Fontlab Ltd.@eWalthert @letterror @MauriceMeilleur @justvanrossum @jeremiehornus @glyphs (Adam here) I've once suggested the master to be renamed MATRIX or MATRICE (like that thing that metal type is cast from). Matrices been an integral part of type making. The phonetic similarity to master is useful. I find "source" to be very generic — in one way, the entire .vfj, .glyphs or .designspace+.ufo is »the source(s)«.
@eWalthert @letterror @MauriceMeilleur @justvanrossum @jeremiehornus @glyphs So we could almost losslessly rename »MM« to be multiple matrices or multimatrice. The instance is a result of a particular process of mixing the matrices via interpolation. That's something metal type didn't have, but conceptually it's not a huge leap.
@eWalthert @letterror @MauriceMeilleur @justvanrossum @jeremiehornus @glyphs I know there is the "affine transformation matrix" but its use is very narrow. Certainly narrower than of "source". "Parent" is ok, but then again, and we already have the "family", but I'm not sure if people don't already use the parent-child metaphor for describing other kinds of relationships between glyphs (like with use of components).
@eWalthert @letterror @MauriceMeilleur @justvanrossum @jeremiehornus @glyphs Let's remember that we do use "font", which is related to fountain etc., it does have to do with the process of pouring liquid metal. A matrix might be the master, and then the punches really are the "elements" (in FontLab terms), the pure faces that are used in simple matrices and also in composite matrices.
@eWalthert @letterror @MauriceMeilleur @justvanrossum @jeremiehornus @glyphs The real bonus is the ease of transition from master to matrix (which will also work in many other languages). And let's keep in mind that "matrix" comes from "mater", the Mother. So it is the Parent ;) EDIT: Matrice would be even better than matrix.