Thread: [Matplotlib-users] Font problems w/ mpl, fink, ttf

I installed the fink version of mpl on my 10.3.9 laptop the other day.  I've
not been able to work around font problems and am looking for suggestions.
When I run "ipython -pylab" (GTKAgg backend) I get this traceback:

      File "/sw/bin/ipython", line 28, in ?
        IPython.Shell.start().mainloop()
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/IPython/Shell.py", line 883, in start
        return shell()
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/IPython/Shell.py", line 810, in __init__
        IPShellGTK.__init__(self,argv,user_ns,debug,shell_class=MatplotlibMTShell)
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/IPython/Shell.py", line 618, in __init__
        on_kill=[mainquit])
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/IPython/ipmaker.py", line 85, in make_IPython
        IP = shell_class('__IP',user_ns=user_ns,**kw)
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/IPython/Shell.py", line 500, in __init__
        user_ns,b2 = self._matplotlib_config(name)
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/IPython/Shell.py", line 373, in _matplotlib_config
        from matplotlib import backends
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/matplotlib/backends/__init__.py", line 56, in ?
        new_figure_manager, draw_if_interactive, show = pylab_setup()
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/matplotlib/backends/__init__.py", line 24, in pylab_setup
        globals(),locals(),[backend_name])
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtkagg.py", line 8, in ?
        from matplotlib.figure import Figure
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/matplotlib/figure.py", line 3, in ?
        from axes import Axes, Subplot, PolarSubplot, PolarAxes
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/matplotlib/axes.py", line 14, in ?
        from axis import XAxis, YAxis
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/matplotlib/axis.py", line 25, in ?
        from font_manager import FontProperties
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/matplotlib/font_manager.py", line 993, in ?
        fontManager = FontManager()
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/matplotlib/font_manager.py", line 837, in __init__
        rebuild()
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/matplotlib/font_manager.py", line 830, in rebuild
        self.ttfdict = createFontDict(self.ttffiles)
      File "/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/matplotlib/font_manager.py", line 456, in createFontDict
        font = ft2font.FT2Font(str(fpath))
    RuntimeError: Could not load facefile /Library/Fonts/CharcoalCY.dfont; Unknown_File_Format

I went looking for a solution and found this page:

    http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~you/notes/matplotlib-fink-install.html

It suggested copying ttf files from Windows, setting TTFPATH and removing
~/.ttfont.cache.  Not having Windows, I poked around some more and found
fondu:

    http://fondu.sourceforge.net/

I downloaded and built that, then converted all the fonts in /Library/Fonts,
set TTFPATH and removed ~/.ttfont.cache.  No change.  Any ideas?

Thx,

-- 
Skip Montanaro
Katrina Benefit Concerts: http://www.musi-cal.com/katrina
sk...@po...

>>>>> "skip" == skip  <sk...@po...> writes:

    skip> I installed the fink version of mpl on my 10.3.9 laptop the
    skip> other day.  I've not been able to work around font problems
    skip> and am looking for suggestions.  When I run "ipython -pylab"
    skip> (GTKAgg backend) I get this traceback:
    skip> line 456, in createFontDict font =
    skip> ft2font.FT2Font(str(fpath)) RuntimeError: Could not load
    skip> facefile /Library/Fonts/CharcoalCY.dfont;
    skip> Unknown_File_Format


What version of matplotlib are you using.  In recent versions we've
tried to me more friendly about catching exceptions, warning, and then
moving on, rather than failing.  There are many mac ttf fonts that
fail and I don't know why (what version of freetype are you using?).

I suggest either upgrading to the most recent mpl which should be
tolerant of bad fonts.

If that doesn't work, you might want to look into the font_manager
module, and hack the font finding machinery to just return the mpl
system fonts (eg Vera*).  If you search for

  self.ttffiles = findSystemFonts(paths) + findSystemFonts()

 you'll find the spot where the font search list is set and you could
 manually hack this.  We could provide an override setting for the
 font manager in rc that says "just use such and such font dirs".

Let me know if any of this helps,
JDH

    skip> I installed the fink version of mpl on my 10.3.9 laptop the other
    skip> day.  I've not been able to work around font problems ...

    John> What version of matplotlib are you using.  

According to fink I am using

    matplotlib-py24     0.84-2
    freetype219         2.1.9-1
    freetype219-shlibs  2.1.9-1

The -1 and -2 are presumably fink package numbers.

    John> I suggest either upgrading to the most recent mpl which should be
    John> tolerant of bad fonts.

Unfortunately, I think I'm as up-to-date as I can get, right?

    John> If that doesn't work, you might want to look into the font_manager
    John> module, and hack the font finding machinery to just return the mpl
    John> system fonts (eg Vera*).  If you search for

    John>   self.ttffiles = findSystemFonts(paths) + findSystemFonts()

    John>  you'll find the spot where the font search list is set and you
    John> could manually hack this.  We could provide an override setting
    John> for the font manager in rc that says "just use such and such font
    John> dirs".

Thanks, I'll check into this this evening...

Skip