OpenType 1.8 (variable fonts) support yet?

[orklann]

Does FF support to export as OpenType 1.8 (Open­Type Variable Font) right now?

[frank-trampe]

Ohh no. We weren't invited to participate in the design of the specification, so everything is new to us. It will probably be a long time. It is a very large set of additional functionality, and, before adding it, we would need to figure out a user interface model. And we would probably need to get outside funding for such a big project.

[KrasnayaPloshchad]

FontLab and Glyphs has already got support for OT 1.8, and HarfBuzz also supported OT Variable font.

[KrasnayaPloshchad]

This is very useful to you if you want to develop a CJK or Tangut font with FontForge.

[KrasnayaPloshchad]

On this article I found some informations about OT Variation support:

2016 年 9 月在華沙召開的第 60 屆 ATypI 年會上，OpenType 1.8 正式發布。它基於的不是 Adobe 的 MM，而是蘋果貢獻的 TrueType GX 技術。谷歌開發了一個可以在 Win­dows 上實時預覽 1.8 版字體的小工具叫 FreeView。微軟在 Windows 10 的周年慶典版 (Anniversary Edition) 的 Edge 瀏覽器中，已經率先支持了新版的規範。而蘋果則走得更遠：macOS Sierra 中的系統字體 San Francisco UI，已經變成了 OpenType 可變字體。在會議召開的同時，相關人士也着手與 W3C 的 CSS 工作組洽談，以求讓新規範更快獲得廣泛的瀏覽器支持。

My translation: On the 60th Annual Meeting of ATypeI in Sep 2016, OpenType 1.8 is released. It is not based on Adobe MM, instead is TrueType GX techonology contributed by Apple. Google have developed a small tool named FreeView, which can preview OT 1.8 font lively on Windows. Microsoft have already supported new specification firstly in Edge on Windows 10 Anniversary Edition. But Apple go much further: Mac OS Sierra’s system font San Francisco UI is already become OpenType Variable Font. During the meeting, related persons are also take actions to contact CSS Working Group of W3C, to let the new spec being supported by more web browsers soon.

This paragraph mentioned softwares and font supported this spec, I guess we can do some hackings on them to know how this technology works, then everything would be clear.

[KrasnayaPloshchad]

before adding it, we would need to figure out a user interface model.

Since FontLab have already got support for OT Variation, I think we can see what their interface performanced as a model.

[MaddTheSane]

At the most basic, some of the Multiple Master functionality could be repurposed for use in creating OTF 1.8 content.

[MaddTheSane]

Here's the Microsoft documentation on Variable Fonts. Some OpenType tags need to be implemented in order to support variable fonts:

• avar
• fvar (in one example font, Buffalo Gals, FontForge complains about it having more axes than FF can handle)
• STAT
• cvar
• MVAR
• VVAR
• CFF2

The following tags may need to be updated:

• gasp
• GDEF
• GPOS
• GSUB
• JSTF
• OS/2
• post
• vhea

[ctrlcctrlv]

Some more recent discussion of this was had in #3803. #2960 was closed in favor of this being the main issue for this request.

[ctrlcctrlv]

Hey guys—my experimentation has continued. I determined that we actually support a lot of the main components of variable fonts—I created a minimal example which FontForge's «MM» menu understands.

Cantarell Q VF.zip

https://youtu.be/xoQuWARCUWI

[wraybowling]

I just watched @ctrlcctrlv's video. It seems doable but perhaps still more hoops than I'm ready to jump through today. Maybe after a while I'll try out the entire process. Since it's been 5 years since then, I thought I should bump this thread and ask how everyone's feeling about the pursuit of supporting variable fonts. Still not too many programs support them, but they do work on the web and wherever possible, have become my favorite to use.

[ghoomfrog]

Eight years... Some day, I guess. Some day.

[skef]

Some day, I guess. Some day.

It's unlikely. There isn't much ongoing FontForge development and adding VF support would be a huge project. Of the small number of people who have expressed interest in doing major FontForge projects, VF support isn't even high on their lists.

[poyribn]

maybe FontForge itself doesn't need to support variable fonts if there is another software that can combine multiple OpenType fonts into one variable font.
for example, designing three fonts

• normal
• bold
• italic

in separate FontForge projects, then combining them in the variable font combiner software.

a brief guide for a free and open‑source variable font combiner software could be included near the end of the "Design with FontForge" guide