BIM Q&A | Why Do Fonts Appear Scattered in Revit When Importing CAD Files?

BIM Q&A | Why Are Fonts Scattered in Revit When Importing CAD Fonts?

Have you noticed scattered fonts in Revit after importing CAD fonts? What causes this issue, and how can it be resolved? Thank you for your question.

Understanding CAD Font Files:
CAD fonts come in different formats, including CAD-specific fonts with the .shx suffix, and TrueType fonts with the .ttf suffix used in Windows. Compared to TrueType fonts, shape fonts (such as SHX) occupy less space and render smoothly, but their visual quality is somewhat lower.
Shape fonts include SHX fonts that support English characters, as well as larger fonts that support Chinese characters.

Common Issues and Solutions:

• Why does the “Assign Font to Style” dialog box appear when opening a drawing?
  This usually happens due to missing large font files. You need to replace them with existing large fonts.
• Why are characters in the drawing displayed as “?”?
  If replacing the large font does not resolve the issue, try using the pr command to change the text style or the st command to alter the large font. Using the re command may also help.
• Why is the steel bar symbol displayed as “?”?
  Use the text styles tssdeng.shx and tssdchn.shx. These styles are specifically designed to display rebar symbols correctly.

Recommended Text Styles:
For better Chinese character support and smoother drawing flow, commonly used text styles include txt.shx and gbcbig.shx.

Suggested Fix from the “Assign Font to Style” Dialog:
Copy the file gbcbig.shx and rename it to @_gbcbig.shx. Place this file at the top of the large font list, then press Enter to apply.

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