FONT and .cui problem

[davidjb82]

Hi there.

I've created a .cui file for my business unit, but I'm having an issue which I'm not sure how to solve.

I have created a pull down with text scales and dims scales, so depending on the scale of drawing you are using, you will always have a uniform text to use. (Annotative text can't be used due to client restrictions).
Now, I originally had the text set to romanS, but upon a discussion, we now need to use arial narrow. It looks better and takes up less room, apparently.
CAD doesn't have an SHX file for this, so I have used the Windows TTF and renamed it to arialn, as that is the system name for it, but when reloading the .cui with this simple text alteration, it has reduced all my custom icons to clouds with question marks, and will only give me text in arial, not arial narrow.

If anyone has had an issue like this before and knows of a solution, please let me know. I would be very grateful.

Thank you.

[eldon]

Now, I originally had the text set to romanS, but upon a discussion, we now need to use arial narrow. It looks better and takes up less room, apparently.

You can always set up a Width Factor in the Text Style

[davidjb82]

I could do, but I'm not sure how to write that as script into the .cui
I'm also not sure if the client will approve of using a different font to the one requested.

[BIGAL]

Are you sure your ArialN is loaded properly this is part of windows not Autocad test it in word etc.

[davidjb82]

I'm pretty sure that it's loaded properly, because CAD doesn't have an Arial SHX file as standard, and as I now have that font coming into my custom pull downs, I assume that it's loaded, apart from the narrow part.
As eldon mentioned in the post above, maybe narrowing that so it 'acts' like ArialN will be the best course of action. I just want to double check with you guys though, if this is the correct way of writing it into the .CUI. I'll give you an example of part of it...

</Macro>
</MenuMacro>
<MenuMacro UID="MMU_0042">
<Macro type="Any">
<Revision MajorVersion="16" MinorVersion="2" UserVersion="1" />
<ModifiedRev MajorVersion="17" MinorVersion="1" UserVersion="1" />
<Name xlate="true" UID="XLS_0046">1.8mm text</Name>
<Command>^C^C_-style 1-8_1text arialn;\T1.05\W0.8;;;;; </Command>

I hope this is right!

[davidjb82]

OK...
I've solved the symbols not showing up on my pull downs, so that is no longer an issue, but I'm still having difficulties telling CAD how to change Arial to Arial Narrow. The above didn't work, and I'm not really that advanced in this kind of thing to know how to change all the text in CAD, especially when I have numerous scales for the text.
I have attached an image of what I'm trying to achieve. I really hope someone can help.

[ReMark]

Jeez that is a whole lot of trouble to go through.

I would have just placed all text and dimensions in my paper space layout (thus avoiding the whole "annotative scaling" issue). Probably could have gotten away with no more than a style or two.

[JGA]

We did a similar thing, but moved onto Annotative scaling to reduce the hassle factor (or is that just a change of hassle??).
Have you created a text style with the name ArialN in your template?

For our menu, I changed the text size to be relative to the dimscale - "'textsize $M=$(*,$(getvar,DIMSCALE),2.5) "

[ReMark]

I studiously avoid TTF fonts for a number of reasons. I have but two fonts that did not originally ship with AutoCAD and they are both SHX.

By not using annotative scaling I save the hassle of having to maintain a scalelist and dealing with all the system variables associated with the feature.

[davidjb82]

@JGA
I took the arialn.TTF and changed it to arialn.SHX, and placed it in the Support file path. I haven't added it into the template though, for the reason below...
It's not the scale of the text that's the problem, it's the making it narrow that I can't seem to do.

@ReMark
I know, it is a lot of hassle, but the client has given us very strict instructions detailing everything they want. I did used to have all my dim scales, texts scales, leaders and even layers with their correct colours and linetypes all in my template file, but I can't use those as the drawings we have are all inherited from another company. I would guess there are around 3000 drawings already complete or semi-complete.
In hind sight, I probably should have mentioned that at the start. My apologies.