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Version: v2 · 2.4.0

Beztrace companion setup

Current engine and companion​

The 2.3.0 source catalog pins Beztrace engine 0.2.1 and the independent Glyphs companion 0.2.0/build 25. Both are universal, Developer ID-signed and Apple-notarized upstream releases. The app bundles engine 0.2.1; the optional companion is downloaded with its pinned archive checksum and file inventory. Previously built apps retain their bundled catalog.

Setup → Companion Plugins → Beztrace offers Install, Update, Uninstall and Retry. Install All excludes Beztrace. The managed catalog remains limited to Apple Silicon with macOS 26.6.2 or later. The companion requires Glyphs 4.1/build 4107 or later and Glyphs Python 3.9 or later; upstream native qualification covers Glyphs 4.2/build 4202 on Apple Silicon. Native Intel execution remains untested.

Build 25 uses manual engine selection. It does not implement the persistent engine-settings-v1.json handoff supplied by the older MCP build-16 overlay. Setup provisions engine 0.2.1 in a versioned user Application Support directory, leaves previous engines and settings intact, and does not modify the published companion bundle. Removal preserves shared engines and user settings. Existing independent installations, modified plugins and development links are preserved.

Set up the matching pair​

  1. Close Glyphs before using managed Install or Update. Save your work before closing; reopen Glyphs after installation to load the companion.

  2. Open Path → Beztrace… or Path → Beztrace Match Masters…. Both open the four-mode dialog. In Additional actions… → Choose engine…, select:

    ~/Library/Application Support/beztrace/engines/0.2.1/bin/beztrace

    Repeat engine selection when reopening the panel. The companion otherwise defaults to /Library/Application Support/beztrace/bin/beztrace, which may be an older independent installation. Verify engine 0.2.1 before using the new matching and smoothing behavior.

  3. Choose Single image, Images → masters, Image → path, or Paths → masters. Supply the images or master outlines required by the selected mode and adjust the sidebar settings. Click Update Preview, inspect the result, then Apply to Layer or Apply to Masters. Preview preparation makes no font edits; applying does not save the font.

  4. Verify the result and native Undo/Redo on a disposable font before production work. Native recovery is separate from MCP typed-job rollback.

The plugin works independently of the MCP server. Refer to the pinned build-25 guide and upstream qualification receipt for the tested scope, node/hint preservation and smoothing limits. This catalog update does not establish new native font-workflow qualification or update an already installed MCP app.