MTEXT spacing or justification problem / bug?

[ChrisWebster]

This is happening in plain ACAD 2017, WIN64. 

Mtext looks like it is getting a weird full justification setting. No matter what I do, I cannot get it to space correctly. There doesn't seem to be any stray carriage returns, that I can find. Please see attached images and dwg.

I tested, and this does not happen in ACAD 2015 or 2012, just 2017.

First image is ACAD 2017 full and left justified, 2nd image is ACAD 2015 full and left justified. Same exact dwg file loaded into each.

Thanks for the help.

[imadHabash]

Hi,

 i just open your CAD file and notice two thing:

- your text is normal and i haven't found any thing weird. see attached image

- there is a message appeared when i open your CAD file. see below image

i guess that you have to check your CAD file to be compatible with AutoCAD to avoid such a problem.

Good Luck..

[john.vellek]

Hi @ChrisWebster,

The drawing was created in an application other than AutoCAD so it isn't surprising that you are seeing some oddities such as the text justification.

I ran EXPORTtoAUTOCAD on the file. I have attached the resulting file. Give it a try and see if it behaves normally now.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[ChrisWebster]

OK thanks for testing that. I don't get that foreign dwg file message. I'm using N104.0.0 AutoCAD 2017 SP1. I also use Dotsoft Toolpac. I looked up the foreign dwg message, and used the AECTOACAD command. It still has the problem in ACAD 17. I will attach that file. Thanks.

[ChrisWebster]

Thanks john.vellick I think I just did the same thing as you. But I tested your file and the one that I created, and they both have the same problem.

[john.vellek]

Hi @ChrisWebster,

Since @imadHabash and I both don't see what you are seeing, let's try copying the MTEXT content and pasting into a new drawing. Does it still show up with the strange spacing? If you change the font being used does that improve the issue?

Lastly, try turning off Hardware Acceleration and Smooth Lines in your GRAPHICSCONFIG.

Please post your results.

[ChrisWebster]

John, I tried the three things you mentioned. No change, I still have the problem. 

[john.vellek]

Hi Chris,

Try this attached file. I created a new text style that is not annotative. I copied the existing text and pasted into it and assigned the style and height. I also removed all existing character formatting.

[ChrisWebster]

OK thanks again John. I loaded the file you sent. Same problem. I will attach a screenshot.

But, I may have stumbled upon something. It is the " double quotes. I noticed they looked different. They are a different font, that I can't change. I can only delete them. When I delete and retype all of them the problem goes away. Doing this seems to effect the line above it? I also used the screencast to show what happens. 

[john.vellek]

Hi @ChrisWebster,

This is strange. I wonder if you have a damaged font file 😞  What font is the Quote using? I would check the font and size. If it is a standard Windows or AutoCAD font I can compare with mine.

It looks like you figured it out though 🙂

[ChrisWebster · Accepted solution]

I think I have isolated the problem and found a workaround fix. It is the ” character (ALT-0148). When I replace it with " (the regular keyboard double quote) the problem goes away. I can do this with find and replace either in ACAD, or the original word document and then paste it back in.

I tested in ACAD 2012, and it does mess with the spacing ever so slightly, but not enough to matter. In ACAD 2015, it messes with the spacing a little more. Then in ACAD 2017 it really messes the spacing up as you see here.

I guess I didn't even realize there was a real difference between ” and ". From what I read these are called smart and dumb quotation marks. I don't know how I got smart quotation marks anyway, but I'll just stick with the dumb ones, that match my intellect.

[jggerth]

Thank you for tracking down an odd problem, and posting it.  Someone else will eventually run into it down the road, so knowing the cause and a fix is great.  Please mark your fix as an Accepted Solution to help it be found.

[Anonymous]

Very weird bug but fixed my problem as it was a similar situation.

[ChrisWebster]

So far I have found 4 characters which cause this same thing. I use find and replace to do this. On drawings where there are a lot of replacements (several hundred), ACAD 2017 locks on me. I have to use ACAD 2008 to find and replace. There are probably more.... 

” I change to "

’ I change to '

– I change to -

— I change to -

This is regular ACAD 2017. I have gone back to ACAD 2008, 2012, & 2015. It does not seem to happen in 2008, and it seems to get worse as the versions go on.

[ChrisWebster]

Just checking in to say this is still happening in ACAD 2018.