Searchable PDFs from SHX fonts

[dtiemeyer]

In AutoCAD 2017 with all service packs applied, I have text and mtext using SHX fonts. When I plot to PDF, the text is not searchable in the resulting PDF *unless I enable special settings* (in Acrobat: Advanced Search > Search Comments, In Bluebeam: Search Markups).

Is there any way to create a PDF with searchable SHX text that is searchable without enabling special settings in the PDF reader?

Please do not respond with 'use TTF'. We are using SHX fonts here. Thank you.

[pendean]

Nope.

[nmelson]

Enable the EPDFSHX (or PDFSHX) system variable. 

[dmfrazier]

As others have noted, there's (currently) no way (to my knowledge) to do this at the time of creating the PDF from the AutoCAD DWG.

However, there are 3rd-party PDF editors that have OCR capabilities that can convert the recognizable text images in a PDF to searchable text. I've used FoxIt PhantomPDF and it has worked well.

[cadffm]

@nmelson 

It's 4 years old and your answer doesn't fit to the question.

As an explanation of Deans and dmfrazier answer:

The right answer is: Yes, use a PDF reader who search in comments as default setting (joke, but true core).

1. You can not create a pdf with TEXT by using SHX Fonts.

2. (e)PDFSHX creates PDF Comments (and not all PDF programs are set up to search also in comments)

[dmfrazier]

Thank you for pointing out that the question is 4 years old. I only noticed the date on the most recent reply. I should have been more observant.

However, I do think my answer fits the question.

[cadffm]

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@dmfrazier  schrieb:

However, I do think my answer fits the question.

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Sure! correct

I pressed the [Reply]-Button in your post, but i wrote to @nmelson  

[dmfrazier]

I know (now) that is what you intended, but that is not what the forum told me:

I hope that explains my response.