Special symbols (fonts) error

Niilo Riikonen
Niilo Riikonen
in 2D Drafting

Hello! My operating system is windows 7 and I am suffering weird font problem. I am from finland and we have this special alphabet "ä" (I am not sure that you can see it anyway), bricscad cannot show this alphabet right and it draws question mark instead of this alphabet. We have several systems running XP without this error and two windows 7 systems and both have this error. This symbol worked fine earlier but I updated my bricscad and got this error, if I reinstall earlier version it wont fix problem. I would appreciate any help because we have deadline coming soon and those question marks are also visible in printed papers.

Comments

  • Vaidas Guogis
    Vaidas Guogis

    It looks like your font used for these drawings is not found on your system and was substituted by alternative. Check STYLE what font is needed and copy it from XP system.

    Alternatively try to change alternative font by typing FONTALT to a widely used, e.g. Arial.ttf containing "ä" and reload the drawing. 

  • Jakub Fojtík
    Jakub Fojtík

    This is the first time ever I see any sort of constructive reply to this matter. Even with that I don't really understand the reply.

    My advice is that if you ever install BricsCad on a clean operating system don't ever try to reinstall it with newer version. The fonts will get messed up again in the way you are described.

    I reinstalled to newer version on two comps at work about one year ago and this problem bugs me ever since then, of course right after I bought the licences.

  • Vaidas Guogis
    Vaidas Guogis

    Jakub,

    We are using special fonts too like ąčęėįšųūž so the problem is known for me. As described by Niilo, it looks like font used on XP is missing on W7 machines.

    It occures for example if local SHX font is missing. In this case Bricscad replaces missing font by alternative, set as FONTALT variable, and replaces undefined chars by question marks.

  • Vaidas Guogis
    Vaidas Guogis

    Added sample for my first replay:

    Suppose your FONTALT is set to default Simplex.shx. Open http://kitox.com/downloads/roms.dwg file and you will see question marks, because required font is missing. Now save http://kitox.com/downloads/Roms.shx into C:\Program Files\Bricsys\Bricscad V10\Fonts folder and reload drawing - you will see correct chars.

  • Jörg Ehrsam
    Jörg Ehrsam

    Niilo,

    beeing German spoken, I use "ä" "ö" "ü" all the time without any problem, exept ...

    I often import dxf files from an old DOS program, in these dxf-files the above characters are
    replaced by some strange looking signs. So, do you have these problems with all your files or only
    with a few of them, if it's only with a few, of them it would be interesting to know their origin
    and if something can be changed on the settings there. Or could it be that they are created on a MAC ?

    But otherwise ... what kind of font do you use ttf or shx. If it's ttf, it's either not on your system
    or the file on your system doesn't contain the "ä", or type ALT + 0228 (on the number pad) and see
    what happens.

    If it's an shx file, it's probably missing in the Bricsys/Font folder.

  • Jakub Fojtík
    Jakub Fojtík

    Vaidas,

    I use ISOCP.SHX and SIMPLEX.SHX for my own drawings but there are also many other types of fonts other people I get drawings from use.

    I've been told to do what you are trying to show me. I took fonts from AutoCAD and put them into the fonts folder as you described but everytime I open one of my drawings I get this message anyway:

    Substituting font "ISOCP.SHX" by default font.

    Substituting font "SIMPLEX.SHX" by default font.

     

    And then the fonts are messed up in the way described above.

    Btw I can't open your dwg file. It's propably in 2010 version. I'll try new version of BricsCad soon. Still running on 10.1.

    Thanks anyway.

  • Vaidas Guogis
    Vaidas Guogis

    Jakub,

    From my experience message 'substituting font...' appears if font is missing on machine. Do you see it in the fonts list? Please type STYLE command and check FontName pop-up.

    Now saved sample drawing in 2007 version.

  • Jakub Fojtík
    Jakub Fojtík

    Vaidas,

    STYLE command doesn't work for me. Maybe that is because I am using Czech version of BricsCad.

    I've tried the FONTALT command but after replacing "simplex.shx" by "isocp.shx" the letters in my drawings look still the same.

    I opened your dwg file and it shows all the diacritical marks as it should and I didn't even have to comp your roms.shx file into the fonts folder as you described.

    Should I try english version of BricsCad to make the STYLE command work?

  • Vaidas Guogis
    Vaidas Guogis

    You don't need reinstall. Just use underscore symbol '_' before each English command for local version: _STYLE

    Are you sure letters you need are provided in "isocp.shx"? I suggest you to test TTF font as FONTALT at first.

  • Jakub Fojtík
    Jakub Fojtík

    Arial.ttf font works well with FONTALT command. I guess that for my sheets isocp.ttf could work well if I set that as alternative font.

    The only problem is that I can't find isocp.ttf file that contains the letters with diacritical marks.

    Not sure why *.shx files don't work with FONTALT command and why I can't set up *.shx files in text styles window. Only *.ttf files do work there. I am sure my isocp.shx file contains the diacritical marks.

This discussion has been closed.