How to reload fonts WITHOUT restarting AutoCAD?

[averybrodya]

Hello! I use a lot of custom fonts, downloaded online. It's easy enough for me to just install the font and then restart AutoCAD. The problem is that my teacher is the one to actually format the files for printing, so the font will get messed up if it's not installed on his computer. He has many files open at once, so he can't just restart AutoCAD. I can ask him to install the font, but I need to find a way to reload the fonts without restarting AutoCAD. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

[TomBeauford]

I've been using AutoCAD for over 30 years and the only downloaded fonts I ever used were from the Department of Transportation everyone uses for road signs. AutoCAD comes installed with many fonts including the Swiss family of TrueType fonts from which the compact and easy to read Swiss Lt BT was my favorite. All fonts installed with Windows are available to you and as most in a work environment have Microsoft Office installed you'll have the option of using those as well. 

[TomBeauford]

Most organizations need to share drawings with others and those that don't need to share them with others in their offices. Why would you go out of your way to create a drawing that's useless to anyone but yourself? Trust me I still learn enough new things about AutoCAD and all the verticals and other Autodesk software every week to know as a student there's a lot more important things you need to focus on as a student than downloading fonts online.

[Michiel.Valcke]

I have to agree with @TomBeauford , stay away from custom fonts. It will make it much harder to share your work with future clients, contractors without it turning into a big mess.

If you don't care about the text object, and it doesn't have to be changeable afterwards (like attributes, titleblock information, annotations etc) But you only care about the geometry, because you wish to (3D)print it, send it to a CNC or other. Look into the TXTEXP command from the Express Tools. It is available to all AutoCAD Full (not LT) users and will change your text into geometry. Some cleanup is required afterwards, but since it is no longer text, font sharing will no longer be an issue.

[paullimapa]

Best to stay with fonts everyone already has like Arial 

[pendean]

@averybrodya You forgot the golden rule of AutoCAD (your teacher needs to remind you and everyone about it): fonts are not stored in the DWG file, so if you want to use anything special you will need to share it with everyone that touches your file(s). You need to use ETRANSMIT command for file sharing.

Learn the program and it's limitations/requirements: your future employers will expect it.

[averybrodya]

Thank you for the response, and for telling me about ETRANSMIT. It seems useful, but I even when I explicitly say to transmit fonts, it doesn't transmit the font I used. I can put it and the .DWG in a file manually, but that still doesn't work - he would still need to install the font, and that requires an AutoCAD restart, which he can't do.

For those asking why I don't just use default fonts, I'm using an unusual font - I'd love to use an included font, I just can't. It's a logo, so the text is pretty important. If you're wondering, here it is:

One final question: could I make a custom reference in my DWG file? Like, just specifically tell AutoCAD "Use the font located at "./myfont"? It seems like that would allow me to just send him a file with the DWG and font, and everything would work. Thanks again for all the responses.

[TomBeauford]

After wasting everyone's time you finally tell us what you're trying to do.

All you needed to do was make an image file out of that logo and attach it to the drawing, nobody ever needed that font after the image was created.

Next time you need help with an issue let us know what the issue is instead of asking for help do it your way which you already knew didn't work.

[nrz13]

I'm not sure exactly what you're doing, but it sounds like you're recreating that logo in AutoCAD.  In that case, after you've created it, you need to use TXTEXP (zoom in tight on the logo to keep curves refined when the text is exploded).  Then, you can use REGION and then UNION if you want to keep it all together (and be able to hatch it easily).

I'd keep your original text on a non-print layer in case you need to make adjustments down the line.

[Kent1Cooper]

I agree that you should make an image instead.  I don't know what TXTEXP will do with a font that has that "weather-beaten" look -- a gazillion little Polylines around all those spots and spot clusters?