Upgrading design quality of Greek and Cyrillic (v4)

[davelab6]

I believe the Greek and Cyrillic typeface design quality of Roboto can subjectively be improved; the Greek more than the Cyrillic.

Schedule wise, I think this should happen and ship in this project repo before happening in https://github.com/TypeNetwork/Roboto-Flex, and therefore redrawing these ('Classic') masters should happen with the intent they be sized for 14 Point (actual/physical) such that they will smoothly become the Roboto Flex opsz-default masters.

Alternatively, the Roboto-Flex opsz-default masters can be imported from Classic, drawn, then exported back to Classic.

However, it seems to me that which way is a somewhat minor procedural issue. Any preferences?

[dberlow]

Roboto Classic's Greek and Cyrillic replacements are best provided as a subset of Flex's development, as Classic's design space is a subset of Flex.

So, Flex's 14 pt extremes can be drawn, trimmed to Classic's space, move into Classic, and continued from there while Flex awaits Classics's completion, ready to move on to completion of Greek and Cyrillic's opsz axis.

The other way, drawing the Classic extremes, doesn't help with Flex and doubles our costs.

Then, we are to hint and compatibility test Roboto Classic Greek and Cyrillic?

[dberlow]

Dave,

The design work (#1a), on this, has commenced.

The production target is a merge with the existing Classic repo and process, leaving a script to build a new font including improved greek.

The plan:

1. Irene [irenevl] is designing the Regular [400wght ,100wdth], (which matches Flex).
   a. so that is going on in Flex,
   b. the greek-only will be copied into a brach of Classic, replacing the existing glyphs
   c. presented to Google (by 8/31?)
2. On acceptance Mike [MikeDug], can
   a. test the replacement Greek for hint-ability,
   b. amalgamate replacement Greek hints into the existing VTT source,
   c. wait for rest of masters.
3. irenevl continues in Flex to
   a. wdth and wght master.
   i. wght 400 wdth 25,
   ii. wght 400 wdth 150,
   iii. wght 1000, wdth 100
   iv. wght 100, wdth 100
   b. completing those master by (?)
4. Santiago Orozco [sanorozco], whose been managing w/Mark Foley the master branch, will continue to manage the replacement Greek Branch, with mikedug and ireneiv's contributions.
   a. will be using all the same everything, (except the replacement Greek), to produce a new variable version.
   (3b+48hrs).
   b. sanorozco instantiates Replacement Greek master ufos.
   i. 400 wght 75 wdth
   ii. 900 wght 100 wdth
   iii. 100 wght 100 wdth
   iv. 400 ght 100 wdth + Classic Slant process.
   c. vf generation
   d. Google approval of Replacement Greek vf design space.
5. mikedug's replacement Greek regular glyph hints will be complete from incompatible 'pipedbl' and 'pipedblbar' #2,
   a. complete vtt cvar generation.
   b. complete vtt sources.
   c. deliver font and files.
6. sanorozco completes and delivers branch to Mark Foley, ready for generation with replacement Greek at any time.
   If everything goes smoothly, we can deliver by end of 8/20?

Waiting to bring more contributors in, on your approval.
Have discussed with sanorozco and ireneiv
mikedug is free to do as we need, but not yet appraised.

Thanks for you attention on this.

[davelab6]

from @dberlow

Greek - We were given the problem and solved it. The repaired Greek was presented and we were told to hold on because of it width changes. The Greek could not be fully improved without them, and partial replacement on compatible widths has not been requested. That is presented as two versions here: https://github.com/TypeNetwork/Roboto/tree/NeoClassic/sources/NewGreekCyrillic

The repaired math is one level up.
https://github.com/TypeNetwork/Roboto/tree/NeoClassic/sources/Berlow's%20Math%20ideal%20corrections

How would you like to proceed?

Good question! :) Assigning to me, I guess this will not be decided until January