AutoCAD - Linetype Font problem

[hencoop]

Hello all,

I have a custom linetype that uses a character in the symap font that is behaving strangely and I can't fix it.  In one drawing the character displayed shows the character stroke with a width (and off center in both axes).  In another drawing the character displays a thin single stroke (like Vector fonts).  I have reloaded the linetype and redefined the style to no avail.  My style names match the font names used so this one is named SYMAP.  My FONTMAP is empty.

What am I forgetting/missing here?

I expect this display (as it has been for a very long time)

Desired display

This is the display I am getting and cannot change.

Undesired (aberrant) display

[ The subject line of this post has been edited for clarity by @handjonathan Original: Linetype Font problem ]

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

would you mind uploading the dwg-files (just a few items with this linetype in each of the drawing files), makes it easier to find the source of the issue.

- alfred -

[hencoop · Accepted solution]

I still don't know how the font assigned to the linetype in the xref definition got to be something other than what our custom software assigns it and different from the xref itself; however, I have discovered more precisely what I was seeing.

The linetype WAS updating in the file it is in.  That file is xreferenced to our sheets and it was NOT updating there.  Researching this further I discovered VISRETAINMODE.  I have long depended upon VISRETAIN to preserve the layer settings of my xreferences; however, I completely missed the addition of VISRETAINMODE (added ver. 2018). 

This system variable is set to 0 by default and is as it should be for our preferences.  Set to 0 it produces the same results as before it was added.

(P.S. The recommendation to "use the shortcut menu option Reset Xref Layer Properties For, on the Layer Properties Manager." is impossible as it is nowhere to be found on my system.)

According to the documentation, in order to update a linetype definition in the xreference it is necessary to set VISRETAINMODE=32 ***OR*** to use the Xref Layer Settings in the Layer Settings dialog and check Linetype.

Unfortunately, this has no effect on the text style used in the linetype (SYMAP).

In order to update the text style used by the xref's linetype it is STILL necessary to detach and reattach the xref.

[hencoop]

P.S. Even though you have confirmed that the AutoCAD fonts symeteo.shx, symap.shx, syastro.shx, symath.shx and symusic.shx are present in your AutoCAD installation,  DO NOT delete the Autodesk TrueType fonts symeteo, symap, syastro, symath, symusic from your Windows 10 OS!

IF you do, AutoCAD will be unable to use the .shx fonts of these names!  Why?  I have no clue!  Nevertheless, that was the case with my Win10 system.  I could NOT access the characters in these .shx fonts until I reinstalled the Autodesk authored truetype fonts of the same names.

[cadffm]

Offtopic: My I ask: WTH you deinstalled these  Fonts!?

And:

Before I can possibly give you the correct answer, would you please provide me with your linetype?
I think I know, but before I write something I better test it, instead the linetype (so I don't have to tinker one myself unnecessarily.

[hencoop]

WTH not?

We don't use these TrueType fonts.  They all use strokes with widths and like polylines with widths that are absolute.  We use vector fonts (.shx fonts) for all sheet annotation.  We do use some specific Truetype fonts for title block and cover sheet content but only for that.

We use pen tables and assign widths to colors.  It's a carry-over of an old-school drafting thing where the "drafter" is expected to select an appropriate  pen width to draw objects based upon what they are; object lines, hidden lines, phantom lines, etc.  In our firm, lineweights and linetypes STILL have a very specific purpose on any drawing.

I could not get AutoCAD to STOP using the Truetype font and use the vector (.shx) font instead so I figured that if the TrueType font did not exist it would have no choice but to use the shx font.  As you can see from my post, that is not true.  AutoCAD apparently requires the TrueType font exists or it will not use the vector font.

*SILTFENCE,Silt Fence circle ----0-----0----0-----0----0-----0--
A,.085,-.15,["A",symap,S=.21,R=0.0,x=-0.0625,y=-0.09],-.15,.085

[balo128908]

Fonts are priced differently because different people make them in different places and conditions. Someone paying a high rent, and high salaries for their employees would have higher costs for a font, than someone else. But most important is the foundry's positioning. dafonts

[matt3HHZB]

The solution to this to us was the Standard font having the "wrong" font set. Opening text style (STYLE) and changing Standard to txt.shx fixed this.

[Kent1Cooper]

---

@matt3HHZB wrote:

The solution to this to us was the Standard font having the "wrong" font set. Opening text style (STYLE) and changing Standard to txt.shx fixed this.

---

This is why it's not a good idea to use STANDARD as the Style of Text inclusions in Linetype definitions.  By default, that Style has not even always used the same font [it was TXT.shx for a long time, but at some version changed to ARIAL.ttf], so even the age of a drawing could affect a custom linetype that uses it.  Make a Style that will not likely have its font changed, and use that.  You could name a Style specifically with reference to Linetypes, but I typically just use a Style with the same name as its font -- for example, ROMANS -- and without a fixed height which could also mess things up in linetypes.

[matt3HHZB]

Thank you for the further info.

We were trying to fix some legacy work quickly so seemed like a good quick fix in our case, but yes you suggestion to use a different style for creating linetypes is much better long term good practice.

[TomBeauford]

Good rule!
I'd add that adding and using both Text Styles and linetype files with descriptive names like "Arial" or "Wingdings" both of which include handy characters for using in linetypes avoids most issues we see all the time.
To make sure almost every AutoCAD user who opened it would see them displayed the same way I only use fonts installed either with Windows or AutoCAD.

It's frustrating to get drawings from outside your office referencing a font they bought online and didn't include so there's no way to tell what the drawing was even supposed to look like.