Text Disappearing!!

[MikeScott]

The text is scaled too small to see. My dad has that happen to him all the time with dimension line text. He didn't realize that the dimension scale you use in paperspace is not what you want to use when you're in model space.

 

He's doin' pretty damn good for 80 years old though. (80 this year)

[Bighitter]

Hi Mike, now I understand what the problem is but can you please tell me how do I solve this issue. For example, If I am working in Model space and I want to do a text at 2.5 size, what I need to do see the text.

 

Thanks in advance.

[MikeScott]

You're on AutoCAD 2010 so I'm not sure what the process would be, unless it still uses the old commands /windows for it.

 

Try "style" and enter the height in there.

 

If you're having the problem during Quick leaders, or the text on Dimension lines, you can change it by typing "D" and hitting enter.

 

Then choose "modify" or "create new" and then select "Text" from the tabs along the top.. then adjust the height in there.

 

Personally (and I seem to be in the minority on this) but everytime I use text, it's as a Quick Leader, to allow it to scale to paperspace (using the dimension settings), and then delete the arrow if I don't need one.

 

That ensures that all my text is consistently sized when I print.

[Bighitter]

Thanks Mike,

 

I take your point.

 

The way I am dealing with this issue is to (a) select the text (b) input SC and enter © select the text again (D) input bigger text size i.e X5 even X 8 or even X10. This is doing the trick at the moment but its not satisfactory, I should be able to just input text and resize in the model space as shown in so many tutorials!! I think this issue can be sorted by changing settings and I dont know how to do this!!!

 

There must a member here who is using CAD 2010 who knows how to deal with this.

[Dana W]

Well, this is kind of an old thread but I will give it a shot.

 

Read all of this before you go off and start changing anything, you may find some of it counterproductive.

 

Do this in a TEST drawing, a copy of the one you want to change. Go up to the File menu and do a Save As...FluxCapacitorTest.dwg or something.

 

DO NOT modify the Standard text style or Dimension Style or any of the Standard Styles. If you want to make changes, create a new style. That way, you will have the Standard to fall back on if things get awry. To recover the Standard stuff, if modified, you will have to open one of the Template drawings or import from one of them through the Design Center.

 

I don't know what your tool bars look like so I will refer to menu items only.

 

I am using AutoCAD LT 2009, but the tool bars and work spaces are pretty much the same as 2010.

 

First thing, If you don't know how to use the Drafting and Annotation workspace yet, I suggest switching to the AutoCAD Classic workspace for now. On the Menu bar Click Tools and then Workspaces and check AutoCAD Classic. It will make your workspace look like old school (pre 2007) AutoCAD. You can switch it back whenever you want to. I just can't seem to find my way around the menus in the Annotation workspace since the menu items just expand the tabs which are way different than the classic menu, and that is where I have been living for a few years now. To switch workspaces fast, click the little gear looking tool bar item down at the lower right of your AutoCAD window.

 

To change text height in a dimension style, you will have to have a Text style set up with a text height of zero. More about that later.

 

Click Menu item Format, then Click Text Style. If you only have Standard, select it and click New. You will be presented with Copy of Standard, rename it something. Create new or select the text style you are using in the windowed list on the left. Then make sure the height is set to zero. If you had to change it to zero, you probably have already set up a NEW text style, since STANDARD set to zero height is the default. If you had to change it, click the Apply button and close the dialog box.

 

To change the text height for your dimensions (Dimention style) in Classic, on the menu bar click Format or Dimension, then click Dimension Style. Select the dimension style you are using in the little window on the left, then click Modify at the right side. Click the Text tab at the top of the resulting window.

 

You will see the text height adjustment scroll box on there.

 

In order for this to work, as I mentioned before, your text height in the Test Style manager will have to be set at zero, otherwise it will override anything you enter here. In fact, in the newer versions of AutoCAD, including 2009 and 2010, the text height adjustment scroll will be inactive, grayed out, if your text STYLE has a height that is not zero.

 

My advice is to go to the Text style manager and set up a text style that you use ONLY for dimensions and/or annotations and set the height to zero. You will then be able to set up multiple dimension styles to use for any purpose you like, all with different text heights. You can then change the font style in ALL your dimensions globally. Later on, you can set up multiple dimension styles, each with different Text styles, and multiple.... uh never mind for now.

 

To get to Text Style editor in the Annotation workspace, click Annotate, then click the "A" with the paintbrush on the text tab.

 

To get to the dimension style editor in the annotation workspace, Click Annotation, then click the button with the dimension and the paintbrush on the Dimension tab.

 

Waddaya know, even an old dwg can learn new clicks. That is much easier than my old school menu.

 

OK, so now you are saying, "But my dimensions didn't change!! Wazzup widat?"

 

If your dimensions have not changed, then you created a new Dimension style during the tribulation above. You will have to Move your dimensions to the new style. Select one of them and then click on the Dimension Style dropdown list either on your oldschool toolbar or the Annotate, Dimension tab. Click the name of the dimension style you want to use while you have one or more dimensions selected. They will change to the new style. If you like the effect, then do the rest.

 

NOTE: All of the above pertains to the Current drawing only. To carry your "Styles" to another drawing, use the current one as a starting point or template, or use your Design Center to import them into a new drawing from an old one.

[Bighitter]

Thanks Dana for your detailed instruction, I will try this and hopefully it will work. I will let you know what happens!!

[Dana W]

Thanks Dana for your detailed instruction, I will try this and hopefully it will work. I will let you know what happens!!

 

You had another question relating to text size and the different scales in paper and model.

 

Your modelspace text is going to be reduced by the scale factor in your paperspace viewport.

 

A rule of thumb I use is, don't make your text any smaller than 1/10" in paper space. So, for a survey drawing I have that is scaled at 1" = 100' or 1:100, which is one paperspace unit = 100 modelspace units, I used a text size of 10 (feet) in model space for my dimension and leader styles. The text height will be printed at 0.10 (inches) in paperspace.

 

I individually change the text height of any "one time only" text I put straight into paper space to fit using the MTEXT editor and I try to keep it at least 0.10 high.