by Paul Richard and Jim Fitzgerald

Richard / Fitzgerald :INTRODUCTION TO AutoCAD 2012 Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved

Chapter 11 – Adding Text

• Control the appearance of text using text styles and fonts• Understand the difference between TrueType fonts and AutoCAD SHX fonts• Create and edit multiline text• Create and automate horizontal, diagonal, and tolerance type stacked text• Create and edit single-line text• Insert intelligent text fields• Find and replace text in a drawing• Check text spelling for a whole drawing

• Fonts

• TrueType Fonts Versus AutoCAD Fonts

• Text Height

• Text Styles

• Styles toolbar TIPA good balance of performance versus legibility is provided by both the ROMANS.SHX and SIMPLEX.SHX AutoCAD fonts.

TIPA good balance of performance versus legibility is provided by both the ROMANS.SHX and SIMPLEX.SHX AutoCAD fonts.

TIPThe FONTALT system variable specifies an alternate font to be used when a particular font file cannot be located on your system. By default, the FONTALT system variable isset to the AutoCAD SIMPLEX.SHX font.

TIPThe FONTALT system variable specifies an alternate font to be used when a particular font file cannot be located on your system. By default, the FONTALT system variable isset to the AutoCAD SIMPLEX.SHX font.

When text with its Annotative property enabled is added to the drawing, it automatically scales up or down by the current Annotation Scale so that it is the correct height.

NOTERemember that even though text with multiple annotation scales can be viewed at multiple scales, it is in reality represented by only one text object. AutoCAD does not make multiple copies for each scale representation. In fact, the Annotation Scale feature was developed to eliminate the need to create new text for each scale and to have to rely on layers to turn different scales off and on.

NOTERemember that even though text with multiple annotation scales can be viewed at multiple scales, it is in reality represented by only one text object. AutoCAD does not make multiple copies for each scale representation. In fact, the Annotation Scale feature was developed to eliminate the need to create new text for each scale and to have to rely on layers to turn different scales off and on.

• Style Name Area

• New Text Style

Text panel on the Annotatetab of the ribbon

Text Style List

Text Style Dialog Box

• Set a text style current, Add or delete a text style• Rename a text style• Assign or change the text style font• Set the text height• Apply different text effects that makes text read upside down, backwards or even vertically• Change the text width so it is wider or narrower• Slant text at a specified angle so it leans forward or backwards

The Text Style dialog box allows you to do the following:

Benefits of Multiline text include:

• Setting tabs and indents• Automated field insertion• Importing external text files in ASCII or RTF format• Enhanced symbol and special character insertion• Bulleted and numbered list creation• Creating stacked fractions and geometric tolerances• Resizing the text boundary area using grips, and reformatting the text line length automatically• The ability to switch selected text between uppercase and lowercase with the click of a mouse• The ability to create multiple columns of text

• Height

• Line spacing

• Rotation

• Style

• Width

• Columns

Second corner of the multiline text boundary area

First corner of the multiline text boundary area

Multiline text justification options

The in-place multiline text editor

The in-place multiline text editor consists of the following components and features:

• In-place text editor window• Ruler• Text Editor context ribbon• Right-click shortcut menu

The in-place text editor window is where you enter the text. As mentioned,it works like most text editors and word processor software. As you type and the text reaches the end of the text editor window, AutoCAD automatically enters what is commonly referred to as a “soft” return to break the line. You can also enter your own “hard” returns if you wish by pressing the <Enter> key. All the other common text editor keyboard controls are available to help you navigate, select, copy, paste, delete, and edit text as you type.

• Bold • Italic• Underline• Overline• Font• Color• Oblique Angle• Tracking• Width Factor

• Justification• Line Spacing• 1.0x Single-line spacing• 1.5x One-and-a-half-line spacing• 2.0x Double-line spacing• 2.5x Two-and-a-half-line spacing

The Paragraph dialog box

The Character Map dialog box

NOTEThe Character Map dialog box is actually a separate program that shows up on theWindows taskbar when you display it. It must be closed and exited manually. If youdo not close the dialog box, you might find yourself running multiple copies of theprogram if you repeatedly display it.

NOTEThe Character Map dialog box is actually a separate program that shows up on theWindows taskbar when you display it. It must be closed and exited manually. If youdo not close the dialog box, you might find yourself running multiple copies of theprogram if you repeatedly display it.

The Spell Check button turns on and off the Check Spelling As You Type feature that allows you to check spelling as you enter text in the multiline text editor. Any word you enter is checked for spelling errors when it is completed so that any word that is misspelled is underlined in red. Spelling suggestions display when you right-click the underlined word.

The Find & Replace tool displays the Find and Replace dialog box.

The Options menu and the right-click shortcut menu provide additional multiline text options and features.

Character Set cascade menu

Change Case cascade menu

Special stack characters: ^ - Carat converts to left-justified tolerance values

/ - Forward slash converts to a center-justified fraction with a horizontal bar

\ - Backward slash converts to a center-justified fraction with a horizontal bar

# - Pound sign converts to a fraction with a diagonal bar the height of the two text strings

AutoStackProperties dialog box

The Stack Properties dialog box allows you to edit the text content, stack type, alignment, and size of stacked text.

The Stack Propertiesdialog box

• Style option

• DTEXT

• TEXT

The single-line text editor also has the right-click menu, which provides additional functionality:

•Undo/Redo • Cut • Copy• Paste• Editor Settings • Insert Field• Find and Replace• Select All• Change Case• UPPERCASE• lowercase• Help• Cancel

%%C- Draws circle diameter dimensioning symbol ()

%%D - Draws degrees symbol (°)

%%P - Draws plus/minus tolerance symbol (±)

%%O - Toggles overscoring on and off

%%U - Toggles underscoring on and off

%%% - Draws a single percent sign (%).

