Clipboard content for multiple glyphs

[bahman]

I want to create a special copy/paste and for this, I need to access all the copied glyphs from the clipboard. The following script returns only a string from unicode of the glyphs or their glyph names:

import AppKit

pasteboard = AppKit.NSPasteboard.generalPasteboard()
print(pasteboard.stringForType_(AppKit.NSPasteboardTypeString))

How can I access these multiple glyphs contents, like contours, etc?

Thanks

[bahman]

Sorry, I just made it public.

[frederik]

the url doesnt work... looking forward!

[bahman]

Thanks! Finally I made this extension. Please give it a try and see if it works correctly.

https://gitlab.com/typoman/robofont-special-clipboard

[frederik]

You'll need a controller, which is subscribed to both notifications.

On copy you call you copy module/code, for paste the same and you provide the controller as storage for your copy glyphs.

good luck!

[bahman]

I have a script that stores the glyphs when users hits copy and it runs on startup, another script runs when the user pastes.

If I attach the glyphs to an object, I need to access that object in the paste script. And if I import the object that has the observer, it will be executed agian, adding up to previous observers. In short I don't know how to create this object you're saying, without adding another observers every time I run the paste script.

[frederik]

Euhm dont store it in the defaults ;). If it should only be accessible while RF is running, you can store it anywhere in one of your objects.

[bahman]

I came up with this idea to store the glyphs inside an extension key and when I run the paste script, I will retrieve the glyphs from there. There is a possible drawback here since the content of the extension key can't be saved into disk, it might cause failure and other extension keys will also not get saved. Is there a way to delete the key before RF is about to be closed? I couldn't find an observer for this. This is the observer that stores the glyphs:

from mojo.events import addObserver, removeObserver
from defconAppKit.windows.baseWindow import BaseWindowController
from mojo.extensions import setExtensionDefault, getExtensionDefault, removeExtensionDefault

EXTENSION_KEY = 'design.bahman.specialClipboard'

class ClipboardGlyphs():
	_glyphs = {}

	def start(self):
		addObserver(self, '_fontOverviewCopy', 'fontOverviewCopy')
		addObserver(self, '_copy', 'copy')

	def destroy(self, sender):
		removeObserver(self, 'fontOverviewCopy')
		removeObserver(self, 'copy')

	def _fontOverviewCopy(self, info):
		self._glyphs = {}
		for g in info["glyphs"]:
			self._addGlyphToClipboard(g)
		setExtensionDefault(EXTENSION_KEY, self._glyphs)

	def _copy(self, info):
		self._glyphs = {}
		self._addGlyphToClipboard(info["glyph"])
		setExtensionDefault(EXTENSION_KEY, self._glyphs)

	def _addGlyphToClipboard(self, g):
		if g.unicodes != ():
			for v in g.unicodes:
				self._glyphs[v] = g
		else:
			self._glyphs[g.name] = g

if __name__ == '__main__':
	ClipboardGlyphs = ClipboardGlyphs()
	ClipboardGlyphs.start()
	debug=True
	if debug:
		from vanilla import FloatingWindow

		class DebuggerWindow(BaseWindowController):
			def __init__(self):
				self.w = FloatingWindow((500, 500), f'ClipboardGlyphs debug!')
				self.w.open()
				self.w.bind("close", ClipboardGlyphs.destroy)
		DebuggerWindow()

[bahman]

Thank you this is much more useful. Now we can access the clipboard content much easier!

[gferreira]

hello @bahman,

the latest beta includes the new observers fontOverviewCopy and fontOverviewPaste, please give them a try…

thanks!

[frederik]

Make you own copy paste:

copy:

import AppKit
import json

# get the pasteboard
pasteBoard = AppKit.NSPasteboard.generalPasteboard()
# get the font (maybe check if there is a font)
font = CurrentFont()
# create your pasteboard type
bahmanPasteBoardType = "Bahman.special.copy.paste"
# collect data
data = []
for glyphName in font.selectedGlyphNames:
    glyph = font[glyphName]    
    anchorData = [dict(glyphName=glyph.name, x=anchor.x, y=anchor.y, name=anchor.name) for anchor in glyph.anchors]        
    data.append(anchorData)
# write it to the pastboard
pasteBoard.setString_forType_(json.dumps(data), bahmanPasteBoardType)

paste:

import AppKit
import json
# get the pasteboard
pasteBoard = AppKit.NSPasteboard.generalPasteboard()
# print out all the availabe types
print(pasteBoard.types())
# create your pasteboard type
bahmanPasteBoardType = "Bahman.special.copy.paste"
# get the paste board string for type
data = pasteBoard.stringForType_(bahmanPasteBoardType)
# its None when there no such paste board type
if data:
    data = json.loads(data)
    # do something with this data    

good luck!!

[bahman]

@frederik Yes, it works, I know! And I'm wondering how RF gets the clipboard content for these multiple glyphs because I'm trying to make a paste special script that only would paste anchors or contours when I use it on selected glyphs. The current behavior replaces the whole glyphs on paste. I guess I'm just gonna wait for those notifications you mentioned. Thank you for your patience.

[frederik]

copy multiple glyphs and pasting in an font overview with the same amount of selected glyphs, already works :) see https://robofont.com/documentation/workspace/font-overview/#actions

Or am I misreading your request...

[bahman]

Thank you, those notifications will help. I wanted to avoid redoing what RF already does. I thought RF already copies multiple glyph contents to the clipboard. Please consider doing this:

1- Open a font which contains glyphs with outlines.
2- Select some glyphs and hit CMD-C.
3- Open an empty font, select similar glyphs (same glyph names) and hit CMD-V.

Now the glyph contents are also pasted on multiple glyphs. If this data exists and can be accessed easily then I can avoid making it myself.

[frederik]

in the upcoming release and public beta there is a notification when copy pasting in a collection view:

fontOverviewPaste and fontOverviewCopy which has a key glyphs a list of glyphs.

would this work?

[frankrolf]

Currently, RF has the following behaviors:

• cmd-c with single glyph selected: whole glyph (XML) is copied
• cmd-c with multiple glyphs selected: literal characters are copied (based on Unicode value, if they exist. Otherwise it’s glyph names)
• cmd-option-c with multiple glyphs selected: glyph names are copied

Probably you’d need to re-think step 1 of your workflow, to copy RGlyphs (or XMLs) for the current selection. You could assign something like cmd-shift-c?

[bahman]

Thank you Frank. It's for a different purpose. I want to make a paste special for multiple glyphs. For example, I have selected multiple glyphs, then hit copy. Then selected another font then hit paste. Now I want to show a window where the user can choose what type of data is pasted in the new font. Anchors, contours, etc. And I want to do it for multiple glyphs not just one glyph.

[frankrolf]

What is the reason for using the OS clipboard in this case – why don’t you just create RGlyphs (and drop them where you need them)?
If you really need the XML, you could use g.writeGlyphToString().