Long load times for font dropdown

[autumn.staub]

Hi all!

I make some custom signs and nameplates etc. which means over  the years I've collected a huge amount of fonts. My system font file has more than 3,000 fonts at this moment but I have more than 10k in my library.

The problem I am having is, whenever I get above ~2k fonts in my font folder, Fusion goes unresponsive for several minutes whenever I try to select a font in the dropdown in Sketch mode, and sometimes it even crashes. 

It can be very troublesome needing to add and remove fonts from my system font folder, but it is what I have been doing for a while. I was wondering if this is my only recourse, or of there is something I'm missing?

Does Fusion have a limit (or recommended amount) of system fonts it can process? I'd prefer to keep all my fonts in the system font folder and not have to play "musical chairs" with them.

Other programs are able to handle the full font library, it just seems to be Fusion that is having an issue.

Let me know if there is anything I can do. Thanks for your consideration!

[tpinto]

Same issue!!!  Any luck? 

[lanparty233]

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@autumn.staub wrote:

Hi all!

I make some custom signs and nameplates etc. which means over  the years I've collected a huge amount of fonts. My system font file has more than 3,000 fonts at this moment but I have more than 10k in my library.

The problem I am having is, whenever I get above ~2k fonts in my font folder, Fusion goes unresponsive for several minutes whenever I try to select a font in the dropdown in Sketch mode, and sometimes it even crashes. 

It can be very troublesome needing to add and remove fonts from my system font folder, but it is what I have been doing for a while. I was wondering if this is my only recourse, or of there is something I'm missing?

Does Fusion have a limit (or recommended amount) of system fonts it can process? I'd prefer to keep all my fonts in the system font folder and not have to play "musical chairs" with them.

Other programs are able to handle the full font library, it just seems to be Fusion that is having an issue.

Let me know if there is anything I can do. Thanks for your consideration!

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After reading this I was conducting some research on this an I came across a potential solution that could enhance the performance of the fusion 360 software while also allowing you to utilize a wider range of fonts in various applications.

Based on my findings, I discovered that Fusion 360 relies on Windows fonts as the standard. Therefore, instead of directly adding .ttf and .otf files to Fusion 360 fonts folder, you should consider installing them into the Windows fonts folder itself. By doing so, I believe this approach could significantly reduce the load on Fusion 360 during the font loading and searching processes.

The key benefit of this method is that the fonts will be preloaded when Windows starts, ensuring quick accessibility within Fusion 360 and other software applications. Additionally, you will be able to utilize these fonts in a broader range of programs as well, such as PowerPoint 2007, which uses .otf files, and newer programs that prefer .ttf files.

Moreover, there have been recommendations suggesting that .otf files are more suitable for printing 3D materials.

I believe implementing this approach would lead to improved efficiency and a more seamless font experience within Fusion 360. By reducing the font-related load, it could positively impact the overall performance and responsiveness of the fusion 360 software.

Instructions on how to install the .ttf and .otf files directly into the Windows fonts folder link

Hope this helps you out.

[autumn.staub]

Wow, amazed to see activity after so long!

@lanparty233 I was already putting these fonts into my sytem font folder (the Windows font folder). I wasn't even aware Fusion had a special font folder. This issue still persists, though. I've resigned myself to using another program to pick the font, placing it in the Windows font folder, and removing it when I am done, which is cumbersome. It can also cause issues when I open an old project if I havent converted the font to splines or some such.

For files with a large number of fonts, I've gotten into the habit of tracing them or converting to sketch lines, which also is trouble if I want to alter the text later.

Open to any and all suggestions!!

[lanparty233]

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@autumn.staub wrote:

Wow, amazed to see activity after so long!

@lanparty233 I was already putting these fonts into my sytem font folder (the Windows font folder). I wasn't even aware Fusion had a special font folder. This issue still persists, though. I've resigned myself to using another program to pick the font, placing it in the Windows font folder, and removing it when I am done, which is cumbersome. It can also cause issues when I open an old project if I havent converted the font to splines or some such.

For files with a large number of fonts, I've gotten into the habit of tracing them or converting to sketch lines, which also is trouble if I want to alter the text later.

Open to any and all suggestions!!

---

Yeah I removed that edit just as you posted, as all fonts must be in windows systems files.

Some fonts may not work with Fusion 360, even if they are .ttf. If a particular font is causing trouble, download and send the font to the Fusion 360 support team so they can check with the developers if necessary. 

[autumn.staub]

@lanparty233 It isn't a specific font, but instead, is only if the fonts get above 2k or so in number. I tested this on my own by simply copying and renaming the normal system fonts (Times New Roman, Ariel and Calibri) 2k times and adding them to the folder, same issue occurs. 

There must be something in how Fusion loads the fonts, I suspect it may load them not just as a pickable list (then loading the file itself once selected) but instead, I think it is loading the font files themselves into memory when selecting the dropdown, which would take a long time

Not sure if this would be seen by someone who can make the change, but maybe someone can see how the font picker is loading, and see if it is just a simple file list or if it actually loads into Fusions memory every font file completely?

I'd prefer it to load the font into memory after it is picked from the file list if so, I think that might help?

[lanparty233]

When reading up about experiencing lag or performance issues with Windows fonts that are larger than 2KB in file size, there could be several potential causes within windows.

