Problem: Acad remembers font file paths

gutterBoy

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Jul 31, 1996, 3:00:00 AM7/31/96

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Here is my latest problem, I think I heard a similar problem brought
up recently but...

Autocad seems to save the path name as well as the file name of the
fonts I use in a drawing. This causes a problem when a drawing goes
from one person to another within the company. It also causes problems
because I create the standard titleblocks and proto drawings for
everyone. Whenever someone else opens one of my drawings Acad prompts
that it can't find the fon't file, but it includes the path as well
(ie C:\ACADR13\COMMON\FONTS\TXT.SHX Can't open file.). They have the
font file but not with the exact same directory structure. Since I
just updated to c4 I also have this problem now ("common" directory
now called "com"). It seems like Acad didn't use to hold on to the
path name for fonts.

I tried creating a font mapping file but it doesn't seem to help. I
tried the following statements in the fmp file:

c:\acadr13\common\fonts\txt.shx; c:\acadr13\com\fonts\txt.shx

and

txt.shx; c:\acadr13\com\fonts\txt.shx

This didn't help anything.

I know this is a small deal and all I have to do is tell it what files
to use each time I open an older drawing but I don't want to do that,
I want to know the answer, ya know?

Any suggestions or anyone else having this problem?

thanks
chris

The End 4 Now
ck...@pcc1.com

Bob May

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Jul 31, 1996, 3:00:00 AM7/31/96

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Yes, this is a real and very stupid problem. If everyone in the company
has Autocad installed in the *exact same* directory structure, its not a
problem.

If changeing peoples installations is not an option (and I don't
recommend it) try this:

Copy only the directory structure to the font directory of the people
whos drawings you most frequently work with. That is to say, you will
wind up with all of the autocad font files on your computer in several
directories. Its stupid, but it works.

Bob May

John W. Raffensperger Jr.

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Aug 1, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/1/96

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When you select the font file (or any other support file) from within the
dialog box, the entire path is stored.

One work around is to use the dialog box to search for the file name, but
instead of making the final selection from the file dialog box, "press" the
"Type It" button. This will bounce you out of the file selection dialog box,
and to the command line. At the command line, just type in the file name (and
extension if desired/required). Then AutoCAD will store only the
file name, and use the "search path" to find the file.

Hope this helps.

John W. Raffensperger, Jr.
Helwig Carbon Products, Inc.
jo...@helwig.mil.wi.us

Dave Jones

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Aug 2, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/2/96

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Unless you have different cad stations with different drive
structure...like we do...Arghhhh!
Dave Jones d...@awwwsome.com
from lovely downtown Burney, CA

Lorne Tontegode

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Aug 2, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/2/96

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The way to avoid this is to set up the style for the font by doing the
following:

-When you get to the style box, select the type it box or hit alt-T
-Type in the name of the font file and hit enter.

What this does is leave off the current path you are using and sets the
file access to the default paths in your environment.

Now, no matter whre you put the file or on whatever machine, AutoCAD
will find it's font files. As long as the paths are set correctly.

This is for the Windows version but the commands will be similar in DOS.

--
Lorne Tontegode
Ideas in Motion
id...@interlog.com
http://www.interlog.com/~ideas
||||-Graphic and Mechanical Design-||||

Dennis Shinn

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Aug 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/3/96

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ck...@pcc1.com (gutterBoy) wrote:

>Autocad seems to save the path name as well as the file name of the
>fonts I use in a drawing.

This doesn't address your problem directly since you need to have the correct
fonts in each of your drawings. But in my case I'm always getting drawings from
outside sources that insist on using proprietary fonts which aren't included
with the drawing files (correctly so, BTW). None the less, it requires
re-mapping the styles to new font names. It's especially irksome when you have a
drawing with numerous xrefs all which have these foreign fonts used in them.

I found that setting the sysvar "FONTALT" to a single path/font on my system I n
longer have this problem. The disadvantage in your case is that any font that
isn't immediately recognized by the drawing editor will have this one font
substituted in its place.

Dennis Shinn
Seattle AutoCAD User Group
SAUG-BBS [206] 644-7115 [PCGNet]9:517/215
Anatech Systems
Construction Detailing
3D modeling support for the construction industry
http://www.halcyon.com/jeeper
email: jee...@halcyon.com

Joe Dunfee

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Aug 7, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/7/96

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jee...@halcyon.com (Dennis Shinn) wrote:

>This doesn't address your problem directly since you need to have the correct
>fonts in each of your drawings. But in my case I'm always getting drawings from
>outside sources that insist on using proprietary fonts which aren't included
>with the drawing files (correctly so, BTW). None the less, it requires
>re-mapping the styles to new font names.

I recall hearing a while back that it was no longer possible to
copyright a font. That is why you able to buy all these disks with 500
or more fonts. So, that would mean that it would be permissable to
distribute the fonts with the drawings.

I think that a real solution would be for AutoCAD to allow you to
set it to automatically choose a substitute font when one is not
available.

City of Longview, Washington

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Aug 7, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/7/96

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In article <4u984i$7...@viper.shadow.net> dated Wed, 07 Aug 1996 09:02:49
GMT, jdu...@shadow.net (Joe Dunfee) says...

[snipped]

> I recall hearing a while back that it was no longer possible to
> copyright a font. That is why you able to buy all these disks with 500
> or more fonts. So, that would mean that it would be permissable to
> distribute the fonts with the drawings.

===> After saying that I was going to post "stylu.ttf" (which comes with
R13C4) I received an e-mail from AutoDesk saying the following:

> On Tue, 6 Aug 1996 11:55:59 -0700, you wrote:
>
> > I have "stylu.ttf" that I can send.
>
> This is a copyrighted font file. You have a license to use this font
> with AutoCAD, but not to distribute copies of the file.

I didn't think fonts were allowed to be copyrighted either (that is was
like perfumes... "you cant copyright a smell") but apparently I was
wrong.

It seems to me that Bitstream Inc has the copyright on the font, NOT
AutoDesk. Is this AutoDesk's way of flexing their muscles, or did I not
read the AutoCAD license completely?

I have a friend who is a pattent (sp?) attorney that I can call and ask.
We'll see.

--
- Sean R. Wells
- City of Longview, Washington
- Engineering Department
- lv...@teleport.com