placing text on drawings -...

Placing Text on Drawings 1

Placing Text On Drawings

Sacramento City College

Engineering Design Technology


Learning Objectives

Describe and use proper text standards

Calculate drawing scale and text height.

Create text styles.

Make multiple lines of text with the MTEXT command.

Use the TEXT command to create single-line text.

Insert fields into text.

Check spelling.

Search and replace.


Introduction

Graphic information on a drawing alone is not enough information to adequately describe the part.

These provide additional information

Letters

Numbers

Words

Notes


Hand Lettering

In traditional “manual drafting”

Hand lettering is a slow, time consuming task.

CAD program lettering is

significantly faster

easier to read, and

more consistent.


Text Standards


Text Standards

Industry and Company standards often dictate how the text must appear on the drawing.


Text Standards

Industry standard ASME Y14.2M

Recommends several text heights depending upon function of the text on the drawing.

0.12” - Dimensions and Notes

0.2” – Titles

Architectural Standards:

Deviate from ASME

0.125” - Dimensions and Notes

0.25” – Titles (0.188 - 0.25)


Text Standards

Architectural “Field Text”

Recommended text height is 0.125” for text in the “field” of the drawing.

If text is less than 0.125”, it becomes very difficult to read when the drawing is reduced in size.


Text Standards

Architectural “Title Text”

Recommended text height is 0.25” for text in the “Title” of the drawing.


Text Standards

Draw the following at 0.25” high

Titles

Subtitles

Captions

Revision information

Drawing sheet number


Text Standards

Vertical or inclined lettering can be used.

Vertical

is the “standard” and most common.

Inclined text

Was very common a few years ago.

Is still commonly used in Asian countries

Slant angle = 68 degrees

Select Vertical or inclined but NOT both on the same drawing.


Text Standards

When fractions are used

They are stacked

Fraction bar is placed horizontally

AutoCAD can produce stacked fractions.


Other Text Characteristics


Text Composition

Composition refers to the spacing, layout and appearance of

the text.

In manual drafting lettering composition (spacing) must be

performed manually by the drafter.

In CAD lettering composition (spacing) is performed

automatically.


Text Composition

Justification: AutoCAD text can be:

left-justified

right-justified

centered.


Using AutoCAD to Draw Text


Using AutoCAD to Draw Text

AutoCAD has two systems for creating text:

MTEXT

Creates Multi-line (paragraph) text

DTEXT and TEXT

Creates Single-line text objects.


MTEXT Command


Multi-line Text: MTEXT Command

MTEXT

Used to create multiline text objects.

Think “paragraph”.

Think “wordprocessor”.

All lines of text are part of the same object.



Select MTEXT by:

Picking Multiline Text in the Text cascading menu of the Draw pull-down

OR

Entering T, MT, or MTEXT at the Command: prompt.



Specify the first and opposite corners of the text boundary box where you want to enter text.

The text boundary is a box within which your text will be placed.

The cursor changes to a box.

An arrow indicates the direction of text flow.

The box is resized to fit the text entered.



After picking the text boundary, the In-place Text Editor appears.

Functions like a wordprocessor.



Features:

Windows clipboard functions

Select All

Cut

Copy

Paste

Paste Special



Features:

Windows clipboard functions

Select All [Cntrl + A]

Cut [Cntrl + X]

Copy [Cntrl + C]

Paste [Cntrl + V]



Features: Insert Field

Symbols Control code sequences

Degrees

Plus/Minus

Diameter

Almost Equal

Angle

Boundary Line

Center Line

Delta

Electrical Phase

Flow Line

Identity

Initial Length

Monument Line

Not Equal

Ohm

Omega

Property Line

Subscript 2

Squared

Cubed

Other…



Features: Paragraph Alignment

Left

Center

Right

Justify

Distribute



Features: Tabs

Left

Center

Right

Decimal

Paragraph Indent First line

Hanging

Right Indent



Features: Paragraph Spacing

Amount Before paragraph

Amount After paragraph

Paragraph Line Spacing



Features: Bullets and Lists

Lettered

Numbered

Bulleted

Restart (numbering)

Continue



Features: Columns

Off

Dynamic Columns Auto Height

Manual Height

Static Columns 2

3

4

5

6

More



Features: Find and Replace



Features: Change Case

Uppercase

Lowercase

AutoCAPS Produces ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

Typical for architectural / engineering drawings.



Features: Character Set

Central Europe

Cyrillic

Hebrew

Arabic

Baltic

Greek Turkish

Vietnamese

Japanese

Korean



Features: Background Mask



Features

Text highlight color



The character tab is used to

enter text,

change text features and

copy text.



