Custom font does not work properly in MTEXT or Dimensions

[rharris51]

A customer supplied us with a font that utilizes a custom extended character set that includes fractions and other characters. Using the DTEXT command, these extended characters display properly. However, when included in dimension text or MTEXT, they don't work.

For example, in DTEXT, %%132 produces a Centerline symbol (C overlapped by L) and %%203 produces a diagonal fraction version of 3/64.

These same keystroke combinations, when used in MTEXT or Dimensions simply display as %%132 and %%203.

Can anyone suggest why this happens? A solution to make the font work in MTEXT and Dimensions?

I will send you the font if you wish to examine or test it.

We are presently using AutoCAD 2000i under Windows NT 4.1.

Thanks.

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

Have you spoken with the customer, as they are supplying the Font File they should be able to answer your query....

Can you please post the Font File here within the Forums so anyone coming to offer assistance / help will have access to the Font File.

<add>
Check out the following Technical Document on the Autodesk web site under the Knowledge Base section -

ID: TS71043 - SHX fonts do not appear in Mtext drop-down list (http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS71043) - Only relevant if the Font File in question is a native AutoCAD Font File (SHX)
</add>

Have a good one, Mike

[rharris51]

Well, after reading the related posts and doing some additional research and applying some imagination, it turns out they will work except you have to enter them in the Unicode form when using MTEXT or in Dimensions. For example, the unicode equivalent of %%201 is \U+00C9 (a four digit hexadecimal equivalent of decimal 201).

Problem solved.

Thanks.

[rharris51]

It also turns out a better way to insert the extended characters is to hold down the alt key while typing in a four digit version of the extended character number. In other words, to get %%201, while in the dimension text editor or mtext editor, you hold down the alt key while keying in 0201 (notice that it's 4 digits).

When you do it this way you, the editor will display the character equivalent for the current Proxy font, not the font you are using unless you are using a font that has a true type font equivalent that the text editor can display. Huh?

I think this ought to be in the AutoCAD documentation somewhere but I couldn't find it under MTEXT or DTEXT or in anything about DIM.