| I am a non-technical but overall savvy Mac user. I downloaded OOo_2.0.0rc3_051016_MacosxPPC_install.dmg and began to use the program. Problem #1: the help file is of no use whatever in how to install fonts. With some effort, I learned the name of the executable and figured out how to put a path statement into X11 to invoke the utility. Most users would not know how to do this, particularly since the utility is embedded in a package, and therefore involves backslashes which most would not guess. The two types of fonts that supposedly work are .ttf and windows/unix type 1 fonts. They do not import properly, in that they cannot parse different styles/weights properly from either .ttf or type 1 afm referents. The result is that the same face in a font family is displayed more than once in the font menu, and depending on which one the user chooses, results in unpredictable results. The worst pertains to font families in which there is an italic variant, sometimes called "italic" or at other times called "oblique" -- font families which contain more than 4 weights/variants are even more troublesome, e.g. Adobe's Minion family; the sub-families such as OS, Titling, etc., do not load properly. I'm talking about the properly encoded versions for Windows or Unix, not the Mac versions. I have tried fonts made directly by Adobe (and supplied on their Type On Call CD in 'Unix' format) as well as Mac fonts I've transformed to Unix/DOS format with the Metamorphosis font conversion program. The fonts are not the problem, the parsing of different fonts within families, is. Otherwise, OO 2 for Mac would be a wonderful tool; is there a work-around for the above that I haven't thought of? Mac users are historically very keen on fonts, so I respectfully suggest this be made a priority (even better, that the version for OS X be modified such as has been done with NeoOffice/J to access the Mac OS X fonts natively, even if the other native elements such as menus were not, particularly since a minor preference change in X11 enables a Mac user to make use of the Apple Command key instead of Control). I was astounded to learn that all the work that went into this program consists of 10 people working at it part time. It is a great effort, I'm sorry to have to bring up the fonts issue, but it is crucial to acceptance and subsequent donations. Joe Wheeler p.s. Another killer mod that would attract Mac users would be the ability of OpenOffice to import Word 5.1a files correctly. I wish you all the best in your continuing efforts. |
