[jkidwell]

Maxglitz -

If you're seeing Suitcase Fusion report potentially corrupt fonts, this is due to the fact that the font in question does not conform to the standard method of creating a font in one way or another. You may not see an issue with the font in one application, but yet another application might crash entirely if you attempt to use the font with it. This is the reason that we identify fonts as corrupt, yet still allow you to add them to Suitcase Fusion in place from your disk.

To help you repair some common corruption issues, every copy of Suitacse Fusion comes with Font Doctor for free. Use Font Doctor to check out and repair many common corruption issues. Or, better yet, if you have a font that's considered corrupt, obtain a new copy of it from your font foundry. Fonts can become corrupt over time due to disk issues, crashes, etc. So they are not immune to problems cropping up, and a fresh copy fixes many issues.

Regards,

Jim Kidwell

Extensis

[tenmiler]

I've had NO problems with FEX Pro that you mention, using Adobe CS4, to which I just upgraded this weekend. The only mild annoyance is that when you open a legacy CS3 document, it will not launch the fonts, it wants you to do that manually and then resave the document. I have about 20,000 fonts and while it's only been a few days, I can say that FEX Pro behaves just like the regular version did. EG without burying itself into the system with all these weird running programs taking up system resources (ahem, Suitcase)

Perhaps you're using a different version of Adobe CS than CS4?

But before you go run to Suitcase Fusion (no offense, jkidwell), I'd make sure your fonts are indeed in order. I own licenses to Fusion (and FAP for that matter), and Fusion was by far the most deeply annoying and crash-prone font management program to ever bury itself deep into my system. I will never go back to it, regardless of how many upgrades I've purchased from Extensis.

At least Font Explorer pro does not behave like this for me. Obviously, your mileage may vary. You might head to the Adobe forums and log your issue there as there might be some workarounds. You'll definitely find some debate about Suitcase from long time pros over there.

[jefferis]

I have Adobe CS4. The problems did not start for me right away, but not too long after moving from FEX free to Pro. I think the most disturbing thing for me, after dealing with Tech at Linotype, was the advice I received and no acknowledgement of the problem, although I provided screen shots, etc. I had NO problems with FEX free and would not have upgraded except for the need for CS4 plugins and the joy of supporting a company which had done so well with the free versions... However, being told to just turn off font activation IMO is not a viable solution. The fonts were all imported into FEX, so if there is an order problem it is with FEX.

I am however encountering a problem with Fusion 2 no longer starting up. Apparently having Fusion 1 and 2 on the same machine using the same library has created a problem, although it was unintentional on my part to start up 1...
Jeff

[tenmiler]

Wish I had an answer for you on that. I haven't had to deal with Linotype support, and I agree that their response to just turn off a critical component of the entire basis of font management (activation) is unhelpful. If I run into this, I'll be the first to move on (this is why I own so many of these programs).

I do have hopes for startup programs like Font Case to challenge the stalwart software apps like Font Agent and Suitcase.

If you have not already, go to forums.adobe.com and post your issue there. You might find an answer faster.

I'd give props to Extensis for posting here and answering questions. Support can mean the world of difference. Maybe you'll have better luck than me on Suitcase. So far it sounds like I've had better luck than you with FEX Pro.

[jefferis]

Well Fusion 2 is now munged badly and will not start at all. The Fusion Core sys preferences is the culprit. Fusion 1 still works for me, but Fusion 2 is dead even after a reinstall....

:-(
mega bummer.

I wonder if I can use my FontExplorer Pro CS4 plugins with my older FontExplorer Free software??

Jeff

[jkidwell]

Tenmiler-

The current version of Suitcase Fusion 2 was written based on the very-stable Universal Type Client code. If you test it out, I'm sure that you'll find it very reliable and virtually crash-proof. http://www.extensis.com/suitcasefusion

The only application that Suitcase Fusion 2 runs in the background is the Suitcase Fusion Core. This application does not "bury itself deeply in the system" it merely runs in the background to keep fonts active so that you don't need to keep Suitcase Fusion 2 running to keep your fonts active - even while Suitcase Fusion 2 isn't running and in your dock. In fact, all other font managers that keep fonts active even when the main app is not "running" will always have an application running in the background.

