Cannot open Character Palette or Hex Input

[LinSims]

The last few weeks I've noticed that I cannot use the character palette. When I click Insert > Character > Character Palette, all that happens is that the Insert entry on the menu bar is deselected. The same thing happens with Hex Input. I checked all the other items on the Insert menu, and they all work. I've tried a number of suggestions provided on the FrameUsers list, including trying to change screen resolution (tricky, I'm already at the highest), moving to using the laptop screen only, variations on the Windows+Shift+arrow keys ... nothing works. I thought briefly it might be a corrupted program because Frame was giving me some odd errors when I closed it, but I've reinstalled with all updates, no longer get the errors on close out, and I'm STILL not seeing either the palette or the hex input.

It isn't a TERRIBLE issue, since I've already created variables for most of the non-standard characters (mostly fractions) that I use and know keyboard shortcuts for most of the rest, but even so, it WAS working, now it isn't, and I don't know why.

Suggestions?

[Stefan-Gentz]

Hi linsims,

can you give some tech specs? Sounds you are using FrameMaker 2017 or 2019. If 2019 release: 32 or 64 bit?

Also, which Windows version?

[LinSims]

Windows 7, fully patched (they just pushed some stuff out on Tuesday).

FrameMaker 2019, update 2, 64-bit.

What puzzles me is that it WAS working, and now it isn't. Because I don't use it that often, I've no idea when the changeover occurred.

[LinSims]

Solved! I found Matt Sullivan's Tech Comm Tools post on another thread about FM2019 crashing where he suggested renaming the preferences folder to make Frame create a new one. I tried it and it solved not only my Character Palette/Hex Input issue, but a new one that had reared its ugly head, a Windows application error that was popping up when I closed Frame.

[LinSims]

I'm back to not being able to use the character palette or the hex input. I can't keep redoing the preferences folder every time this happens.

[LinSims]

Recently updated to Windows 10 Pro, fully patched.

FrameMaker 2019, Update 2.

The Hex Input and Character Palette are now available, but are closing themselves within about 10-20 seconds after being opened. With the Hex Input (which I never use but was checking for the sake of completeness), this means if I have the Unicode in my clipboard and paste it in, I can get the character I want.

If I want to use the Character Palette, however, and need any font other than Courier, I'm out of luck. The palette will close while I'm still scrolling through the available installed fonts. If I just stick to Courier, it usually still closes before I can find the character I want.

Admittedly, I can generally find what I want using the Windows Character Map, but I find it curious that a program that made its reputation by being a better DTP than anything else out there still uses the antiquated and hard to read Character Palette and now the palette is (for me) pretty much impossible to use.

[michaelcarlisle]

I also am experiencing the problem of the Character Palette closing after 10 seconds that linsims reported.

I am using FrameMaker 13 (FrameMaker 2015) on the Windows 10 Enterprise operating system, 64-bit. Today is Monday. I was able to use the Character Palette the previous Friday.

Any assistance and information on how this problem can be fixed will be greatly appreciated.

[michaelcarlisle]

Rebooting my computer seems to have fixed the problem The Character Palette no longer prematurely closes.

[LinSims]

I wish that had fixed it for mine! I tried deleting the preferences folder, as recommended by Matt Sullivan, and it does solve the problem. Once. The next time I try to open the Character Palette/Hex Input, it goes back to closing itself. I've given up and just use the Windows Character Map tool, instead. Or set up things I want frequently in variables that aren't memorizable ANSI inputs.

[hadih26673991]

I have the same problem with FM2019 and Windows 10. Did you already solve the issue?

[LinSims]

Nope. I think I was told that it's fixed in the next release of Frame, but that'll be a few months yet.

What I have learned is that the CharacterMap.exe used by FrameMaker to provide the character palatte and hex input palatte (and installed in the fminit folder), gets closed a few seconds after being opened. I don't know what's closing it and I don't know why.

[hadih26673991]

Ok, thank you! Apparently, the next version is gonna be great!

[LinSims]

I hope so! I'm told that that bug I reported with SVG images is also going to be fixed, which will be nice. (FRMAKER-5286) I asked the tech support person I was talking to about the character palette issue about the SVG issue and she said it is supposed to be fixed next release. Said it was something about precision? Dunno. But I am certainly looking forward to those being resolved; we're using PDF images now because of the SVG issue, and it really bloats the final PDFs. 

[SecretOne]

This is still happening in the 2020 version 16.0.0.174 release.

[LinSims]

Yeah. I know. <sigh> 

I can't tell if it's an issue with how Visio exports the SVG image, an issue with how FrameMaker imports it,  or an issue with the PDF generator, but if a graphic created by Visio contains grouped objects or stencils, it will not appear correctly. It's a real bummer.

Hmmm. I recently reported a bug to the development team about font issues that only happen with the new PDF engine but not with the old Distiller route. I wonder if that would be a solution for the SVG issue, too.

[Bob_Niland]

Even when Character Palette and Hex Input don't self-destruct, they close with the least provocation (dragging outside the main FM window won't preserve).

I've switched to using Babelstone's (fundware) Babelmap. It has a number of features lacking in Windows Character Map & the FM applets, including things you can't do in FM yet, like Unicode SMP and basic use of Variable Fonts.

[LinSims]

Yep! I have it, too. Between it and using Silicon Prairies' AutoText plugin, I have most of the things I need easily available.