How can I tell what kind of text is used in a downloaded section or drawing

Hi folks;

If I see a drawing and I like the looks of things. how can I tell what type font is being used in Autocad? Sometimes you get some good ideas from other folks but I'm having a beast of a time matching the type and size of fonts being used. A lot of the fonts I recognize, but these hand fonts in autocad are giving me fits but I really like these things. Ain't that a kick, we get computers so we can read the text on the drawings and then we go back to by hand fonts.

Thanks for any help

James

Highlight the text and look at it's properties in the Properties palette or MText Editor.

Assuming you don't already have a style with the same name copy/paste the text or dimension into your drawing, and it will import the text or dimension style into the drawing.

Highlight the text and look at it's properties in the Properties palette or MText Editor.

 

Assuming you don't already have a style with the same name copy/paste the text or dimension into your drawing, and it will import the text or dimension style into the drawing.

Thanks, I think I got it, thanks for the help.

James

Some clarification is needed here. Unless I'm mistaken, the FONTALT system variable will specify a font to use when the one called for is missing from your system. The properties box will tell you the name of the missing font, but if you don't have it your system will substitute the one in this variable. By default, that is set to simplex.shx and unless you've changed it that's what you will see if you don't have the one it calls for.

I recently got into this because of a drawing that someone else had started. She actually combined two fonts, one called "Frank the Architect" and one called "Flux Architect". The capital letters in all of the text on this drawing was done in one of these, and all the lower case letters were done in the other. I didn't know the other drafter had done this, and I have my system set to sub "Arial" for missing fonts. There was a bunch of new text to be created for specs and general notes, so I did it all in Arial and pasted it in. Got an email from the customer asking why I didn't use the same font, and saying that the drawing looked funny. Got to digging, and discovered this crazy situation. So I got to waste about an hour downloading and installing these silly fonts and fixing the drawing to have all the same font. Unlike the artistic gal that started this mess, I chose one font for everything.

Some clarification is needed here. Unless I'm mistaken' date=' the FONTALT system variable will specify a font to use when the one called for is missing from your system. The properties box will tell you the name of the missing font, but if you don't have it your system will substitute the one in this variable. By default, that is set to simplex.shx and unless you've changed it that's what you will see if you don't have the one it calls for.

 

I recently got into this because of a drawing that someone else had started. She actually combined two fonts, one called "Frank the Architect" and one called "Flux Architect". The capital letters in all of the text on this drawing was done in one of these, and all the lower case letters were done in the other. I didn't know the other drafter had done this, and I have my system set to sub "Arial" for missing fonts. There was a bunch of new text to be created for specs and general notes, so I did it all in Arial and pasted it in. Got an email from the customer asking why I didn't use the same font, and saying that the drawing looked funny. Got to digging, and discovered this crazy situation. So I got to waste about an hour downloading and installing these silly fonts and fixing the drawing to have all the same font. Unlike the artistic gal that started this mess, I chose one font for everything.[/quote']

 

Here's the clarification;

 

I had pulled over a section from another drawing into my drawing and it brought over all the layers I didn't have with it, and also the font, that's the reason I wanted to know how to find out where the font properties are in autocad, with some poking around I found where things are and now about half way understand where to find things.

 

Frankly I like some of the different fonts when used tastefully, I like you don't want to see a mess with a half dozen different fonts used in the same drawing, find the one you want to use and go with it. I had one architect that did a lot of work for me and all they used were the BY Hand font. said that was their trademark, this goes back a lot of years ago, their drawings looked nice and professional, I had no problem with their work.

 

Thanks a bunch

 

James

I'm sorry, I didnt' mean you needed to clarify anything. What I meant was that I needed to clarify something, then proceeded to muddy it up.

I'm sorry' date=' I didnt' mean you needed to clarify anything. What I meant was that I needed to clarify something, then proceeded to muddy it up.[/quote']

 

Jack I always love hearing from you and you didn't muddy a thing up. Keep those post coming.

 

Thanks so much.

 

James