Database Search in FE 2016

General discussion of the use of FontExpert font manager
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Iarp
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:22 am

Database Search in FE 2016

Post by Iarp »

Hi,
We upgraded from FE 2011 to FE 2016 and noticed that the Database Search function no longer exists.
In a previous topic “Database Search 2015” you said that the Database Search was replaced by Search in Library but if the font is not in the Library it can not be found - even if its folder is in Database.
Is there any way we can change the library path from its default location?
Or an alternative way to quickly search over LAN for font without using a “Find Fonts” (too slow)?
We have our fonts on different machines and don’t want to go through the process of moving all fonts on the same computer.
Thanks in advance!
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 321
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:20 am
Location: Proxima Software

Re: Database Search in FE 2016

Post by admin »

You probably use font library structure as a shared folder within your network visible to many users.
It is possible workflow, although it has some disatvantages. Users "see" all fonts within font library folder structure.

System administrator is usually the person who is responsible for handling this folder structure, for adding or deleting fonts.
We are working on a solution which will simplify sharing a font library between many computers.

In FontExpert version 14 the fonts that were not added to library are considered as fonts that user wanted to preview but does not want to add to Library and use within Groups. So FontExpert caches information about fonts it previews but does not display them in the results of search until user adds them to Library. (If user has previewed a font the user also can delete this font using 3rd party file manager - for example, Windows Explorer, thus the font file may become missing.)

Below are some reasons why we introduced new workflow in new version.

Version 14
Usage: User adds fonts to Library. Groups in version 14 are
virtual folders linked to files in Library.

Advantages:
a) The LIB folder structure is hidden from user and it is not easy
to move or delete folders in it and to make unlinked items in
Groups.

b) FontExpert assigns to each font file a unique FONT ID and guarantees
that this FONT ID will be the same on any computer.
FontExpert does not add duplicates to Library.

c) Tags are associated with FONT ID so it is easy to copy tags
from one computer to another (Export Tags/Import Tags).

d) <Fonts>/Library in FontExpert can display your font library in
many ways. The folder structure on disk remains unchanged, while
you can preview it in Library node by different ways, for example,
first sort by Font Type, the by font name, then by font weight -
about 1 million of combinations.

Library node is a powerful view of you folder structure.

Disadvantages:
The LIB folder structure is hidden from user. (Notice that this
is also marked as advantage.) The user does not control the
physical path to fonts within LIB root folder.

In FontExpert version 14 it is easy to copy font library from one computer to another (with groups and tags) computer as a Backup/Restore of FontExpert backup ZIP file.
Iarp
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:22 am

Re: Database Search in FE 2016

Post by Iarp »

Why do software developers always change good features in the hopes of making better ones?
I admit the LIB directory has the advantages you listed but searching the database was a very powerful command in my opinion. Just having the font directories added to the database could locate a font in mere seconds.
The real situation is as follows: a user begins a project using a downloaded font (from google for example) which he then saves directly in his computer. Sometime after the project has been finalized, a new user (at a potentially new machine) starts modifying the old project at the client’s request and must now locate the same font – he must do this via a LAN search which takes several minutes.
Searching the database was extremely useful when looking for rarely used fonts or checking for a specific font is on the LAN or not.
Using the LIB directory is useful but only for commonly used fonts. Adding hundreds if not thousands of fonts to the LIB directory just to get a faster search seems like a very round-a-bout solution.
Had I known FE 2016 no longer has the same function I would not have upgraded. Unfortunately database search was still listed as one of its functions on the website.
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 321
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:20 am
Location: Proxima Software

Re: Database Search in FE 2016

Post by admin »

Database Search feature is now named Search in Library, the button on toolbar opens th Library Search window the same features.

The difference with former Database search is that Library search looks only for fonts you added to Library, and it does not include to results the fonts that you previewed some time ago but not added to library.
FontExpert considers these fonts as not important for user.
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