Add alternate layers when using Import Master

Glyphs
1

Hello, I have run into a tricky case:

I have one “Hairline” file, with a smaller glyph set than my “Normal” file. I thus split my files into those two, and use “Import Master” parameters to import masters from my Normal file into my Hairline file. That works great, except that there are some glyphs where I want to use a different (incompatible) construction in the Hairline.

So I need to have alternate outlines in my imported master that are compatible with my Hairline. However, I can’t add alternate layers in those imported masters, because the masters are (understandably) locked. I thus tried creating a myglyph.alt glyph, in order to draw the compatible outlines there directly. However, since this glyph does not exist in my Normal project, it doesn’t have the extra masters in which I need to draw. Only the Hairline masters show up.

I then tried adding intermediate layers in that .alt glyph at the corresponding master locations, but Glyphs tells me that the outlines are not compatible (even though they are). As a final, desperate try, I added Virtual Master parameters with the corresponding axis locations, but that didn’t help either.

Any ideas on how to solve this? I don’t want to touch my Normal file and need to make these changes exclusively in the Hairline file. Thanks!

2

I had a look at the code. I don’t have a good solution for this. Maybe add the “myglyph.alt” to the imported font and add the drawing there?

3

Thanks for looking at the code, it’s very helpful to know that there simply is no good solution here. I wanted to avoid changing the imported file, because I think all changes for derivatives should only be made in those derivatives, instead of the main file.

I’ll go that route then anyway, if there’s no other way. A solution for making alternate glyphs when using Import Master would be very useful. Importing masters is a very powerful functionality, which is exactly what is needed for cases like mine, and not being able to define alternate glyphs is a crucial gap exactly for these cases.