DRAW Reference Manual
Plot and Drawing Output : Guidelines for Exporting DGN Files from DRAW into MicroStation : Installing AVEVA Fonts into MicroStation
Installing AVEVA Fonts into MicroStation
To keep them separate, the required fonts should be installed into a new font resource library called, for example, myfont.rsc, which should be placed with the supplied font resource libraries, typically in the directory:
... \bentley\workspace\system\symb
MicroStation refers to fonts by a number not by the name. AVEVA fonts are supplied as AutoCAD .shx files as part of DRAW. These are supplied in the directory %AVEVA_DESIGN_EXE%\autodraftfonts (or another location).
Once fonts have been installed, they may be checked using the element/text menu. The newly installed fonts should be visible together with the font numbers assigned by MicroStation to the new fonts. If necessary, font numbers may be modified, refer to Changing MicroStation Font Numbers for further information.
The font installation should follow the step-by-step procedure:
Creating a New Font Resource Library
(This step may be skipped if using an existing resource library)
Menu:
Utilities>Install Fonts
Button:
New (Rightmost window)
•
Navigate to the default font library area
•
Enter required library file name - e.g. myfont.rsc
Button:
OK
Selecting .shx Files to Add to Resource Library
 
Menu:
Open (Leftmost window)
Button:
Set Type to .shx
•
Navigate to an AutoCAD .shx file area
•
Select the required .shx files
Button:
Add
Button:
Done
Selecting the Library Destination
 
Button:
Open (Rightmost window)
•
Navigate to default font library area (typically
... \bentley\workspace\system\symb)
•
Select the required font resource library (.rsc file)
Button:
OK
Copying the Fonts into the Library
In the leftmost window, select the required source files. Font details should appear.
Button:
Copy
Button:
Done
Checking the Installation
 
Menu:
Element>Text
 
•
Use drop down or View to locate the font name
•
The font number assigned by MicroStation is also visible
Select to use for text
Changing MicroStation Font Numbers
 
Menu:
Utilities>Install Fonts
Button:
Open (rightmost window)
•
Navigate to the default font library area
Select the Required .rsc Library
 
Button:
OK
•
Select the font name in the rightmost window
•
Font details appear
•
The font number and the description may be edited here.
Font geometry files fontNNN.dgn must then be created to match the font numbers in the resource file.
Creating a New Font Geometry File
Font geometry files (or “magic font-files”) are used by DRAW to export font geometry and alignment correctly to MicroStation. One of these files is required for each font used. The MicroStation font number NNN is included in the name of these files. These files contain a set of instructions and various other text data. These files should not be modified other than as described below, since the data in these files is required for DRAW DGN output to work correctly.
In order to create a font geometry file for a new font, open an existing font geometry file (a set of these is supplied in %AVEVA_DESIGN_EXE%\dgndata) and follow the instructions displayed there. This involves using the MicroStation EDG utility to change the font used. (The EDG utility is installed alongside MicroStation, for example in …\Bentley\Program\Edg\edg.exe.) The instructions in the fontNNN.dgn files are repeated here.
To create an external font do the following:
•
Make sure you have made a copy of this design file.
•
The new name must start with 'font' appended with the font number. (e.g. font186.dgn for MicroStation font number 186)
•
Open this file in EDG first and type 'modify font=<n> whole' where <n> is the new font number.
•
Open this file in MicroStation and type 'mdl load fixrange' (Use Keyin option).
•
Compress and close the design file. (Use Compress on File menu)
•
Place the file in a directory where it can be found by the OpenDGN kernel (which is used by DRAW DGN output). Either this is either the current directory or a directory accessed by means of an environment variable called 'OPENDGN_FONT_DIR'.
We recommended that these fonts are placed in %AVEVA_DESIGN_EXE%\dgndata. If you need different font resource libraries for different projects, we suggest that you create sub-directories and point OPENDGN_FONT_DIR to the appropriate one for the project.
1974 to current year. AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
AVEVA Logo