The Properties Tab is used to change features like

the current text style,

justification,

text boundary,

width and

rotation.



The Properties Tab gives the following options:

Style, Justification, Width, Rotation



The Line Spacing Tab allows adjustment of the distance between lines of text.



Selected text can be modified by:

Font list.

Font height.

Bold, italics, underline, undo.

Stacked fractions.

Text color.

Insert symbols.

Imported from other programs.

See Figure 8-12, page 319.



The Find/Replace Tab is used to replace selected words with new words.

The Find/Replace Tab gives the following options:

“Find” text box, find button.

“Replace with”, replace button.

Match text case.

Match only whole words.


The DTEXT / TEXT Command


DTEXT Command

DTEXT

Is dynamic text, meaning you can see it on the screen as you type.

Creates single line text.

Each line of text is a separate object.

Think “Typewriter”

DTEXT is used MORE than MTEXT on Engineering and Architectural drawings (!)

It is most useful for single lines of text.


DTEXT Command

DTEXT can be accessed by:

Picking Single Line Text from the Text cascading menu in the Draw pull-down menu

OR

Entering DT or DTEXT at the Command: prompt.


DTEXT Command

Command: DT or DTEXT

Justify/Style/<Start point>:

(pick a starting point)

Height <0.2000>:

(enter height)

Rotation angle <0>:

(enter a value, or press [Enter])

Text:

(type text, terminate with blank line)


DTEXT Command

Rotation Angle


DTEXT Command

When the Text: prompt appears, a text cursor equal in size to the text height appears on the screen.

Enter multiple lines of text.

The crosshairs can be moved independently.

You can select a new text starting point.

Multiple lines of text can be entered anywhere on the drawing without exiting the command.


DTEXT Command


DTEXT Command

Single line text justification The Justify Option

ALIGN.

FIT.

LEFT (default).

CENTER.

MIDDLE.

RIGHT.

Left justification is the default. It is not listed as a justification option.


DTEXT Command

Align option:

Changes the text width and height.

You are prompted for two points between which the text string is confined.

These points can be aligned horizontally or at an angle.


DTEXT Command

Align option:

AutoCAD automatically adjusts the text width to fit between the selected points.

The text height is also changed with this option and varies by the number of characters.


DTEXT Command

Align Option

Adjusts the text height to make it fit between the two points picked on the screen.


DTEXT Command

Fit Option:

This option is similar to Align option, except that you can select the text height.

AutoCAD adjusts the letter width ONLY to fit between the two given points

The text height remains constant.


DTEXT Command

Center Option:

Allows you to select the center point for the baseline of the text.

Pick height and rotation angle after picking the center point.


DTEXT Command

Middle Option:

Allows you to center text both horizontally and vertically at a given point.

Letter height and rotation can be changed.


DTEXT Command

Right Option:

Allows you to select the right-alignment point for the baseline of the text.

Pick height and rotation angle after picking the right-justification point.


DTEXT Command

Other text alignment options:

Top Left, Middle Left, Bottom Left.

Top Center, Middle Center, Bottom Center.

Top Right, Middle Right, Bottom Right.

TEXT

Top Left

Middle Left

Bottom Left

Middle Center

Top Center

Bottom Center

Top Right

Middle Right

Bottom Right


TEXT Command

In older AutoCAD versions, TEXT and DTEXT commands functioned differently.

Using TEXT, you couldn’t see the text as you type. (Not very useful.)

In Release 2000, these commands have been combined, and they now function the same.


AutoCAD Text Fonts


AutoCAD Text Fonts

A font is a particular letter face design.

The standard AutoCAD text fonts are shown in the text.

Refer to Figure 8-22, page 327.

AutoCAD text fonts have an “.shx” file extension.


AutoCAD Text Fonts

The Txt font is the AutoCAD default

Rough in appearance, and probably not the best choice for most text.


AutoCAD Text Fonts

Romans is another AutoCAD text font

Smoother in appearance.

Similar to single-stroke lettering.

Commonly used in drawings.


AutoCAD Text Fonts

Before AutoCAD became Windows Compliant, different text fonts were very difficult to make and were costly.

Because AutoCAD is Windows Compliant, ALL of the fonts available in Windows are now available in AutoCAD!


AutoCAD Text Fonts

AutoCAD now uses “TrueType” fonts.

TrueType fonts are compatible with other Windows programs.

True type fonts are scalable and have an outline.

Scalable - the fonts can be sized up and down.

TrueType fonts will print like they look on the screen.


AutoCAD Text Fonts

TrueType fonts can be outlined.

Outline - the text can be printed as either an outline or filled in.


