osx backend does not allow font changes

[CRP]

The default font for all text is always Times, and there is no way to change that. If I try, for example, pyplot.title('MyChart',fontname='Courier'), the title is written in Times. Works fine with other backends.

my matplotlib version is latest from git.

[mdboom]

@mdehoon: Any thoughts?

[mdehoon]

Works fine for me...

[CRP]

I have tried deleting .matplotlib/matplotlibrc, but to no avail.

If I start ipython with --pylab=osx the font in charts is serif, if I start it with --pylab=tk I get sans serif fonts.

What should I check in my system to find out what is forcing the font with osx backend?

Thanks

[mdehoon]

Can you try with plain Python instead of ipython? With plain Python, I don't observe either of the two issues.

[CRP]

same behaviour on plain python. Is there anywhere else settings for matplotlib are defined? As I mentioned, I got rid of matplotlibrc...

[mdehoon]

You could try and have a look at what is happening in the draw_text method in
lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py
That can tell you if the problem occurs within the Mac OS X backend, or if the call into the backend already has the wrong font name.

[CRP]

The prop variable which, if I understand things correctly, contains the parameters for the font, specifies "Bitstream Vera Sans" as the font throughout the execution, ie both before and after entering the backend_macosx piece.
Initially I did not have that font on my system (at least according to Font Book). So I though that maybe the code silently falls back to a serif font, and installed the font. But for some reason the draw_text method still paints a serif font.
while debugging, if I break at line 145 of the file you mention, which contains the statement:
gc.draw_text(x, y, unicode(s), family, size, weight, style, angle)
I have following values:
family='sans_serif'
weight=style='normal'
I have tried to go on stepping into all possible functions, but could not find a place where the font is changed.
So I guess the question becomes:

1. Is it correct that Bitstream Vera Sans is defined as default font even if it is not installed on the system? Does this font come with Mac OSX? I do not recall uninstalling it.
2. why is a serif font used even if rcParams['font.family']='sans-serif', and it stays this way throughout execution?
3. I tried playing with rcParams, and changing font.size produces the desired effect, while changing font.family, font.style is apparently ignored.

[CRP]

I now see that font.sans-serif contais a list of fonts, a few of which are installed on my system, but they are all correctly sans-serif fonts, so no idea why it falls back to a serif dont.

[CRP]

I just tried the following:

1. rcParams['font.sans-serif']=['Verdana']
2. plot(randn(10))
3. gca().get_xticklabels()[0].get_fontname() returns 'Verdana'
   So everything appears fine under the hood, but the font on display is definitely not Verdana. Here is a screenshot:
   http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/827/serif.pdf/

[mdehoon]

I am afraid your only option is to look at the draw_text method in src/_macosx.m to see what is happening. This method makes a call to setfont; probably something is going wrong there.

[CRP]

I just reinstalled matplotlib from git and the problem disappeared. go figure...

[mdehoon]

Then let's close this issue. Any objections, anybody?