vfb files bugged?

Grrrben12 August 2009 · 02:46

From one to the other moment it seems something very strange happened to my vfb files. Since today I cannot install the OpenType fonts on my Windows XP system which I'm problemless generating in FontLab Studio 5. It says (somewhat translated from Dutch): "can't install the typeface (OpenType). Perhaps the font file is damaged. Aks a new one from your vendor." Going back to a vfb file from a few days ago and again generate a font without any problem does allow me to install the font. It seems a bug or something the like has invisibly nestled in my working files.

Clearing/Deleting windows' font cache as well as rebooting certain times didn't help. Using the .bak files either. Any thoughts?

Fingers crossed...

Bendy12 August 2009 · 06:17

Copy and paste the glyphs and features from the new file back into the old one, save under a new name and see if that works?

Grrrben12 August 2009 · 06:35

That is exactly what I was doing in the meantime as I really need to go on with the project. It fortunately works out well, although it isn't ideally. Thanks for suggestion!

Grrrben14 August 2009 · 02:54

Shiiiiiit, there it happens again: files corrupted. Anyone knows what does cause this problem? It is quite annoying.

Claus Eggers Sø...14 August 2009 · 03:04

I know. Fontlab does.

Grrrben14 August 2009 · 03:11

Ah, it seems it has something to do with kerning. When I remove all kerning pairs the problem is gone. But I don't want my fonts to be unkerned!

Claus Eggers Sø...14 August 2009 · 03:45

Try to export to a UFO and then import the UFO into a new Fontlab vfb. That might clean up things.

TheOtherNick17 August 2009 · 18:44

I have found sometimes that FontLab files acquire bad juju which shows up when you try to generate OpenType fonts. Sometimes, generating a PS Type 1 font, then opening it up in FontLab takes care of the problem, but sometimes it doesn't. In such cases, if I generate a TrueType font and open it, the problem goes away, but then you have to change the curves back to OpenType curves and, occasionally, some losses occur...

Claus Eggers Sø...17 August 2009 · 20:44

Gerben reports that the Fontlab -> UFO -> Fontlab seems to do the trick.

blank17 August 2009 · 21:18

Fontlab -> UFO -> Fontlab seems to do the trick.

Brilliant, I’m adding that to my list of things I really shouldn’t need to keep a list of.

Grrrben18 August 2009 · 03:33

Indeed, pardon me for not reporting this earlier. This 'trick' works perfectly, Claus made my day!

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