LiveType: Installing and Managing LiveFont and Object Data
Some data used by LiveType has considerable storage requirements and may not need to be installed in all cases. It is not automatically installed when installing Final Cut Pro 4.
Products Affected
Final Cut Pro
When you install Final Cut Pro 4, LiveType is installed, too. Additional data for LiveType, such as LiveFonts and Objects, though, are not automatically installed because of the disk space they require. If you do not install the packages from the two LiveType Data discs after installing Final Cut Pro and restarting your computer, you may see a message titled "Missing LiveType Data" and a list of files that are not installed (see Figure 1) while working in LiveType.
Figure 1 Missing LiveType Data message
If you choose the first option, "Install missing LiveType Data now," LiveType will prompt you to insert the LiveType Data discs, and will install the necessary data on your computer's hard disk. Additionally, if you select the "as Aliases" and "Install missing LiveType Data now" options, LiveType will create aliases on your computer's hard disk instead of the actual data, and ask you where you want to save the data. This can be useful if you do not wish to have the LiveType data stored on your computer's hard disk due to the considerable storage space needed for this information.
If you choose the second option, "Use Poster Frames for Tracks with missing Data," LiveType will make due without the necessary data and render your project with just a single proxy frame that represents the LiveFont or Object. This can be useful while developing your LiveType project, but may not be desirable for final output. If you choose this option, the poster frame will be static--LiveFonts and Objects will not be animated as usual.
Another method of managing the storage requirements for LiveFonts and Objects is to install them only as needed, and then remove them after rendering to free up disk space on your computer's hard disk. Here's a typical workflow using this option:
You can tell which Objects and LiveFonts are installed by checking the Installed column in the Media Browser. In some cases, it may be necessary to quit and reopen LiveType after installing LiveFonts or Objects before their Installed status changes in the Media Browser.
Figure 2 Install and Uninstall buttons in Media Browser
Figure 1 Missing LiveType Data message
If you choose the first option, "Install missing LiveType Data now," LiveType will prompt you to insert the LiveType Data discs, and will install the necessary data on your computer's hard disk. Additionally, if you select the "as Aliases" and "Install missing LiveType Data now" options, LiveType will create aliases on your computer's hard disk instead of the actual data, and ask you where you want to save the data. This can be useful if you do not wish to have the LiveType data stored on your computer's hard disk due to the considerable storage space needed for this information.
If you choose the second option, "Use Poster Frames for Tracks with missing Data," LiveType will make due without the necessary data and render your project with just a single proxy frame that represents the LiveFont or Object. This can be useful while developing your LiveType project, but may not be desirable for final output. If you choose this option, the poster frame will be static--LiveFonts and Objects will not be animated as usual.
Another method of managing the storage requirements for LiveFonts and Objects is to install them only as needed, and then remove them after rendering to free up disk space on your computer's hard disk. Here's a typical workflow using this option:
- 1. Create your project as you normally would. When you are ready to render, continue to the next steps.
2. Select the LiveFonts used in your project from the list in the Media Browser.
3. In the lower-left corner of the Media Browser, there are two small buttons.
4. Click the one on the left to install the selected LiveFonts (Figure 2).
5. Perform steps 2 through 4 for Objects in your project.
6. When all LiveFonts and Objects used in your project have been installed, you're ready to render.
7. Optionally, after you have completed and rendered your project, you can remove the installed items by selecting them as above then using the other button in the lower-left corner of the Media Browser to remove them from your hard disk.
You can tell which Objects and LiveFonts are installed by checking the Installed column in the Media Browser. In some cases, it may be necessary to quit and reopen LiveType after installing LiveFonts or Objects before their Installed status changes in the Media Browser.
Figure 2 Install and Uninstall buttons in Media Browser