Font problem between versions

[gtwatson]

I like the handletter look of ARCHS.SHX and use it in Autocad LT 2002. I do structural detailing ( although I am an Engineer and only dabble in CAD ) and use the special symbols for Centerline, Plate, and Angle. I have no problem using the symbols in LT2002 and use the Alt-0174, Alt-0153, and Alt-0158 respectively to letter drawings with mtext. I use LT 2002 even though we have ACLT 2006 available because I am used to the menus and look and feel.

 

When I try to use the special symbols in LT 2006 in mtext, the Alt-0174 works for the centerline but the Alt-0153 comes back as a TM (trademark?) and the Alt-0158 comes out as a Z with a v on top of it instead of the Plate Symbol and Angle Symbol.

 

The odd thing is that I can create the text in LT 2002 and then open the DWG in LT 2006 and it looks and prints correctly, but when I try to use it in Mtext I get the wrong symbols.

 

I have the same search paths in both versions since the LT 2006 was an upgrade from LT 2002 and used the same settings. Has anyone else run into this problem? I did try a search.

[dbroada]

do you have the same problem if you use a different font?

[gtwatson]

The ARCHS.SHX is the only hand letter font that I know of that use the special symbols I need. I'll try to attach an image of what they look like if I can figure out how to do it. I think I was succesful.

[Strix]

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty certain it's possible to reprogram the alt+ functions

[gtwatson]

I thought the Alt-XXXX was just the way you specified an ASCII character that was not on the keyboard. The correct symbol may be somewhere in the table and I don't know how to display a map of symbols that correspond to the 4 digit ASCII code. I tried to run CHARMAP but the ARCHS font is not on the list. The ARCHCHAR.DWG file that comes with the fonts shows the available special characters.

 

I just tried out DTEXT and put in %%153 and I get the correct symbol for Plate in ACLT 2006, but when I use Mtext and put in %%153 and hit OK, I get the literal %%153 on the drawing. So now I wonder why Mtext does not behave like Dtext?

 

With a little experimenting, I opened an Mtext box and started trying ALT+nnn with the Archs font in the box. If a character exists in Archs, it is displayed. If the character is undefined, the font changes to Arial and I have to reselect Archs as the font.

[Coosbaylumber]

I think you are trying to mix two different font styles.

 

DTEXT will understand the x.SHP and x.SHX type of fonts. It will not understand any of the TrueType ones, nor anything that works direct in MS-Windows. This type of font works OK on pen plotters.

 

MTEXT is just another way of slapping a letter on to the page. It uses the TrueType fonts or whatever is stored in Windows. This type of font works good with raster type of plotters.

 

Surprizing you even got the error message, for I never did. Ran into this situation back in R-14 as I remember. The Standard TXT type will interchange, but not anything else (normally).

 

 

 

 

Wm.

[gtwatson]

I am not a power user of AutoCAD, I just know enough to put lines and text inside a border, so you are probably right. I have been sucessful in using the SHX fonts in dimensioning where I can stack fractions and in MTEXT in ACLT 2002 where I can call out angle and plate sizes like PL 3/8 x 8 1/4 x 1'-6 3/16 (50 ksi) and have the plate symbol show up and the fractions stack. I was just wondering why it works in 2002 and not in 2006 versions of AutoCAD LT.

 

I guess my work around is to use Dtext to put in the symbol for plate then use Mtext to put in the rest of the text.

[gtwatson]

We have AutoCAD 2006 which I loaded and I am having the same issue with the Archs.shx font so I came back here to resurect this old thread. I can create the symbols for plate in ACLT 2002 and open the drawing in Acad 2006 and it looks fine. I can still create the symbols in DTEXT using ALT0153 or ALT0158 and they work fine. We are probably going to upgrade to ACAD 2011 and I hope the issue is resolved.