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2018 Installation issues and still hate the library

Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 2:12 pm
by stevecop
1. Having installed 2018 and copied over the old database, it is frustrating that the library does not show which fonts are installed. I can find the info at the windows folder level but not the library. Does it mean I have to reinstall all the fonts yet again just so the library knows they are there?
2. Some years ago FE stopped allowing you to store tags associated with the font files and instead made it mandatory to use the library if you wanted to use tags. OK but the library is so utterly frustrating to use. All I want is to have a view of all my fonts with their associated tags. Yes I can view all fonts in the new fonts view, looking at the store file, but without tags. If I use the library I have first to know if a font is True Type, Open type or some other special type. I don’t care - I just want so browse my fonts! Why can’t you just click "Library" and see everything, moving down to the lower levels if you choose.

Re: 2018 Installation issues and still hate the library

Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:52 pm
by admin
1. Setup does not automatically move old library to new location. We suggest migration from previous version to new version 15.0 using Backup/Restore feature. In this case you copy LIB folder and other information to backup ZIP file, and then restore it in the new version in new location. If you had some fonts installed in old LIB folder (in old Library), they remain installed until you uninstall them. When you uninstall old version of FontExpert, you should uninstall all fonts that are located in FontExpert library. See Fonts view - My Collections, Groups, Library.
The installed fonts were physically located in the LIB folder of previous version of FontExpert. New version creates library (and LIB folder) in different location. This is very likely the reason why fonts were not marked as installed.
2. Version 15.0 allows you to assign tags to fonts not located in Library (as well as to fonts located in Library). For example, if you add your folders to My Collections nodes, the fonts remain in your folder, but you can assign tags to these fonts and do Search. Fonts in this case will be displayed with additional icon ("user").
By default, Library displays nodes: OpenType/TT, TrueType, etc. on the first level. But you can change this and choose another structure. For example, you can display font families in alphabetical order. Please see "Library Display Levels..." context menu command and the button on toolbar in Fonts view. (Physically fonts remain in the same folders within LIB folder. The files not moved.)

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We have enhanced "My Collections" feature in new FontExpert, so you can attach external font folders to Fonts view (for example, your local font collection, or folders, that are synchronized with collections located on cloud servers, like OneDrive or Google Disk sync folders). But the Library is a very good and effective feature and we recommend you to use Library as well.