Here are a few steps you can try to resolve the issue:

1) Clear Font Cache: Windows maintains a font cache to improve performance. Sometimes, this cache can become corrupted, leading to issues. Clearing the font cache may help resolve the problem. Follow these steps:
a. Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
b. Type "services.msc" and press Enter to open the Services window.
c. Scroll down and locate the "Windows Font Cache Service" entry.
d. Right-click on it and select "Stop" to stop the service.
e. Open File Explorer and navigate to the following location: C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local.
f. Locate the "FontCache" folder and delete its contents (not the folder itself).
g. Restart your computer.
h. After restarting, the font cache will be rebuilt automatically.

2) Update Graphics Drivers: Outdated or incompatible graphics drivers can sometimes cause font rendering issues. Visit the website of your graphics card manufacturer (such as NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) and download the latest drivers for your specific model.

3) Disable Font Smoothing: Font smoothing is a feature that improves the appearance of text on screen, but it may contribute to performance issues. You can try disabling font smoothing and see if it improves the situation.
a. Right-click on the desktop and select "Display settings."
b. Scroll down and click on "Advanced display settings."
c. Click on "Advanced sizing of text and other items."
d. In the new window, select "Custom sizing options."
e. Uncheck the box that says "Smooth edges of screen fonts."
f. Click "OK" to save the changes.

4) Disable Unnecessary Startup Programs: Some programs that launch at startup can consume system resources and impact performance. Disable any unnecessary startup programs to free up resources.
a. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
b. Go to the "Startup" tab.
c. Right-click on any unnecessary programs and select "Disable."

5) Perform a System File Check: Windows has a built-in tool called System File Checker that scans for and repairs corrupted system files. Running this tool may help resolve font-related issues.
a. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
b. Type "sfc /scannow" and press Enter.
c. Wait for the scan to complete.
If any issues are found, they will be repaired if possible.

Only other thing is to use a Font Manager,  I believe you are using one already like this Link: FontBa 

[autumn.staub]

@lanparty233 

I think you may need to re-read my post, I don't have any issues with specific font files of any size.

The issue is when the number of total fonts is above 2k (aka 2,000 fonts by number).

The issue only occurs in Fusion 360 as well.

I always keep my graphics drivers up to date, I have no updates further to do, same for startup programs. Not to immediately dismiss your advice, but I have worked in IT for more than 12 years, so I already know about clearing the font cache etc.

I have found a simple, specific way to prove it is not due to a specific font of any size or type. It is solely linked to the number of fonts in the directory.

You can reproduce this yourself by simply taking any standard, default, Windows font file, copying and renaming it to reach the desired 2000 number, and placing it in your Windows Font directory. Fusion will take multiple minutes to load, even the standard font file. 

For example, copy and rename Times New Roman so you have TimesNewRoman1, TimesNewRoman2, etc.....to 2000. Place all 2000 copies of that font file in the Fonts directory (so it thinks you have 2k different fonts).

Then, restart the PC and open Fusion, make a new sketch, and attempt to add text. Click the font dropdown - it will take multiple minutes to open. 

I'm circling back to my original assumption - that Fusion loads the font files fully into memory when you open the Font drop-down, instead of just loading a simple file list picker. If Fusion was just returning a simple file list, then loading the font into memory after the user selected it, I feel like it would load much more quickly. 

But that would take someone at Fusion to see the code as to how the font files are loaded. I'm not sure anyone on this forum has that ability.

[lanparty233]

Sorry to offend you by giving some advice as I do not know your computer background knowledge.

I don't think I have missed the point of the subject and I understand what you are saying. your views are how this load time is impacting your computers performance coursed by the font dropdown list loading into ram first, but trying them steps above could help. It is up to you if you want to try them.

Yes,  Fusion 360 relies on a lot of RAM not so much GPU or CPU but needs lots of ram on big projects, also include if you have many tabs open can chew up RAM. So you could be right in the fact that the Fonts are loaded into RAM first, but a font manager could reduce this bottleneck as you will only load the fonts you have selected I believe from what I read.

I have 128 GB ram in my AM5 computer, I have seen fusion use 90% RAM at times when I have 3 tabs open and doing models.

[autumn.staub]

@lanparty233 You didn't offend me, re-reading I did seem to come off as terse, I think it is just because I have been having this problem for nearly a year now, so I get frustrated. I've tried so many things and only keeping the font numbers down works, but because of the nature of my programs, I have soooooo many fonts, haha!

Sorry about that.

I've seen the same behavior myself with the high RAM usage, but I'm not as lucky as you, I have only 64 GB RAM, so I pin at 100% more often than I'd like. Especially when I'm using Fusion and my slicer program at once! I wish it would use more GPU especially since you need such a high-powered card for everything else.

It seems like such a small thing - fonts - that it confuses me why Fusion handles it so horribly. Other programs (Wordpad, Notepad, Microsoft Office, Blender) all handle the font loading so quickly, that Fusion must be doing something different to everything else, and I don't understand why. 

[lanparty233]

@autumn.staub  Yes I have had my year of frustrations trying to get my patent built.

Yeah I feel your pain and frustration,  as I like fusion but will move over to FreeCAD if I keep having the stalled uploads were I have to keep rebuilding my model.

Let me know if you try the font manager and if it works at all, as I got 5213 fonts from google, using the program.

[tpinto]

Thats how I have always installed my fonts. I have actually never loaded them to the fusion folder.   

[tpinto]

That's how I have always installed my fonts. I have actually never loaded them to the fusion folder.