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

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.

 

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

    image-20260206-233900.png


    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.

    image-20260206-234124.png

     

  2. 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

For more information or to contribute to the discussion, check out our forum post.