Creating Custom Font from PolyLines - Autocad 2013

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am trying to create a custom font that's basically a bold or outlined version of "txt.shx" and front what I understand I need to create shape files and compile that into a .shx file?

How do I go about doing this? I have searched online and I guess I either don't know what to search or it doesn't exist. How do I create shape files? What do I save each letter as and how? Are they all separate files or in one?

Attached is a picture of what I'm trying to do, the "M" on the left is the txt.shx font and the one on the right is made from PolyLines

Sorry ahead of time, I am still newish to AutoCAD and just really overwhelmed with this. Thank you

[pendean · Accepted solution]

Explore this old post https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/how-make-shx-font-file/m-p/2025100#M419659
and
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/making-font-file-and-shape-files/td-p/7558009

[Kent1Cooper]

You won't be able to define a .SHX font with solid-filled/wide areas like that.  They're made up of only linework, and a "filled" area needs multiple lines close enough together to come out filled solid when Plotted.  But you can just use TXT, in a color that you can set to Plot  with the lineweight you want, with the Line End Style set to "Butt," and experiment with the Line Join Style to see whether "Bevel" or maybe "Diamond" suits your needs better.

[Anonymous]

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@pendean wrote:
Explore this old post https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/how-make-shx-font-file/m-p/2025100#M419659
and
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/making-font-file-and-shape-files/td-p/7558009

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Those are both extremely helpful, I don't think I know enough about programming to complete this task though....I wonder if anyone has a file I can just pick apart and change a few parameters and names on?

[Anonymous]

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@Kent1Cooper wrote:

You won't be able to define a .SHX font with solid-filled/wide areas like that.  They're made up of only linework, and a "filled" area needs multiple lines close enough together to come out filled solid when Plotted.  But you can just use TXT, in a color that you can set to Plot  with the lineweight you want, with the Line End Style set to "Butt," and experiment with the Line Join Style to see whether "Bevel" or maybe "Diamond" suits your needs better.

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My issue isn't plotting, what I do is involved with Gerber files and it wont pick up thin lines. The style of font strictly needs to be the txt.shx style (or close to it), I have used the thick polylines before but I drew them out. 

What if I could do the outline? I have done that before too. I just dont know enough about the programming side to do that. I have all the letters and numbers drawn up in a .dwg I just need to SOMEHOW get them into a font so I don't need to insert, copy, and place every single letter like I have been

[Anonymous]

SOLVED!!!!! I found the .lisp file that a previous CAD technician created that created that object seen in the previous photo. It creates a new layer "CText" and shifts the original text to that layer, leaving the new modified text on the layer the original was on. I have tried this with a bunch of standard fonts and it seems to work on all of them. Due to the fact that my company has very strict sharing policy, I am unable to post the .lisp without checking with the appropriate people first due to it technically being "company information". My apologies