Scale Factors and Text Height


Scale Factors

Scale factors and text heights should be determined before beginning a drawing.

Scale factors are important to make the text plot at the right height.

The AutoCAD setup wizards automatically control text height scale factors. But!

You should KNOW HOW to compute Scale Factors and Text Height!


Scale Factors

Scale factor is important

This value is used to make sure the text is shown on-screen and plotted at the proper height.


Scale Factors

Remember

Everything in Model Space is drawn at FULL SCALE.

If you drew 1/8 inch text in Model Space to indicate a 5’-0” bathtub, the text would be extremely small compared to the bathtub.


Scale Factors

You must adjust the height of the text according to the drawing scale.

The Scale Factor

Can be calculated manually

Can be determined by AutoCAD.


Scale Factors

For EDT 310, you MUST calculate

the Scale Factor and

Text Height.

AutoCAD’s Annotative Text will NOT be used!


Scaling Text Manually


Scale Factors

To manually adjust text height

You must first calculate the Scale Factor.

The Scale Factor x (desired text height) =

Height to draw Model Space text.


Scale Factors

Scale factor is always a reciprocal of the drawing scale.

If you wish to plot a drawing at a drawing scale of 1/2” = 1” (1/2 scale), the scale factor would be:

1/2” = 1”

1/2” = 1”

[2] x 0.5 = 1 x 2

1:2

The scale factor is 2.


Scale Factors

An architectural drawing plotted at a drawing scale of

1/4” = 1’-0” (1/48th scale),

has a scale factor calculated as follows:

1/4” = 1’-0”

1/4” = 12”

[4] x 1/4 = 12 x [4]

1:48



Scale Factors

Three Steps

1.Write Scale

1/4 “ = 1’-0”

2. Re-write in same units

1/4 “ = 12 “

3. Solve for “1” on left side

(4) x (1/4) = (12 )(4)

1 = 48

4. Scale Factor = 48


Scale Factors

The scale factor for a civil engineering drawing that has a drawing scale of

1” = 60’

(1/720th scale)

is calculated as follows:

1” = 60’

1” = (60 x 12) = 720

1 : 720



Scale Factors for Text Height



We must draw the text at the proper height in model space so that it will plot at the proper height.

After the scale factor is determined, you can use it to calculate the height to draw the text.



Example: To plot 1/8” text:

1. If the drawing scale is full scale

The text height is 1/8”.

2. If the drawing scale is 1”=60’

the same 1/8” high text would be VERY small!

Would appear as a dot (!) on the drawing.

Remember: the drawing is 720 times larger than when it is plotted at the proper scale.

The text must be drawn MUCH LARGER than 1/8” at a SF of 720!



The formula is:

Desired Plotted

Text Height x SF = Height to draw

text in Model

Space



To plot 1/8” high text at scale 1” = 60’:

Desired Plotted


text in Model

Space

1/8 “ x 720 = 90 inches


Scale Factor for Text Height

An architectural drawing

Scale of 1/4” = 1’-0” has a scale factor of 48.

Desired Plotted


text in Model

Space

1/4 “ x 48 = 12 inches


Scale Factor for Text Height

An architectural drawing

Scale of 1/4” = 1’-0” has a scale factor of 48.

Desired Plotted


text in Model

Space

1/8 “ x 48 = 6 inches


AutoCAD Text Styles


Selecting AutoCAD Text Styles

Text styles are used to quickly switch to text with certain characteristics.

Height.

Width.

Font

Obliquing angle (slant).

Backward

Upside down

Other characteristics to the font.



A drawing should have several text styles.

User will switch between styles often.

Field Text

Title Text

A text style allows you to quickly select another text size or font.

Examples of commonly required text styles

Drawing Field Text. (0.125” high)

Drawing Title Text. (0.25” high)



Text characteristics can be changed without using text styles (!)

However

This technique is slower than using styles.

Causes problems.



Proper creation and use of text styles is the quickest and easiest method to control text appearance on the drawing.



When using text in AutoCAD, ALWAYS

Create a text style FIRST.

Name it appropriately and

Use styles when inputting text into the drawing.

Don’t fall in the trap of constantly modifying “STANDARD” to achieve your desired text font!


Creating a New Text Style



When you start AutoCAD, STANDARD is the only text style which is available.

Other styles must be created or imported.



Text style names

Can have up to 31 characters.

Can include numbers, dashes, underlines, and dollar signs.



STANDARD is the default text style.

STANDARD is NOT a good name for a text style !



