Missing CAD fonts and SHX Substitution Matching box
Solving the issue of drawings that are full of question marks (?) and garbled text. Enter the missing font name, match the best copyright-free replacement solution and one-click configuration script.
List of matching results (13)
HZTXT.SHX
SHX Big Font (CJK)Background: Classic single-line CJK imitation Song font widely used in engineering
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
HZTXT is a legacy Chinese big font commonly used in engineering drawings and tabular forms. If missing locally, mapping to AutoCAD default national standard font gbcbig.shx completely resolves missing character prompts.
Optimal security substitution
hztxt.shx or gbcbig.shx
TSSDENG.SHX
SHX Symbols and Rebar FontsBackground: Structural Engineering (TSSD) Special Symbols & Rebar Font
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
Contains proprietary reinforcement symbols (e.g. Grade I, II, III rebar glyphs mapped to %%130-%%133). Replacing with vanilla simplex.shx will cause rebar symbols to appear blank or as question marks. Must be mapped to tssdeng.shx or a compatible rebar font.
Optimal security substitution
tssdeng.shx (or standard structural symbol font)
TSSDCHN.SHX
SHX Big Font (CJK)Background: Structural Engineering (TSSD) Chinese Big Font
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
Structural typesetting font for civil engineering. If missing, map directly to gbcbig.shx; aspect ratios and line heights match closely, avoiding annotation overlap.
Optimal security substitution
gbcbig.shx or tssdchn.shx
TCH.SHX
SHX Big Font (CJK)Background: Architectural CJK Big Font
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
Drawings exported by architectural suites often declare this font. When opened in vanilla AutoCAD without the plugin, it triggers missing font prompts. Maps cleanly to gbcbig.shx.
Optimal security substitution
gbcbig.shx or ttxt2.shx
CHINA.SHX
SHX Big Font (CJK)Background: Legacy architectural institute CJK Big Font
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
Legacy CJK Big Font widely used in 1990s and 2000s CAD drawings. Standardized and superseded by gbcbig.shx in modern workflows.
Optimal security substitution
gbcbig.shx
CASS.SHX
SHX Symbols and Rebar FontsBackground: Civil Surveying CASS Terrain & Feature Symbol Font
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
Used for GIS and surveying contour mapping, elevation marks, and feature symbols. If CASS is not installed locally, mapping to simplex.shx allows reading alphanumeric labels, though custom topographic symbols may not render.
Optimal security substitution
cass.shx or simplex.shx
HZDX.SHX
SHX Big Font (CJK)Background: Legacy single-line CJK Big Font
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
Lightweight single-line CJK big font designed for fast vector redraw. Maps cleanly to hztxt.shx or gbcbig.shx.
Optimal security substitution
hztxt.shx or gbcbig.shx
BIGFONT.SHX
SHX Big Font (CJK)Background: Universal CJK Big Font placeholder
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
Used as a generic Big Font style declaration in international drawings. Map directly to AutoCAD standard gbcbig.shx.
Optimal security substitution
gbcbig.shx
TXT.SHX
SHX Regular Font (Western)Background: AutoCAD native un-smoothed single-line Western font
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
The original AutoCAD un-smoothed vector font composed of segmented polylines. Ships with all AutoCAD installations. If missing, copy txt.shx into your AutoCAD Fonts folder.
Optimal security substitution
txt.shx or gbenor.shx
SIMPLEX.SHX
SHX Regular Font (Western)Background: AutoCAD standard smooth single-line Western font
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
Industry standard single-line Western font with arc-smoothed glyphs. Recommended for all alphanumeric engineering dimensions and annotations.
Optimal security substitution
simplex.shx or gbenor.shx
ROMANS.SHX
SHX Regular Font (Western)Background: Roman single-line precision Western font
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
High-clarity proportional Western font used in mechanical detailing and architectural floor plans. Character widths match simplex.shx.
Optimal security substitution
romans.shx or simplex.shx
COMPLEX.SHX
SHX Regular Font (Western)Background: AutoCAD multi-stroke Western display font
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
Double-stroke Western font used for drawing title blocks. Can be mapped to romans.shx to speed up pan and zoom rendering.
Optimal security substitution
complex.shx or romans.shx
FS.SHX
TrueType Operating System FontsBackground: Windows Operating System TrueType Font (FangSong)
Substitution Principles and Guidelines
Referenced when CAD drawings call system TrueType fonts. If missing on headless or minimal Windows installations, install the standard TrueType font package into C:\Windows\Fonts.
Optimal security substitution
FangSong / FangSong_GB2312 (Windows TTF)
💡 Three-step method for quick repair (How to Fix)
- 1
Set alternate default font
Copy the `(setvar "FONTALT" "gbcbig.shx")` command above. Paste directly into the AutoCAD command line and press Enter. This designates gbcbig.shx as the fallback font whenever a requested SHX file is not found.
- 2
Regenerate viewport to refresh text
Type `REGEN` and press Enter. AutoCAD will recompile and redraw all text entities, replacing question marks (?) with standard legible glyphs.
- 3
Permanent solution: Configure acad.fmp
To automate mapping permanently, add font entries to your `acad.fmp` file. In AutoCAD, open Options (`OP`) ➔ Files ➔ Text Editor, Dictionary, and Font File Names ➔ Font Mapping File, locate your `.fmp` file, and append the mapping lines to the bottom.
Standard Fonts Package
AutoCAD natively includes `gbcbig.shx` (CJK Big Font), `hztxt.shx` (Classic CJK font), and `simplex.shx` (Single-line Western font). These standard fonts offer universal compatibility across all workstations.
Troubleshooting missing fonts and garbled characters (SHX Font FAQ)
What is the difference between a question mark (?) and garbled text?
* **Question mark (?)**: The CAD engine cannot locate the specified SHX font in your search paths, or the font lacks specific glyphs or symbols.
* **Garbled text**: Indicates an encoding or code page conflict (e.g. attempting to parse double-byte CJK text using a single-byte Western font).
Can I download full font packs online and import them?
We strongly advise against downloading massive multi-gigabyte font packs from third-party sites. They often contain corrupted fonts, duplicate files that degrade AutoCAD startup speed, and potential security risks. Using targeted FONTALT or acad.fmp mappings is the recommended practice.
How to configure Big Font and Western fonts together?
In AutoCAD's Text Style dialog (`STYLE`), configure paired fonts: select a regular Western font on the left (e.g. `simplex.shx`), check "Use Big Font", then choose your CJK Big Font on the right (e.g. `gbcbig.shx`).
Why do vertical CAD add-ons find their fonts automatically?
Specialized civil, structural, and architectural suites automatically append their custom font directories to the AutoCAD Support File Search Path. To open their drawings in standard AutoCAD, simply add their Fonts folder to your Support Search Paths in Options.
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