If you have the font installed, you will typically find it in:
C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD [Version]\Fonts\
OR
C:\Autodesk\AutoCAD [Version]\Support\Fonts\
| Error Message | Cause | Solution |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| "Substituting [Simplex.shx] for [Xarab.shx]" | Font missing | Install the font or use FMP mapping (Option A above). |
| "Bad trace figure" | Corrupted SHX file | Delete the local cache; reinstall from original source. |
| Text shows English but not Arabic | Wrong font selected | Xarab.shx does not contain Latin characters (A-Z). Use a dual-language font. |
| Print preview shows boxes | PDF driver missing SHX fOnt | In PDF plot settings, enable "Capture All Fonts" or "SHX to Text" conversion. |
In the vast ecosystem of Computer-Aided Design (CAD), few elements are as simultaneously essential and frustrating as fonts. For the uninitiated, text in AutoCAD seems straightforward. However, anyone who has opened a drawing from a Middle Eastern contractor, an international engineering firm, or an older architectural archive has likely encountered the cryptic prompt: "Substitute font Xarab.shx not found."
The Xarab.shx font is one of the most misunderstood, yet critically important, shape files in the AutoCAD library. To the Western eye, the name looks like a typo or a corrupted file. In reality, it is the gateway to proper Arabic script and complex bidirectional text rendering in AutoCAD.
This article provides a 3,000-word deep dive into everything you need to know about Xarab.shx: what it is, why it breaks, how to fix it, and modern alternatives.
Prior to AutoCAD 2008, support for complex RTL scripts was poor. Xarab.shx was the only reliable way to get Arabic text into a drawing without using 3rd party plugins (like Kasheeda). If you open a DWG file from the early 2000s, it almost certainly relies on Xarab.shx.
Unlike Latin scripts, Arabic is cursive: most letters change shape depending on their position (initial, medial, final, or isolated). Additionally, Arabic includes diacritical marks and right-to-left (RTL) text flow. Standard SHX fonts do not natively handle contextual shaping or RTL ordering. Therefore, a font like Xarab.shx would need to store multiple glyph variants per letter and rely on external text engines (e.g., AutoCAD’s MTEXT with RTL support) or third-party plugins to render correctly.
If you have the font installed, you will typically find it in:
C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD [Version]\Fonts\
OR
C:\Autodesk\AutoCAD [Version]\Support\Fonts\
| Error Message | Cause | Solution |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| "Substituting [Simplex.shx] for [Xarab.shx]" | Font missing | Install the font or use FMP mapping (Option A above). |
| "Bad trace figure" | Corrupted SHX file | Delete the local cache; reinstall from original source. |
| Text shows English but not Arabic | Wrong font selected | Xarab.shx does not contain Latin characters (A-Z). Use a dual-language font. |
| Print preview shows boxes | PDF driver missing SHX fOnt | In PDF plot settings, enable "Capture All Fonts" or "SHX to Text" conversion. | Xarab.shx Autocad Font
In the vast ecosystem of Computer-Aided Design (CAD), few elements are as simultaneously essential and frustrating as fonts. For the uninitiated, text in AutoCAD seems straightforward. However, anyone who has opened a drawing from a Middle Eastern contractor, an international engineering firm, or an older architectural archive has likely encountered the cryptic prompt: "Substitute font Xarab.shx not found." The Complete Guide to the Xarab
The Xarab.shx font is one of the most misunderstood, yet critically important, shape files in the AutoCAD library. To the Western eye, the name looks like a typo or a corrupted file. In reality, it is the gateway to proper Arabic script and complex bidirectional text rendering in AutoCAD. Part 5: Common Errors and Debugging | Error
This article provides a 3,000-word deep dive into everything you need to know about Xarab.shx: what it is, why it breaks, how to fix it, and modern alternatives.
Prior to AutoCAD 2008, support for complex RTL scripts was poor. Xarab.shx was the only reliable way to get Arabic text into a drawing without using 3rd party plugins (like Kasheeda). If you open a DWG file from the early 2000s, it almost certainly relies on Xarab.shx.
Unlike Latin scripts, Arabic is cursive: most letters change shape depending on their position (initial, medial, final, or isolated). Additionally, Arabic includes diacritical marks and right-to-left (RTL) text flow. Standard SHX fonts do not natively handle contextual shaping or RTL ordering. Therefore, a font like Xarab.shx would need to store multiple glyph variants per letter and rely on external text engines (e.g., AutoCAD’s MTEXT with RTL support) or third-party plugins to render correctly.