TP4 Fonts

Joe Hebert

Scenario:
I create a TP4 file and use Font A that?s installed on my PC. I then give that TP4 file to someone to transfer to a touch panel but that someone does not have Font A on his PC.

Question:
Does Font A get embedded into the TP4 file and therefore transfer as desired to the touch panel or does Font A get replaced with some sort of default font since the transferor didn?t have Font A installed on his PC?

Thanks.

ericmedley

Joe Hebert wrote: »

Scenario:
I create a TP4 file and use Font A that?s installed on my PC. I then give that TP4 file to someone to transfer to a touch panel but that someone does not have Font A on his PC.

Question:
Does Font A get embedded into the TP4 file and therefore transfer as desired to the touch panel or does Font A get replaced with some sort of default font since the transferor didn?t have Font A installed on his PC?

Thanks.

Perhaps I can answer this question with a issue I've had migrating from Windoze XP to Windoze 7.

I noticed after installing all my AMX software that when I opened an existing TP file a few of the fonts turned out to be 'missing.' However, they were indeed there. In fact I had to transfer the missing fonts from my original XP Pro fonts folder to get it to work. Each time I'd put the older font into the new Win7 folder, it warned me that it already existed (probabl named the same)

So, it's obvious that the fonts are not embedded in the file. That would be a good feature request. Kind of a 'pack-n-save feature that allows you to embed all the parts-n-peices for the TP.

DHawthorne

There was a time when it was, but due to copyright issues with font publishers, they tweaked it out before it caused them trouble (it could even be it did cause trouble, I'm just not aware it got that far). It used to be if you downloaded a panel file that contained a font you didn't own, it wound up getting installed on your system ... which, as you can see, might not make a publisher happy if they charge for font use. So it doesn't work like that any more. I suspect the font is still installed in the panel, but TPD4 won't extract it unless it exist on your computer.

But the bottom line is, you have to have the font on your computer, and if you switch computers, it will break your panel design until you install it ... and the automatic substitution can get very ugly, I might add. Furthermore, there is a glitch in the process ... if TPD4 runs into a font that isn't installed, any subsequent custom font loaded will also fail and get substituted, even if you do have it installed. If I see that message when loading a file, I cancel out immediately, find the4 font and install it, then load the file again.

John Gonzales

Joe Hebert wrote: »

...or does Font A get replaced with some sort of default font...

Not just replaced with some sort of default font, but some funky, completely incompatible with your design, wrong size, nasty font. I think it chooses the replacement font with the worst it can find in your font folder.

I like the idea of a pack-n-go feature but it makes sense why copyright issues would get in the way. One thing I just checked though is that if you generate a programmer's report (Panel -> Generate programmer's report) it lists the fonts in use on the panel. Makes it a little easier to figure out which fonts to send with the TP file just in case.

--John

DHawthorne

John Gonzales wrote: »

Not just replaced with some sort of default font, but some funky, completely incompatible with your design, wrong size, nasty font. I think it chooses the replacement font with the worst it can find in your font folder.

I like the idea of a pack-n-go feature but it makes sense why copyright issues would get in the way. One thing I just checked though is that if you generate a programmer's report (Panel -> Generate programmer's report) it lists the fonts in use on the panel. Makes it a little easier to figure out which fonts to send with the TP file just in case.

--John

Technically, even installing a paid for font on a touch panel can be a copyright violation, unless your license specifically allows it. Allowing someone to be able to download the panel file and install it for free on their own computer seems pretty clear to me as a potential issue.

kbeattyAMX

Can you change the default font in TPD4?

Pep_SD

Can you change the default font in TPD4?

I second this...
Anybody having the answer? I'm struggling with a job we're taking over and have to fix all UI with a bunch of Fonts that get replaced with "Courrier New", the worst possible font...

Thanks!

ericmedley

Pep_SD wrote: »

I second this...
Anybody having the answer? I'm struggling with a job we're taking over and have to fix all UI with a bunch of Fonts that get replaced with "Courrier New", the worst possible font...

Thanks!

I'd even settle for a, "Hey, I doni't have this font, can you choose one for me to replace it with?" window instead of the "Hey I don't have this font, sucks to be you 'cause I'm changing them to what ever the heck I want to."

Colzie

DHawthorne wrote: »

Technically, even installing a paid for font on a touch panel can be a copyright violation, unless your license specifically allows it. Allowing someone to be able to download the panel file and install it for free on their own computer seems pretty clear to me as a potential issue.

For those worried about font copyright issues, Google offers free fonts for the Web

CNET wrote:

"Since all the fonts are open source, you can use them any way you like. We also have a separate project hosted on Google Code for downloading the original font files. Since they're open source, they can be used for just about any purpose, including for print," the Google font team members said.

CT-Dallas

While upgrading to Win7 this week, I noticed that I was able to search for the font on my machine, and it seemed to locate them in exported workspaces. So, when the workspace is packed up, it appears to grab the font files and add them to the axw.