topic Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file in AutoCAD Forum

Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 18:31:42 GMT

I was able to plot a few files with special characters to pdf a while back. It was only until recently that I am unable to plot to pdf without special characters appearing as a string of dots or the pdf file being damaged. When viewing the preview of the plot, everything appears as it is supposed to, however once hitting plot, the string of dots appear if a pdf is produced or the file is damaged.

Things I've tried:
- Font handling, capture fonts used in the drawing

- Font handling, convert all text to geometry

- Changing the font

- Different versions of CAD

- Audit

My colleague seems to have no problem with plotting the drawings.

Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

pendean — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 19:27:10 GMT

Special Characters from which TTF font?
Show us, post your DWG file and the problematic PDF file that fails for you but works fine for your colleague.

Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 23:00:36 GMT

The font used is Whitney font which is licensed to us.

I'd like to clarify that when my colleague plots the file to PDF she has no problem. All special characters appear properly within the PDF. When I plot the file I get either a string of dots or a damaged PDF file.

When we view each other's respective PDF files, her file appears properly while my file has the strong of dots or does not open at all.

Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

pendean — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 13:23:21 GMT

Your posted PDF is "hosed": totally damaged and does not open here. Can you actually open it?

Work with your IT folks to discover why the fonts installed on your PC do not behave the same way as the fonts installed on your colleagues PCs. Assuming they are indeed installed correctly in Windows and they are not the OTF type that do not work in AutoCAD.

Read this https://www.thesourcecad.com/add-font-autocad/#:~:text=AutoCAD%20generally%20supports%20two%20type,are%20installed%20along%20with%20AutoCAD.

Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 17:27:24 GMT

Here is a file my coworker did. We are both able to open.

I'm left confused as I was able to plot to PDF before with no problems. The fonts are TTFs, it's only with these special characters that files are not plotting.

Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

pendean — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 17:53:07 GMT

Thanks for the new PDF file (237kb) vs the non-functioning 57kb size file you posted earlier: same content?

Where an I find your special characters in this PDF? What am I looking for? Show me from your coworkers PC as a screenshot. I see/find none unless I am missing them, if that is your issue too, it means you do NOT have these custom fonts installed on your PC either, just like me.

Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 18:02:44 GMT

The PDF file 541-A1 is from my coworker.

I've attached my attempt on the exact same file which is damaged.

The special characters are "C̓ƏSNAʔƏM" in the title block.

The fonts are installed on my PC as my other CAD files (without special characters) are plotting just fine.

Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

pendean — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 18:11:13 GMT

This?

Looks good here, I can confirm that is the font being used in Acrobat DC Pro here C̓ƏSNAʔƏM

Did you get a chance to contact your IT person to verify the fonts are working or need replacing on your PC yet?

FYI I have three different PDF reader applications on my PC, plus four different browsers, and none can open any of your files, they all report it as damaged. Sorry.

Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 20:22:58 GMT

I have contacted our IT department and we are both left scratching our heads.

Things we've tried:

- Uninstalled and reinstalled fonts

- Uninstalled and reinstalled CAD

- Uninstalled and reinstalled Adobe DC

The progress we made was that we are now able to publish into PDFs and open the file. The string of dots have made a comeback and the a message showing that Adobe "cannot find or create the font 'Whitney-Semibold'. Which has been re-loaded.

When I check the two options under "Font Handling" the PDF file ends up being as a damaged file.

Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

pendean — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 20:33:54 GMT

>>>...When I check the two options under "Font Handling" the PDF file ends up being as a damaged file...<<<
That's unusual, never heard of it before. Which PDF driver is this?
Which PDF drivers did you test? AutocAD comes with 5, you have more in Windows I suspect.

>>>...Adobe "cannot find or create the font 'Whitney-Semibold'...<<<
That simply confirms your system does not have the font installed correctly in Windows or it is damaged.

The PDF file from your colleague that I an open was created in MAP3D2017 from one of the core PDF drivers in that variant of AutoCAD.

Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 21:06:04 GMT

DWG to PDF.pc3 was the one we typically use and the one I've been using to try plotting.

Just tested out Microsoft to PDF. (See attached) So close.

I got my colleague to send me her folder of the fonts as she was not having any troubles and installed that folder onto my computer.

Re: Special characters text to pdf plot as a string of dots or appear as damaged pdf file

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 10:58:43 GMT

Hi Pandean,

I was also facing the same issue and doesn't know that the custom fonts I added correctly or not in my PC. But with the help of your shared link, it helps me to find the correct way to "add custom fonts in auto cad and transfer them".

Thanks for sharing this guide https://www.thesourcecad.com/add-font-autocad/#:~:text=AutoCAD%20generally%20supports%20two%20type,are%20 install ed%20along%20with%20AutoCAD