Setting WD_IEC font width for wire numbers in 2010

[scottgensemer8984]

Having an issue with font widths in Acad-e 2010.

We are trying to create searchable PDF's. To do that, all fonts need to be True-Type with a width of 1.00. For the most part, updating the Text styles so they conform to that works. Works on everything but wire numbers. We can change the Text style on WD_IEC all day long to a width of 1.0. I have a script which we run that changes all the fonts and widths. The next wire number you place comes in at a width of 0.8 anyway.

1) Will changing the width of the font in the wirenumber DWG block file fix this?

2) Or is this hard-coded into the software so it is forced?

It has been a couple years since this cropped up here, so I am a bit rusty on how wire numbers vs. font widths work. I seem to recall that the font width for wire numbers is hard-coded somehow, and changing it to a width of 1.0 will need to be a manual process. I also recall that even changing the attribute in the block would not change the behavior; but I could be mis-remembering.  When we looked into this then, we gave up on it as converting an existing schematic to font widths of 1.0 was a real mess (changing existing text to widths of 1.0 caused all sorts of havoc on a crowded sheet). I have a group that is requiring searchable schematics now, so we are readdressing the issue. We have everything solved but wire numbers.

Any recommendations?

[Icemanau]

You will need to edit the font in the wire number blocks so it is 1.0. I had to do the same to get my wire numbers to match the font & width I use. Regards Brad

[scottgensemer8984]

Brad:

Do you know if this is still true in 2014?

[Icemanau]

The wire numbers are inserted as a block. This means that if you want to change width settings, font or anything like that, you need to modify the blocks that are used for wire numbers.

For a dwg with existing numbers, you will also have to update the block using the swap/update block tool.

Select and check wire numbers that have already been inserted to get the file names. Don't forget to do the same for any blocks used for wire number copies. These have a different file name.

This is the standard method from at least 2007 and is still used in 2015

Regards Brad

[scottgensemer8984]

Seems odd that wire numbers are treated differently than other blocks. You change the text styles for all fonts to True Type to produce searchable PDF's. Changing the text style updates the font and character width of all other symbol block text. When you insert other or new symbol blocks, they adopt the revised text styles, even though you do not change those actual blocks.

Why would wire numbers be treated differently? (Mostly rhetorical question.) The font changes; but the width does not when you change the text styles for the drawing. The next time you place a wire number, the font (or at least the width, I forget which) reverts back. Must at one time long ago not been a block; but applied as a separate piece of text, and was (still is, at least partially?) built into the software code.

Pity it's still done that way in the current versions. Good to know as I plan our upgrade. Guess I change the blocks. Oh well...

Thanks for the replies!