Setting `set macthinstrokes` doesn't have any effect

[timfjord]

It looks like there has been regression and the set macthinstrokes option stopped working at some point

Describe the bug
set macthinstrokes doesn't change the way the font is rendered

To Reproduce

1. Run gvim --clean
2. Set the thin strokes option with :set macthinstrokes
3. Observe nothing happens, the font is exactly the same as it was before running the command

Expected behaviour
The font should be slightly thinner

Screenshots
With set macthinstrokes

Without set nomacthinstrokes

Environment:

VIM - Vi IMproved 8.2 (2019 Dec 12, compiled Apr  1 2021 08:37:51)
macOS version - x86_64
Included patches: 1-2681
Compiled by GitHub Actions
Huge version with MacVim GUI.  Features included (+) or not (-):
+acl               +file_in_path      -mouse_sysmouse    -tag_old_static
+arabic            +find_in_path      +mouse_urxvt       -tag_any_white
+autocmd           +float             +mouse_xterm       -tcl
+autochdir         +folding           +multi_byte        +termguicolors
-autoservername    -footer            +multi_lang        +terminal
+balloon_eval      +fork()            -mzscheme          +terminfo
+balloon_eval_term +fullscreen        +netbeans_intg     +termresponse
+browse            +gettext           +num64             +textobjects
++builtin_terms    -hangul_input      +odbeditor         +textprop
+byte_offset       +iconv             +packages          +timers
+channel           +insert_expand     +path_extra        +title
+cindent           +ipv6              +perl/dyn          +toolbar
+clientserver      +job               +persistent_undo   +transparency
+clipboard         +jumplist          +popupwin          +user_commands
+cmdline_compl     +keymap            +postscript        +vartabs
+cmdline_hist      +lambda            +printer           +vertsplit
+cmdline_info      +langmap           +profile           +virtualedit
+comments          +libcall           +python/dyn        +visual
+conceal           +linebreak         +python3/dyn       +visualextra
+cryptv            +lispindent        +quickfix          +viminfo
+cscope            +listcmds          +reltime           +vreplace
+cursorbind        +localmap          +rightleft         +wildignore
+cursorshape       +lua/dyn           +ruby/dyn          +wildmenu
+dialog_con_gui    +menu              +scrollbind        +windows
+diff              +mksession         +signs             +writebackup
+digraphs          +modify_fname      +smartindent       -X11
+dnd               +mouse             -sound             -xfontset
-ebcdic            +mouseshape        +spell             +xim
+emacs_tags        +mouse_dec         +startuptime       -xpm
+eval              -mouse_gpm         +statusline        -xsmp
+ex_extra          -mouse_jsbterm     -sun_workshop      -xterm_clipboard
+extra_search      +mouse_netterm     +syntax            -xterm_save
-farsi             +mouse_sgr         +tag_binary
   system vimrc file: "$VIM/vimrc"
     user vimrc file: "$HOME/.vimrc"
 2nd user vimrc file: "~/.vim/vimrc"
      user exrc file: "$HOME/.exrc"
  system gvimrc file: "$VIM/gvimrc"
    user gvimrc file: "$HOME/.gvimrc"
2nd user gvimrc file: "~/.vim/gvimrc"
       defaults file: "$VIMRUNTIME/defaults.vim"
    system menu file: "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim"
  fall-back for $VIM: "/Applications/MacVim.app/Contents/Resources/vim"
Compilation: clang -c -I. -Iproto -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -DFEAT_GUI_MACVIM -Wall -Wno-unknown-pragmas -pipe -DMACOS_X -DMACOS_X_DARWIN -g -O2 -arch x86_64 -arch arm64 -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=1 -Wall -Wextra -Wshadow -Werror -Wno-error=missing-field-initializers -Wno-error=deprecated-declarations -Wno-error=unused-function
Linking: clang -L. -fstack-protector-strong -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/local/opt/libyaml/lib -L/usr/local/opt/openssl@1.1/lib -L/usr/local/opt/readline/lib -L. -fstack-protector-strong -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/local/opt/libyaml/lib -L/usr/local/opt/openssl@1.1/lib -L/usr/local/opt/readline/lib -arch x86_64 -arch arm64 -L/usr/local/lib -o Vim -lm -lncurses -liconv /usr/local/lib/libintl.a -framework AppKit -fstack-protector -L/System/Library/Perl/5.18/darwin-thread-multi-2level/CORE

Additional context

MacVim uses exactly the same API as iTerm2

MacVim:

macvim/src/MacVim/MMCoreTextView.m

Lines 755 to 758 in ef048ed

	if (thinStrokes) {
	originalSmoothingStyle = CGContextGetFontSmoothingStyle(ctx);
	CGContextSetFontSmoothingStyle(ctx, fontSmoothingStyleLight);
	}

iTerm2:
https://github.com/gnachman/iTerm2/blob/c52136b7c0bae545436be8d1441449f19e21faa1/sources/iTermGraphicsUtilities.m#L43-L51

In iTerm2 it is working great, so apparently, there is something wrong and that code in MacVim is never reached

Here are the iTerm2 screenshots:

with the thin strokes option

without the thin strokes option

[ychin]

I think something broke in Big Sur. Testing this on older macOS versions seems to show that it works, so maybe font smoothing is overriding the thin stroke here. I can take a look.

[timfjord]

Thanks, that would be great @ychin
Worth mentioning that I did all the screenshots on Catalina(10.15.7) so it looks like it is not only a Big Sur problem
I have a feeling that the API call(CGContextSetFontSmoothingStyle) is simply not reachable because exactly the same call works great in iTerm2