Building font cache

[tandrewm]

I just did a little test and it appears the problem is that VLC does not handle the UNC name correctly. I opened a Command Prompt window and typed SET. The APPDATA environment variable is set to a UNC similar to this APPDATA=\\servername\users\username\Application Data. In the Command Prompt window I typed SET APPDATA=H:\Application Data <return> (my home directory is mapped to H:). Then, still in the Command Prompt window, I typed "C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\vlc.exe". VLC launches using the environment of the Command Prompt window and I do not receive the Building Font Cache message. It is strange to me that the font cache file is still not created in the H:\Application Data\vlc directory but each video loads and begins playing right away.

I hope this helps the programmers in finding the bug.

[DJX]

Excellent troubleshooting, tandrewm.

I figured it was UNC path problems...
I just thought, since I have stated this many times that some one could pick it up.

Interesting that the cache is still not created though...

[sopron]

hello. on vista32 after installing vlc 1.1.1 the font cache has been rebuilded. but only the first time i opened a file. all the next times it opens without rebuilding font cache. the first time only. then it works well

[fleamo]

Not sure if I should be posting in this thread, but here goes.

Experiencing a similar issue with Building Font Cache. It hangs at 20%. I've tried deleting the %appdata%/Roaming/VLC directory, but that doesn't fix anything. I don't actually see a font cache file in that directory, though.

I noticed this problem first with 1.1.1. I tried installing older versions (1.0.5, 1.0.2) but now nothing works.

VLC used to work fine. What the heck happened?

[DJX]

I don't know what good it will do, but I created a bug report:
http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/3950

[IamZombie]

Same exact issue here as well.
Every time I open VLC I get the "Building Font Cache"

My application data is also stored on a network drive.

What is the purpose of the font cache anyway?
Is it for subtitles?

[VLC_help]

What is the purpose of the font cache anyway?
Is it for subtitles?

Yes, it is for subtitles and other text rendering options.

[blank]

im having the same problem, and its damn annoying.
Sometimes it can take longer than 2 min.

hope it gets fixed soon. love VLC player. would hate to look for another.

[JDCorley]

I'm on Windows XP SP3, completely updated, and the latest VLC version (1.1.1), and it says it is building a new font cache, then it closes itself abruptly with no error message, not even in the Messages board with verbosity set to max. It closes like I alt-F4-ed. This only happens with movie files.

[secarica]

What is the purpose of the font cache anyway?
Is it for subtitles?

Yes, it is for subtitles and other text rendering options.

I wish it were only for that, but that dialog shows up even for my own .avi files, transferred from my DV camera, where no text/translation/whatever text exists. It is extremely annoying specially because if I click "Cancel" right away, the program hangs or appears to do nothing more. I have to close VLC, restart it, see that stupid dialog again, click Cancel again and hopefully after a few cancel/kill/restart cycles the movie eventually starts without asking about a font for nothing.

Cristi

[JDCorley]

This problem does persist into 1.1.2.

[IamZombie]

What is the purpose of the font cache anyway?
Is it for subtitles?

Yes, it is for subtitles and other text rendering options.

If it's only for subtitles and text rendering, why can't it be disabled?

What is the purpose of the font cache anyway?
Is it for subtitles?

Yes, it is for subtitles and other text rendering options.

I wish it were only for that, but that dialog shows up even for my own .avi files, transferred from my DV camera, where no text/translation/whatever text exists. It is extremely annoying specially because if I click "Cancel" right away, the program hangs or appears to do nothing more. I have to close VLC, restart it, see that stupid dialog again, click Cancel again and hopefully after a few cancel/kill/restart cycles the movie eventually starts without asking about a font for nothing.

Cristi

Exactly!

I should be able to disable the cache and at least select a static font I would use in the event I ever need subtitles or text rendering.

[hermitx]

Yeah, this cache thing is getting on my nerves. VLC is as far as I know the only program that needs a cache for fonts.
I install new fonts all the time. I can't have this 10min font caching thing showing up every single time.

