOLEXPORT. All or most of your fancy glyphs will turn to pink boxes but will export to EPUB perfectly. DO NOT export fonts. No CSS needed (for this element anyway).
• As needed, use the reverse F/R (or just dump the converted but previously saved source file) to restore the visible glyphs.

(Technically, there's no need to do the switch to Little Pink Boxes, as exporting without embedding Symbola would have much the same result. But I find it cleaner and more transparent to remove that font completely from the export so that the glyphs are handled by the reader without looking for a font, or the wrong font, or otherwise getting too complicated at the reader/user end. You could also include a CSS statement to null out the Symbola assignment, without having to modify the export doc... something is making me think the actual doc fix has advantages but I can't put a finger on why. Much more extensive testing to come.)

Can't think of a more straightforward process, to manage this on a running basis, without extra tools, manual conversion, embedded fonts, etc.

Thanks for the insight here, Joel!

"&#2192" is just bunch of characters - it will never be treated the way you want - you would've to change it to a desired glyph - displayed as such in InDesign - before export. 

FindChangeList.txt should work - but you'll have to create a list of all instances. 

Or a simple script can run a search - text or GREP - and insert those glyphs. 

Or probably autocorrect would work...