The Style Name should provide information about

Text font

Size

Scale Factor



Example:

Arial_001_0125

Arial Text font

Scale Factor = 1

Plotted Text Height = 0.125 “



Example:

Arial_048_0125

Arial Text font

Scale Factor = 48




Example:

CityBP_096_0125

Arial Text font

Scale Factor = 96




The Style (ST) command is used to:

Create new text styles.

Modify or list existing text styles.



The Style command is accessed by:

Picking Text Style from the Format pull-down menu.

OR

Entering ST or STYLE at the Command: prompt.

The Style command opens the Text Style dialog box.



Features found in the Text Style dialog box:

Style Name.

New, Rename, Delete Style.

Font Area.

Font Style Area.

Font Height.

Effects Area.

Preview Area.



Style Name.

New.

Rename.

Delete Style.



Font Area.

Font Style Area.

Font Height.

Effects Area.

Preview Area.



Effects Area.

Upside down.

Backward.

Width Factor.

Oblique Angle.


Upside Down


Upside Down and Backwards


Upside Down with 0.45 width factor


15 degree oblique



Preview Area.



You cannot delete text styles which are in use on the drawing.

You cannot delete the STANDARD text style.



After you have created your text styles, you can use them in future drawings.

Do a “File” “Save As”

Open the New file.

The text styles come with the new file.

Delete all drawn objects.

Draw your new work.


Changing, Renaming, Deleting

Text Styles


Change, Rename, Delete

You can change the current text style without affecting existing text objects. (!)

Changes are applied only to text added to the drawing using that text style.

If you change the font, orientation, height of an existing text style, all text items with that style are changed to the new values.


Change, Rename, Delete

Existing text styles can be renamed.

Existing text styles can be deleted ONLY IF there are no incidences of that text style in use on the drawing.


Text and Special Characters


Underscoring or Overscoring

Text can be underscored or overscored by typing a control sequence in front of the line of text.

%%O = overscore.

%%U = underscore.



In order to draw symbols, AutoCAD requires a control code.

The control code sequence begins with two percent signs %%.

The next character represents the symbol to be drawn.



Control Code Examples:

%%D = degrees symbol.

%%P = plus/minus sign.

%%C = diameter symbol.

%%U = underline.

%%O = overscore.


QTEXT


Redrawing Text Quickly

Text can take a lot of time to regenerate, especially if very complex.

If you have a drawing that has a lot of text, just moving around the drawing can cause the computer to respond slowly.


Redrawing Text Quickly

the QTEXT command

turns off the text regeneration and

shows the text as a box.


Regenerating Text

To “get text back”,

turn QTEXT off, and

REGEN the drawing.


Editing Text

(Older methods)


Revising Text with DDEDIT

The easiest way to edit text in AutoCAD is to double-click the text.

Other older methods also exist and include:

1. DDEDIT - easiest

2. DDMODIFY – okay but cumbersome

3. DDCHPROP – only change text properties

4. CHANGE – very tedious



1. Use DDEDIT to edit text

Command: ED or DDEDIT.

OR

Double-click on existing text string.



2. Use DDMODIFY Command

Not as quick as DDEDIT.


Changing Text with DDCHPROP

2. Use DDMODIFY Command

Command aliases: MO or DDMODIFY.

Much slower.

Small close box.



3. DDCHPROP (dialog box) and CHPROP (command line)

can be used to make changes to single-line text properties but it CANNOT change the text.



The following properties can be changed with DDCHPROP and CHPROP.

Color.

Layer.

Linetype.

Linetype scale.

Thickness changes.

Make color and layer changes to multiline text.



Command: chprop

Select objects: 1 found

Select objects:

Enter property to change [Color/LAyer/LType/ltScale/LWeight/Thickness]:


Changing Text with CHANGE


Changing Text with Change

Text can be moved or modified using the CHANGE command.

CH or CHANGE



Pick the text to change

Terminate text selection with [Enter].

The prompts are:

Specify new text insertion point<no change>: (Pick a new insertion point).

Enter new text style <existing>: pick a new text style).



Specify new height <existing>: (type a new text height or accept default).

Specify new rotation angle <existing>: (pick a new rotation angle).

Enter new text <selected text string>: (type new text string).


Spell Checking


Checking Spelling

Check spelling with the SP or SPELL command.

The Check Spelling dialog box is displayed.

Other dictionaries can be used.


Using CHANGE to Modify Text


Other Text Tips


Other Text Tips

Text presentation is very important to a successful, accurate drawing.

Carefully consider text arrangement to avoid overcrowding.

Group notes together to make drawing easier to read.

Place all general notes in one location.

Use the spelling check feature.


Other Text Tips

Align leader text either with a left-justification or a right-justification.

Makes drawings look much neater.

placing text on drawings -...

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