topic Re: Font Translation from PM to AutoCAD dwg in Collaboration with other software

Font Translation from PM to AutoCAD dwg

kevin b — Fri, 15 Oct 2004 13:01:07 GMT

We are experiencing problems translating fonts from PM9 (and all previous as well) to AutoCAD. I have made a translator that works fine going from AC to dwg. It also works fine through PM as far as linked AC files go. The problem is with any text that is actually in PM (ie. titles, border info, etc.) We obviously like to have our consultants use our borders to produce a consistent package of CDs, so I would like to publish just the border into dwg format to send to them so they can xref it into paperspace or however they want to do it. In the translator, I have AC font A = AutoCAD style 1, AC font B = AutoCAD style 2, etc. Like I sadi all is well from AC, style names show up in dwg and have correct font associated with the style. When I publish from PM, the only style in AutoCAD is the default "Standard" with txt associated to it. Anyone else experiencing this? Am I doing something wrong or is this a bug? Is there a work around, besides opening in AutoCAD and making all new styles and changing all the text to the appropriate style.
Thanks

Re: Font Translation from PM to AutoCAD dwg

kevin b — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 14:38:15 GMT

Sorry for the bump but we are getting desparate trying to solve this. It seems like we are doing everything correctly but it just doesn't work.

Re: Font Translation from PM to AutoCAD dwg

Aaron Bourgoin — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 16:03:59 GMT

A useful tool for ironing out the wrinkles in AC DWG conversion is a utility called Multi-Batch. Its an batch script executor for all flavor of AutoCAD and can make all the manipulations to converted DWGs..

Its not expensive and you might even be able to solve your short term problem for free with the trial version: http://www.multi-batch.com/

The nastiest conversion problems have been the conversion of styles and this has as much to do with Autodesk's lackadaisical approach to text as anything else.

And before anyone takes this opportunity to step on the soapbox and suggest that Graphisoft needs do a better job if it wants to be a player on the world scene - I am not aware of another company who has spent more time with the DWG conversion issue (actually the whole collaboration and workflow issue) than Graphisoft. Microstation doesn't count - why would I want to work on a native AutoCAD file in ArchiCAD, anyway? DWG is, after all, at the end of its lifespan as a data container.

This was the solution we used in our office - I'll say right now that I was not the guy pressing the buttons, but my AutoCAD wizard was able to develop Multi-Batch scripts to solve any problem he couldn't resolve with the Graphisoft Translators.

Now that Graphisoft have sold Cymap, they might spend some of the cash and buy Multi-Batch. Then it might be truly able to boast that it does AutoCAD translation better than AutoCAD.

There, off the soapbox and back to work.