[comp.sys.mac] BIG Font problems with 6.0

thomas@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Thomas Summerall) (02/22/89)

I posted this before, but I don't think it made it:

It seems that System 6.0 oriented graphics programs, namely Macdraw II and
Canvas 2.0 have a hard time with non Apple fonts.  I mean 3rd party fonts
like Basel, Camelot, NY Inline, oblique, etc.  When I attempt to use these
fonts in either of the above programs they are displayed with drastically
distorted spacing, either all letters on top of each other or spread far apart.
I can't figure out what the problem is.  It only seems to happen in those two
programs. No other graphics or WP programs that I have tried (PixelPaint, MS
Word 3.02, etc.) display this problem.

What's going on?  Is this sytem 6.02?  Or these two programs?  Or the fonts?
Or the strange combination of all three?  The system is a 2 meg Mac II with
system 6.02 and HD40.  I am not using suitcase or master juggler, the fonts
are all in the system.

Anyone else notice this problem?  What do these two programs have that none
others do?

Help!  Thanks...

Thomas Summerall
thomas@eleazar.dartmouth.edu

Disclaimer:  Any material offensive to Shiite Muslims in this message was
             written by someone else...

drc@claris.com (Dennis Cohen) (02/22/89)

In article <12316@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> thomas@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Thomas Summerall) writes:
>It seems that System 6.0 oriented graphics programs, namely Macdraw II and
>Canvas 2.0 have a hard time with non Apple fonts.  I mean 3rd party fonts
>like Basel, Camelot, NY Inline, oblique, etc.  When I attempt to use these
>fonts in either of the above programs they are displayed with drastically
>distorted spacing, either all letters on top of each other or spread far apart.
>I can't figure out what the problem is.  It only seems to happen in those two
>programs. No other graphics or WP programs that I have tried (PixelPaint, MS
>Word 3.02, etc.) display this problem.
>
Well, you didn't try enough programs.  FullWrite Professional also has the
problem (:-}), as will any other program that attempts to use the fractional
width information that is stored with every font in order to "properly" do
proportional spacing.  A very large number of these fonts are really munged
in this area.  I have been able to repair a large number of mine by running
them through the font-related utilities that come with Suitcase II.

>What's going on?  Is this sytem 6.02?  Or these two programs?  Or the fonts?
>Or the strange combination of all three?  The system is a 2 meg Mac II with
>system 6.02 and HD40.  I am not using suitcase or master juggler, the fonts
>are all in the system.
>
The problem is in the fonts.  The problem existed with the System 5.0 release
as well (System 4.2, Finder 6.0) when used with these programs.  In MacDraw II
you can work around this problem by turning off fractional spacing in the
Preferences dialog.

>Anyone else notice this problem?  What do these two programs have that none
>others do?
>
See the discussion above as to what they have that others don't.


Dennis Cohen
Claris Corp.
------------
Disclaimer:  Any opinions expressed above are _MINE_!