True Type Font For Searchable PDF

[bcarlso2]

I have a client who used Simplex.shx font all over their drawing package. Is there a way to use Simplex.ttf in a text style instead? I have read and searched all over and haven't gotten anything to work. When I go to my style manager Simplex_IV25 and SimplexIV_IV50 are the only true type fonts I can use of Simplex. They are wider and bolder than the regular version, which is not selectable. I would like to change the style using a script on my 300+ drawings so that when we convert to PDF it is searchable. I cannot use either Simplex_IV25 or Simplex_IV50 because the clients would notice and would complain, it would also throw alignment off. I am using ACADE 2015. Any other info needed, I can gladly give.

 

Thanks

[rkmcswain]

As far as I know, those TTF fonts with the same name as the SHX ones, are only there for display use in the MTEXT editor.

[bcarlso2]

So I am out of luck if I want to replace the text in the drawings so that their appearance doesn't change and they are searchable in PDF?

[halam]

Why don't you just rename the .ttf file to simplex.ttf and / or get a ttf file that looks the same as the .shx file? I still prefer .shx because ttf has some funny display behaviour inside AutoCAD

[RobDraw]

So I am out of luck if I want to replace the text in the drawings so that their appearance doesn't change and they are searchable in PDF?

 

It's been a while but I got limited results using Bluebeam to capture .shx fonts in the past. Maybe you could give it a trial.

[tombu]

AutoCAD's Swiss family of ttf's is pretty good. I've used their Swiss Lt BT for 95% of my text for at least a decade. It's much more compact and readable than any shx font. Copy any sentence and compare the two styles. I use title case for all my labeling and sentence case for notes. Civil drawing require conserving screen space, just not enough room on the paper any other way.

[bcarlso2]

Why don't you just rename the .ttf file to simplex.ttf and / or get a ttf file that looks the same as the .shx file? I still prefer .shx because ttf has some funny display behaviour inside AutoCAD

 

If you mean change the .shx extension to .ttf of simplex, it doesn't work that way. The files do not store the same information and cannot simply go back and forth. I've never seen strange behavior from a ttf in CAD, but I would gladly trade that for the ability to search in a PDF since none of our customers use Electrical and our packages are 100's of pages long.

[bcarlso2]

It's been a while but I got limited results using Bluebeam to capture .shx fonts in the past. Maybe you could give it a trial.

 

Some of my coworkers have it, but our company wont buy everyone a seat so I am stuck without. I may have them try it out.

[bcarlso2]

AutoCAD's Swiss family of ttf's is pretty good. I've used their Swiss Lt BT for 95% of my text for at least a decade. It's much more compact and readable than any shx font. Copy any sentence and compare the two styles. I use title case for all my labeling and sentence case for notes. Civil drawing require conserving screen space, just not enough room on the paper any other way.

 

I am almost always limited to the fonts and styles picked by the customer, but I will try to remember that if/when I do have some freedom in that area.

[RobDraw]

I am almost always limited to the fonts and styles picked by the customer.

 

Explain to the customer that if they want searchable PDFs, they should use TTFs.

[SLW210]

AutoCAD 2016 (I do believe DWG TrueView as well) and newer DWGtoPDF.pc3 creates searchable .shx text.

 

Acrobat Pro has an OCR that works pretty good most of the time for converting old PDFs.