Text style settings
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Author | Erhan Toker |
| Profession | Architect M.Sc. | |
| Autodesk Authorized Consultant | ||
| Software Specialist | ||
Those who have been using AutoCAD for a very long time are familiar with DTEXT and TEXT commands. Since the new versions of AutoCAD, MTEXT command was added to them. The main difference between them is the modern interface of MTEXT (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1
On the other side, text entities that are created by using DTEXT are still being used due to the fact that they are lighter than others and dinosaurs like us keeps on using them. However, ability to reach the preset settings by using predefined text styles and to use these syles with MTEXT editor is one of its main advantages. For this reason, I will try to explain about the text style settings in this article. Name of out command is STYLE, and it can also be reached by using Format/Text Style… menu. You can see the text style editing window that opens up when the command runs in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2
You can change all of the properties of texts in this window. Any changes you make here affects on the text style that is selected in ‘Style Name’ part. From now on, as all of knows, we will not have to change the old settings if we would like to make a new setting. Instead, we will define a new text style. Let’s define a new text style by using ‘New…’ button. As our new text style will be ISO 4xxx, which is the technical text style, then let’s define its name as ISO. It is a good habit to define the name of the text style as the name of the font. After creating the new text style, now we can set its properties one by one:
‘Font name’ : We can select the name of the font that we will use from this list. You can access to both true type fonts and veteran AutoCAD SHX fonts. In our example text style, isocp.shx font is being used.
‘Font Style’ : If we select a true type font, you can see values like Bold, Italic in this list. This property is not being used in our example.
‘Height’ : This value determines the height of the text. If 0 (zero) value is entered, then when DTEXT command is run, user will be prompted to enter a text height. If a value other than 0 (zero) is entered, then DTEXT command directly uses this value. Any texts that is created by using this textstyle can be changed later on by using ‘Properties’ command.
‘Upside Down’ : When this property is selected, then the text will be displayed upside down as if its reflection in water.
‘Backwards’ : When this property is selected, then the text will be displayed reversely, as if it is reflected from the mirror.
‘Width Factor’ : Any value that we enter for this property in between 0 and 1 means that we are going to use a narrow text. If any value larger than 1 is entered, then all of the texts will appear fat (wider). In our example, we will use 0.8.
‘Oblique Angle’ : It determines how many degrees our text will be inclined to left or right accepting 0 as perpendicular angle. ‘+’ values make alignment towards right, while ‘-‘ values make the alignment towards left. When we are finished with the settings, then our text should like as shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 3
In order to save the settings, first we press ‘Apply’ button, then press ‘Close’ button to close the window. Now, our new text style is ready. From now on, ‘ISO’ text style will automatically come when we use DTEXT and MTEXT commands. Previously entered text entities can also be changed to this text style by using ‘Properties’ panel (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4
Now, any text that we create by using our new text style will look like as shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 5
I would like to finish my article by reminding you that text styles can also be used in dimension style settings.
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May 25th, 2007 10:40
I would like to emphasize something you mention in the paragrah below fig 2.
I see it happen all the time: It’s a classic beginners error to change the “standard” text style instead of making a new style… (although “professionals” do it too…)
No way around it: you WILL get problems when you work like that since your “standard” is not the same “standard” somebody else is using. You WILL loose settings on both sides.
The same goes for any style (dimension, table, multiline…)
June 25th, 2007 17:20
I disagree with Bart. The beauty of the Standard style is just that — when you get a file from somewhere, to change it to your liking or house style, simply change the Standard association and it’s done. For example, if a client has done a drawing where all the dims and notes are done in Standard, and Standard is associated with Romantic Simplex (ROMANS), Then to fix this to International standards, all you would have to do is change the association from Romans to ISOCPEUR. Simple. Who still uses the ugly TXT style? Yuk! Romans was the popular standard for years because it was the nearest to the ISO — especially when you thinned it down by changing the text width to 85 per cent or so. ISOCP came out to meet demand around the non-American world, but now we have the proper font, there really is no need now to use anything else (except for logos etc.) Remember, just because you can do it in ACAD, doesn’t mean that you SHOULD do it!
THE classic beginners’ mistake here is actually to assign (to standard or a self-named style) a font that is not very common. This simply means that when someone else opens the file, not having the font means that ACAD will use what it can find instead (per the fontalt setting).
Erhan Toker didn’t go into standards, nor did he mention legibility when drawings are printed at different scales, or the new annotation features that illustrate why ISOCPEUR was invented in the first place.
Erhan could have mentioned the superb advantages of MTEXT over the others that dinosaurs insist on using — such as the ability to number notes automatically, insert degrees and diameter symbols without knowing the codes, and the wonderful inserting of the cubed three and squared two — goodbye to the sqm and m2 that DTEXT and TEXT offer!
MTEXT is the only real way to go — easy alignment, easy to change, easy to move around, heck — even a word in the middle of a line can be made bold or have its height increased! You can also paste a paragraph from a text editor like Windows Notepad — or even from Word or Excel.
June 28th, 2007 20:11
Question…
AutoCAD 2008: How do you change the default settings. Each time I bring this up on the screen, the text box is very large. When I zoom in the tex box changes size, and even test size is incorrect. something is wrong with a setting I’m sure.
Hank
July 6th, 2007 17:16
Is it possible to write text into a drawing without having to be prompted with the text. I want to be able to write down the commands in word or excel or something and paste them into the command window. For example:
text 0,0 90 “my text”
as soon as the command for the 90 degree is finished the text marker comes on point 0,0 and a have to write the text down.
Sorry for my english, but do you understand what im trying to say?
July 9th, 2007 08:18
Hello,
Try < -TEXT 0,0 90 "YOUR TEXT" >. Please don’t forget to use ‘-’ sign before TEXT command. See the http://www.dailyautocad.com/autocad/161/ article for more details.
I hope this helps.
Thanks
July 9th, 2007 12:28
Thanks alot… you’ve help me alot!
July 12th, 2007 11:47
Hi again. Is there some command that can be written down in the command window that reprecents the “enter” button. I want to be able to paste a whole line in the command window and execute an -insert command. For example
-INSERT SU222 1873,533141.086481896 1 1 0
where su222 is the block name.
usually when doing simular things with “-text” or “line” a “space” will work as an “enter”, but when working with the “insert block” command the name of the block can be more than one word and in my case AutoCAD takes it as “SU222 1873,533141.086481896 1 1 0″ is the name of the block.
January 27th, 2008 23:04
Hello,
I have a problem with the text style.
I’ve made on STANDARD Times New Roman, and I want to put all my multiline texts to another style (wich is arial), but my texts doesn’t change from times new roman into arial (the style from Standard to the new one is changed, but the fonts aren’t). I don’t want to take every text and change it manualy. What I’m doing wrong ?
Thanks
January 28th, 2008 20:39
Select all the text in your drawing you want changed. Goto the properties dialog box and change the style to standard. Then whenever you change the standard the fonts will change that have been set to standard
January 28th, 2008 20:47
one more thing……You can use the quick select in the upper right hand corner of the properties box to pick entire drawing, object type = all the mtext = properties “style” and choose arial or whatever you are looking for and it will select all the text that meets that specification. Then simply change the text style to standard.
January 29th, 2008 09:25
Hello Veronica,
First of all you should avoid style names come with AutoCAD. Please try to make your own styles with different names.
With MULTILINE text editor it is possible to make particular changes/fromatting in paragraph. So changes made on STANDRAD style may not be reflected.