DXF font blues

kcress · Post by **kcress** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 7:44 am

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone has a suggestion as to what to do or what the problem is.

I'm trying to route some text into a box cover that I can then fill with paint for labeling. I'm using Autocad Light 2004 (I think it's 2004) for the original work. (SheetCam V5.1.5) I've picked simplex text and it appears to be just single line vector text in Autocad. I then DXF out the drawing and import it into ("open drawing") in SheetCam. When it appears in SheetCam it is complex text made up of closed lines with serif looking stuff that would be a disaster to route owing to the embellishments all over the place.

I've tried several different text Styles in Autocad and they ALL look identical once seen in SheetCam.

Is this Autocad spewing out the same thing into its DXF file and it not being simple stick fonts or could it be SheetCam interpreting the DXF file's text code as being some sort of complex text? I believe that DXF files handle text a little differently than the rest of the vector info in them so perhaps interpretation occurs via whatever is using the DXF but I really am not sure.

Any input, insight, suggestions, solutions?

Thanks,
---Keith---

Post by **Les Newell** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:41 pm

This is probably an Autocad thing. Try exploding the text before you save the dxf file.

WyoGreen · Post by **WyoGreen** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:18 pm

I don't have Auto-cad, but in Coreldraw, you can convert the text to polylines before exporting to dxf. When I export to dxf, I get a pop up box that asks how I want to export text. Perhaps one of these 2 methods will also work in Auto-cad.

Steve

kcress · Post by **kcress** » Tue Jul 28, 2015 4:17 am

Thanks Les and Wyo,

No joy. Can't explode the text in that Acad version anyway. I do have Corel Draw so I'll try importing the DXF into there a few ways. Maybe I can lick it that way. Otherwise I'll have to redo it all in Corel which, ugh, doesn't lend itself to precise placement type stuff.

ajclay · Post by **ajclay** » Tue Jul 28, 2015 10:36 am

The text explode is located under "express tools" just incase you didn't see it and was trying the command "explode" that doesn't work all the time.

Some Fonts are tricky in AutoCAD and I always have to edit them one way or another to get rid of extra and double lines after they are exploded.

I'm not an expert, but a long time AutoCAD user. If you want to send me the file you're working with maybe I can pickup on something else.

What version of CAD are you working with?

Also "Draftight" the 2d version is a truly free program from the guys that make Solid Works..... Dassault Systèmes. It can be downloaded free off the net and it has the look and feel of AutoCAD. You could install and use it without a learning curve. It sometimes handles fonts better and works better with other drawing files..... sometimes.....

My email address is: ajclay@cox.net

kcress · Post by **kcress** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:07 am

Hi ajclay!

First let me thank you for your suggestions.

Then let me REALLY thank you for turning me onto Dassault's Acad clone. I have looked high and low for an Acad knock off since my Acad refuses to work on my newer Win7 comp, and there's no way in h3ll I'm coughing up $1,500 for today's Acad Light. I've tried about 4 different supposed similar products with none coming close. Outta the blue your suggestion has solved my issue. Many thanks!

My Acad is AutoCAD LT 97.

There are no "express tools". :/

Using the Dassault product(DraftSight) I get the exact same issue where when I open the DXF in SheetCam the text is closed path stuff looking very Romanish. It matters not at all what text I define it as.
I went out trolling and found stick fonts
see: http://mrrace.com/CamBam_Fonts/

Several of these would work in my application just fine. But again on import to SheetCam it's the same 'ol Roman stuff. It even looks like the correct stick font in Acad or DraftSight.

I tried a dozen different stick fonts - all the same result. It seriously feels like SheetCAM doesn't get it and just defaults to Roman but I believe Les.

I'll send you the file but I sure don't want you "doing the work" as I really need to come up with a workable solution since this is something I need to do eh.. maybe, a couple of times a year. While I have Corel Draw CD is horrid for engineering layout stuff so it would be much preferable to have a stick font solution that works.

Thanks.

controlman · Post by **controlman** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 11:08 am

I use DraftSight all the time to mill or plasma cut text.

See if this works for you:
1. In DraftSight draw some text in the font and size of your choice.
2. At the command line type in explodetext
3. Select the text to explode and press enter or the space bar.

DraftSight should tell you how many entities were exploded.
If DraftSight responds with 0 then something is wrong.

4. Save the DXF file

Next open SheetCam and import the DXF file. All should be well.

I just tried it using several fonts of differing sizes and it worked perfectly.

Good luck

Post by **Les Newell** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 11:12 am

This might help http://flipthatbit.net/2013/09/draftsig ... -function/

I did try to make SheetCam support text but it proved to be very unreliable. The problem is that although Autocad released the specifications for the dxf format they didn't go into a lot of detail, especially where text was concerned. As a result every cad package author implemented it slightly differently. If I get text from one cad package to look right, text from another cad package will come out the wrong font, the wrong size or in the wrong place. After much messing around trying to find workarounds I gave up.

kcress · Post by **kcress** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:14 am

controlman wrote: See if this works for you:
1. In DraftSight draw some text in the font and size of your choice.
2. At the command line type in explodetext
3. Select the text to explode and press enter or the space bar.

DraftSight should tell you how many entities were exploded.
If DraftSight responds with 0 then something is wrong.

4. Save the DXF file

Next open SheetCam and import the DXF file. All should be well.

Worked like a charm controlman!

Les; I can imagine your frustration with DXF text. AutoDesk is one of the most obnoxious companies out there. They continually screw with everything so it renders prior versions unable to process later version results. This forces everyone to have to upgrade endlessly.

I have a buddy who created an entire Schematic Capture and PCB Layout system based on the AutoCAD and started selling and supporting it while also paying "developer fees". However about once a year they'd change things that seemed arbitrary and broke everyone's products. After about 2 years of that he threw in the towel.. So I can imagine the machinations going on in the DXF outputs.

Also thanks for the link Les. (P.S. I just upgraded to TNG ten minutes ago!)