topic Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS in Collaboration with other software

How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 17:42:06 GMT

Hi,
Even-though I have assigned Arial font to be the default font if AutoCad fonts are not found, still the translator prompts for SHX fonts. Is there a way that ArchiCad would convert all the fonts of a DWG (with out knowing what they are) to a specific default font , that way we do not get the prompt at each instant of translation?
Thanks,
Joseph

Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Thomas Holm — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 22:21:53 GMT

One way is to get Autodesk's TrueType equivalents to the shx fonts. Autocad uses these as soon as a text item has more than one line (then it's called Mtext). They look the same and have the same names (txt, ISO, Simplex etc) but a .ttf extension. You can get them from any PC that has Autocad or Autocad Lite installed, they reside in Window's font folder (don't ask more - I found them).

(Many don't know this, but MacOSX can use Windows' TrueType fonts just as well as Postscript, dfont and OS9 TrueType - no font conversion needed, just drop them in your ~/Library/Fonts folder.)

This will rid you of the warning prompts at conversion. However, they won't look good, because as they are (just like the .shx originals) defined the old way as plotter fonts, they have no thickness/weight. And because Archicad expects fonts to define their own thickness, they will display like Hairline all the time, however much you select the True Weight option (this is a wish - Archicad should use pen weights on fonts without thickness!).

They will still look as close to the originals as possible. AC9 even displays percentage narrowing (often used by Autocadders) correctly. And afterwards, it's easy to select and change all text to the font you want in one step.

(and beware of having too many fonts - read Dwight's tip on that)

Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 22:33:50 GMT

Thomas wrote:
(and beware of having too many fonts - read Dwight's tip on that)

And that is exactly what I am trying to avoid, and the "[txt]....... in font drop down of archicad.
Could you give me the link to Dwight's tip?
Also, is it possible to think of all possible font names on AutoCad and Map the all to one font?
Thanks,
Joseph

Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Thomas Holm — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 22:50:45 GMT

Dwight's tip on font trouble:

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=5997&start=10

If you want to map all the shx fonts to one, I'd imagine one way would be to simply make a number of copies of, say, Arial.ttf, and rename them to whatever you want to replace. It should work, but you'll have to test it on your own risk!

But wait, isn't there a font mapping option in the dwg translator? I haven't used it, you'll have to ask others. Or RTFM.

Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 23:07:23 GMT

Thank you,
Now that we have the Font Book on Mac it is easy to disable them easily. I will try the mapping option. I wish there was an option to have all fonts not found could be assigned to a default font. This will avoid the time consuming prompt and all that [txt], [simplex}.... in the font drop down dialog.
Thanks,
Joseph

Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Mar 2005 15:13:17 GMT

This whole shx font thing needs to be re-thought. How many users out there actually get shx fonts from their consultants? For years I have always hit "skip all" and when I have asked auto-cad users about shx fonts they routinely have no idea of what I am talking about. I am sure there are instances where these would be useful, but have not run across any. It is one more "error" message dialog box that needs to be ignored.

Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Mar 2005 17:51:10 GMT

Mike wrote:
This whole shx font thing needs to be re-thought. How many users out there actually get shx fonts from their consultants? For years I have always hit "skip all" and when I have asked auto-cad users about shx fonts they routinely have no idea of what I am talking about. I am sure there are instances where these would be useful, but have not run across any. It is one more "error" message dialog box that needs to be ignored.

I am glad not to be alone,
And I can not get the mapping to work even-though I map an specific dwg/dxf file's fonts in the translator, anyone has mapped successfully, am I missing a point?
Thanks,
Joseph

Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Mar 2005 18:12:30 GMT

Well I have been intouch with GSUS tech Support. I am told it is long standing BUG apperently only in Mac. GS did not have sample files to (trouble) shoot the bug, but now with my files emailed to them they will open the case again! So we wait.
Thanks,
Joseph

Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Eduardo Rolon — Thu, 17 Mar 2005 21:22:40 GMT

Mike wrote:
This whole shx font thing needs to be re-thought. How many users out there actually get shx fonts from their consultants? For years I have always hit "skip all" and when I have asked auto-cad users about shx fonts they routinely have no idea of what I am talking about. I am sure there are instances where these would be useful, but have not run across any. It is one more "error" message dialog box that needs to be ignored.

The problem is not necessarily AutoCAD users. Since R14 Autocad has supported TTF fonts. Most SHX exist independently of what the Autocad user chooses to use in their files (that is why when you hit skip sometimes you cannot find where the missing fonts are supposed to be). Most SHX fonts in dwg files are hidden in the dimension settings, style and in wblocks that people import into their files, also you get them from special addons like the ones surveyors use.
What I have been able to figure out is that in AutoCAD the program needs to have a predefined type of dimensions and text if it is going to open and since Autodesk cannot be sure of the fonts installed on their users machines those settings default to a shx font that will be installed by autocad into a folder that a regular user will be unlikely to erase. So it is possible to open an empty dwg file and have missing fonts.
This is also part of the problems in Autocad like setting the units to Imperial at the start of a dwg and having to again launch the units command to change to feet-inches since it always defaults to decimal. The other used to be the fillet settings that up to R2002 was always set to 1/2" radius and if you were not careful you would be doing half inch circles at all your corners. As to why this is a particular problem for Mac users I have no idea why. I know that in my windows machine I didn't get the problem because I had the shx fonts installed.

Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:11:47 GMT

ejrolon wrote:
I know that in my windows machine I didn't get the problem because I had the shx fonts installed.

Finally someone has an explanation. I see you are also on Mac, where do you install these shx files and how AC9 can be directed to find them to avoid the problems mentioned above?
Thanks,
Joseph

Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Eduardo Rolon — Thu, 17 Mar 2005 23:05:11 GMT

Basically what you can do is copy them to a regular folder and link to it when AC asks for them, though I usually ignore them and then select all the text and change them to arial.

Re: How to Stop ArchiCad from asking for Autocad FONTS

Djordje — Fri, 18 Mar 2005 17:44:54 GMT

Mike wrote:
This whole shx font thing needs to be re-thought. How many users out there actually get shx fonts from their consultants? For years I have always hit "skip all" and when I have asked auto-cad users about shx fonts they routinely have no idea of what I am talking about.

Well ...

Then you have to tell them NOT to send you DWGs, but to do eTransmit. All SHXs will be packed in. Oh, yes, you will have to explain them where to find it ...

It is absolutely incredible how computer and software illiterate most computer users are.