AutoCAD LT

[#1]

Hi

I am using AutoCAD LT 2013 to create figures (drawings) to be published. So I need the text within my figures to adhear to our publishing conventions. This means I need to be able to insert an 'en dash' (a dash that is slightly longer than a hyphen).

En dash (–)

Hyphen (-)

Does anyone know how to do this?

I know how to do this in theory:

Draw text box, click on symbol option, select 'other' and insert through the character map.

However it still only inserts a hyphen.

Does anyone know how to actually make this work, it is quite a large stumbling block and will create a huge amount of extra work if I am unable to do this in AutoCAD. It seems like a very basic text requirement, so I'm supprised that it is this difficult, and figure I must be missing something.

Any help would be fantastic.

Thanks

[#2]

Does the Font that you are using not have this piece of information?

I should think that this is the only place you will be able to find it.

Are you an AutoCAD user or know how to set up Textstyles for use?

How about creating a Block?

Tool Palettes?

Once you go thru the exercise one time you could create this dash as a Block and then Insert it from the Palette quick and easy.

It would save you from having to create it each time.

[#3]

Thanks for such a quick response,

Yes font has it, I use this character in the same font in other programmes.

I have been using AutoCAD for a few months, so quite new to it but feel like I have a reasonable grip on it (maybe naively).

I have text styles set up and know how to create a block and use the tool pallets, so this would be an option but I don’t think I can insert a block into a text box? So if I need to insert it into the middle of the line it means multiple text boxes with a big chance of error, especially when using annotative text. I also don’t think I could get the block to resize with the font size, so difficult to get consistent.

This would probably work, its just time consuming to get consistant accross a large number of drawings.

[#4]

>>>...Draw text box, click on symbol option, select 'other' and insert through the character map....<<<
And what font are you selecting to grab the symbol from?

And are you sure you are grabbing the correct symbol?

How would you do the same say in MSWord?

[#5]

Thanks

Arial regular, have also tried helvetica and times. I can select the character fine in all of these fonts in other programmes. It is very common.

I know I am selecting the en dash as it tells me the character name when I hover over it. Maybe AutoCAD has the same symbol with a different name? I will try all the other dash looking symbols.

I do basically the same process in Word, but it inserts the character I am expecting. (Insert, symbols, more symbols, then select the one I want).

FYI - Other symbols I've tried insert fine into CAD, but the 'em dash' (longer again than the en dash) also doesnt work. Comes out as 2 hyyhens witha tiny gap between them.

[#6]

What is the U+ code for the symbol in ARIAL TTF?

[#7]

U+2013

[#8]

See attached: seems to work fine here.

[#9]

Hi

thanks, yes it seems to have worked for you and when I open your file I can copy and past it into mine and it is still an en dash. So if nothing else I will save your file and copy from it each time I need one. But how did you do it? cos its still doesnt work for me using the method I have been (by inserting a symbol).

Cheers

M

[#10]

If you draw a circle is it a circle on the monitor?

I am wondering if the screen resolution is correct.

You do seem to indicate that it is if you are seeing the correct length of dash with Dean's drawing but thought I would ask.