Adam: There’s a lot of buzz around Font Awesome 5. I have a couple of related questions:
Many thanks.
Font Awesome 5 will not be included in Foundry unless Isaiah decides he wants to add it to Stacks. Foundry uses Stacks’ in-built Font Awesome library, which is maintained by Isaiah. This prevents multiple versions of Font Awesome from being loaded on one page as well as cuts out possible conflicts between stacks.
Foundry could load its own version of Font Awesome though, bypassing Stacks’ in-built version of the library, sure. But the problem is this – Font Awesome 5 costs $800 per theme a developer wishes to use it in. That’s right, I didn’t mistype that, it would cost me $800 to add it to Foundry, which I find unreasonable. Here’s a screenshot from their site with the details on such usage:
Addendum: By the way, I don’t even see an option on their site for adding v5 to an app like Stacks.
Adam: Thanks, I got it. My guess is it will be added to Stacks at some point. $800 is probably worth it in the long run for Isaiah.
IMHO – I wouldn’t put any bets on it myself, but that is just my opinion.
So, put differently, is it then reasonable on my part to simply buy Font Awesome 5 ($40 or $50) and then to incorporate into a Foundry site? I’m not sure how it works, but if I get PNGs and SVGs then I could drag them into relevant image “holders”. Anything wrong with this thinking? (I currently have some extra money I need to spend within 2 weeks. Normally this would be a no-go for me.)
If you add Font Awesome 5 to a page using Foundry you would be loading 2 versions of Font Awesome, as Foundry calls on Stacks to load Font Awesome 4. That would be up to you if you wish to do that.
Using a PNG of a Font Awesome icon defeats the purpose of using Font Awesome, in my opinion. Is there something in Font Awesome 5 that you need that is a must have?
No, nothing I know of at this point that I know I “need”. I figure it’s a bit like going from Stacks 2 to 3, or RW6 to 7. I may not need all the new features right away, but it makes sense to upgrade at some point.
If I look at http://fontawesome.io/icons/ (up to v4.7), I see a lot of icons that are not available to me in applicable Foundry dropdowns.
How can I know what version Stacks is up to and can I access more of the icons than what I see in a Foundry element’s dropdown list?
If this is the wrong thread for my question, apologies.
I am really looking forward to using FA5 symbols and jumped on the initial FA5 Pro offer. It will be worth it alone for the availability of the SVG versions of every symbol. It will however, mean going outside Foundry to use the stacks capable of displaying SVG images but that’s not an issue for me, as image warehousing is standard in many 3rd party stacks.
I have no idea yet, but would hope that FA4 can be disabled and your own FA5 Pro license or API Key (or however it will done) can be configured somewhere in Stacks, RW or elsewhere.
I haven’t checked the progress of FA5 for a while but all of the Kickstarter updates I get seem to be more concerned with shipping mugs and extra symbols. The published release date is still May 2017.
One thing is certain is that the uptake of FA5 has been huge and RW will have to provide a solution of be left further behind.
Edit: Moved from the wrong post
@Andras I have not added every single icon from Font Awesome into Foundry’s list of available fonts. As for knowing the current version of Font Awesome in Stacks at any given time – you’d need to ask Isaiah from YourHead Software, as that is his domain. He can be reached via the YourHead site.
I am really looking forward to using FA5 symbols
@webdeersign To sate my curiosity, what symbols in particular are you in need of in Font Awesome 5 that are not available currently in v4 of the Font Awesome library?
I have no idea yet, but would hope that FA4 can be disabled and your own FA5 Pro license or API Key (or however it will done) can be configured somewhere in Stacks, RW or elsewhere.
Turning it off isn’t something that can be toggled via a control within a stack. The library is included in the PLIST file for the stack itself making it hardcoded into each stack that calls for Font Awesome. RapidWeaver itself does not include or allow themes or plugins to call on a set version.
One thing is certain is that the uptake of FA5 has been huge and RW will have to provide a solution of be left further behind.
Left behind because it does not support a specific font icon library? That is a bit of hyperbole, IMHO.
All this being said – if you wish to see Font Awesome 5 included in Stacks, be sure to take that up with Isaiah and let him know. As for Foundry – it will support whatever is offered inside of Stacks natively.
@elixirgraphics There are over 1000 new icons with several different weights. Another big thing is that they have all been redesigned and laid out so they align correctly and interestingly match the default Bootstrap4 16px size. For anyone who has used several FA symbols together or tried to centre some FA symbols in the centre of a circle, that is a big welcome thing.
Details are currently sparse on how it will be implemented but looks like the same format will be used as FA. So I am hoping that when 5 happens, with the correct system in place, if you have access to the Pro set via some checking, that the FA Pro codes will produce the correct FA Pro symbol. If you don’t have a license you won’t get the symbol.
As Foundry uses a pre built list of FA Symbols it might be a good solution to add an additional CUSTOM option to enter the fa-code or F0163 short code to deal with this. I recently tried to use the Envelope-Open icon which exits in FA4.7 as used in Stacks, but the Foundry list doesn’t list it.
@Andras Stacks is up to date with FA 4.7
I’ll have a look to see why its not there.
Envelope Open was added since I created the original list of icons, which had to be hand coded. I’ll add some of the newer additions, though I am not sure whether that will make it into v1.2.5.0 or not.
Addendum: Looks like those are new to Font Awesome v4.7.
@webdeersign As far as I know Stacks v3.2.7, which is the latest, injects Font Awesome v4.3, which does not support the latest icons. Where are you seeing that v3.2.7 injects Font Awesome v4.7?
Stated here at http://yourhead.com/appcast/RW6/Stacks3/release_notes_3.2.7_3927/
3.2.7 - Font Awesome v4.7 now supported in the Stacks API.
4.3 is pretty old.
Something is adrift here because if I add into a Foundry page inside a Stacks Text stack, the Envelope-Open icon added in 4.7 appears. This is what I would expect to see.
RW Edit view http://d.pr/i/fYBNm
Safari Preview http://d.pr/i/dK7Ng
Looks like a Stacks bug –
Seems if I have it set to load from the CDN I get v4.3:
I I load it locally though v4.7 is loaded. (http://d.pr/i/LlD6c).
Good catch.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Bug filed with Isaiah. For now I’ll load locally and add the newer icons in when I get a chance. It is a great deal of work.
