Changing fonts on Mac version of PTLite

Question

I'm trying to support someone working on the Mac version of PTLite, but I don't have access to it to experiment myself.

[For background, in case you don't know about these two scripts, standard Arabic is written in naskh while some languages use an alternate called nastaliq. The underlying data uses the same Unicode points, and the difference is roughly analogous to print vs. cursive versions of Latin script.]

When she loads the project on her computer, she sees the text written in a nastaliq font, even though the default option is Scheherazade (naskh). On Android PTLite I can go to Project Settings, then Language Settings, and when I look at the Font Family or Fallback Font Family, there is a triangle to pull up a list of fonts, and I can choose a different font. But on Mac she sees the font name, but can't change it to a different one.

Is this a bug, or a shortcoming with the Mac version? Is there any other way to change the font?

[FYI, she's on MacOS 11, so it's possible she's on an older version of PTLite. As I said, I don't have any experience with the Mac version.]

Answer 1

I can choose a different font. But on Mac she sees the font name, but can't change it to a different one.

This sounds like of permissions. (if the Paratext user isn't admin then font name is just displayed). Paratext Lite on macOS does support changing fonts, if user has admin rights.

Is the "Scheherazade (naskh)" ttf installed on the Mac?

Paratext Lite looks for fonts in /Users/$USER/Library/Fonts, /Library/Fonts/, /Network/Library/Fonts/, /System/Library/Fonts/

If the font is not installed in one of these location it's possible that I can't find it.

Occasionally how fonts are named internally can prevent Paratext Lite from using it, but given the font is working on android this seems unlikely. Anyway I'm going to try the font with Paratext Lite on a macOS machine anyway to see if works for me.

I assume this is the font https://software.sil.org/scheherazade/download/ I need to try?

Comments

1. I installed "Schedherazade New" downloaded from link.

2. Restarted Paratext Lite.

3. Changed a Project (that I had admin rights for) to use "Schedherazade New".

(I just installed the "Schedherazade New" Regular)

4. Observed and confirmed that "Schedherazade New" was being used to render text for that project.