Copy selected layers to new font

[MauriceMeilleur]

Hi, new to RF and scripting; this is probably a simple question because I can't find it addressed anywhere (or I'm framing the question wrong):

I have a master version of my modular script Kast with all the layers needed to build its various versions:

I'd like to selectively export its layers to new fonts (top right, top left, left right, etc.). I can get the master's layers names, create a new font, but I can't figure out the next steps. Even just a nudge with the proper methods would be appreciated.

[MauriceMeilleur]

@gferreira I think those were the clues I needed—thanks!

[gferreira]

hello @MauriceMeilleur,

if I understand it correctly, you would like to make individual styles by combining some of the layers?

if so, have a look at Boolean Glyph Math. you can get individual glyph layers with glyph.getLayer(layerName).

hope this helps, good luck!

[MauriceMeilleur]

Thanks, Frederik! But my goal is to generate fonts from different combinations of layers from the master.

So the ideal pseudocode would read like this (I think), for example to create a font with the top-facing sides in the virtual cubes in my design:

font1 = master UFO with all layers
font2 = new font with one layer

for layer in font1:
     if layer name = top or top_background:
          for each glyph in layer:      
               copy paths in glyph to corresponding glyph in font2
     else pass

[frederik]

Do you need each layer as a separate UFO? if so you can export each glyph to a new font object and work from there

if not:

You can generate manually with the generate menu item and select a specific layer.

or for now:

import os

destRoot = 'root/folder/to/store/binaryFont'

font = CurrentFont()
    
for layer in font.layers:
    layerName = layer.name
    path = os.path.join(destRoot, f"{layerName}-{font.info.familyName}-{font.info.styleName}.otf")
    # the naked layer object has a separate generate api
    layer.naked().generate(path=path, format="otf")

This will move in future version to font.generate(..., layerName="background") where the layerName argument will selecte a specific layer.

hope this helps