• All – Lists all fields• Date & Time – Different date/time related fields (created, saved, plotted)• Document – Different drawing file related fields (file name, size, saved by)• Linked – Hyperlink information• Objects – Different object information (formulas, block names, drawing object

properties)• Other – Miscellaneous information (diesel expressions, system variable values)• Plot – Different plot information (plot device, paper size, scale)• Sheetset – Sheet set information

The Field dialog box

The Field dialog box with the Date & Time options

• DDEDIT

• Editing Text using the Properties Palette

The SCALETEXT command

• Specifying a new height

• Specifying a scale factor

• Matching the height of an existing text object

The Properties palette

The JUSTIFYTEXT command

FIND searches through all of the different text types including:

• Single line and multiline text

• Block attributes

• Dimensions

• Tables

• Hyperlinks

The SPELL command allows you to check and correct the spelling for the following text object types:

• Single-line and multiline text• Dimensions• Block attribute values• External references

The Dictionaries dialog box allows you to switch dictionaries so you can check spelling in other languages. The default main dictionary is American English. To change to another language dictionary, select it from the Current main dictionary

by Paul Richard and Jim Fitzgerald

Chapter 12 – Working with Tables

• Creating Tables from Scratch by Entering the Data Manually

• Creating Tables by Linking with a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

• Managing Data links using the Data Link Manager

• Controlling the Appearance of Tables using Table Styles

• Modifying Tables using Grips

• Inserting formulas in a Table

Table Style dialog box

The TABLESTYLE command allows you to modify an existing table style or create a new one.

When you start the TABLESTYLE command, AutoCAD displays theTable Style dialog box.

Table Style dialog box

The TABLESTYLE command allows you to modify an existing tablestyle or create a new one.

When you start the TABLESTYLE command, AutoCAD displays theTable Style dialog box

The TABLE command creates a table object by inserting an empty table in the drawing at a specified point or defined window area using the table style, number of rows, columns, and sizes you specify.

When a table is inserted, you are placed in Edit mode so that the Text Editor ribbon is displayed and the first data cell is highlighted so that you can begin entering data.

When you are editing text, the arrow keys move the text cursor and do not take you to another cell.

NOTEThe row height of a cell increases to accommodate multiple lines of text if the specified row height is exceeded.

NOTEThe row height of a cell increases to accommodate multiple lines of text if the specified row height is exceeded.

When you are finished adding data to the table, you can use the same methods used for multiline text to close out of Edit mode and accept any additions and changes:

• Select Close Text Editor in the Close panel of the Text Editor ribbon.• Click anywhere outside the text editor with your mouse.• Hold down the <Ctrl> key and press <Enter>.

The second way to insert a table is to link it to an existing Microsoft Excel spreadsheet using theFrom a data link method in the Insert options area of the Insert Table dialog box

Table styles are used to control the appearance of tables by allowing you to:

• Set the cell text style, height, data type, and alignment.

• Control the cell border properties so you can set the border line thickness and color and turn border lines on and off.

• Set the table text flow direction from top to bottom or bottom to top.

• Set the horizontal and vertical cell margin distance.

There are two levels of modifying and editing an existing table: table level and cell level. Both methods rely on using grips.

The table editing right-click menu

NOTEYou can also use the TABLE-EXPORT command to export a table to a comma-delimited file.

NOTEYou can also use the TABLE-EXPORT command to export a table to a comma-delimited file.

There are two levels of modifying and editing an existing table: table leveland cell level. Both methods rely on using grips.

You can use the table grips to resize the table by stretching any corner except the insertion corner point. The insertion grip point moves the table. When you change the height or width of a table using grips, the rows and columns change proportionally. .

Using the Table ribbon, you can do the following:• Edit rows and columns

• Merge and unmerge cells• Alter the appearance of cell borders• Edit data formatting and alignment• Lock and unlock cells from editing• Insert blocks, fields, and formulas• Create and edit cell styles• Link the table to external data

With a cell selected, you can also right-click and use the options on the shortcut menu.

When you click inside a table cell, the Table ribbon is displayed.

Using the Table ribbon, you can do the following:

• Edit rows and columns• Merge and unmerge cells• Create and edit cell styles• Alter the appearance of cell borders• Edit data formatting and alignment• Lock and unlock cells from editing• Insert blocks, fields, and formulas• Link the table to external data

With a cell selected, you can also right-click and use the options on the shortcut menu

TIPThe Properties palette provides you with most of the editing features you might need,including access to many of the right-click shortcut menu items above.

TIPThe Properties palette provides you with most of the editing features you might need,including access to many of the right-click shortcut menu items above.

The Properties menu item displays the Properties palette with the cell properties so you can make any formatting or content changes.

=Sum(A1:A10) - Sums the values in the first 10 rows in column A

=Average(A10:E10) - Calculates the average of the values in the first 5 columns in row 10

=Count(A1:D100) - Displays the total number of cells in column A through column D in rows 1 through 100

=A1+D1 - Adds the values in A1 and D1

=A1-D1 - Subtracts the value in D1 from the value in A1

=A1*D1 - Multiplies the values in A1 and D1

=A1/D1 - Divides the values in A1 by the value D1

=A1^2 – Squares the value in A1. The number after ^ is the exponent

AutoCAD provides the following spreadsheet type functions: