FCP "unexpectedly quit"

[John Locke]

..."your system and other applications remain unaffected."

That's the message I get every time I try to start up FCP. It gets past the confirmation for external devices (I've tried it with the a device connected and disconnected then clicking "continue")...and either way, it starts to show the canvas and preview windows and when it gets to the point where the timeline should appear...zap! It closes.

Any thoughts on how I can get past this problem?

[Ken Tanaka]

Eeww!

It may be time to try the old, time-honored cleansing ceremony of "Pitching Ye Old Preferences". It's FCP's version of "just give it a good whack".

/users/(name)/Library/Preferences/Final Cut Pro User Data/Final Cut Pro 3.0 Preferences (and "Final Cut Pro MOA Cache")

[John Locke]

Actually, I think I found the reason...but I still need some advice.

Before this problem, I'd been making an end credits sequence. The credits are bilingual, English and Japanese, and I used CenturyGothic and Osaka fonts (two of my mainstays).

Having given up no FCP for the moment, I went to a PhotoShop project that I've been working on that uses both Osaka and CenturyGothic fonts, too. But when I tried to open the graphic, it said "Fonts cannot be found."

So, I went to the system fonts directory...and they're gone! Not in the trash...and nowhere to be found with search.

I have an extra copy of Osaka, but when I tried to put it in the fonts folder, it says "Fonts folder cannot be altered" and won't accept it.

I don't have an extra copy of CenturyGothic...not without reinstalling the system.

Double groan. I'm considering the Dylan-method of stress management...curl up in a ball and cry.

Any advice?

[Ken Tanaka]

That -is- quite a puzzle. You should be able to just drag font files into /Library/Fonts. Perhaps try logging in as "root" to add Osaka back?

I'd be happy to send you Century Gothic, but I don't have it (at least on my PowerBook). I'll check my desktop in the morning.

[John Locke]

I found a copy of CenturyGothic...turns out it's a Microsoft Office font.

Plus, I reset the priveleges and was able to put both fonts back into the fonts directory.

My PhotoShop file opens properly now, but FCP was still crashing, so I bit the bullet and pulled out the prefs and MOA file. FCP will start up now...but I'm kind of nervous about opening up that same end credits project. Oh well...here goes...

[John Locke]

...and just to report back...the end credits work fine now.

Strange...what could've eaten those fonts? There wasn't a crash or anything. I just closed FCP, then when I tried to reopen it later, it wouldn't. And the fonts were gone.

Scary.

Jeff, Ken ...this brings to mind another question. While I was digging through disks looking for a replacement Century Gothic font, I came across a disk I have that has hundreds of fonts. I got it with a clip art collection I bought a few years back. The thing is, it doesn't have a font viewer. So, the only way I can check them out is to drag them into the fonts folder in groups, restart, and check them out.

Is there a font viewer app for the Mac that you know of that will allow me to preview fonts NOT in the system font directory? Seems all those freebie font viewers on the Apple OSX site either only allow you to see fonts in the "official" fonts folder, or allow you to install them into it. Nothing just for previewing any folder of fonts.

[Adrian Douglas]

It was either that or living next door to the IBM building has given your Mac PCitis.

[John Locke]

Ironic isn't it? A die-hard Mac guy living on the actual grounds of IBM plaza.

[Jeff Donald]

FontBook defaults to the font folder, but has an option to view fonts in any location. I think it is a great viewer, designed for professional use. It is a $10 shareware program. I find bitmap fonts can make it crash.

Sort of on the same line I have found a great interactive spell checker that even works in the browser while I'm writing this. It is called Spell Catcher and is a commercial program. It is available from Casady & Greene for $40.

[Rik Sanchez]

John,
I did a video for a friend who has a PAL sony camera, after I set FCP to PAL settings and did the video, after that if I tried to make a still from the video or when I opened a clip in the viewer, all I got was a white screen. After trashing the prefs FCP was okay again, still don't know what caused it.