Using OpenType Fonts in Xara 3D6

[Paladin]

I have several very nice (and expensive) Adobe full typeface sets in OpenType (i.e. otf) format that 3D6 doesn't even see, or at least, doesn't present in the font choice dialog. This is a major drawback, given the focus of the program on 3D text effects.

Does anyone know if there has been a service release or update to address this? I have had X3D for several years now, having purchased it immediately upon initial release, but I haven't seen or heard of any updates. Failing that, does anyone know of a registry setting or other configuration change that will permit otf fonts to be recognized by X3D and presented in the font-select dropdown? Thanks.

cheers,
paladin

[steve.ledger]

All Microsoft/Adobe Open Type fonts I have use .TTF suffix and work fine with X3D6.
The .OTF might need the Adobe Open Type Manager installed (Open Type Manager Light and Adobe PS Printer drivers available here)

[Paladin]

Interesting, indeed. Both the Adobe Sanvito Pro family and Microsoft's own Segoe family that are installed on my machine have a green italic capital "O" icon, but the Segoe fonts have a ttf extension and the Sanvito fonts have an otf extension. Apparently it is the extension that X3D doesn't recognize.

Or maybe not. I just tried an experiment, copying one of the Sanvito faces to another folder, renaming it with a ttf extension, and reinstalling it. Still no joy; X3D doesn't see it. It does, however, see Microsoft's Segoe faces.

I'll try your suggestion of the Adobe OpenType Manager and see what happens.

cheers,
paladin

[Paladin]

Hmm, well, so much for that. I went to the site, and clicked the link to download the Adobe Type Manager Light. Takes me to another page which has a link to download it, but when clicked that link simply repeatedly returns to the same page.

I really don't think that would have accomplished anything anyway. ATM Light is for supporting PS Type 1 fonts; nothing I read there mentioned OpenType. Also, the page said that support for PostScript had been built into Windows since v. 2000, so I don't think that is the issue. I'm on Vista Ultimate.

Bummer. I'm not doing any animation, so I guess I'll go back to Illustrator CS4 and use its 3D extrusion tools to attain my objective. It's nowhere near as straightforward for texturizing, lighting, etc. as X3D, but since X3D won't support the font, I don't have a hell of a lot of choice in the matter. A shame...

cheers,
paladin

[handrawn]

I suppose you could vectorise the font letters and import them into xara3D as shapes - though I appreciate this may not be practical as I do not know what you are trying to achieve

[Soquili]

One of the drawbacks to OpenType fonts is that the internal structure can be in various formats.

Many of Adobe's .otf fonts are actually Type1 fonts in an OpenType wrapper. Basically it looks like OpenType on the outside but on the inside it is Type1.

In the attached image the ArnoPro fonts are actually Adobe Type1. Windows shows them as being OpenType when in fact they are older Type1 fonts completely.

[Paladin]

Thank you all for your replies. It is extremely interesting, and somewhat disappointing, to learn of that character of OpenType fonts. I suppose that I will simply choose another font for the purpose.

On the silver lining side of things, while pondering my options, I happened to glance over at my bookcase and notice Book 3 of the manuals that came with Corel Draw 7 (remember those days, actual paper manuals?).

Book 3 is about an inch and a half thick, and comprises solely the library of all of the fonts and graphics that were included with the package. Fully the first 90-100 pages comprise a library of the included fonts, numbering some thousand or so in every possible category.

GOK what they paid to license all of those BitStream, ITC, etc. fonts, but in leafing through the library I encountered any number of suitable substitutions for my original choice. I rummaged around and located the original four-CD set for Corel Draw 7, so I shall be installing it, along with the default font set and a selection of the candidates for my project. Those, I may be assured, will be TrueType, and I should have no problem using them in X3D.

Thanks again for your replies.

cheers,
paladin

[antimix]

WOW, I did not notice that X3D did not see the OpenType fonts .

Xara Exteme does. I have lots's of fonts in OTF!!

So I tried to write a text in Exteme using an OpenType font, and then COPY (the Extreme object, not the text near the cursor) and PASTE in X3D, and magically it appeared and I could change all the attributes, color, light, bevel as usual .

The only drawback was that I could not edit the text using X3D.

I hope this can Help you.

Regards.

[Paladin]

Hey, thanks! It never occurred to me to try that. Text not being editable shouldn't be an issue, with the ease of switching back and forth between the two. I have already resolved the original issue, but I've saved this thread to EverNote to jog my memory the next time it comes up.

cheers,
paladin