Regards,

Jim Kidwell

[jkidwell]

jefferis,

Running multiple font managers on one system at the same time can cause problems, with any font manager.

I'd recommend uninstalling the multiple managers that it sounds like you have installed right now, then re-installing only a single font manager.

For help with this process, Extensis Technical Support is always free - and we won't try to deny that you're having a problem. ;-)

http://www.extensis....pport/index.jsp
North America: (503) 274-7030
Outside the US: +44 (0) 1604-654-270

Jim Kidwell

Extensis

[jefferis]

Hi, I have an email in to tech support from Friday... no reply yet. What happened was I downloaded the trial and installed, and checked open at login. But it opened the old version instead of the new one, and that is when my problems started. However, I do not have Fusion 1 running now or at all (although it is still on the system). Fusion Core will just not start either with a new suitcase Vault or my existing Fusion 2 one. I am leery of deleting 1 , because it has my old suitcases and because it should not affect the current Core if it is not running, should it?

I just turned version 1 on to see if it still worked and then turned it off again...
It works, 2 does not...
Jeff

[jkidwell]

Jeff,

Let me check with the support guys and get back to you.

Jim

[maxglitz]

Thanks, Jim.

That's just the problem. Font Doctor found nothing wrong with the fonts in question. Even after re-installing the questionable fonts from the Adobe disk, I had the same problem. And while doing the research and reading reviews, I've found several references to that problem of "corrupt" fonts with my long-time friend Suitcase, including the fact that Font Doctor found them to be OK. At work I was using Font Agent Pro without a hitch, but reviews for FontExplorer X Pro have nearly convinced me to go with that.

[jkidwell]

Maxglitz-

I'd be interested to see which fonts are being listed as corrupt in Suitcase Fusion that aren't being identified in other font managers. Have you tried them in our newest release, Suitcase Fusion 2?

If they're still being identified as corrupt there, if you' wouldn't mind forwarding copies of the fonts to us, we would be happy to test them here too.

Jim

[lauriewigham]

I contacted Font Explorer's tech support about how to sort fonts by class (e.g. Script, Slab Serif, Humanist Sans Serif, Ornamental, etc.). They pointed me at the a very clear article in their Tips & Tricks section:
http://www.linotype....eature.html?utmsource=FexNewsletter-0801&utmmedium=email&utmterm=EN&utmcontent=content&utm_campaign=Labelfeature&PHPSESSID=d11dcc6e92f8f16ab5b7363df7e569ce&
This shows how to use the label field to sort by class. Unfortunately it involves a lot of work, going through your whole library and assigning a class to each font. It also looks like there is a maximum of seven labels available--and I'd like more.
Suitcase has a database which assigns classes automatically for most fonts--unfortunately not quite all. I have spent quite a bit of time assigning classes to the fonts that aren't in the database, and fixing the ones it got wrong.
I wish there were some sort of universally accessible database, like iTunes' Gracenotes, which would have this information about each font. Or that it could somehow be embedded as metadata with the font.
Ultimately I'd also like some more flexible system, like the way you assign tags in del.i.cio.us, so I could add classifications as they became useful to me. For example, I'd like to label some of my Ornamental fonts as "Trashtype" fonts. Or I'd like to tag all the ultra-condensed fonts I have, regardless or whether they are serif or sans.

[DomComm]

Is the free version still available anyplace? I don't need all of the functionality of the "high priced spread".

[jaynelson]

lauriewigham said:

I contacted Font Explorer's tech support about how to sort fonts by class (e.g. Script, Slab Serif, Humanist Sans Serif, Ornamental, etc.).
This shows how to use the label field to sort by class. Unfortunately it involves a lot of work, going through your whole library and assigning a class to each font. It also looks like there is a maximum of seven labels available--and I'd like more.

You're right: the Label approach is limited to 7 labels, and you can't apply more than one Label to a font. That's why I suggested using the Comment field to add your own text labels. You can add as many as you want, and still create a Smart Set to collect them -- or do a Search for matching keywords in the Comment field.