[VLC_help]

Does it help if you disable Show media title on video (Tools -> Preferences and Show settings: All, Video) then press Save and restart VLC?

[azthai]

Error:
Buidling font Cache pop-up

Solution:

Open VLC player.

On Menu Bar:

Tools
Preferences

(at bottom - left side)
Show settings -- ALL

Open: Video
Click: Subtitles/OSD (This is now highlited, not opened)
Text rendering module - change this to "Dummy font renderer function"

Save
Exit

Re-open - done.
Progy will no longer look outside self for fonts
Please post reply, I'll debug more if not working.

[DJX]

That works for now...good find.

Still should be fixed properly though.

[chief piggum]

Error:
Buidling font Cache pop-up

Solution:

Open VLC player.

On Menu Bar:

Tools
Preferences

(at bottom - left side)
Show settings -- ALL

Open: Video
Click: Subtitles/OSD (This is now highlited, not opened)
Text rendering module - change this to "Dummy font renderer function"

Save
Exit

Re-open - done.
Progy will no longer look outside self for fonts
Please post reply, I'll debug more if not working.

this works for me. thanks man!!!!!

[JDCorley]

Definitely is working for me. Thanks for the fix!

[blank]

Error:
Buidling font Cache pop-up

Solution:

Open VLC player.

On Menu Bar:

Tools
Preferences

(at bottom - left side)
Show settings -- ALL

Open: Video
Click: Subtitles/OSD (This is now highlited, not opened)
Text rendering module - change this to "Dummy font renderer function"

Save
Exit

Re-open - done.
Progy will no longer look outside self for fonts
Please post reply, I'll debug more if not working.

just changed the setting. hope it works :d
thanks if so.

[jsmorley]

Thank goodness. This seems to work so far. If so, it will be the only thing that saves me from giving up on VLC completely. It has rebuilt my font cache on average every 3rd movie with times ranging from 30 seconds to several minutes. It made the app unusable. After many years of using VLC exclusively, that would have been a shame.

[hereiam]

Thank you to azthai.

Your reply is exactly correcting problem. VLC is my top pick media player until problem of font cache popup. Now resolved, much happy.
God bless you.

[POQbum]

Thank-you. It worked.
VLC developers need to remove this piece of junk, does more harm than good. I shouldn't have to spend 10 minutes looking for a way to disable it.
The small 2% of people who actually would like that feature should spend the 10 minutes to enable it.

[BigMischa]

I had the same problems with the new 1.1.3 Version of VLC Player.
I installed VLC on my 1 week old Win 7 64 Bit system, and it opens the fontcache dialog right when i want to play the first videofile, even if it has no subtitles. i can see the fontcache progressbar, but nothing happens. then the whole system freezes, I even can't open the taskmanager.

In my folder %appdata% there is a folder called VLC but there are only two files in it. What files should be there normally?
I think that somehow either the fontcache file can't be created because of accessproblems or somehow the fontcache has problems reading the fonts in my windows folder.

disabeling the subtitle options worked, but this is no solution, because I often watch movies in foreign language and need the subtitles.

most curious thing about it: before i had installed 1.1.2 on the same system, and it was running without problems, even with subtitles activated.

[sendblink23]

That is not a solution.. the Subtitles don't work after that

*its good that it stops making the font cache thing... but its not entirely worth it for users who often use subtitles

Back to older vlc versions

[BigMischa]

Yes, I agree, that's no solution, just a workaround.

But even when I install VLC 1.1.2 again (that's the version that previously worked with the subtitles), the player want's to build up a frontcache at start of the fist movie and crashes the whole system.

I have even tried VLC 1.1.0, but the same happens.

I'd like to use 1.1.2 or higher, because of the video card acceleration feature for ATI videocards. It seems like those feature makes big mkv and m2ts files work more fluidly.

Please dear VLC Team, we need a suitable solution here!