FAQ : Why is the PMI text displayed incorrectly (square)?

Problem

When importing a CAD file with PMI (non-ASCII characters), the text becomes square when viewed in the HOOPS Demo Viewer.

image-20211102-100327

Possible root causes and solutions

  1. This could be the specific font is not found.
    a. Set A3DRWParamsPmiData::m_bAlwaysSubstituteFont to true. And
    b. Set A3DRWParamsPmiData::m_pcSubstitutionFont to a specific font. For example, for Japanese characters, you can set “Yu Gothic”.
    c. The font name is written in C:\Windows\Fonts

d. If the font is not installed in the system directory. You should set the font path to A3DRWParamsPmiData::m_ppcProprietaryFontDirectories and path array size A3DRWParamsPmiData::m_uiProprietaryFontDirectoriesSize

  1. This font is only installed for a single user.
    a. Fonts installed on windows for a single user end up in a hidden user directory and they show up when boarding Windows/Fonts even though the file is not located there.
    b. Try install the font for all users.

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  1. Last but not least, you need to restart the application or reopen the project (visual studio).
    a. Sometimes, some software tends to cache the system environment, including paths and fonts