Python modules

These files are used and required by some of the Python scripts available in the other repositories.

For FontLab scripts, put these files in [...]/FontLab/Studio 5/Macros/System/Modules.
For the remaining scripts, put these files in the same folder as the script, or put them in one of the folders listed by sys.path.

kern feature writer modules

WriteFeaturesKernFDK.py

Example code for using WriteFeaturesKernFDK as a module in RoboFont:

    import os
    import WriteFeaturesKernFDK

    f = CurrentFont()

    minKern = 5
    writeTrimmed = False
    writeSubtables = False

    instanceFolder = os.path.dirname(f.path)

    WriteFeaturesKernFDK.KernDataClass(f, instanceFolder, minKern, writeTrimmed, writeSubtables)

Example code for a Python file that uses WriteFeaturesKernFDK from the command line:

    import sys
    import os
    from defcon import Font
    import WriteFeaturesKernFDK

    ufo = os.path.normpath(sys.argv[-1])
    f = Font(ufo)

    minKern         =  3
    writeTrimmed    =  False
    writeSubtables  =  True

    instanceFolder = os.path.dirname(f.path)

    WriteFeaturesKernFDK.KernDataClass(f, instanceFolder, minKern, writeTrimmed, writeSubtables)

kernFeatureWriter.py

The new kernFeatureWriter.py module is currently in development.
It produces the same results as the old WriteFeaturesKernFDK.py module, but it can be used directly from the command line, in a more seamless way:

    python kernFeatureWriter.py font.ufo
    python kernFeatureWriter.py font.ufo -min 5

The main motivation for writing this new module were problems with kerning subtable overflow.

mark feature writer module

WriteFeaturesMarkFDK.py

Example code for a Python file that uses the WriteFeaturesMarkFDK module from the command line:

    import os
    import sys

    import WriteFeaturesMarkFDK
    from robofab.world import RFont

    fontPath = sys.argv[-1]
    font = RFont(fontPath)

    genMkmkFeature       =  True
    writeClassesFile     =  False
    indianScriptsFormat  =  False
    trimCasingTags       =  False

    WriteFeaturesMarkFDK.MarkDataClass(font, os.path.dirname(font.path), trimCasingTags, genMkmkFeature, writeClassesFile, indianScriptsFormat)

other modules

AdobeFontLabUtils.py

Support module for FontLab scripts. Defines commonly used functions and globals.

BezChar.py

This module converts between a FontLab glyph and a bez file data string. Used by the OutlineCheck and AutoHint scripts, to convert FL glyphs to bez programs as needed by C libraries that do the hard work.

kernExport.py

Module to export FontLab class-kerning to UFO. It needs to be called with a FL font object (fl.font), and a prefixOption. The prefixOption is used for renaming kerning classes to various UFO-styles.

If the prefixOption is None, class names will be prefixed with to @L_ and @R_ to keep track of their side (in case they need to be converted the opposite way and re-imported to FL).

The prefixOptions are:
'MM': convert class names to MetricsMachine-compatible group names
'UFO3': convert to UFO3-style class names

usage (one of the three):

    kernExport.ClassKerningToUFO(fl.font)
    kernExport.ClassKerningToUFO(fl.font, prefixOption='MM')
    kernExport.ClassKerningToUFO(fl.font, prefixOption='UFO3')