Mtext vs. Text for silkscreens

[jack.frahm]

Augities,
I need your help! We have a problem at our company with various PC not being able to read the font style that is used for our silk-screens. We can fix it easily enough in house by installing it on all of our PCs, but what about vendors outside the house?

The solution that has been presented was for the font to be installed on everyone’s PC and sent out to our vendors to be installed on their machines. We then need to create all of our silk-screens using Mtext. How we currently create our silk-screens is by using text because we use a Gerber translator that cannot use Mtext. So IT wants us to create the files using Mtext and then create using Text to create our silks and throw them away.

While the solution that we have come up with will work, I do not like the inefficiencies of creating the same document twice. I am not sure how to propose a counter solution but any suggestions would be appreciated.

Should we etransmit our drawings? How do we save them to Document Control so that purchasing can access them?

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

If your .DWG files use a non-standard AutoCAD Font file then you will need to make it available to everyone, sorry you can't get round that one.

Are you using a native AutoCAD Font file (.SHX) or True-Type (.TTF)?

If .SHX look at placing on Network and pointing all your users to that location.

If .TTF then this must be installed locally on each PC (Windows Font Directory).

Can you not use the MText approach then Explode the MText Objects into Text Objects for the "Gerber Translator"?

I think you will find ETransmit will greatly help when it comes to the issuing process.

Can "Document Control" not simply access the .DWG files from their location on the Network (am probably missing something here so please explain a little more).

Have a good one, Mike

[jack.frahm]

Mike,
We are using SASB.shx on our drawings. I believe that they have followed your suggestion about mapping everyone to the same network location throughout the company.

As to the Document Control (DC) issue I will try to elaborate further by going into our process. When we create a silkscreen drawing it is "released" to DC. They will then turn around and ask for a silkscreen drawing to be created against the released document. We (those outside DC) now only have read only access to the drawing. We save the drawing as a different file name and explode the MTEXT to Text so that we can create the file. I thought there must be an easier way to run the prints through the "translator" than having to add on the operator cost of manipulating the data.

I was advising my group to create silk-screens (before releasing to DC) using TEXT so we could plug in to the translator easier. Dependent as to who uses TEXT or MTEXT the font will actually shift when you run it through the translator. IT has mandated that company wide everyone use MTEXT, but that will not work with the translator they provide us with. When we change the MTEXT to TEXT the text will sometimes shift.

Jack

[BrenBren]

You *might* be able to create a script file explode the text and save as a different name. I am not real sure how you would do that, as I am not that familiar with scripts, but someone might be able to help you with that.

This would at least cut down on the amount of operator time required, as it could be run without additional operator input

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

Without sounding too nasty (believe me I'm on your side) it appears to me that your IT Dept are implementing working procedures that are not practical and cost effective to the company.

If they dictate MText should be used then they should also supply a Translator that can handle/read MText Objects; if they can't do that, then their procedures are seriously flawed and they should come up with another method that actually works.

To carry on from Brenda's suggestion regarding some form of automation to help you Explode MText to Text take a look at the following -

No-Explode.zip

Explode Mtext

Have a good one, Mike

[Maverick91]

I used to work for a custom embroidery shop, so I can relate.

I'd suggest that you expode your text before you send the files out. Not only does this solve the problem of outsider not having the font, but it also dumbs down the file and makes it harder for someone else to mess with your work. However, exploding text can give you some unexpected results. It's worth experimenting.