Updating misc CAD files/ info version to version

[Mark KEC]

Little background, I recently came back to a company I started working for over 12 years ago. Now, I have ZERO proper CAD education but I have always been the companies go to CAD guy.

Now, I have an issue way over my head and hoping for help. I was working in a very small drawing in CAD 2011 and the program kept locking up on any command. Move, Quick Save, etc. I called our support line and after a couple hours looking at it the tech guy determined that we have multiple issues. He mentioned that the template file I was working in has "postscript fonts" and that CAD has not used these since around 1997. That raised the question of how much old crap are we really using. He then informed me that I need to update all of our blocks and attributes (which numbers in the thousands I am sure).

How on earth do people do this from version to version? Is there a program you purchase? Is it as daunting as opening each block file, copy & paste to a new file, save it in 2011 (or your latest version) and then reinsert all of the blocks and attributes into a file to use as your updated template? Do you have to do this every software upgrade?

Do most companies start with "template files" containing all of there standards?

I am beyond overwhelmed and over my head. Any suggestions would be absolutely wonderful.

[ReMark]

We have CAD drawings that date back to 1992 that only get updated when an engineering change notice has been issued. Otherwise they stay exactly as they were originally done. We have a difficult enough time keeping up with current projects let alone going back an "updating" old drawings for no other reason than a font has changed. Your boss's suggestion sounds like either 1) busy work or 2) a task given to a new hire with few skills just to keep him/her out of trouble until they learn the ropes.

[nestly]

I have no idea if this will work with PS fonts, but if AutoCad can't find a font, it will substitute it with whatever font is listed in as the alternate font. Perhaps it's as simple as removing the PS font(s) from the support path? To be clear, this doesn't actually change the font designation in the drawing, but AutoCAD obviously can't load the PS fonts if it can't find them. There's also a font mapping file (acad.fmp ?) that may be useful if multiple fonts need to be re-mapped.

....or maybe AutoCAD is already substituting fonts, and that's the problem?



Post a sample drawing if possible.

BTW, Welcome to Cadtutor

[SLW210]

See if THIS is of any help.