Text Effects are Crashing FCPX

First I'd just like to say that since I found this site, FCPX makes a lot more since. You guys are the best!

So, heres my problem... after spending two hours with the nice people at Apple Care, it was determined that the Text Effects are buggy in FCPX, and a solution is being thought of.

Every time I touch a text box the program crashes. I can't even attempt to delete them without causing a crash. So, I can't work on my project.

Is there something I can do while waiting for FCPX's next update?

Please let me know, and thanks so much for all the tutorials, and discussions about FCPX on your site!

Accented characters are certainly buggy, instead of using keyboard shortcuts, you are advised to use 'Special Characters' from the Edit menu - although you are nowhere able to do that yet.


There might be a problem with one of your fonts.

Have you

1. Used the Font Book app to disable all fonts - it will resist disabling the system fonts, that's OK.

Try again in FCP X

2. In Font Book, validate all the fonts that are enabled.


If you've tried this already, could you list a few of the other things you've tried (starting the computer from a different drive, repairing permissions, uninstalling and re-installing FCP X etc.)


Alex

Hi Alex,

Thanks very much for responding to my post. I'm running today, but I'll be back with my history and my computer specs.

Thanks,

Eddie

Hi Alex,

Thanks so much for your suggestion regarding "Font Book". I trashed the Font Book preferences, got rid of a couple of bad fonts and Whaa-La... I'm back on track!!!

Thanks also for your free effects. The "Eight Point Mask" was a life saver!

Keep up the good work!

Eddie

So I am having the same problem and I've done everything you suggested. I also deleted my FCP preferences and re-installed. I am running version 10.0.3 and if I even click on the text effect that I dragged in, FCPX crashes.

All my fonts are validated and permissions repaired. I cannot use this project I've been working on because I can't remove this one text effect.

This is really unacceptable to me... working in QA for a large music tech company this sort of easily found crash that many users seem to be dealing with does not make any sense, ESPECIALLY with an update! Thanks for your help.

Try duplicating the timeilne.
Try deleting the render files via the File menu command.
Trash prefs with the free Preference Manager app.
Repair all drives with Disk Utility.
Move FCP X to the Trash from the Applications menu, then in the Purchased tab of the Mac App Store, reinstall it.

Are you using any third party title templates?
What is your hardware setup?

Hi Ben,

Thanks very much for your response to my letter.

Things are pretty well worked out since I first posted my concerns, but I'm going to print out your letter as a guide for dealing with any possible future problems with FCPX.

BTW, how do you like 10.0.3? Pretty cool, right?

10.0.3 is very nice, and shows Apple is moving in the right direction with this.

I had already duplicated the timeline without the faulty effect. I had already trashed preferences with Preference Manager and repaired drives with Disk Utility. I also already trashed FCPX and reinstalled it. I have deleted the render files. I am not using any third party templates. We're talking Bottom Thirds text with no animation and it's unusable. As of right now I cannot apply any text of any kinds to any project. Frustrating! Thanks for your help.

Graphics: Chipset Model: NVIDIA GeForce GT 120

Model Name: Mac Pro
Model Identifier: MacPro4,1
Processor Name: Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 4
L2 Cache (per core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 8 MB
Memory: 12 GB
Processor Interconnect Speed: 4.8 GT/s
Boot ROM Version: MP41.0081.B08

Wow, that's really odd. The graphics card is just barely up to spec, but, should handle the text. I'd consider upgrading the graphics card anyway, as FCP X and Motion 5 are going to push it's limits really hard. Very odd, I'm not seeing anything this bad anywhere else, after the 10.0.3 update, really. Very odd.

Yes, the graphic card needs upgrading. Wasn't planning on editing on this computer. The card is OpenCL but it is having trouble. I would call Apple Support, but that seems futile. Downloaded from the APP Store so I'm not sure how support works. Are you familiar with the best way to get actual help from Apple?

Post here. Seriously. Apple retail store folks have no clue about the under-the-hood workings of FCP, neither do the phone support folks. You'll get better info here than directly from Apple. There is no official "FCP" tech support with them.

What year is your Mac Pro?

Thanks, I figured as much. I just updated my graphics card driver and the problem has been fixed. Process of elimination... thanks for helping out.